Stocking suggestions for a 240g

[FuelingFire]

Hey All.
so here is whats up. redid my 240g S/A planted blackwater tank, so this time The Tank, is going to be dimmily lit, few anubis plants and some tiger lotus up to the surface. with floating driftwood, filtration is a partly planted sump with a drip system as well. so now I am trying to decide on what to put in it. What I am after is larger cichlids, some catfish, and maybe some larger dithers.

my 1st Idea was to do 6-8 pictus, 4 or so fire mouths, and some swordtail live bearers, and maybe some other cichlids though I am unsure of what.

2nd Idea was Oscars, but I still like tank mates, and Oscars can be finicky with that. thoughts?

3rd Idea was a native tank.

I just want to get away from the common commuity fish like tetras and all, because I want something different and bigger for this tank, even Odd ball Fish would be nice. So give me some options of what you would stock in my tank.

here some pics, still have more floating driftwood to add and the lotus hasn't started growing yet just planted the bulb. but you get idea of the tank. Just looking for some fish combo's
to make this tank pop.

 

[Fish Tank Travis]

Put a fire eel in there.

Another idea, if budget allows, would be to get 15-18 large discus. They will look beautiful in that tank, but you’d have to fork out the cash for larger ones off the bat.

Pretty sure oscars will end up tearing up the scape.

You could maybe do a nice school of rainbows.

 

[Rocksor]

8 pictus, 6 red head tapajos geos (1m 5 f), and chocolate cichlid for a blackwater tank. I'm assuming you have soft water (GH) coming out of tap.

 

[Mitchell The Monster]

8 pictus, 6 red head tapajos geos (1m 5 f), and chocolate cichlid for a blackwater tank. I'm assuming you have soft water (GH) coming out of tap.

I like that

Hey All.
so here is whats up. redid my 240g S/A planted blackwater tank, so this time The Tank, is going to be dimmily lit, few anubis plants and some tiger lotus up to the surface. with floating driftwood, filtration is a partly planted sump with a drip system as well. so now I am trying to decide on what to put in it. What I am after is larger cichlids, some catfish, and maybe some larger dithers.

my 1st Idea was to do 6-8 pictus, 4 or so fire mouths, and some swordtail live bearers, and maybe some other cichlids though I am unsure of what.

2nd Idea was Oscars, but I still like tank mates, and Oscars can be finicky with that. thoughts?

3rd Idea was a native tank.

I just want to get away from the common commuity fish like tetras and all, because I want something different and bigger for this tank, even Odd ball Fish would be nice. So give me some options of what you would stock in my tank.

here some pics, still have more floating driftwood to add and the lotus hasn't started growing yet just planted the bulb. but you get idea of the tank. Just looking for some fish combo's
View attachment 1367277View attachment 1367278to make this tank pop.

If you wanna do the firemouths, I say do a much larger group. I say do like a 8-12 or so. I have 4 in my 125 and wish I bought more.

 

[Belly up]

I think a tank of that size would be terrific if stocked with some Rainbows (I like boesmani), say eight or so. They would do well with the FM and get to a goodly size. Once the tank cycled or stabilized from the redo you could ad some loaches with the pictus cats. If you don`t like those ideas consider keeping something you have never had before. After thirty years of dedication to CA cichlids I did just that and found I have been missing out on a lot of fun!

 

[FuelingFire]

thanks guys for the replys,

Fish Tank Travis , I had thought of a fire eel, but I Debated on it, afraid though it might escape, my lids need to be replaced. but it was a consideration. I have had Discus. and Honestly I don't want to keep them again for awhile., as far as The Oscars, I decided against it.

Rocksor , My water isn't soft. its 7.4-7.6 with a Kh of 10. depending on the season. at least I have well. And I have been thinking very strongly on geo's, they are one type I have been wanting forever and I haven't done yet. and Doing another blackwater tank well Can't go wrong, I've only got 3 others. but it give me a chance to move my 75g blackwater over to it, which at the moment is housing 20 emeralds (due to breeding and finding them in my sump) and my mated pair of angels. my bristlenose and handful of tetras. so doing some Geo's would be nice, Infact before I checked this post I was looking at some geophagus Winemilleri, But I also Love the red head tapajos.

Mitchell The Monster , Yeah I had planned on doing quite a few just wasn't sure how many. But now I think I am going to do the geo's

B Belly up , Stocking with rainbows would be awesome. I have been in the hobby 8 or so years kind of forgot exactly how long but up to 7 tanks now and other tanks of the past I am ready for new types of fish. So I totally can relate, I had lost the interest in fish so this tank is sort of a pick me up again.

So Let me ask, I have kept corys and pictus, but never in the same tank. when I research pictus and corys its always small tanks that people are asking about, In my tank. Would pictus and corys be safe? I can't see a pictus eating a grown Cory, But again, Fish can be very suprising.

 

[Rocksor]

Emerald green cory aka Brochis splendens would be definitely be safe from pictus, but I highly doubt a pictus could even eat the bronze cory C. aeneus.

 

[LBDave]

Put a fire eel in there.

Another idea, if budget allows, would be to get 15-18 large discus. They will look beautiful in that tank, but you’d have to fork out the cash for larger ones off the bat.

Pretty sure oscars will end up tearing up the scape.

You could maybe do a nice school of rainbows.

That's a nice tank. I am an oscar fanatic but as they get big they could change the tank. Some small geos maybe? Really like the discus idea but is 15 too many?

 

[FuelingFire]

Rocksor , My favorite corys are corydoras paleatus (pepper cory) and I will probably get some. all the emeralds I have in the 75 were rescues and just kept breeding till I have 20 from just 6. so I'm probably going to not get the pictus. But I'm not in a hurry to stock this tank. until I am absolutly sure I know what I want.

 

[Rocksor]

Rocksor , My favorite corys are corydoras paleatus (pepper cory) and I will probably get some. all the emeralds I have in the 75 were rescues and just kept breeding till I have 20 from just 6. so I'm probably going to not get the pictus. But I'm not in a hurry to stock this tank. until I am absolutly sure I know what I want.

Are you going for a heater less tank?