sizeable schooling fish for a 125

[Plec123]

Just picked up a 125 gallon tank that i'll be putting my current stock into. Some plecos and a few cichlids including a pair of crenicichla frenata. I anticipate the pikes will happily eat, or at least kill for sport, even the largest typical tetras that I could add to my tank. So I'm looking for something a little different for the middle or upper region of my tank.

Mostly considering some species of silver dollars, but I have also been looking at abramites, anostomus, or red tail hemiodus. I looked at chalceus erythrurus as well but i'm a bit wary of them banging into the glass even in a 6ft tank.

Has anyone kept abramites or anostomus in a group? I've heard they fight quite a bit but do live in shoals in the wild. Also, info on max size of most big SD, myleus, or myloplus species is very inconsistent from what i've seen. Do any of them top out around 6" to 8" other than the standard silver dollars?

 

[Kelly_Aquatics]

What are the “plecos and a few cichlids”?

 

[Gunfleet]

I've had good luck with Leporinus species like granti and "strawberry" when kept in groups of 3 or more with smaller pikes in a 125. Abramites and red tail hemiodus never seem hardy enough for a semi aggrressive tank IMHO. If you go silver dollars, I'd stick with smaller species. SD are so flightly and love to dart off and in a 125 they can't get very far without crashing the glass.

 

[Plec123]

What are the “plecos and a few cichlids”?

L452, L039, hypostomus luteus, spatuloricaria sp., aequidens diadema, mesoheros gephyrus, caquetaia spectabilis, and the c. frenata pair.

I've had good luck with Leporinus species like granti and "strawberry" when kept in groups of 3 or more with smaller pikes in a 125. Abramites and red tail hemiodus never seem hardy enough for a semi aggrressive tank IMHO. If you go silver dollars, I'd stick with smaller species. SD are so flightly and love to dart off and in a 125 they can't get very far without crashing the glass.

Those funky leporinus are actually a really good idea. You think 3 is enough?

 

[Gunfleet]

L452, L039, hypostomus luteus, spatuloricaria sp., aequidens diadema, mesoheros gephyrus, caquetaia spectabilis, and the c. frenata pair.



Those funky leporinus are actually a really good idea. You think 3 is enough?

I had four L. granti in a 125 with various tanks mates for a few years and they kept to themselves. I think they are highly underrrated. in groups. I ended up swapping them out for six Synaptolaemus latofasciatus.

 

[Plec123]

I had four L. granti in a 125 with various tanks mates for a few years and they kept to themselves. I think they are highly underrrated. in groups. I ended up swapping them out for six Synaptolaemus latofasciatus.

Those S. latofasciatus are cool as well, i was looking for those a while back but could never find more than one in stock anywhere.

 

[Gunfleet]

Those S. latofasciatus are cool as well, i was looking for those a while back but could never find more than one in stock anywhere.

I got mine from Aqua-Imports . They had a batch roughly a year ago.