Stocking suggestions for 125g

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Aquanero said:
Sounds like you're on the right track. You have to keep what you like. As far as the Fstavum go there is about 5 or 6 I think it's 6 now different species of Mesonauta but they are all generally the same coloration nothing overly colorful. Severum are a great center piece by themselves so take your time and consider all the options carfully no need to rush.

I never heard anyone say they thought a chocolate looked like an oscar that's a first.

PS you can do a mixed school of corys.
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I definitely will not rush it. The tank isn't even here yet. It will be several weeks after I get it to cycle it and have it ready for fish. Once it is, I will be housing the keyholes, rainbows and almost everything else except the severums in the tank for a week or two to let the keyholes settle in and own what they want. When that is done, I will add the severum to the tank and wait another week or 2 until everything settles down. So it will be a month or 2 at the earliest before I will be adding anything new to the tank that I don't already have.


Anchovie recommended angels and I like the idea since I have plans for an angel tank in the future. What I plan to do with the angels is have them breed a few times in their community tank, then remove them to a breeding 20 gallon high (I would have 2 running at all times) and remove them back to the community tank once they have bred. Think this could work with severums in the community tank? I would mainly worry about how the severums would react to the angels being removed and added back so frequently.


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I would think the dynamic of the tank would change too much if you keep removing and adding the angelfish. IDK how the severum would react to this either. I would keep the breeders in their own tank. Are you planning on wild Angelfish or a domestic strain? One of my favorite species to keep in groups is P. Leopoldi, they are the smallest and also the most colorful of the wilds IMO.
 
Aquanero said:
I would think the dynamic of the tank would change too much if you keep removing and adding the angelfish. IDK how the severum would react to this either. I would keep the breeders in their own tank. Are you planning on wild Angelfish or a domestic strain? One of my favorite species to keep in groups is P. Leopoldi, they are the smallest and also the most colorful of the wilds IMO.
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I would feel bad about keeping 2 angels in a 20 gallon permanently. Especially if one gets aggressive with the other. I will stick with my original plan of having an angel and Bolivian ram tank. I think that would work better.


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Anchovie said:
There are some really nice pinoy blue around since you like blue fish. Check out phillipine blues.


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I actually intend to do just that! There is a place called Angelfish USA about 3 hours away from me here in Florida. They sell a bag of 20 pea sized angels for $50 that are an assortment of blue types. And because they are only a few hours away, shipping is only $15. :)


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So I have been doing some research and considering my favorites. I love rams, but contrary to the majority of ram fans, I like the Bolivians better than Germans. I have 4 GBRs now, but the female of my mated pair died without a logical cause and I found out after this that GBR tend to have short lives of 6-12 months. The Bolivians have 2-3 year lifespans combined with my preference for them anyways. The girlfriend wanted the GBR, but after learning of their shortened lifespan, she agreed the Bolivians would be better. Plus they get a bit bigger too.

Anyways, my severums were housed with my GBR in a 55 when they were about 2.5-3" and there was no aggression. Not even chasing or bluff charges. They are only a little bigger now and they won't grow much more in the next 1-2 months, so I am going to get some Bolivians to house with my keyholes and severum in the 125. I am going to spend $100 on as many fake and live (mostly java fern and anubias) plants as I can get my hands on and densely plant the tank. Combined with 3-4 clay pots for hiding that the severums will eventually not even be able to fit into, I think the rams will be a successful addition to the tank.

So my question here is how many rams do you think I could have with 2 severum and 4 keyholes? I am thinking 6-8 since they stay pretty small and won't add much to the bioload.


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Well I have been overturned on the rams. LOL The girlfriend says that the tank will lack color and unfortunately she is right. Bolivians are mostly grey without much color, the Cory cats I get will likely be black and white, and the keyholes will also be black and white. She did point out something I have an interest in, but had discounted because I felt the tank would not have enough room for a suitable group. She brought up Geophagus red head Tapajos. I know they prefer groups of at least 4-6. I have concerns for both aggression and bio-load.

Does anyone think I can get away with 4 geo red heads with 2 severum, 4 keyholes and 8-12 small cories? Will the bottom layer be too crowded?

My filtration will be 2 AquaClear 70s with pre-filter sponges (600 gallons per hour). Most of these fish will only be between 3 and 5" when they are added to the tank, so I know filtration will be fine for now, but does anyone think I will need to increase filtration for these fish when they are full grown?

If I go the route of the geos, I will definitely go with sand. I am thinking of black sand since I read that darker sediment makes most fish feel calmer. However, I also read that it makes fish color more darkly (or maybe gives the illusion that they are darker). Is there a real big difference between using white sand versus black sand in relation to the calmness of the fish or their coloration? I can get pool filter sand for $15 for a 25 pound bag. But the tractor supply up the street sells black blasting sand for $8 for a 50 pound bag. Huge difference in price.


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Anchovie said:
Start with 5. Add accordingly. I have 3 in my 75 gallon angel display. There was minor aggression for the first week.


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I still want Bolivians, so I think I will have them in my 90+ gallon angel tank once I get that project underway (will be 6-12 months before it will be started).


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