Back into the hobby, need stocking ideas

[Kingster]

So I got out of the hobby when I joined the Army, Ive been home for the holidays and we moved to a new home, and thanks to circumstance and the kindness of some good folks Ill hopefully be getting a nice 140 gallon 72x18.5x24 inchs and stand, they have offered for free.

My plan is to set this up as a simple tank, with minimal regular maintenance so that while
iam gone my family wont be too burdened taking care of it. Also for display Iam thinking of getting a single large display fish (a beautiful pike cichlid, a wild oscar, or pair of heros serverus) need ideas, and then maybe or maybe not a small group of medium sized fish like SDs or something of sort.

filtration will be built once I know how stocked it will be, but will probably rather light and make just go with 2 hob filters

hardscape wise Ive enjoyed blackwater and biotope set ups in the past, but this time I want it as simple as possible but still eye catching, Iam thinking perhaps tiled bottom?

 

[celebrist]

Is it 18.5 wide or 18.5 tall?

 

[Kingster]

Is it 18.5 wide or 18.5 tall?

Wide

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

Glad you're back in the hobby!

I've got 2 tanks around that size, funny enough. You may find the stocking of them (listed in signature) to be of interest to your tank.

 

[Kingster]

Glad you're back in the hobby!

I've got 2 tanks around that size, funny enough. You may find the stocking of them (listed in signature) to be of interest to your tank.

Appreciate it bud, you mean the loaches?

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

Yes, as well as everything else (catfish, sharks, barbs, chalceus, as well as the silver dollars which you already mentioned).

 

[eon aquatics]

you could set up a piranha aquarium

 

[Kingster]

you could set up a piranha aquarium

That would be cool, but Iam worried that 1) I wont be able to keep a large enough group to avoide inter species aggression and killing and 2) I won’t be able to keep them active enough that they don’t just hide as adults

 

[Jexnell]

Honestly I would go with smaller fish if after a lower maintenance setup.
Remember big fish make big poops that need to be removed. One fully grown Oscar poo is probably the same as a couple days of let's say a Honduran Red Points poo.
I would go with a pair of the smaller Amatitlania, like HRPs or Nanolutae etc, half a dozen Cory's and a group of 10 to 15 tall body Tetras,heavily planted. Not a super heavy bio-load yet plenty of activity. And should be able to get away with one big weekly water change.

 

[Kingster]

Honestly I would go with smaller fish if after a lower maintenance setup.
Remember big fish make big poops that need to be removed. One fully grown Oscar poo is probably the same as a couple days of let's say a Honduran Red Points poo.
I would go with a pair of the smaller Amatitlania, like HRPs or Nanolutae etc, half a dozen Cory's and a group of 10 to 15 tall body Tetras,heavily planted. Not a super heavy bio-load yet plenty of activity. And should be able to get away with one big weekly water change.

the smaller the fish, the more one has to focus on the individual fish, plus plants are another thing to worry about, with large fish it is as simple as water change and feed