Tank Suggestions

[Tobigara]

hi all,

ok...here's the deal. i bought a tank that i was assured would be good for an oscar. i set it up and started the cycling process with some old media from an established tank. i only have about a week or so til it's done cycling. i planned eveything based on getting an oscar. however i've read on this site and been told by nelly that the tank isn't big enough. needless to say i'm not happy but i refuse to hurt a fish that i've wanted for years. i can't get an oscar yet.

i need help. i have no idea what to put in the tank now. i'm a big cichlid fan. so i was gonna stick with them. i already have a JD and a severum as well as convicts and angels. i'm at a loss as to what to put in there now.

My tank:
L30"xW18"xH25" approx 60 US gallons
Marineland penguin 350 filter
i can add another spare filter if i need to

 

[jayjay]

30" long just isn't going to be long enough for a possibly 16" long fish.

A 25" tank would be good for angels, not many other cichlids would need the height in a tank that size.

What other size tanks do you have for the JD, severum, convicts and angels? There are various cichlid species for a tank of the size you have, though I wouldn't get anything more than 6". Could you not move the angels into the tall tank to free up space else where?

EDIT- So I looked at your profile after I posted this, ignore the moving around part. You could go for Apisto's, rams, sajica, HRP's, possibly a firemouth etc.

 

[Tobigara]

6 inches!! really?! that hurts. i was hoping for a little bigger. i thought about a red terror but i haven't done any research on them so i don't know. Sajica's are a def possibility...i forgot about them. i already have a firemouth but i like it so more wouldn't be bad. i'd like bigger fish so i think the apistos and rams are out. what's an HRP? please forgive my ignorance. what about a carpintas or salvini? do you think i should get a pair of something and breed them?

Sorry like i said i have given no thought to anything but the oscar i can longer house.

 

[jayjay]

HRP = Honduran red point. A bit like a convict, just more colourful.

Cichlids need the footprint of a tank more than actual volume normally.

A red terror will easily out grow the tank.

Salvini can grow pretty large, though it could be possible, you'd want to get a female though as they stay smaller.

Dwarf pike cichlids?

I wouldn't go for any of the larger cichlids to be honest they just won't have the room.

 

[Tobigara]

i hope you don't take offense to this. you are brutally killing all the ideas i have for the fish i find interesting. i think you are doing the right thing but i feel like crying. first the oscar (which wasn't you), then the red terror then the salvini. i wanna do the right thing tho

what about an acara of some sort? or the carpintas? or a breeding pair? is that a possibility?


i really shouldn't limit myself to cichlids if i wanna learn anything. any other ideas would be welcome too

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

i hope you don't take offense to this. you are brutally killing all the ideas i have for the fish i find interesting. i think you are doing the right thing but i feel like crying. first the oscar (which wasn't you), then the red terror then the salvini. i wanna do the right thing tho

what about an acara of some sort? or the carpintas? or a breeding pair? is that a possibility?


i really shouldn't limit myself to cichlids if i wanna learn anything. any other ideas would be welcome too

I think the Acara may be okay, try to get a female if possible. It should only reach 5 or 6 inches.


Do you like any Apistogramma, or Ramirezi?

 

[jayjay]

I never shot down the idea of a salvini, it's possible. It's just the tank is tall and not very good for larger cichlids

I think you should put the blue dempsey in the tank personally, and have that as the only fish as the 55 is overstocked in my opinion.

Acara's could be possible, what species did you have in mind?

You could have a breeding pair of the small(ish) cichlids like convicts, HRP's, sajica etc. What would you do with the fry?

Also what sort of filtration are you using?

Do you like any Apistogramma, or Ramirezi?

i'd like bigger fish so i think the apistos and rams are out.

 

[Tobigara]

Moving the JD is an idea but all the fish in that tank are under 2.5 inches. mine's a couple months old and only 1.5 inches. Also i've read that there is a big difference between the temperaments of a blue JD and a normal JD. the blues are supposed to be much mellower and a bit smaller. the lfs i go to has a full grown one that's only like 6-7 inches so i thought it would be ok. do you think the 55 is badly overstocked?

if i get a breeding pair i can give the fry to the local lfs. the place is great and i've seen them refuse to sell to people that weren't ready for the fish they wanted. they really care about the fish

i didn't know that it was more of the footprint than volume that mattered with fish. i always thought it was the opposite.


the filter i have is supposed to be really good. it's a marineland peguin 350 bio-wheel. it does 350 gallons per hour. it's what i have in the 55 and the water looks and tests pretty good.

as far as the acara goes i haven't really thought about it. i know my tastes but my tank can't support a lot of the ideas i'd had. i like largish predatory fish. it's sooooo hard to to balance what i want with what i can safely give a home to.


BTW i really appreciate the help and i hold no hard feelings for the shattered dreams

 

[jayjay]

Footprint is key once you move away from most community fish. The need room to swim, for territories etc. and for that they need ground space. The water volume just makes the tank more stable.

The 55 isn't badly over stocked, if the convicts pair you have a problem.

I'd put either the convicts if they were a pair or the JD in there. But if you really wanted new fish I'd go for pike cichlids, a smaller species though.

 

[Tobigara]

the convicts are both female so i don't have to worry about that at least.

the jack is so small tho. it seems like a waste of space to put a 1.5" fish in a 60 gallon tank by itself.

i know i'm being a pain in the butt...i'm sorry.

 

[jayjay]

But it will grow....

 

[Tobigara]

how about this? instead of buying new fish we just move them around. move the severum and the firemouth to the 60 with a smallish pleco and leaving the convicts and the jd in the 55. would that be any better? i think it would

 

[jayjay]

I'd go with the convicts and the firemouth in the 60 with the severum and JD in the 55 personally.

 

[Tobigara]

that sounds good. thanks a million. if i can figure out how to post pictures i'll put up the results

 

[jayjay]

Use photobucket to post pictures, upload them then copy the IMG address.