new 75 gal. need ideas

jok3rman52091

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 5, 2022
5
1
3
32
michigan
so i have my tank all set up. im pretty new to keeping fish but have done quit a bit of reserch and now im kinda just looking for some ideas of other fish i can add to my tank. icurrently have

4 electric blue acara's
1 gold severum
1 turquois severum
im thinking about adding another gold severum. sofar they are all getting along well but ive also only had them in the tank for 3 days.
 

tlindsey

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Aug 6, 2011
23,409
24,316
1,660
Ohio
so i have my tank all set up. im pretty new to keeping fish but have done quit a bit of reserch and now im kinda just looking for some ideas of other fish i can add to my tank. icurrently have

4 electric blue acara's
1 gold severum
1 turquois severum
im thinking about adding another gold severum. sofar they are all getting along well but ive also only had them in the tank for 3 days.
Welcome aboard
 
  • Like
Reactions: jok3rman52091

jok3rman52091

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 5, 2022
5
1
3
32
michigan
Probbaly a little too full already. Add some kind of dither fish to keep your cichlids more at ease and be ready to start thinning your current stock when problems arise.
you really think thats too many ? i tryed to go with mediem sized fish and what ive been told from my local "fish stores" i can go about 1 inch of fish per gallon of watter as a general rule of thumb. none of these guys will be over 6 inches. i am thinking about getting a 125 gallon down the road. i am for sure going to pick up a 40 or 60 gallon (leaning tword 60) as a quarantine tank or if any start to breed.
 

duanes

MFK Moderators
Staff member
Moderator
MFK Member
Jun 7, 2007
21,087
26,511
2,910
Isla Taboga Panama via Milwaukee
Probbaly a little too full already. Add some kind of dither fish to keep your cichlids more at ease and be ready to start thinning your current stock when problems arise.
Agree
It may appear to not have enough fish at the moment, if they are all juvies now, but......
as adults, I would consider the tank overstocked. Well kept severums get the size of small dinner plates
What you could add now, might be some geographically smallish dither fish like tetras, hatchet fish, or depending on the size of your current cichlids Nanostomus (pencil fish) and cory cats.
These would add movement in different areas of the water column, and help keep the cichlids remain calm, distracted them from harming each other because the territory of a 75 is quite restricted.
Most small dither species have abbreviated life spans (unlike cichlids) and by the time the cichlids out grow the tank, the dithers will have lived full lives and expired, or eaten by the cichlids.
If you want more cichlids, I'd consider a 6 ft tank, over 100 gals.
I keep acaras (Andinoacara coerleopunctatus)and started with a dozen in a 180 gal tank, within about a year, the alpha male had reduced the group to 4, himself and 3 females as an acceptable (to him) tank population.
 
Last edited:

Rocksor

Blue Tier VIP
MFK Member
Nov 28, 2011
6,129
6,672
423
San Diego
you really think thats too many ? i tryed to go with mediem sized fish and what ive been told from my local "fish stores" i can go about 1 inch of fish per gallon of watter as a general rule of thumb. none of these guys will be over 6 inches. i am thinking about getting a 125 gallon down the road. i am for sure going to pick up a 40 or 60 gallon (leaning tword 60) as a quarantine tank or if any start to breed.
Your local fish stores are wrong about 1inch of fish per gallon. That may only work for adult fish that grow to 1" long like zebra danios or neon tetras. Don't listen to their advice about stocking.

A severum in the right environment can grow to the size of the palm of an adult hand.
 

Deadeye

POTM Curator
Staff member
MFK Member
Aug 31, 2020
8,541
11,525
703
Welcome to the forum!
Sevs get about 10-12 inches full grown. 2 sevs won’t get along long term, but three would be a little cramped. A pair will probably form in the Acaras, and they may kill off the rest.
I’d add a school of dithers and a bn pleco and call it a day.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jok3rman52091

Deadeye

POTM Curator
Staff member
MFK Member
Aug 31, 2020
8,541
11,525
703
Welcome to the forum!
Sevs get about 10-12 inches full grown. 2 sevs won’t get along long term, but three would be a little cramped. A pair will probably form in the Acaras, and they may kill off the rest.
I’d add a school of dithers and a bn pleco and call it a day.
I should add that I’d recommend only keeping one of the severums.
 

jok3rman52091

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 5, 2022
5
1
3
32
michigan
Welcome to the forum!
Sevs get about 10-12 inches full grown. 2 sevs won’t get along long term, but three would be a little cramped. A pair will probably form in the Acaras, and they may kill off the rest.
I’d add a school of dithers and a bn pleco and call it a day.
one of the acaras in the group is just a tad larger and seems to be the ring leader. since ive put them in the tank all the other acars follow that one closly ecept one which will wonder off on there own for a couple min. not sure if this means he is a male or if its just normal fish behaver.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Deadeye

Deadeye

POTM Curator
Staff member
MFK Member
Aug 31, 2020
8,541
11,525
703
Dominant tends to be male, but when fish have been line bred so much for color like that, the visible differences in males and females tend to be lost.
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store