125 gallon South American community progress

[Snagrio]

YESSSS!!! another person doing a 125gal project!!! Mine is going very slowly, but will be interested in watching your progress!!

Where are you planning on setting up the tank? Another option, if you're still living at your parents' place, is to try and make it as low-effort for them as possible and they may be ok with you leaving this particular tank there, at least until you are done with the "apartment living" phase of your life (which I realize for some of us lasts longer than for others).

In the basement. It's about the only place it'd actually fit anyway plus where it is right now isn't optimal to begin with (in a high traffic area where it also shakes every time someone walks by). I'm not moving out anytime soon so that's something to worry about at a later date.

Not jumping on anything just yet at any rate, waiting until a good deal comes across on Craigslist, see large tanks floating around on there all the time.

 

[mcordelia]

That's how I got my parts as well. I ended up going for a new tank and selling what I bought off CL (some lady wanted it for a gerbil cage?!? Wtf?!?) Because I scored a black friday deal on the tank. However, it's now backordered so jokes on me since I don't get the tank til January lol.

Also try FB marketplace and r/aquaswap.

 

[Snagrio]

So an update. Found a 125 full setup (dual canister filters!) on Craigslist for $250. Only downside is it already has a random assortment of chichlids (parrot heads and what I think are some Malawi species) and plecos, but I found a LFS that will trade them in. Plan is to get the whole thing here, give the fish some time, and then trade them over (hopefully they'll let me trade for live plants), get that going for a couple weeks to let the plants establish and then disassemble and move everything from the 55 to the 125.

 

[mcordelia]

Yaaasssss!!!! If the tank is not super far away and the current owner is amenable to it, I would try to take the fish to the LFS first before even attempting to move the tank.that way, you are not in a race against time with moving the tank.

 

[Snagrio]

Yaaasssss!!!! If the tank is not super far away and the current owner is amenable to it, I would try to take the fish to the LFS first before even attempting to move the tank.that way, you are not in a race against time with moving the tank.

Unfortunately the tank's location is a two hour's drive so that's a no-go. I'm going to have to take the whole setup down (from what it sounds like it's an older couple which is why they're selling it), come back home, and set everything back up so the fish don't die on me. I'll give them a few days after that before taking them to the LFS since the move will be stressful enough as it is.

I won't be picking it up until the end of the week so I at least have time to plan.

 

[mcordelia]

Ooooffff. Try and find many people to help! There was a thread and moving cichlids here in October I believe, had some good tips regarding aggression while in totes etc. Worth searching for best of luck, it's going to be a LOOOONG day

 

[Snagrio]

Ooooffff. Try and find many people to help! There was a thread and moving cichlids here in October I believe, had some good tips regarding aggression while in totes etc. Worth searching for best of luck, it's going to be a LOOOONG day

My folks will be with me (even if the tank wasn't the size it is I'd have someone along anyway since you know, Craigslist). Will definitely take some of my own equipment to be prepared for anything too.

 

[mcordelia]

Lots and lots of rubbermaid totes and 5 gal buckets, and battery powered air stones.... Good luck... Bring two vehicles at least.

 

[Snagrio]

It's here. Took the entire day but it's here. Crossing my fingers that everybody survives the journey because it took so long between dismantling and then setting back up such a massive tank.

After they settle down I need to figure out both what I even have and what I want to keep. I've been able to identify all but two of them. There's a male albino bristlenose pleco, two green terrors, two blood parrots, two yellow tail aceis (one is a baby, iirc the previous owner said the other parent died?), a severum and then there's two of these giant orange cichlids that I'm completely stumped on.

They're not red zebras, they're not blood parrots, and I don't think they're flowerhorns. And no searches on "orange cichlid" has given me any results.

 

[mcordelia]

Woohoo!!! You did it!!! Congrats

 

[Colin_T]

It's here. Took the entire day but it's here. Crossing my fingers that everybody survives the journey because it took so long between dismantling and then setting back up such a massive tank.

After they settle down I need to figure out both what I even have and what I want to keep. I've been able to identify all but two of them. There's a male albino bristlenose pleco, two green terrors, two blood parrots, two yellow tail aceis (one is a baby, iirc the previous owner said the other parent died?), a severum and then there's two of these giant orange cichlids that I'm completely stumped on.
View attachment 124661
They're not red zebras, they're not blood parrots, and I don't think they're flowerhorns. And no searches on "orange cichlid" has given me any results.

looks like a red devil cichlid, real nasty piece of work if it is.

 

[Snagrio]

looks like a red devil cichlid, real nasty piece of work if it is.

Yep, apparently so.

 

[Snagrio]

So now the big question comes down to what can stay in order for my original community to move in. The loaches and rainbow shark would probably hold their own but the rest with how they're smaller and frankly handicapped with age and other problems would have a miserable time. By my estimates only the bristlenose is one I'm 100% confident is safe (I already have one who's younger and there's more than enough space for both).

The green terrors and especially red devils aren't going to work for sure (the latter already look way too big for the tank). Probably not the severum either.

The blood parrots and yellow tail aceis I'm not sure on. I'd really like to go natural with live plants and big driftwood pieces and the like but idk how they'd fair with big cichlids (already have clown loaches that will be causing a ruckus so my choices are limited by default). I've heard aceis will even chew through Java ferns and blood parrots will be pushing stuff around no doubt.

And that's all before the fact that there's other major overhauls that need to be done as you can see here.

Super coarse, bright white gravel and fake decorations galore except for one piece of actual driftwood. Was tempted to not even put the ship back in but they needed a hiding space and getting everything back up and running was top priority.

 

[mcordelia]

You know, it's not the worst looking tank ever. There's no clown puke

I am planning on trying parrots out in a community, from my research they are hit or miss. Definitely same problems with plants as your loaches, but I'm thinking if I do potted plants it might somewhat work out. I think the downside with your parrots is they're already older and you'd be introducing the smaller fish in later, that is more risky than introducing young parrots into and established community, especially since that can also go wonky as they age.

I guess it partly boils down to whether you are planning on keeping the 55 up and running, or if this is going to be your sole tank moving forward.

 

[Snagrio]

You know, it's not the worst looking tank ever. There's no clown puke

I am planning on trying parrots out in a community, from my research they are hit or miss. Definitely same problems with plants as your loaches, but I'm thinking if I do potted plants it might somewhat work out. I think the downside with your parrots is they're already older and you'd be introducing the smaller fish in later, that is more risky than introducing young parrots into and established community, especially since that can also go wonky as they age.

I guess it partly boils down to whether you are planning on keeping the 55 up and running, or if this is going to be your sole tank moving forward.

Secretly, I'd like to keep the 55 going and start a new community altogether with smaller species like it was before. I'd LOVE a big mixed shoal of black and neon/cardinal tetras, I briefly had one at one point but it was at that exact time that the clown loaches figured out small fish make tasty snacks. Plus I'd finally have an opportunity to try giving one lucky betta the chance to live a life of luxury. But my folks are under the assumption that I'm selling it after it's emptied so, idk if I can.

At any rate, it's sounding like the only thing I could keep is the pleco if I want to even attempt plants. Unless I can get lucky with the aceis. I think I'll put in a post in the cichlid section and see if I can get more thoughts on the matter at any rate.