New to the forum, not new to Cichlids but it has been a while. I took a 6 year break from fish keeping due to moving around a bit and buying a new house etc. Sold off all my tanks and really wish I had not done that as now I am back in the game and re-buying things sucks. However, what is done is done and here I am. I used to have a pair of Oscars in a 140 gallon with a pleco, and they were happy as #%$&. I love Oscars, I don't really know anyone who doesn't lol.
So here is my issue. I have setup a 26 gallon bow front that my fiance's father gave me, and I stocked it with some guppies and tetras and am just sitting here thinking man... I need some real fish.. SO, I went and found a 75 on craigslist and it is now fully setup and running.
Now I know a 75 is really small for what I am going to suggest, but here is the thing. And this is the important part. I am building a 250-300 gallon 8-10' tank sometime over the winter, most likely x-mas time. This is what I have always wanted to do, but I want to do a community of larger Cichlds.. So, I want to raise them all from pups in the 75 until winter then transfer them all to the big tank.
My stocking options are what I am totally screwed on, I cannot make up my mind or even begin to figure out what may work or wont work. Soo many conflicting advice on the various forums I have been searching. I have owned almost all of these fish on their own in other tanks, as I had 11 tanks running at one point. However I have never had any of these guys together in one larger tank.
Here are the fish I want (1 of each, don't want anyone pairing off):
Albino Oscar
Male Convict, maybe a Pink Male.. Never had a pink convict. Are they similar in temperament to the normal cons?
Jack Dempsey
Green Severum
Green Terror
5 Silver Dollars
I already picked up the silver dollars, they are in my 26 until the 75 finishes cycling. I figure they are basically perfect dither fish. The thing that worries me about my list is that the JD and GT look fairly similar and I am concerned they may do battle. The Green sev usually are not very agressive so I am worried he will get bullied. Oscar and Convict I am not concerned about. The question is with that list all in a 250 I think that would be enough room? Would they last in the 75 up until each is around 6" or so?
For now I have an AC500 HOB filter on there, going to be adding one of those cheap ebay Sunsun large canister filters in a few weeks. I have been doing a lot of reading on those, and I always used to use Fluval 404's and sump systems but for the money I could put 4 of these sunsuns on a large tank for the price of one FX6.
Any advice, suggestions to my list, additions or subtractions would be greatly appreciated. I am getting stumped and totally overwhelmed with making a decision here. All I know is the OSCAR is a MUST HAVE, and the GT is also high on the list as they are beautiful as adults.
Thanks!!!
So here is my issue. I have setup a 26 gallon bow front that my fiance's father gave me, and I stocked it with some guppies and tetras and am just sitting here thinking man... I need some real fish.. SO, I went and found a 75 on craigslist and it is now fully setup and running.
Now I know a 75 is really small for what I am going to suggest, but here is the thing. And this is the important part. I am building a 250-300 gallon 8-10' tank sometime over the winter, most likely x-mas time. This is what I have always wanted to do, but I want to do a community of larger Cichlds.. So, I want to raise them all from pups in the 75 until winter then transfer them all to the big tank.
My stocking options are what I am totally screwed on, I cannot make up my mind or even begin to figure out what may work or wont work. Soo many conflicting advice on the various forums I have been searching. I have owned almost all of these fish on their own in other tanks, as I had 11 tanks running at one point. However I have never had any of these guys together in one larger tank.
Here are the fish I want (1 of each, don't want anyone pairing off):
Albino Oscar
Male Convict, maybe a Pink Male.. Never had a pink convict. Are they similar in temperament to the normal cons?
Jack Dempsey
Green Severum
Green Terror
5 Silver Dollars
I already picked up the silver dollars, they are in my 26 until the 75 finishes cycling. I figure they are basically perfect dither fish. The thing that worries me about my list is that the JD and GT look fairly similar and I am concerned they may do battle. The Green sev usually are not very agressive so I am worried he will get bullied. Oscar and Convict I am not concerned about. The question is with that list all in a 250 I think that would be enough room? Would they last in the 75 up until each is around 6" or so?
For now I have an AC500 HOB filter on there, going to be adding one of those cheap ebay Sunsun large canister filters in a few weeks. I have been doing a lot of reading on those, and I always used to use Fluval 404's and sump systems but for the money I could put 4 of these sunsuns on a large tank for the price of one FX6.
Any advice, suggestions to my list, additions or subtractions would be greatly appreciated. I am getting stumped and totally overwhelmed with making a decision here. All I know is the OSCAR is a MUST HAVE, and the GT is also high on the list as they are beautiful as adults.
Thanks!!!
