What's best for a 75 gallon?

[Aquanero]

These “what should I get” threads are always tough. It really depends on weather you want a single fish or a community tank, without this info it’s really hard to make a suggestion. The options for a 75 are many, from Discus or Angels in a planted tank to a low tech set up with midsized cichlids like JDs or GTs ect with some dithers, an SA or CA type set up, a school of Africans. What kind of water do you have Ph, alkalinity ect. Another question would be is how much maintenance are you willing to do to keep the tank healthy? Bio-load will play and important part in the frequency of water changes necessary, 50% once a week, twice a week, once every other week. Decide what you envision the tank looking like and give some thought to the questions and we can then make suggestions based on your preferences.

PS. Who said Dovii? Waaaaaay too big not even an option.

 

[insanity0x1]

I love my Oscars! Best personality of any fish breed/species around. Not sure about them being messy either. They eat anything you throw in the tank and don't stop to chew.

The other fish suggested are all very nice, just gotta jump in when Oscars are being dissed lol

+1!!

i too love my oscar to death..although hes in a bigger tank (125gal) hes a puppy dog in the park with the others! just follows them around harmless, and isnt messy!

 

[RD.]

wow....there are some really bad suggestions on this thread.

Why do some people give suggestions of the MAXIMUM size fish in a MINIMUM size tank?

For a 75:

Oscars get too big, put out too much waste for a 75 and especially for someone just getting into keeping fish (NO one wants to do water changes 2x a week)...and I doubt theres a 40+g sump with the tank if hes "turning it into a fish aquarium" so yea, hed need to do 50% changes 2x a week with an oscar in a 75 to avoid HITH etc.

jag get too big, dovii get WAY too big

a pair of red devils/midas get too big...and most fish attack the glass and are pissed because their living conditions are too small or unbearable.

Disagree? How many glassbangers do you see at a SA/CA exhibit at any zoo? none.

If you want a content and healthy fish, probably best to go with some smaller growing cichlids (carpintis, HRP, salvini, JD, cons, sajica, dwarf pikes, smaller Geos etc) if you want a community or pair or...

a single larger growing specimen (Beani, Grammodes, Argentea, Istlanum, Cuban, GT, RD/Midas, trimac etc) for a single fish tank that will maybe allow dithers or catfish/pleco.

you could also possibly do a pair of Beani, Istlanum, grammodes or GT in it, but 2 eventual 10+ inch fish (or any pair with fry) in a 75 = large frequent water changes...

While a 75g is 18" in depth front to back, you shouldnt get a fish that grows 17" and think hes ok because he can still turn around. Id say something that doesnt get much bigger than 12" or so (in an aquarium) would be best.

Well said ............

 

[Olaf Fub]

Hi all,
I hope the OP doesn't mind me bumping his semi-old thread but I have very similar questions and didn't think I needed to or should start a new thread for this.

Okay so I recently came into possession of my pop's old 75 gallon tank with the intention of getting into Oscars again. (Had 2 back in the day in a 55 gallon tank. Don't hate me, I didn't know any better and gave them back to the store when they looked to big for the tank.) Well, after seeing this thread and a few others, I see that even in a 75 it's probably best not to get an oscar. While I was bummed at first, these forums have shown me that there are a bunch of nice cichlids that I'm really digging and would be just as happy with instead of the oscar.
Thing is, I have no clue what else to get that would work together peacefully. So I come to all of you looking for opinions/advice on some possible stocking options for me.

Getting to the questions I know you will all have... It is a 48" 75 gallon tank. I currently have an Aquaclear 110 filter with an Eheim 2217 on order. I think this should cover any and all filtration needs, right? The type of tank I am hoping to get running is just like a 3-5 fish tank I guess. I'd like more than 2 but the size fish i would like would probably prohibit any more than 4 or 5 or maybe even 3, you guys tell me. Along those lines the types of fish I like are most of the CA/SA cichlids normally mentioned here. I like the EBJD alot, if I could get one of those (I can, they have them locally) I would but I keep reading that they are frail so I'm not too sure if I should go this route, I don't want to kill any fish. A regular JD isn't AS attractive but i do still kinda dig them too. Another fish I really like is the green terror, they sound like they may be too aggressive for tankmates tho? Ummm convicts are neat... VRWC mentioned a carpinitis, if that's what GIS is showing me, those are cool looking too. Looks like they come in 3 different colors (blue, green and pearlscale) and are called the texas cichlids too? Also, I don't know how the aggression level towards tankmates is for the carpinitis either. Salvinis look interesting... the dwarf pike must have a more specific name because when i do a GIS for that all i get are pictures of plastic miniature dwarves armed with pikes, pretty sure that's not what he meant! The only other pikes I am familiar with are Northerns and I know I'm not fitting one of those in a 75 gallon tank!

