I need some help with stocking list...

[Bambi004]

Or lack there of I have an unusually sized aquarium roughly around 100 gallons or so. It's 84"L x 18"T x 141/2" W. I already have a "standard" 7" red oscar that I recued. Now I need to figure out the rest. I tend to like more primitive fishes, but they tend to grow too large. So some people have suggested flowerhorns, frontosas, bichirs, clown knifes, etc.

I've been researching everything. I just need some more suggestions that aren't too "standard", that also won't out grow the aquarium too quickly. I'm not new to the hobby, just exploring my options. I'm not going to go out and buy an alligator gar throw it into a 20gal tank and ask questions later. I've had everything from a 1/2gal saltwater tank to pipefish to tetras. All ventures have been successful and i'm looking to get into the more "predatory" fish now. Any and all suggestions are welcome!

Thanks!
Danielle

 

[Plec123]

ok, uh, here goes. these are all different options i think would look nice in your tank.

banded leporinus
senegal bichir
BGK
bala sharks
osphronemus (i think thats how its spelled) giant gourami
tire track eel
pink tailed chalceus

just some suggestions some of those are predatory, and all of them get to a foot or more, but im not sure about the bichir or chalceus.

 

[LittleBigAl3]

lima shovelnoses?

 

[Bambi004]

I've been looking at the shovel noses. My LFS carries them as well as the bichirs. Thanks for the input. Does anyone else have some suggestions?

 

[callmesethro]

do u like salamanders?

 

[Bambi004]

Not particularly into salamanders. I'm eventually going to upgrade to a 3 or 400g predatory tank. This tank is just to get me started. i'm contemplating:

1x tropical or spotted gar or a dats instead of gar
1x lima
1x BGK or clown
definately some bichirs!

I have a 75g that I will be putting the oscar in. Don't worry, I wouldn't mix him with the gar if I get one.

 

[~ocean]

clown, they're more hardy than BGK's

 

[CTU2fan]

Not particularly into salamanders. I'm eventually going to upgrade to a 3 or 400g predatory tank. This tank is just to get me started. i'm contemplating:

1x tropical or spotted gar or a dats instead of gar
1x lima
1x BGK or clown
definately some bichirs!

I have a 75g that I will be putting the oscar in. Don't worry, I wouldn't mix him with the gar if I get one.

That sounds good. You could certainly put the dats, lima, BGK, and most upper jaw bichir species in there and they'd have plenty of room for a long time. only the lima would eventually outgrow your current tank, and they're slow growers. The gar will get over 1' long pretty quickly and have trouble turning around, so you might want to wait on the gar until you have the bigger tank, or at least until you've got a definite ETA on it. That or set aside the 75G for your gar as it would give it a bit more turning space...at 1'+ he'd be more comfortable there, at least until he gets close to 18" anyway.

 

[MonsterMinis]

14.5" wide? -.-... ack.. I wouldn't plan on putting anything in there that gets over 12" then. and whats your deffenition of to quickly? Dats I know can take a long time to grow. senegal Bichirs max out about the 12" range so they should be fine. both a BGK or CK will not be able to turn in the tank fairly soon. Clown loaches take a long time to grow as well. Flowerhorns are notoriously aggresive, you might get lucky.. or you might end up w/ just a flowerhorn in your tank. A gar is flat out a bad idea imo. You have alot of gallons to work with.. but a rather narrow tank. I'm not 100% on some of the compatabilities there. and expect the gar to need similar requirements to an Arowana full grown if not more room.

Personally I'de go with a school of rainbows or some nice tetras. or like a bunch of people always shout.. Exodons

Also depends of if this will be a gorw-out or if it will be a perment home. and if not a permenet home what size/time line you looking at?

 

[~ocean]

yeah, exodons are good.