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RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

felixpaws — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:53:52 GMT

Must not give into saltwater side of hobby! Must resist! Well, anyway, I've had saltwater tanks, and really would not like to deal with any kind of salt, again(at least not for now, bwaaahahaha!!! Ooops. Must not give in, must not give in). Besides, NOW, my parents are talking about a smaller tank. 75 GALLONS! Ugh! I'm soooo dissapointed. I'm still a ways away from setting it up or purchasing it. I guess I better start researching pretty Cichlids. I've seen a couple of pretty cool ones in ads. for fish food. So much work... just kidding!!! This is great!!! Thanks!!!

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

MillieFish — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:01:44 GMT

Sorry about throwing the thread in a different direction this late in the game, but how about a brackish tank? Scats (12"), sebaes (8") and monos (10") if you go for the larger size fish, and maybe some kind of catfish.

If you would rather have medium size fish, you could combine celebes rainbows (3"), orange chromide cichlids (4") since you like cichlids, bumblebee gobies (1.75") or a knight goby (3.25") (not sure if both gobies are compatible together), and glass fish (3.25"). The jury is still out as to whether mollies are brackish and could be included in the medium tank (avoid orange/red fish with the chromides, I speak from experience). Puffers look neat but severely limit the other kinds of fish you can put in the tank.

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

felixpaws — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:42:45 GMT

Sweet! I'll have to see if they're any closer to choosing an aquarium, and start a new thread about it! I'll keep you posted! Thanks!!!

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

Hailey — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:11:44 GMT

Mbuna can't really mix with anything but synodontis that prefer a high pH and hard water. They are too aggressive for most tanganyikan cichlids and most mbuna are herbivorous and can easily bloat if they get meaty food like the carnivorous and omnivorous cichlids would need. Also, it is best to keep only one species from a given genus in the tank to avoid hybridization, and there are a few genuses that are too closely related to be mixed as well. We can help you with that part when you start finding species you are interested in.

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

felixpaws — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:40:18 GMT

How much do they interbreed? I have been researching some, because I now have a whole tank full of Cichlids! I know that if some of the similar species breed, I may not be able to trade in the hybrid fry, because people prefer a true breed. Can you mix Malawian, and Tanganyikan fish safely? What kinds of catfish can you mix with them?(synodontis is a name I've heard bandied about, and I'll google that, also, if they're suitable?)

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

Hailey — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 07:01:21 GMT

Mbuna are herbivorous (usually), rock dwelling, african cichlids from Lake Malawi. There are hundreds of different species, and many genuses (I think about ten). They range in size from two inches or so to about eight inches and cover every color in the rainbow, and there are also several different body shapes. One thing that can not be said of mbuna tanks is that they lack contrast, nor do they lack activity and interest. They are aggressive fish though, and that activity is often sparring or even fighting that can end in death. That is rare if they are stocked well from the start though. If you want to see some mbuna, just do a google image search for mbuna and you will see all kinds.

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

felixpaws — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 01:43:29 GMT

I did get that 75 gallon tank, with the neolamprologous brichardi's, but alot of them are deformed from inbreeding, and don't plan on putting them in the big tank. My parents mentioned that they didn't understand how people could have a tank with only one or two kinds of fish in it, so, they would like a fair amount of different species in they're tank. I'm beginning to like cichlids again, because of the brichardi's, so maybe a bunch of different types of cichlids. Are mbuna one type of fish or several? I'm not schooled on cichlids.

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

felixpaws — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 01:35:14 GMT

I started a new topic, in case anyone had anything to say about well water.

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

Hailey — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:01:41 GMT

Start a new topic. That could require some discussion and we don't want to hijack this thread.

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

dory — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:39:18 GMT

Umm. Sorry to get a tiny bit sidetracked but would someone clarify something? When i was doing some research a while back, the book said not to use well water. is this true or not?

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

Hailey — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 05:26:25 GMT

The thing to consider about mbuna is that there are hundreds of species, and tons of variety available (every color imaginable, along with different sizes and shapes). Add in a couple synodontis multipunctatus and you have a tank with lots of interest.

As for large, hardy schoolers, congo tetras, rosy barbs, denison barbs, and giant danios are a few that spring to mind.

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

felixpaws — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:08:43 GMT

Mbuna might be possible, but I don't know if they want a bunch of different kinds of fish or a lot of similar fish. The 90 gallon tank we had was filled with a variety, so, I'm kind of assuming that's what they want. I'll have to ask them, before i can get back to you on that. Anybody have any ideas on some hardy, larger, schooling fish, that would go well with some larger omnivorous/herbivorous catfish, and bushynose plecos? I've read so much, about so many different kinds of fish, that I get them confused, and forget eventual sizes. Thanks, so much!!! They are Neolamprologus brichardi's, I'm almost positive. I looked them up on the web, and the pictures look identical.

