South American cichlid tank

[Fushylor]

So my Olán is to be start off my 120 with a gold sevrum a red servrum, a electric blue acara, (4 clown loaches even tho they ain’t SA could not do them ig) and a black ghost knife fish. After they all grow a bit to a safe size I will add an Oscar obviously small since they grow pretty fast. This is usually how my friend who has serval gets them to be less aggressive to fish in the tank it’s just hard to add when they are adults and grew up in the tank. I will be using an fx6 filter a not so bright light. You guys got any recommendations or changes to add? Also more rocks or wood for the hard scape obviously no live plants haha

 

[Circus]

Aren't the ghost knife fish a lot more shy than the other planned inhabitants? From what I have read, an Oscar and the clowns might pick on them.

 

[Wills]

Oscars are always tough to keep with other fish they can start off as the sweetest fish ever and the next day your fish are getting eaten. In a 120 I think the Oscar, 2 sevs and an EBA are too many big cichlids, fish the size of the EBA would be a better choice and maybe some of the smaller Severum species like Rotkiel or the Mouthbrooders. I'd be thinking of things like Cupid Cichlids, Red Head Geophagus or Guianacaras as a little group.

I'm not 100% ok with the clown loaches but they are so common a 120 is better for them than what most will end up in. I wouldnt get the BGK they get much bigger than the rest of the fish and a 120 isnt a great home for them long term a better choice would be one of the marbled species of knife fish, maybe glass knives or an african brown?

Thats said asuming you have soft water too, if you have hard water Central American Cichlids might be a better choice.

Wills

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

...could not do them ig

What does this mean, please?
Clown Loach need matured tanks and four is not enough...they need to be in a group of no less than six and preferably around ten.

The Ghost Knife Fish needs very quiet and gentle tank mates.

 

[Byron]

The knifefish should not be in with any of the other fish, this is not fair to the knifefish. Also, it needs a tank of no less than 6 feet length and no less than 2 feet width, and this would mean more volume than 120g. They have an inflexible spine and at close to 20 inches in length cannot turn around in a smaller tank.

The clown loaches need a large (length and width here is more important than volume) and the dimensions are not given so we can't know if this is or isn't going to work, but regardless, they need a shoal as already mentioned, and again do not suit some of the other fish.

I concur with Wills on the cichlids.

 

[Fushylor]

I understand the knife fish it was just a curious question. Don’t sure if I ever even seen one but thx for the info. I seen plenty of clown loaches in SA but if u really don’t think it would work maybe I just stick to some sort of pleco that won’t get that big? But I really would like some sort of loach species.

 

[Byron]

I understand the knife fish it was just a curious question. Don’t sure if I ever even seen one but thx for the info. I seen plenty of clown loaches in SA but if u really don’t think it would work maybe I just stick to some sort of pleco that won’t get that big? But I really would like some sort of loach species.

I assume you mean loaches in SA tanks, not loaches in SA [South America].

The main issue is the cichlid species. But we still should have the dimensions of the tank in order to assess these or any other fishes.

 

[Fushylor]

48 1/2 x 24 1/4 x 25 1/2 are the dimensiones. And yes that’s what I meant. So what your telling me there behavior is just to different? What do u recommend then as some sort of bottom fish maybe to move the sand around yk?

 

[Byron]

48 1/2 x 24 1/4 x 25 1/2 are the dimensiones. And yes that’s what I meant. So what your telling me there behavior is just to different? What do u recommend then as some sort of bottom fish maybe to move the sand around yk?

The dimensions here disqualify Clown Loaches. But @Wills noted cichlid problems, and until those are resolved I would hesitate to suggest any other fish. A community tank is always more difficult to stock when one starts off with one (or more) problem fish like the cichlids.

Something I mentioned in another thread a few months back applies here too. All of the medium-large neotropical cichlids live in habitats in which they are the only cichlid. Given the inherent "cichlid" traits, it is easy to see how putting two or more species together can be problematic, and often disastrous. So multiple cichlid species has to be very carefully thought through, taking into consideration the traits/behaviours/disposition of each species. Some of them are too timid to be placed in with more aggressive cichlids, and vice versa.

