NEED STOCKING ADVICE!!

[LycheeScape]

Hey everybody,

I really am bent up about what to stock my 135 gallon tank with. It’a 72”L x 18”W x 24”H.

here’s my stock today:

1x tiger oscar
1x green Texas
1x gold Saum
2x Gold severum
2x red shoulder severum

It’s definitely overstocked and the severums are a major source of aggression problems at the moment. I want to get rid of the severums. What other fish can I keep with everything minus the severums?

I wish I could just remove the severums and get a small group of Geos.. but everyone says they’d get killed. I’m newer to cichlids and appreciate your advice. I want to have a set and forget tank, don’t want to make new tanks and upgrade etc. etc.

I have a 60 gallon sump with overkill filtration if that helps.. and weekly 50% WC.

 

[Something Fishy Here]

When full grown the Texas and Oscar may not be able to live in a6 for tank together. Maybe some catfish, a couple that stay under a foot long... the sevwrums are the most peaceful on your list but maybe because they're paired they want breeding territory.

 

[Sinister-Kisses]

Nothing. Take away the severums and your tank is still over stocked. You don't mention the sizes of the fish but if they're still getting along and the peaceful severums are the "aggression" problem, I'm assuming the oscar, texas and gold saum are still juveniles. ALWAYS stock a tank for the full grown adults the fish will be, not the babies they are when you get them. You are very likely going to have issues with those three in a tank that small as they mature. You definitely should rehome the severums as they will be extremely out matched as the others grow and are likely to be killed.

And NO to adding any kind of eartheater to that tank. They are way too peaceful to go into a tank with aggressive brutes.

 

[Midwater]

Your stock is only cichlids, no variation. Take out a few, and add some larger loaches for variation.

 

[SalviniCichlidFan]

I agree with other people. Geos/Severums in the long run will be bullied/ripped apart. Just look at the build of a geophagus sp. versus an Oscar or a Gold Saum. It's like putting a middle school nerd in a fight against an NFL linebacker (weird reference on my part but you get the idea).

 

[LycheeScape]

Thanks for all the feedback! Okay.. so I’m now completely rethinking my stocking.
My favorite fish is the Oscar, what would a good list of tankmates be if I could just keep the Oscar and gift the other fish?

another possibility is to keep the Oscar AND the gold Saum. What would my options be in this case?

thanks all

 

[Joshuakahan]

Thanks for all the feedback! Okay.. so I’m now completely rethinking my stocking.
My favorite fish is the Oscar, what would a good list of tankmates be if I could just keep the Oscar and gift the other fish?

another possibility is to keep the Oscar AND the gold Saum. What would my options be in this case?

thanks all

Personally, I’d get rid of everything but the severums and then add some geos, but if the Oscar is your favorite, then ditch everything else and get some dithers like silver dollars and a catfish or two…or better yet just have the Oscar solo as a wetpet so it can truly reach its full potential

 

[Something Fishy Here]

Do you know what your water quality is like? Ph, hard or soft?

 

[Something Fishy Here]

I set up my new tank a few months ago and have changed direction twice already, the first due to learning more about compatability with other fish, the second just last week from learning more about water compatability with fish. I still want the 2 previous stock ideas but now i have a plan for the long term to have a happy healthy tank. Had i figured all this out a few months ago it would have saved me a lot of frustration, but to mention time spent trying to net fish, or money wasted by only getting half credit on returns to the lfs.

 

[breadhead]

When full grown the Texas and Oscar may not be able to live in a6 for tank together. Maybe some catfish, a couple that stay under a foot long... the sevwrums are the most peaceful on your list but maybe because they're paired they want breeding territory.

I agree, Oscars and Texas cichlids are mostly not fond of other fish, and I wouldn’t recommend putting the Oscar and Texas with each other in the 135. I suppose you could do the one Oscar.

-2 Severums (whichever type you like more)
- 3 delhezi bichirs OR hoplo cats