Tank mates suggestions please

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ChilliPepper

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 6, 2010
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UK
Hello all, I'm new here.

I have a 168g 3ftx3ftx2.5ft tank. Current occupants are a 5/6" Red Tiger Oscar, a 2" Green Sev, a 2.5" Red Spot Sev, a 1.5" Convict and a juvi P. delhezi.

I have just taken my GT female to the lfs (they missold her as a Blue Acara, bought at a mere 1") as she had matured and started living up to her name and scrapping with my Oscar.

I'd like something colourful to 'replace' her.

Was thinking a JD?
 
I'm afraid my feeling is that tank is way overstocked already. I would think about upgrading options or reducing the current stock. Sorry.
 
Not sure if a JD would get on with my Oscar now from what I've been reading, don't want the same thing happening that I rehomed my GT for. My Convict was only bought to try and diffuse things, but he/she may have to go if they get too aggressive as they mature.

My tank is NOT overstocked :) FYI all my fish are juvis, I have an FX5 and do 50% weekly waterchanges. Thanks for your opinion though aquanero.
 
i dont think its overstocked but i think it is at its limit with what you have right now, gallon wise you could probably add one more cichlid but space wise i dont think you can. those are really weird dimensions and i think those cichlids are already going to be vying for territory in a tank that is only 3ft long

when he says its overstocked he means when they are all adults not necessarily right now, but yeah i think once they are all adults it will be at its limit, when thinking of stock for a tank you need to think about their adult sizes and only put that amount in there that will be comfortable as adults or you will end up having to get rid of fish as they get larger (which is what i ended up doing and is fine, i liked doing it so i could figure out the ones that got along the best and that i liked the best but in my area there aren't many people that keep these kinds of fish so it was kind of annoying but its all up to you what you want to do)
 
It's difficult for others to understand just how huge this tank is. When I say 3ft everyone always assumes it's small. It isn't. It is around 4ft diagonally across for example.
It's not your run of the mill dimensions, no, but working with the space we have and the fact that I have an Oscar, I wanted 600L+ and that's what I went for.

If I had just said 168g would it have been a different story?
 
Sarah88;4265611; said:
when thinking of stock for a tank you need to think about their adult sizes
Click to expand...

OK, thanks. I do actually have a fair experience with cichlids and tropical fish in general, so don't need that pointing out. I may be a 'newbie' on here, but I am not a newbie to fish in general and do research my fish thoroughly ;)

My Oscar will hopefully get to 12", my Sevs 8-10", the Convict, if he stays, will only get to 5-6" and my Bichir around 10", but he is slow growing, and obviously occupies different areas of the tank. I really do not think that is me overstocked, particularly when I do large w/c and will upgrade the filtration when they all hit adult size.

I don't have to have another cichlid in with them... Open to other suggestions as well :)
 
I think stating the size of the tank the way you did is better than just stating the capacity, the footprint is more important than how many gallons it holds. I'm not trying to be negative, however 5 fish that can grow to 12" long 2 that can hit 8" pluse 2 others and throw in a JD that can go lets say 8" in a 3' x 3' sq is a cramped space. How ever having said that even if you just said a 168 I would have thought it too small for the long term housing of 5 O's.
 
Aquanero;4265664; said:
I think stating the size of the tank the way you did is better than just stating the capacity, the footprint is more important than how many gallons it holds. I'm not trying to be negative, however 5 fish that can grow to 12" long 2 that can hit 8" pluse 2 others and throw in a JD that can go lets say 8" in a 3' x 3' sq is a cramped space. How ever having said that even if you just said a 168 I would have thought it too small for the long term housing of 5 O's.
Click to expand...

I have:
1 Oscar = max 12"
1 Green Sev = 8-10"
1 Red Spot Sev = 8-10"
1 Convict = 5-6"
1 x Poly = 10"

5 fish!
 
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