Stocking Ideas!

[Matt_northants]

In my experience they normally pair when about 2 inches, so that shouldn't be a problem.
Clown Loaches in tanks normally only grow to about 8 inches but can reach a foot, they prefer to be kept in shoals of 6 which means that they would take up to much of your stocking IMO why not try Botia Striata instead or maybe Corydoras Sterbai?
I would probably go for 20 tetras total or maybe 6 tetras and 6 silver dollars, the red hooks look especially cool.
In a four footer 3 bristlenoses would probabley be best there are some really colourful ones out there!

 

[andyourblueblood]

I prefer deeper bodied tetras with angels such as Garnets or Beacons. Sexing Angels is impossible so its best to get 6 wait for a pair to form, you'll soon know when they do, and return the rest to your LFS.

Won't having a pair seriously cut down on the "peacefulness" of the tank though? I want to avoid any mating behaviour really as it causes so much problems in what other fish can be stocked.

In a four footer it wont really be a problem, when they breed in mine they just keep the other fish away from their nest which is normally the same Amazon sword leaf at one end of the tank, and then its only when they get about 6 inches away. Maybe I just have really peaceful angels. If you dont want a pair I suppose you could take the pairs that form back to your LFS to leave non-paired ones, but Angel fish are impossible to sex.

So how does a stocking of:

1. 1 x Severum
2. 6 juvie angels (cut down to a pair once formed - how quick does this happen, and if it takes a long time, am i beter just getting 2 or 3?
3. Some clown loaches
4. 20 or so rummynosed tetras
5. another tetra shoal?
6. bristlenose plec?

Feel free to ammend or point any mistakes in the stocking - especially with the angels. I'm not sure weather a pair will form quick enough, as I most certainly wouldn't want 6 large angels in the same 4 footer!

i dont know if a sev. will work, but ill let some one more familiar with them to chime in. i always thought they were punks!

 

[matt295]

i got lucky with my angels in having a pair. They never attack my neon tetras and they are only territorial when breeding and all they do is keep the tetras away. I may have gotten a peaceful pair but in my opinion, they arent really that aggresive. I would also suggest something smaller than the clowns. I have a pair of albino longfin bristlenoses which are amazing. Their fins are very long and are very graceful. I know nothing about sevs. so cant help you there. The only problem i have ever had with angels is when i had one that established his territory and then i introduced 3 juveniles and he killed all three of them!

 

[h_ceri]

Well I just googled Botia Striata and they seem much better! Grow much smaller and still very colourfull. I've never seen or heard of them before though, are they quite common? My LFS is a big maidenhead aquatics though so if anywhere has them i suppose they would?

I think I will be introducing the cichlids as juvies and all at once, so hopefully there won't be any established teritory problems.

I think that some angels (and severum maybe) with some botia striata and some tetras would be a nice colourful tank.

I think the next step once the tank is on its way to being set up is to take a trip to the LFS and see what they actually have, which will obviously have a big influence over what i stock!

 

[h_ceri]

I was thinking about using mopani bogwood as one of the aquascaping features of this tank. Is there any way to control the amount of tannins realesed? I do like the stained water but I don't want it looking as if its just dirty water!

Also, with 2x 40 watt lights have I got enough lighting to keep any plants alive long term? The only live plants ive used before died very quickly and just end up rotting - not nice!

 

[jayjay]

I was thinking about using mopani bogwood as one of the aquascaping features of this tank. Is there any way to control the amount of tannins realesed? I do like the stained water but I don't want it looking as if its just dirty water!

Also, with 2x 40 watt lights have I got enough lighting to keep any plants alive long term? The only live plants ive used before died very quickly and just end up rotting - not nice!

You do boil/soak the wood before using it, or possibly add carbon to your filter.

As for the lights, it all depends on what plants you want to use.

 

[Davo86]

Well I just googled Botia Striata and they seem much better! Grow much smaller and still very colourfull. I've never seen or heard of them before though, are they quite common? My LFS is a big maidenhead aquatics though so if anywhere has them i suppose they would?

There are plenty of botia species that would be a great alternative to the clown loach (Botia macracanthus.) As well as the Striata you could also look at the following

Botia Kubotai,
Botia Lohachata
Botia morleti

I would think that a mature severum would see small tetras as food.
my personal stocking choice would be

2 Angels
4 Keyholes
4 Bolivian Rams
3 Botia Lohachata
3 Botia Kubotai
12 Black Phantom Tetra
12 Rummynose Tetra
2 exotic small plecs,

in fact i had a similar setup a couple of years back but without the rummynose and the rams