You can do all the species mentioned including past the #1-#6.....just take all the species you mentioned, (yes, ALL) and set-up a grow-out - smaller-ish, maybe 75gallons at most and PACK it to the brim w/ caves, hide-spaces, PVC pipes, everything you can think of they can hide in.
Step 2 - add all your cichlids at the same size - 2" preferably. IF there is a size difference, the most aggressive species should always be the smallest. Keep temperature at minimum acceptable 72F, IMO. Feed until EVERYONE has a full belly........don't be shy about it, Feeding in my fish room can take 30 minutes or more and just keep dropping in a little at a time until everyone eats. Everyday, twice daily if you need to.
In approximately 6-7 months, most of your fish will have tripled in size or more. At this point, they have gotten so used to living together and accepted each other the aggression should be minimal (unless you have a dominant male Amph or RTM - again, the reason I say make sure they are the smallest, AND/OR just wait 2-3 months and add them late once the others have grown and established themselves).
Now I like to use a 2nd stage growout to observe behavior - after 6 months or so, move all the fish into a slightly larger tank or several based on your size and aggression levels. Start the tank bare and empty. They SHOULD all be ok w/ each other.....moving them from a heavily stocked, heavily decorated tank to a larger one w/ wide open space and no territory to claim. They are already used to each other at this point.
Since these moves/transfers can take some time, while I am working on breaking down tanks and setting up the new ones, I use an empty 20g or 29 or 30g or w/e you want and fill it with the water from the original tank, and a good powerful HOB-filter. All of the fish are then moved to this holding tank for several hours - again, bare, and empty. NOW you can really observe what will be the fish that won't work in the new set-up.
Place them in their respective tanks as you choose or re-home them if need be.
Keep observing your 2nd stage cichlid community growout and use it to decide which or all will work in the final transfer to the 240g in the next 3-6 months. Caves and hide-spaces can be added as needed, but ONLY if needed. This is the part where they develop their "social skills" and IMO is basically the equivalent of getting your 5-6 year old child used to public school.
Repeat the process when you have weeded out the bad grass or if there is no need to, make your final move to the 240g. Tank décor will be personal preference, but at this point all fish should be about 1 year old and you should be able to tell whether you will need heavy décor (I have used over 300-500lbs of rocks in tanks only 55g - 120g) or just a few pipes scattered here and there w/ some driftwood
In my afterthought, I would abandon the concept of the Oscar. It will only complicate things.
Remember why you are doing this.....ignore your instincts - your GOAL is to over-crowd a smaller tank TEMPORARILY.
Limit your stock to Cichlids and bottom-feeders.....you don't want to go throwing Arrowanas and Gars and stuff like that in there, it will likely upset the balance of things. If you plan on keeping them in the 240g ultimately, raise them separately and wait until the final move to introduce them all at once....IF you want fish that ridiculously large LOL I wouldn't
Step 2 - add all your cichlids at the same size - 2" preferably. IF there is a size difference, the most aggressive species should always be the smallest. Keep temperature at minimum acceptable 72F, IMO. Feed until EVERYONE has a full belly........don't be shy about it, Feeding in my fish room can take 30 minutes or more and just keep dropping in a little at a time until everyone eats. Everyday, twice daily if you need to.
In approximately 6-7 months, most of your fish will have tripled in size or more. At this point, they have gotten so used to living together and accepted each other the aggression should be minimal (unless you have a dominant male Amph or RTM - again, the reason I say make sure they are the smallest, AND/OR just wait 2-3 months and add them late once the others have grown and established themselves).
Now I like to use a 2nd stage growout to observe behavior - after 6 months or so, move all the fish into a slightly larger tank or several based on your size and aggression levels. Start the tank bare and empty. They SHOULD all be ok w/ each other.....moving them from a heavily stocked, heavily decorated tank to a larger one w/ wide open space and no territory to claim. They are already used to each other at this point.
Since these moves/transfers can take some time, while I am working on breaking down tanks and setting up the new ones, I use an empty 20g or 29 or 30g or w/e you want and fill it with the water from the original tank, and a good powerful HOB-filter. All of the fish are then moved to this holding tank for several hours - again, bare, and empty. NOW you can really observe what will be the fish that won't work in the new set-up.
Place them in their respective tanks as you choose or re-home them if need be.
Keep observing your 2nd stage cichlid community growout and use it to decide which or all will work in the final transfer to the 240g in the next 3-6 months. Caves and hide-spaces can be added as needed, but ONLY if needed. This is the part where they develop their "social skills" and IMO is basically the equivalent of getting your 5-6 year old child used to public school.
Repeat the process when you have weeded out the bad grass or if there is no need to, make your final move to the 240g. Tank décor will be personal preference, but at this point all fish should be about 1 year old and you should be able to tell whether you will need heavy décor (I have used over 300-500lbs of rocks in tanks only 55g - 120g) or just a few pipes scattered here and there w/ some driftwood
In my afterthought, I would abandon the concept of the Oscar. It will only complicate things.
Remember why you are doing this.....ignore your instincts - your GOAL is to over-crowd a smaller tank TEMPORARILY.
Limit your stock to Cichlids and bottom-feeders.....you don't want to go throwing Arrowanas and Gars and stuff like that in there, it will likely upset the balance of things. If you plan on keeping them in the 240g ultimately, raise them separately and wait until the final move to introduce them all at once....IF you want fish that ridiculously large LOL I wouldn't
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