Stocking advice for aggressive tank

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soulpatch

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 9, 2010
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Downingtown, PA
I currently have a 55 gallon tank with 3 small 1.5 inch or so green terrors, 2 2.5 inch oscars, and a pleco. I do not know the type of pleco as wife got it from petsmart but I will post a pic tomorrow for classification.

I would like to add a bit more life to the tank and have it done now while they are still small enough to grow up with the other fish before I step into a 150 gallon set up this fall.

Tank is currently running a Rena xp4 so I am not too worried about the filtration with more fish though bottom feeders will def have to be in the mix to keep up with the stock.

So give me an idea on what else I could add. I am thinking a pleco and possibly a cray fish (though I figure eventually the cray fish will get eaten as the fish grow...would a lobster be better) Any particular types of plecos I should look for to grow with the other fish? The more colorful or such the better.

What other fish could I get to add some more color and life to the tank as well? Thinking of 2 more fish that can live with the Oscars and green terrors. Being a total fish noob though I get lost with some of the names so pics would be awesome if you all could post some as well.

Oh and so you know I currently do not have any live plants in the tank and I have a gravel base.
 
Well, you have 3 green terrors. It's major overstocking, but i'll let you pass since they're juvies, either way I wouldn't add anything else until they go into the 150. And you'll be stocked when they're grown up for the 150. Maybe, with some GREAT filtration, you could be able to squeeze in some fish. BUT, be prepared for territorial disputes.

Good Luck! ;]
 
I am already shopping for a used 150 to see if I can get one even earlier then buying a new one outright. Hard to find deep 150 tanks though or corner cubes used...as I want a deeper tank.

As of now oddly enough all the fish swim together which I thought would be Oscars vs. Green terrors in a way.

I thought it would be wise to add another fish while they were all Juvies but I can wait till I get a larger tank.

What about recommendations for another bottom feeder?
 
Oh, I forgot about the O's. You pretty much have to either choose the Oscar's or Terror's, because the 2 Oscars will undoubtedly rule the 150, and when they get bigger you can bet they'll stress the other fish to death :( .
 
The three Green Terrors will fight when older and larger. I would worry more about their aggression than the Oscars. Don't keep adding common plecos to your tank. They get very big, produce strings of waste, and don't eat much algae when they get big. The crayfish may eat your small fish while they sleep at night but they should be okay. I don't see you keeping all of these fish in a 150. You will have to lose one or two, depending on which fish you really want to keep.
 
OK lets say I wanted to keep the 2 Oscars. What other fish could I have in the tank with them to add some life and have a stable environment?

The green terros can be transplanted to another tank at my brothers if needed.

I enjoy the high level of activity from the Oscars but do not want a large tank with solely 2 fish. Perhaps I went in the wrong direction all together with the oscars.
 
no more plecos and you can do 3 pictus catfish or 1 rapheals catfish. i recomend ditching the common pleco and getting a bushynose pleco, much better algea eater, and smaller too. also if you got rid of 2 of the terrors you could get 1 jack dempsey and maybe 1 salvini or convict. but that would be with 2 oscars 1 green terror 1 bushynose pleco either 3 pictus or 1 rapheals catfish and 1 jack dempsey and either 1 convict or 1 salvini. but then again i alway slight;y overstock tanks to begin with. i would recomend you listen to lovesseverums ghostshrimpman or livebearerfreak. they tend to know their fish.
 
Experiment... That is not a bad setup with the catfish and say a JD and a convict.


Do you guys recomend going to a more sand/fine gravel base for the 150 tank since the catfish like to dig some. I would probably go with the pictus as well so you know.

Looks like 2 of the green terrors will be on their way out this week. I will probably get rid of the pleco once the new catfish arive as well.

Anything else I should be aware of?
 
soulpatch;4363971; said:
I am already shopping for a used 150 to see if I can get one even earlier then buying a new one outright. Hard to find deep 150 tanks though or corner cubes used...as I want a deeper tank.

As of now oddly enough all the fish swim together which I thought would be Oscars vs. Green terrors in a way.

I thought it would be wise to add another fish while they were all Juvies but I can wait till I get a larger tank.

What about recommendations for another bottom feeder?
Click to expand...


My only suggestion is about tank depth... I wouldn't go more than 30" deep, unless you want to enter the tank to clean it. If you have the space, get a wide, long tank.
 
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