125 Gallon Planted Tank Stocking

[mikeloupowell]

Hi everyone ! I have a 125 Gallon Tank, 72 1/2" x 18 1/2" x 23 1/4". Heavily planted with Java Ferns, Anubias Nana, and Hornwort (floating). Lots of driftwood, rocks, and about 1 1/2" of Peace River Gravel (very smooth). I'm using 2 Hydro Sponge Pro 5 filters and an AquaClear 110 HOB with a prefilter sponge. Tank is covered, including a custom made plastic screen over the HOB filter cutout.Water is 77 degrees, pH 7.0 and soft. Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 5. Thinking about the following fish stocking.
3 Bristlenose Plecos, one male two females
5 Pictus Catfish
7 Silver Dollars
9 Sterbas Corydoras
11 Red Eye Tetras
13 Silver Hatchets
Trying to make sure all water levels would be used. Hoping the Silver Dollars do not eat all the plants, would feed them high veggie diet.Please let me know your opinions, thank you.

 

[mikeloupowell]

Sorry, also planning on water changes of 40 gallons weekly.

 

[Jordan_Deus]

Hi there,

I will only comment on the Ancistrus (Bristlenose Pleco). You'll need to make sure there's plenty of driftwood in your aquarium as this is vital for their longevity. Driftwood is very important for their digestive system. Unless you're buying sexually mature Ancistrus, you most likely wont be able to tell which are male and female. When they are small, none of them have bristles, and, where I live at least, pet shops only sell them around 1-2 inches. In my experience, they only start to develop bristles around the 3-4 inch mark.

Starting out with three is a great idea, just make sure that when they mature, that the male isn't overworked by the two females. He wont eat for a week when protecting eggs. If he's always protecting them he won't eat enough. My solution is to feed plenty of zucchini as well as wafers when he isn't guarding eggs. In other words, fatten up the male when he isn't protecting eggs and just keep a general eye on him, make sure he doesn't become emaciated. Make sure to have plenty of hiding spaces in the case that you get more than one male.

All in all, they're great fish, and lots of fun to have! These fish are the reason I'm in the hobby.
I'll let everyone else fill you in on the other fish.

I should also mention that they are quite messy but shouldn't be to relevant as you're talking about a rather large tank.

Edit: I can tell you for a fact that the Corydoras, Ancistrus and Hatchets will work together. If you could post your exact Water parameters (KH and GH) that would help.

 

[Byron]

I agree that the Bristlenose need wood, and several chunks so each can select its "home" space. Males are territorial. Wood is also essential for digestive health.

On the other fish, I would leave out cories as you have gravel. While there is no denying cories can manage over gravel, they should have sand to be at their best. Having the nocturnally active Pictus catfish rather eliminates cories anyway.

The "Red Eye Tetra" I assume is Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae.

Silver Dollars will eat plants but not likely tough species like Java Fern and Anubias. The floating plant may be eaten.

Silver hatchets should be OK if this is one of the larger and more robust species, such as those in Gasteropelicus or Thoracocharax. The smaller species in Carnegiella would not work here.

Water changes should be increased to at least 50% of the tank volume, with 60% better.