Looking for stocking help

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iloveyouDIE

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 29, 2010
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Philadelphia
Just this weekend I set up my new 150 gallon tank. Once it's cycled I will be moving the fish from my current 55g community tank into the 150. The new tank is 72" x 18" x 24" I believe.. though I think it is taller than 24".

Current stock is:

1 - 3" Eclipse Catfish
1 - 5" Blood Parrot
1 - 2" Parrot
1 - 5" Pleco (common, I think)
1 - 1" Pleco (a recent rescue.. he's a baby!)
5 - 2-3" Rainbow fish
2 - 1.5" Glass Cat
3 - 2" Pictus
1 - 5" Peacock eel
1 - 6" Comet Goldfish
1 - 1" Silver Dollar

I plan on adding at least 4 more silver dollars and probably at least 5 more glass cats to keep the current pair company. They have lived successfully in this community tank (without being eaten) for about 2 years. The goldfish has also been in my spouses family and living at tropical temperature with these fish for at least 5 years.. so I know about the 'goldfish cold water' thing.

What sort of options do I have for an active, good looking fish that won't break 12". Or possibly multiple nice looking fish that would fit into this set up nicely.

My spouse wants a senegal bichir but I am not sure if our smaller cats (or rainbows) would get eaten.

Any input or do you feel I have enough already?
 
Yes it is. But they have all lived peacefully together for more than a few years. We enjoy the variety.

The new tank definitely offers everyone a preferred living space too (plenty of rocks and caves, as well as open swimming space, with planted spots on either end). I would post a picture but I'm at work.
 
I think a bichir would eat the glasscats and possibly the rainbows and peacock eel...though you see the odd senegalus that stays small (I think it's from the extensive captive breeding). I'm told albinos stay smaller, that might be your best bet. Or something like a weather loach (I think the LFS call them dojo loach these days), they have that kind of snakey look that a bichir has.

Tough to find a fish for that group that's big but won't eat the littler stuff. A severum would work I suppose, if you like them. Pretty impressive when they get big, but you risk getting a grumpy one and if you did its aggression would likely focus on the parrot.
 
I've had severums before and I do like them. I had a pair (both male) and neither seemed too aggressive.

I realize the glass cats may end up food. Honestly I was impressed by them. We've had them for 2-3 years and they've managed to not get eaten and even get in there for blood worms when it's eel feeding time!

Like I said.. it's my spouse who wants the bichir and I've told him I am not sure if it will work with all the small fish we have. Any larger not too aggressive cichlids who would be compatible, moreso if introduced at a small size?
 
for a cichlid that won't be to aggressive but isn't small, look into severums or Satanoperca. I'd resolve the compatibility issues first though
 
Chocolate cichlids too, but they get pretty beefy and they're not particularly colorful.
 
My recommendation would be to stick with multiplying the smaller fish in species groups if you intend to move them to the bigger tank. The pictus will definately benefit from a larger shoal.

If you are set on getting a bichar, you probably shouldn't move all those fish into the big tank. An adult pleco would be fine, but I'd expect the bichar to slowly move up the food chain as it grows and make room for itself as it went if you get my meaning.

I've never owned a friendly cichlid myself, and it seems unlikely that you'll find any fish that both gets 'big' and doesn't occasionally make snacks of smaller tankmates.
 
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