New 48L" X 24"wide X 19"Tall tank. WHAT TO STOCK?

[fox3794]

So I was in my LFS and saw a tank marked broken glass, a quite large one indeed. Upon talking to the manager i asked "hey are you just gonna throw this thing out?" and surely enough i got to take it home FREE of charge. :]

Im lucky since only one of the side panels was cracked, and i have removed it to take it to my local glass shop who quoted me $45 for a new 24"wx19"Tall panel 3/8" thick. So i believe the tank is a 90 gallon, but not your average dimension for one. It puts my 55 to shame, its like comparing a 40 breeder to a 20 tall.

SOMETHING NEW AND EXCITING FOR THIS NEW AND EXCITING TANK.
Ive had a lot of fish over the years. Bred African mouth brooders in the 55 unintentionally. Ive had just about everything from Ghost knives, African butterfly fish, bichir, severum, Dempsey, even wild local Blue Gill at one point. probably 12 years ago I was the master of breeding guppies and mollies in my 35 gal hex. BUT THE MORAL OF MY RANT IS I NEED SOMETHING NEW AND EXCITING FOR THIS NEW AND EXCITING TANK.
**put the 5 gal jug for reference. **also disregard the black silicone all over the opposing end.. ive still got work to do lol**
What ever I end up putting in this tank I want to be breeding. Here are some of my ideas, but i would love for suggestions even if its for a killer community cichlid tank. (ik I posted this in CA/SA but i'm open to African species like pundamilia etc. (because i love African synos! i think they look almost natural even with SA cichlids IMO)

For the 48long x 24wide im thinking:

--Cichlid Comunity tank.-- This is where i need suggestions for this tank.. i feel like the options are nearly limitless and i love so many fish i simply couldnt decide lol. Could it be possible to have maybe 2 different species pairing off in a tank this long and wide? NEED YOUR INPUT PLEASE!

--DISCUS (focusing on breeding) Planted? The tank came with acrylic dividers i had removed to access the broken pannel, but i was thinking i could put them to use and cut them to split the tank into sections so that i could have a section for a breeding pair/pairs, and a section for juvies to grow. I could even build a little fry santuary if anyone feels it necessary, but i would rather them raise the fry naturally ex. for feeding slime coat etc. Would prefer a very thin sand substrate litteraly only enough to cover the glass. and then some driftwood which could berhaps help soften the water and tie some java fern or anubias on. I know for breeding they recomend bare bottom but i will do that only if entirely necessary.

--Apistos + Rams + other little dithers.= High numbers for such a spacious tank Planted 100%
Im imagining how awesome/natural it would look having dozens of these little colorful fish with so much space. It would have to be the most natural feel for them. Plants every where. I feel like they would HAVE to end up breeding. Much like my guppies and mollies in their 30 tank by their own perspective/standards was large enough they just kept multiplying.

Also just a note, the tank is drilled so i will be able to build as big a sump as needed depending on which avenue i choose here. What do you guys think??
Feel free to discuss any africans if you think that could catch my attention.
Or any odd balls like gar? Large catfish? Peacock bass?

 

[LogiBear]

48x24 is a 120 gallon, i think. 75s and 90s share a fooprint of 48x18.

So a 120 gallon! Nice lol i wish i could get me one of those. I would go with some medium size cichlids (discus are tricky from what i have heard, and apistos/rams can be tricky and are also small)

I would say a few 5-8" fish. You could do Convicts, anything from Thoricthys (spelling... Just think firemouth genus) maybe Salvini (can be horribly aggressive) Acara, Rainbows, Severum, etc... There are a few different levels of aggression. If you go with more peaceful then you can probably have a few more in there.

I would say Acara, Severum, Rainbows and some smaller Geos are good together as they are not too agressive, Firemouths could also fit in here.

Cons, Salvinis, and maybe JDs or Texas can all hold up to each other without getting massive. These are more aggressive than the previous group...

There is really a ton of fish, those are the common ones ive had some (often limited) experience with... Other may know of more unique species.

You should choose a category (South American, Central American, Aggressive, medium-aggressive, etc) and then you can build from there. You should be able to fit a pair of whatever ive said here and get something else in there. Most of those are pretty easy to breed... So many choices lol

 

[fox3794]

Hey thanks for the reply Logi!
funny you say thorichthys, i was thinking perhaps a few thorichthys aureus. Love the coloration compared to the common firemouth. Im starting to lean away from discus, i just think it would be worth it for them to breed lol.

So what im wondering now is how do you think say 4 thorichthys aureus and perhaps a pair of paratheraps synspilum would go over in this tank? I know the synspilum (vieja comonly?) get very big over a foot in length, but seeing the width is twice that i see it as a possibility.

Those two fish species kind of making a central american comunity would be awesome, and then just throw some dithers in.

Any advice on the synspilum/ vieja? ive heard they are comparable to oscars in aggression, which from my previous experience with oscars they are just big puppies, not so much fighters.

im adding googled pics of the species i have in mind. (NOTE very hard to find pics not watermarked copy write lol did my best)




so just know I DO NOT OWN THEM AND APPRECIATE THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND WISH NO INFRINGEMENT

 

[fox3794]

....im always double posting things smh

 

[dan518]

I think vieja synspilum will out grow your tank, they can get to 14/15 inch and imo all the vieja / Paratheraps sp are very active fish. You could go for a larger group of aureus a group of about 6 to 10

 

[fox3794]

I think vieja synspilum will out grow your tank, they can get to 14/15 inch and imo all the vieja / Paratheraps sp are very active fish. You could go for a larger group of aureus a group of about 6 to 10

Thanks, good to know though i do wish greatly to house one they look stunning. so how about this hypothetical:
6 aureus
12+ apistos/rams?

with high numbers of the dwarfs could it be some sort of community? seeing as they might not be seen as a threat given their size in comparison to the available take space. They would essentially be a beefier dither fish i suppose

 

[dan518]

I think you would have to go with either apistogramma or aureus they won't mix well, my next project probably a 125 gal I am thinking of doing a biotope based around apistogramma sp, won't be for a few years yet but that would be my choice for you as your thinking about them anyway

 

[Stanzzzz7]

Temperature requirements and water chemistry are at complete opposites for aureaus and most s/a dwarfs especially rams who like it soft and very warm.

 

[adamsfishes]

48x24 is a 120 gallon, i think. 75s and 90s share a fooprint of 48x18.
So a 120 gallon!

It's a 90. It's only 19" tall.

Thorichthys are always a good choice, but yeah as stated above don't mix with SA dwarf cichlids. Would be better to mix with some of the smaller CA cichlid types like Cryptoheros/Amatitlania.

 

[Drew__ster]

Thorichthys are always a good choice, but yeah as stated above don't mix with SA dwarf cichlids. Would be better to mix with some of the smaller CA cichlid types like Cryptoheros/Amatitlania.[/QUOTE]

Really like the coloration of the Cryptoheros sajica. Looks very similar to the veija.

So those you say would do best with apistos due to water chemistry? Or is that more of size/aggression factors.

I wouldn't mind throwing the Cryptoheros sajica withe the aureus inleu of the veija... But I need to research the water chem. I think that's why you recommended them for the dwarfs.