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Stocking Options

Discussion in 'Introduce Yourself' started by Squilla, Jul 24, 2018.

  1. Squilla

    Squilla Thread Starter New Member

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    Hello everyone, new here. I recently tore down my 75 gallon to switch out substrate and the tank had a 3 inch Tiger Oscar in it. He is in a 10 gallon temporarily. After seeing a fully grown Oscar in a 75 I think it looks kinda cramped as far as the width of the tank...I think its a bit over 18 inches? I also noticed how easy it was for the Oscar to move decor and the sponge filters around. I am starting to second guess my decision on the Oscar. I'm seeing a future train wreck in my tank now. I'm currently running three sponge filters and a Fluval 306 Canister. My P.H. is around 8.0 to 8.2. Hard water here in Nebraska. Water temp stays around 77/78 degrees but my heater is adjustable so thats a plus. I do have a couple small powerheads i could throw in the tank as well if needed. I like the idea of a community tank and a bit understocked to give room for error. I like brightly colored fish that have personality and are not too aggressive towards other species. A little chasing now and then isn't too bad. I have 2 panda coris and 2 spotted coris...white with black specks which could be introduced in this as well. I have a rubber nose pleco that I might take back to the store since I'm leaning towards a rainbow shark in this setup and I'm not too sure if those can be in the same tank. My question is what are my options in this 75 gallon? One thing to mention...all fish get treated with meds...Erythromycin, General Cure and Ich-X and they worked for all my fish so far. Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated as my mind is going crazy and i can't decide on anything, Thanks everyone
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    Squilla, Jul 24, 2018
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  2. michael

    michael Administrator Staff Member

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    Congratulations on the new tank. Looks super clean and gorgeous stand too (and beautiful guitar!) The PH is quite high, especially for corydoras, and you should bring that down to a reasonable level and more towards 7.5. And unless a fish is ill or sick, you really shouldn't need to use any meds. If you put your new fish into a temporary hospital tank to ensure they don't have issues, there shouldn't be a problem.

    As to stocking... I really think you need to decide what it is you like most. Personally I really enjoy rams and cichlids. Earlier in my time I enjoyed more fish in the aquarium. Now I think less is more, especially since they seem to enjoy the space and act with more personality and comfort. I think this is the very first step in your decision and, once you figure out whether you'd like more smaller community stock versus larger and potentially semi-aggressive (but quite interesting) fish, you'll be able to make a decision with less hesitation. The type of tank you want will determine the type of fish which you can select.

    For example, corydoras catfish and a joy to watch. I loved watching the gorgeous Julii I had and the Sterbai, which are my all time favorite. But I notice that your tank has lots of large stones. I don't think that type of substrate is optimal for cory catfish, which often poke around gravel or sand with their sensitive barbs.

    Your tank also doesn't have a whole lot of cover areas for your fish so keep this in mind for species that really prefer those hiding spots (and most creatures do enjoy picking out their comfort places.) I'd rule out those which really need the hiding places, such as gouramis. Discus are pretty neat and you might do well with those and can probably keep 3 as they don't usually get larger than 8 and are nowhere near as large as an Oscar - nor are they nearly as aggressive.

    I think rams are beautiful and interesting fish. They do like some hiding places but can also do reasonably well provided they have plenty of space.

    Rainbow sharks do prefer some cover and they can be somewhat aggressive. If you intend to get one, you should limit the number.
     
    michael, Jul 25, 2018
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  3. betta

    betta Administrator Staff Member

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    That's good advice and I'd love to see what the tank ends up being stocked with. I do think the big rocks are more conducive to the larger fish just like you said and I think that will make a big difference. The smaller fish and those that prefer gravel will be uncomfortable.
     
    betta, Jul 31, 2018
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