Hows My Stocking?

[GShorty1981]

I finally got my new light unit on my tank, and its looking good.

This is my stock

48"x15"x26"

Cichlids:
1 x Male Red Spotted Severum
1 x Male Blue Shock Auereum
1 x female Honduran Red Point
1 x female Pink Convict
1 x Male Hump Head Geophagus
1 x Female Cutteri (might get rid of her cos shes not that nice looking)

other:
5 x Tiger barbs
1 x Striped Raphael
1 x Featherfin Synodontis

Going to buy:
1 x Bristlenose Plec
3 x Tiger Barbs

Currently have 8 Yellow Lab fry growing out in my tank varying from 0.5"-3.5" all going to be sold on, they are left over from my old Malawi tank.

 

[crunch7]

Hey will like to ask whether tiger barbs are compatible with your existing fish?

 

[GShorty1981]

Yes I wouldnt have them otherwise lol

They are compatiable with most peaceful/semi agressive mid sized Cichlids.

I had them with a 10" Jack Dempsey and a 10" Green Terror before and they were fine, however i had them with a big gold Severum and he killed a few.....its hit and miss, they are like the silver dollar for smaller cichlids.

 

[GShorty1981]

Whats the best cheap plec to go for? Bristlenose, Bulldog or Rubberlip?

Also should i up my Tiger Barbs to 12 once i get rid of the baby labs and Cutteri?

A Plec is a must because my tank is right next to my patio doors and i find, when i dont have one, my tank gets green quick!

 

[FishFreak95]

I'd go for bristle nose.
I think upping the number of Tiger Barbs would be fine. Schools are more interesting with more fish. You say your getting rid of your cutteri because they have no color. Maybe try Sajica? They are very similar behavior wise and in the size. They are much more colorful too

 

[GShorty1981]

I don't think i have the space for a Sajica or my Cutteri, i'm very close to being overstocked, my Cutteri is only 2" at the mo, but when she grows along with my other fish, it will be jam packed.

Spent ages yesterday trying to catch Yellow Labs, omg these things are hard to catch, turns out i have closer to 15-16 of them in there and the bigger ones are holding fry lol, i will give about 8 of them to my mate and sell the rest.

 

[fishprotector]

I would say up it to at least 12 Tiger Barbs. I have 17 Black Ruby Barbs and since I upped the number to this level they are much more active and glide around in a large shoal most of the time. I think that they are also much more capable of reducing any aggression in the tank in larger numbers.

 

[GShorty1981]

I would like 12, will make the tank look busier to once the labs are gone.

 

[GShorty1981]

7 replys from 106 views, c'mon guys give me some feedback

 

[minnnt]

Bn for sure mate, although a bulldog would go aswell imo. I would rehome the labs and the cutteri like you say. I had 9 barbs in my 3ft and they livened it up no end so I would definately up their numbers.

 

[GShorty1981]

Only thing with BNs is i hate there....bristley noses lol, grosses me out infact i hate the look of most cheap plecs in general, but they serve a big time purpose where my tank is situated.

I had no plec for a long time and my tank went green, then i was given a 10" Common plec and it cleaned the whole tank up inside a few weeks lol, but he was to big and was pooping to much so i traded him in.

How many small plecs should i go for?

So this is what my stocking will eventually be....

1 x Male Red Spotted Severum
1 x Male Blue Shock Auereum
1 x female Honduran Red Point
1 x female Pink Convict
1 x Male Hump Head Geophagus
12 x Tiger barbs
1 x Striped Raphael
1 x Featherfin Synodontis
1 x Bristlenose Plec (or do i get more?)

Its a lot of cichlids i know, but they all get on fine, my Severum is 5", my convict is 4", HRP 4", they still have a bit to grown but they don't fight.

I'm gonna keep the labs till most are sellable, my mate wants a load of them but he has big fish and they will get eaten, so need to grow them out a bit first, problem is.....the bigger ones are breeding constantly lol, i might keep them in a tank to themselves, thing is noone wants to buy labs tho...they are like convicts, you cant give them away, which is shocking cos they are so beautiful, and all top quality as well, maybe because the original parents were not related.

 

[minnnt]

I will have the labs off you mate. would do you a trade for a couple of bn's?

 

[GShorty1981]

Yeh deffo mate but im in Somerset, plus they are mostly all a bit small at the mo (and fricken hard to catch) the big breeding ones are going to my mates tank.

 

[minnnt]

They will have a tank of their own so size isn't an issue. Are you up for postage or not?

 

[GShorty1981]

Hmmm not sure mate, never done that before, will speak to the wife see what she says, its quite expensive ain't it......how many was you wanting and how many BNs would you swap it for....its a shame your so far away, fishkeeping in somerset is so dead, I know a lot of people and have only met 3 people that have tanks, and 2 dont keep cichlids lol.