UPGRADING, help me STOCK a 180!

[Mr. Rain Cloud]

I'm planning on upgrading(might as well go big) the tank to give the pair some more room yet I'm undecided on how to fill the space(adding a 55g sump as well). I'd like to have fish from Peru to maintain the biotope feel as I have so far.
So this is my tank at the moment:

Keep in mind that I'm looking for GT tankmates.

My first option would be a Pink Tail Chalceus. Their huge scales look amazing and the pink would definitely pop out in a dark background. They swim up top so I won't have to worry much about aggression. The only thing I would have to do differently is add a lid at the top since they are skittish. I'll probably just put one in, three if I can get away with it.


Second option would be a female Red Terror. The only thing I'm afraid of is their level of aggression and how fast will they outgrow my Green Terrors. It would definitely be a big risk but still reasonable. Opinions?


Third and fourth options would be Geos and Oscar(s) but I'm not really interested on either. I think the Geos would be too fragile while the Oscars don't appeal to me. Still, both are not out of the equation.

I'm still researching into other possibilities and I definitely would like to hear some suggestions! Thanks!

 

[CanadianKeeper]

everyone has oscars. I would avoid them also. I would just go with the red.

 

[Mr. Rain Cloud]

everyone has oscars. I would avoid them also. I would just go with the red.

If I go with the red terror, how much of a risk will my female GT be? They're still fairly small compared to the red terrors max size. Do you think they'll grow at the same rate?

Thanks for the input btw.

 

[Tayler]

everyone has oscars. I would avoid them also. I would just go with the red.

That's cause there sick.

 

[GrantA94]

About time!
I've been awaiting this thread for too long!!

Well, I think you want the pink tail, go for it. I think you could get away with 3, but I'm no expert on them.

There aren't any geo species native to peru. Only satanoperca jurupari and a similar eartheater, biotodoma cupido. The later likely too slow frowing and fragile. The former, likely not to your taste.

What about some wild oscars? Or even the crassipinis? Both are a little different from normal O's IMO and I don't think there would be any issues with your current stock.

As for Festae. From what I understand they are fairly slow growing. However, they do grow a lot larger than the female GT's. They would likely have the samegrowth rate as eachother. But once the festae grows larger things could get nasty. As for aggro I guess it's a gamble. A female could be a trouble maker or no problem at all. But she could grow as large as Hammer and be a challenge for dominance. Being that hammer is your priority I would watch it.

Interesting suggestion IMO, what about some of the larger Apisto species? Maybe they are too small? But I think it'd look cool if they were darting in and out if the little caves whilethe GTs patrolled the open areas.

What about some crenicichla? There are some lovely species of those IMO.

 

[Mr. Rain Cloud]

Glad to see you jump in here!

Pink Tail is(are) definitely going in there.

In the past, I have liked Heckelii, even before the biotope so I kind of considered them but their preferred water temperature is a lot higher. Other than that, size and temperament would have been ideal IMO.

Oscars... I'm trying to steer clear off them but who knows.

I have forgotten about the pike cichlids. I have looked into them before, including the red wolf fish, but aren't their mouth size a concern as well? IMO, it would just be like having a red terror but in another form. The chances of aggression being less would be better on the festae's side is what I think.

Apistos look great, the least I could do is put one in there and see what happens. The elongated body of the Apisto might push it towards the feeder side though. In this case, I think the worse that could happen is the GT would refuse pellets and aim for live fish if he gets accustomed to it, hahaha. I've read someone say that in some cases, once they get a taste for it they'll take nothing else.

I appreciate all the info, I didn't even know about most of the fish you recommended! I'll definitely look into them more



P.S. Check out my setup videos http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...n-terrors-amp-fry-VIDEO&p=5889299#post5889299

 

[TankDempsey]

I think the wild Oscar idea would look really cool in your tank. They're not very mean (relatively) and most of the wild ones that I have seen are differently marked than your average lfs Oscar. And you can't beat the personality either.

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[Mr. Rain Cloud]

I think the wild Oscar idea would look really cool in your tank. They're not very mean (relatively) and most of the wild ones that I have seen are differently marked than your average lfs Oscar. And you can't beat the personality either.

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Thanks, they seem to be the best option right now and I do agree, they have a strong presence in a tank. I'm uncertain of what their reputation is, underrated, overrated, or both?

 

[TankDempsey]

Thanks, they seem to be the best option right now and I do agree, they have a strong presence in a tank. I'm uncertain of what their reputation is, underrated, overrated, or both?

I think it depends o how one would look at the fish.... as a noob just entering the hobby they're the biggest and baddest fish. But from our point of view they're common and you see them all the time.

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[Mr. Rain Cloud]

I think it depends o how one would look at the fish.... as a noob just entering the hobby they're the biggest and baddest fish. But from our point of view they're common and you see them all the time.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

Well said, not exactly a show fish, but one that you can love.

I just did a quick research and Oscars may not be so compatible with my GTs because they are primarily carnivore while the GTs can't handle meat very well; not exactly an ideal situation for me...