 

[Fushylor]

Ok I will be starting off with just 2 species the sevrums and blue acara. If the loaches don’t work and are disqualified then I under stand they do get pretty big. If there are problems then I obviously will do my best and they have to grow so the Oscar won’t fit them in his mouth then raise him up together with the rest. I do feel like I can add more I seen plenty others similar in a 120. Just not sure what do add I do t have many recommendations except plecos which aren’t my fav.

 

[itiwhetu]

There are plenty of people who keep clown loaches in groups of around 4 in a tank your size, don't be put off by the purists in this world. I have even noticed clown loaches in the Tank of the month contests, which get no condemnation.

 

[Wills]

Ok I will be starting off with just 2 species the sevrums and blue acara. If the loaches don’t work and are disqualified then I under stand they do get pretty big. If there are problems then I obviously will do my best and they have to grow so the Oscar won’t fit them in his mouth then raise him up together with the rest. I do feel like I can add more I seen plenty others similar in a 120. Just not sure what do add I do t have many recommendations except plecos which aren’t my fav.

When we are suggesting tanks its usually built off seeing combinations not work often repeatedly so as a forum we learn collectively. The combination of fish you are trying to build a tank with are a pretty common combination but I'm not sure how successful they are long term as in 12-18 months+. With an Oscar you are looking at a very big fish community to avoid snacks so you are limited in terms of tank and filtration capacity in doing this, similarly with the Severums they are big dinner plate sized fish that need to be looked after properly. The big fish you are talking about would be well suited to a 180g which is 6x2x2 so a third longer than a standard 4x2x2 120g - would this be an option? I wouldnt like to recommend a plan to upgrade in the future but could you look at a 180 now?

Otherwise I would look at building a tank around 6-8 inch cichlids like the Electric Blue Acaras and some of the others I mentioned and go from there. Mix in some of the diversity that is unique to South American tanks with things like headstanders, hatchet fish, interesting catfish like hoplos, flagtails or pictus cats. Mid sized plecos like Blue or Green Phantoms, interesting tetras like bleeding hearts, hemiodus or emperors. Whiptail cats are always cool and some of the wood cats available now look great too and dont get too big. Some of the dwarf pike cichlids might work like Compresiceps. In a tank this size some of the smaller silver dolar species would be cool too like the spotted or the tigers. Some of the mid sized Geophagus would be nice like the Tapajos I mentioned or Winemilleri which are not a huge grower like Altifrons.

It is a big tank you have dont get me wrong but I think you are setting your ambitions too high with the size of fish that would be best to keep. I had a 135 for a long time and learned the limits of fish size I could keep, still kept some nice fish in there but had to understand that sweet spot for long term success.

Wills

 

[Fushylor]

I mean I seen the exact tank that I kinda have planned abd by that I mean the fish stocking list. I know the Oscar gets pretty big but my friend prob has over 12 Oscar’s prob his fav fish. If I do raise him with the others already grown it should be fine. They do get pretty big and I kinda can’t go with a 180. I have 5 30 gallons 3 20 gallons and 6 10 gallons. I just want a bigger tank with big cichlids I always wanted Oscar’s and I fell in love with sevrums after seeing them in some display tanks. I think my stocking will work big I get it’s not best size. If my Oscar does become one of those giants I seen I could re home him or maybe eventually upgrade in a couple years. I ha e seen this stocking with other types of SA catfish tho but they are rare abd i never seen any. The clown loaches have also been so thing I always liked I usually keep kuhil loaches in the smaller. I get I can’t get everything I want in one tank haha but I think it’s a safe Olán but once the Oscar is in I can’t really add anything without risking problems. So I was curious on opinions..

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

There are plenty of people who keep clown loaches in groups of around 4 in a tank your size, don't be put off by the purists in this world. I have even noticed clown loaches in the Tank of the month contests, which get no condemnation.

There are plenty of people who don't really know what they're doing, or who follow ancient methods and techniques.
In my opinion, based on evidence-based practice and experience, too many fish still suffer needlessly.
If concern for the welfare of fish makes me a 'purist', then I'm a purist.

 

[Fushylor]

What about something completely different like an Oscar, green terror, and clown loaches