Stocking a 300 gallon - advice/ideas

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
P

pisanoal

Gambusia
MFK Member
Apr 1, 2024
29
27
16
40
I'm working on stocking a 300 gallon, 6x30"x30". I currently have 2 bichir that will be going in there (delhezi and ornate). The rest is open. I'm looking for mainly a clean aesthetic or a really unique showpiece fish. My original thought was a group of oscars. I really like the look of a pack of them, they are relatively calm swimming about the tank (assuming not feeding time). Some motion but not chaotic. I don't really want to rehome them if they pair off so I think that's off the table.

What other recommendations are out there?

Other details, mainly minimal hardscape, big boulders with some driftwood "sprigs". Possibly some high quality artificial plants (will not be planting any real plants). I prefer dimly lit spotlights to get nice shimmer and multiple shafts of light coming in to the aquarium. So fish that like a darker environment are fine.

I don't like the aesthetic of multiple different types of large fish. I could maybe do a couple of different types if they were groups.

My thoughts were:

BGK (concerned about it hiding, I'd really like something that will hang out mid tank and be visible, at least in the evenings, this may be fine with the dim lighting plan I have)

Gold severums (not sure about their behavior, any details here? Do they swim a lot, hide a lot, mid tank?, chaotic? Stay close together?)

Possibly a largish group of silver dollars (what's the most visually appealing variety?)

What other ideas do people have for the aesthetic I'm after?

Huge bonus for uniqueness and personality.

Thanks!
 
  • Like
Reactions: SilverArowanaBoi
pisanoal said:
I'm working on stocking a 300 gallon, 6x30"x30". I currently have 2 bichir that will be going in there (delhezi and ornate). The rest is open. I'm looking for mainly a clean aesthetic or a really unique showpiece fish. My original thought was a group of oscars. I really like the look of a pack of them, they are relatively calm swimming about the tank (assuming not feeding time). Some motion but not chaotic. I don't really want to rehome them if they pair off so I think that's off the table.

What other recommendations are out there?

Other details, mainly minimal hardscape, big boulders with some driftwood "sprigs". Possibly some high quality artificial plants (will not be planting any real plants). I prefer dimly lit spotlights to get nice shimmer and multiple shafts of light coming in to the aquarium. So fish that like a darker environment are fine.

I don't like the aesthetic of multiple different types of large fish. I could maybe do a couple of different types if they were groups.

My thoughts were:

BGK (concerned about it hiding, I'd really like something that will hang out mid tank and be visible, at least in the evenings, this may be fine with the dim lighting plan I have)

Gold severums (not sure about their behavior, any details here? Do they swim a lot, hide a lot, mid tank?, chaotic? Stay close together?)

Possibly a largish group of silver dollars (what's the most visually appealing variety?)

What other ideas do people have for the aesthetic I'm after?

Huge bonus for uniqueness and personality.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I had a BGK and it was quite active in the day and night (primarily at night though). You could get a gar or perhaps some Elephant Nose fish. You could also do a Clown Knife, those are awesome fish.

The silver dollars would work well, personally, I like the cleanliness of the original silver dollars, but it depends on what you want, there is also Red Hook and Blackberry. You could do leopard bushfish (i've had those before, pretty cool fish, though low key they aren't very active) or African Butterfly fish. Those might be too small though...
 
  • Like
Reactions: pisanoal
pisanoal said:
I'm working on stocking a 300 gallon, 6x30"x30". I currently have 2 bichir that will be going in there (delhezi and ornate). The rest is open. I'm looking for mainly a clean aesthetic or a really unique showpiece fish. My original thought was a group of oscars. I really like the look of a pack of them, they are relatively calm swimming about the tank (assuming not feeding time). Some motion but not chaotic. I don't really want to rehome them if they pair off so I think that's off the table.

What other recommendations are out there?

Other details, mainly minimal hardscape, big boulders with some driftwood "sprigs". Possibly some high quality artificial plants (will not be planting any real plants). I prefer dimly lit spotlights to get nice shimmer and multiple shafts of light coming in to the aquarium. So fish that like a darker environment are fine.

I don't like the aesthetic of multiple different types of large fish. I could maybe do a couple of different types if they were groups.

My thoughts were:

BGK (concerned about it hiding, I'd really like something that will hang out mid tank and be visible, at least in the evenings, this may be fine with the dim lighting plan I have)

Gold severums (not sure about their behavior, any details here? Do they swim a lot, hide a lot, mid tank?, chaotic? Stay close together?)

Possibly a largish group of silver dollars (what's the most visually appealing variety?)

What other ideas do people have for the aesthetic I'm after?

Huge bonus for uniqueness and personality.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Oscar’s are not a good idea with polys. I’ve done it but it wasn’t easy. I’d go with an odoe, keep the ornate, ditch the delhezi and go with larger lower jaw polys like endis.
 
Joshuakahan said:
Oscar’s are not a good idea with polys. I’ve done it but it wasn’t easy. I’d go with an odoe, keep the ornate, ditch the delhezi and go with larger lower jaw polys like endis.
Click to expand...
Not doing oscars. See other thread. Haha.

Why ditch the delhezi? Size related?

Odoe looks cool.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom