75 Gallon Stocking! Will This Work? Any Suggestions?

[jsmeester]

So I'd like to combine my 2 tanks and hopefully I can. Here's the stocking.

2 black angels(not veil)
MAYBE 3 Bolivian rams.
4 albino cherry barbs
6 platties
Either 9 or 14 cories
2 albino bristlenose plecos(breeding pair)
6 lemon tetras(will not get eaten by angels)
Either 1 male dwarf gourami, 1 pearl gourami, or 1 honey sunset gourami- which one? You have to pick one.
And about 8 praecox rainbowfish.
Yes? No? Maybe?

 

[KittyKat]

What are the dimensions? 4 ft?

Personally, I would want more of the schooling species and fewer species in total, in my own tank.

 

[jsmeester]

Yes, 48" in length. Would all these fish get along tho? What would you add?

 

[KittyKat]

2 angels - if they are not a (proven breeding) pair, probably won't get along in the long term, if they are, then probably ok, assuming the tank is 24" tall
3 Bolivian rams - all female probably ok, all male probably not, pair and individual probably not
4 albino cherry barbs - should be in a larger group, ideally 10+, but at least 6+
6 platties - ok if the water is not soft
Either 9 or 14 cories - if one species ok, if multiple species make sure there are at least 6 per species
2 albino bristlenose plecos - ok
6 lemon tetras - ok, although I would like to see these in a larger group
Either 1 male dwarf gourami, 1 pearl gourami, or 1 honey sunset gourami - if you do not have these already, then none, if one species *must* go into the tank, then 1m 2f dwarf or 1m 2f lace gourami or 1-2m 4-10f honey gourami
8 praecox rainbowfish - ok if the water is not too soft, I like to see around 10 or so, half male and half female

If it was my tank and was 24" tall, my water was neutral hardness and out of that list of fish I would make up the following stocking:
* (proven breeding) pair angels
* 14+ Corys of one species
* 2 bristlenoses
* 15-20 lemon tetras
* 5m 5f Melanotaenia praecox

 

[jsmeester]

Why won't a unproven pair of black angels work?
Even tho they're still kinda young, I think they are a male and female A's one is starting to develope a hump on his forehead(male) and the other isn't, + they do no lip lock like rival males would. So they still could pair.
You don't think a 75 gal would be enough territory for each angel to have even if they were same sex?

 

[KittyKat]

Because angels are quite aggressive, and the aggression develops with age. When angels are kept in groups of any size (i.e. more than one is kept), they develop quite a strict pecking order and the dominant fish will pick on all the others apart from its partner. When kept in groups of 2-5, the aggression that each individual receives from the dominant fish is quite high, and can stress them out to the point of death (or sometimes, the physical abuse is too high and the physical damage can be the cause of death). This is why it is recommended that they are kept in groups of 6+ in larger (4+ ft long) aquaria, or as (proven breeding) pairs in smaller aquaria.

A "pair" is not just a male and a female fish, but a couple. When it comes to many (not all) cichlids, two fish of the opposite sex are not guaranteed to mate. In fact, unless they are compatible with each other, it is quite possible for them to try to kill each other instead of breeding. That's why when some of us talk about two fish of the opposite sex we say "1m 1f", but "pair" when talking about a couple and for species that it matters for. There are two ways to make sure that one has a pair of angels: buy a pair or buy 6+ and wait until two pair off or buy a pair. It is, of course, possible that two random fish will be compatible mates, but it is not guaranteed.

I would probably include angels, discus and blue rams out of the popular fish in the group that will only pair up with a compatible mate.

I personally do not think that a 4 ft tank (it is the dimensions, not the volume that matter) is large enough for two angels which have it in for each other unless it is so heavily planted that there are tall plants throughout it. On the other hand, if your two fish pair up or are on relatively friendly terms for their whole lives, then the tank is more than sufficient.

 

[jsmeester]

my tank is verrrrrry heavily planted with like 10 plants that have grown to the top about. 4 of the are about 3 feet+ long all curlled up together. i think im going to try and put them in the 75 gal together and see what happpens. if they can live with eachotehr in a smaller 38 gal then theyll be able to have more space in a 38 gal. and angels arent that agressive. theres youtube videos of very experienced fish keeps that show their angels getting along with other fish. and i also have experience with angels with other fish(not a pair yet) and also blogs about them. they arent as agressive as you make it seem.

 

[KittyKat]

If you can count the individual plants, then it's unlikely that the tank is heavily planted. The sort of heavily planted that I am talking about is when you cannot see the back of the tank from the front because, this would also mean that the fish do not have a clear line of sight from one end of the tank to the other, which means that they can probably stay out of each others way if needed.

I am not talking about angels with other fish, I am talking about adult angels with their own kind when kept in twos and small groups. If what I say is not true, then why does it happen almost every time someone comes along on here with a tank that has two angels?

Edit: here is a good example of a heavily planted tank: http/i14.photobucket.com/albums/a323/maxwell1295/Fish/Fishies336.jpg

 

[jsmeester]

I no what a heavily planted tank is. Its not hard to count them A's you buy them.