Perfect world, something like... 1 EBJD, 1 GT and 1 Convict. Maybe one of those carpinitis too? Is that doable? I just like a variety in fish and color.

Any and all help and educating is greatly appreciated. Thanks all.

 

[VRWC]

Welcome to MFK and back to fishkeeping Olaf!

Ill just run down your questions and answer best I can:

Yes, you should be set with filtration.

Obviously, the size of the fish will determine how many you can have in your tank.

Most EBJDs are frail and hard to grow out in a community of fish other than tetras, mollies and the like, in my experience. SOmetimes GTs suffer from the same stomach problems that EBJD do and are prone to some form of parasite or bloat, not sure which it is but I seem to always see "Why is my GTs poop white" threads. I dont have personal experience with them so this is just based on the threads I see on here.

Carpintis...they are usually mislabeled as "Green Texas" or "Blue Texas", but in reality they arent Texas cichlids. That title is (or should be) reserved for the true Texas cichlid, Herichthys cyanoguttatus, the only native cichlid to the USA.

Herichthys carpintis come from mostly Northern Mexico and are available in several variants: Lahillas, Escondido, Chairel, Vontehillo & a few other rarer variants. The cyaonguttatus is more aggressive than the carpintis and is typically more blue with way smaller splotches. Both could live in a 75 for life and you could probably keep a pair in one as well, although cyanoguttatus can get about 12" max while carpintis get around 8-10".


Convicts make great smaller target fish or smaller tank companions to larger cichlids, as well as Honduran Red points and sajica, mostly because these 3 fish are aggro, tough and can hold their own against most fish 4x their size.

Salvinis are cool but very aggro and males can get up to 8".

Dwarf pikes are cool and stay rather small for a pike. Heres a link about them:

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/dwarf_pike_cichlids.php

If you go with your "perfect world" choices, Id grow out the EBJD & GT to at least 3 or 4" before putting them together (or maybe purchasing some that big if its an option) and definitely before putting them with a convict, especially a male. Im not 100% sure that a GT or Con wouldnt beat up an EBJD regardless of their size, but Im sure others here with experience with EBJDs & GTs will offer their views. Mine is just 2nd hand from reading about the combo on the web and more so on here.

One other choice, if you have a local LFS that will take trades, is to get a bunch of fry of whatever you think youd like or that would live in a 75 full grown, grow them out and just remove problem fish as they arise. Ive had a lot of success in doing so and helped my old LFS in doing so, providing him with bigger fish to sell than he had originally.

Good Luck with whatever you choose!

 

[Arcangel]

i would listen to VRWC he makes a lot of sense

 

[Chicklette]

I would get a flower horn or red devil/misad and keep one single fish. But that's just what i would do. It's up to you and what you like.

 

[studd muffin]

Red Devils all the way!

 

[skillzizzo]

These “what should I get” threads are always tough. It really depends on weather you want a single fish or a community tank, without this info it’s really hard to make a suggestion. The options for a 75 are many, from Discus or Angels in a planted tank to a low tech set up with midsized cichlids like JDs or GTs ect with some dithers, an SA or CA type set up, a school of Africans. What kind of water do you have Ph, alkalinity ect. Another question would be is how much maintenance are you willing to do to keep the tank healthy? Bio-load will play and important part in the frequency of water changes necessary, 50% once a week, twice a week, once every other week. Decide what you envision the tank looking like and give some thought to the questions and we can then make suggestions based on your preferences.

PS. Who said Dovii? Waaaaaay too big not even an option.

very well said politly. And i would agree with this post to. Cusious why you said no jd's thow i love um. Seting up my 75 for my pair as we speek

 

[surfpalmsncycads]

pair of RTM!.......... DONE!