big tank on a budget, help with setup and stocking recommendations : 600 gallons

[clekchau]

this was my in wall saltwater tank for 4 years but got heavily scratched, since i just built a room addition decided to set it up. i have not had a freshwater tank in over 20 years

its in the process of getting buffed now and having a steel stand built, have a big wet dry also, need pumps, lights etc

my stocking options:

1. african haps and peacocks
2. frontosa
3. peacock bass, arowana, maybe a bichir, a nice big catfish or two

dimensions are 4 feet wide by 8 feet long by 30" high

when the buffing started, guy spent a good 16 hours

almost done, he is finishing up today

steel stand base done the remaining will be welded in a week or so

wet dry, will this be sufficient i keep reading good things aboug ehiem or fluval fx5 but kind of on a budget

 

[peewee]

i personally would prefer the arowana cichla combo.

 

[growthembigger]

arowana and cats!

 

[clekchau]

what would be the stocking ratio, 1 aro, 3 or 4 cichla, maybe 1 catfish? what kind of big catfish would do well with them but would not get too big?

 

[jsodwi]

How big was that sump? I run constant on my 750g, a 4800 gph pump then I have a 2400gph on a timer with a UV that runs 3 hours a day. I have a hefty stock though. My sump is a 180g loaded with matrix and bioballs.
As for fish, if you are on a budget, and it will look badass when they are grown, silver aro, a few mono or occalaris pbass and a big marble sailfin cat. All of these fish are pretty inexpensive and grow quick. I like clown knife too most people dont but I have a 26" one and I love it.

 

[brich999]

Rare cichla is how id go. that's a sweet tank I have one with the same dims, except mine is 25" tall

 

[clekchau]

How big was that sump? I run constant on my 750g, a 4800 gph pump then I have a 2400gph on a timer with a UV that runs 3 hours a day. I have a hefty stock though. My sump is a 180g loaded with matrix and bioballs.
As for fish, if you are on a budget, and it will look badass when they are grown, silver aro, a few mono or occalaris pbass and a big marble sailfin cat. All of these fish are pretty inexpensive and grow quick. I like clown knife too most people dont but I have a 26" one and I love it.

sump is a 200 gallon custom acrylic sump connected to a 150 gallon protien skimmer connected to a 150 gallon rubbermaid stock tank routed back by a sequence hammerhead. its still setup, currently running a 550 gallon glass tank that was built in wall i replaced the acrylic with. here are some pics of it now

 

[Brooks74]

Wow nice tank I didnt realize at first how big it was until I scrolled back up and saw the guy sitting in it buffing it out lol.

 

[zoohouse]

I like the aro, p-bass, catfish combo. Though africans breed like crazy and would be alot cheeper in the long run, I like tangs. Peacocks are over played and most are so mixed it is hard to find pure ones.

 

[clekchau]

if i go with the monster fish route, how many peacock bass would be a good ratio, 4? maybe start with 6 baby ones? when do i add the silver aro? can i keep a bichir with them? what about compatible catfish?

thanks for the advice, trying to learn all i can right now all the info on here is overwhelming lol