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

felixpaws — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:01:27 GMT

Thanks. Maybe not the brichardi, then. I just read an article about freshwater "sharks", that mentioned that bala sharks are schoolers. Maybe a few, but they get kind of big. I've seen them in large LFS' that were quite large. Maybe a red-tailed shark? Which of the two get to be that big? If I can find a couple of bushynose plecos, I'd definately consider them, since I've read nothing, but good things about them.

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

draco — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 17:21:01 GMT

since you have the space i would say a red tail and either two bala sharks or a irradescent shark but both of those get to about three feet and are mostly herbiovores another that might work best is the brown and yellow spotted perch as they get around 5 inches and only eat things smaller then them. the final fish i would say could work is some bushy nose plecos as each one ranges between 4 and 7 inches depending on the bushy nose species

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

Hailey — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:34:55 GMT

Your pH is fine for brichardi, but they can't be kept with the fish you suggest (they are very aggressive). They should probably only be kept with other Tanganyikan cichlids and perhaps synodontis catfish and a handful of other fish. I have a pair that viciously killed all their tankmates.

With your parameters, the impressive tank size, and your parent's preference for colorful fish, I think mbuna may be just the thing. They are aggressive though, and must be stocked very carefully.

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

felixpaws — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 23:27:27 GMT

Sorry I'm posting so many times. The forum keeps timing out. Is my ph good for neolamprologous brichardi?

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

felixpaws — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 23:25:04 GMT

They'd probably like colorful, active fish, with lots of personality. I'll probably be getting a free 55 or 75 gallon tank from a friend with some, I believe, neolamprologous brichardi that she wants to get rid of, so, I'll probably put a couple of those in it. A few catfish wuld be nice, for bottom dwellers, a few bigger, showy type fish, and two or three groups of schooling fish, like rainbows or giant danios.

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

felixpaws — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 23:18:41 GMT

I checked the water parameters, and it showed 0 Nitrates, 8.0 Ph, and 0 ammonia, at 65 or 66 degrees Farenhiet. I don't have a hardness test, but suspect lots of mineral hardness from our well(no need for water conditioner, no chloramines or chlorine, Yea!!!).

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

Hailey — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:09:22 GMT

They could have a great community of semi-aggressive, medium sized, new world cichlids like convicts, firemouths, rainbow cichlids, etc. That would make a nice display with color, activity, and a good number of five to eight inch fish so there would always be something to look at. And large bottom fish like clown loaches, rainbow sharks, bala sharks, pictus cats, and plecos would all be possibilities with them. Even a fast moving group of tiger barbs or giant danios might work with them, so you could satisfy your desire for smaller schooling fish.

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

felixpaws — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:11:16 GMT

I prefer small, community fish, in large numbers. Neon tetras, congo tetras, danios, barbs, cories, and the like, but this is for my parents, and they like a little bit larger fish(they convinced me to get a gourami, because I had all small fish, and I've regretted it ever since), but a few smaller fish that won't get eaten are okay. Some hardy, easily adaptable, readily available fish would be great.

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

felixpaws — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:44:58 GMT

I'll have to get back to you on the water parameters. I checked all that a while back, but tend to be kind of lax on particulars, since most fish will adapt pretty well to anything. The paludarium is a good idea, but the parents want all water. Probably a planted tank or Cichlids with rocks in front of hardier large plants. The substrate would probably be artificial colored rocks(not my choice). I wish I had those parameters. I have the mad scientist type test kit, so tend to avoid checking chemistry, and make up for it with very large water changes every week. Probably eight inch fish, since that's what we had in our 90 gallon when I was a kid. Hong kong cats, a pleco, and other larger fish that I can't remember, and were probably too large in eventual growth, even for a 90 gallon(this is where an aquatic journal would've come in handy). I'll test my water tomorrow, after it sits. Thanks!

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

David Lass — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:48:50 GMT

As Hailey said, what is your water like?

Also -- what fish do you like?

It's really hard for us to give suggestrions, since everyone probably has their own favorites.

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

math-only aquarium — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:52:13 GMT

With a tank that size I would be tempted to do either a natural predator tank (150+ neons, 4-8 angelfish, and a 1-2 flag cichlids) or a semi-aquatic vivarium (chinese and japanese firebelly newts, congo tetras, a couple farwolla (sp?) cats, a couple butterfly fish, a small shoal of marbled hatchetfish, a few skunk loaches, a couple red-claw crabs, and a ton of plants (madagascar species tend to do well in semi-aquatic environments)).

MOA

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

Lumberjack — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:44:30 GMT

Multiple
Tank
Syndrome

Its hard to think about this in part because of taste and style issues and in part due to my personal issue with jealousy...

You very much have room for a lot of medium size fish in the 8 inch range and there are a lot to choose from. Freshwater Auzzie like the rainbows might be an idea if the cichlids dont appeal to you.

RE: Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

Hailey — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:13:39 GMT

Well, what would you/they be looking for? Color, activity, fish with a lot of personality, large fish, etc are all things that can be considered. We can't really make recommendations without narrowing it down because there isn't much that can't be kept in that tank (basically just the serious tankbusters like pacus, iridescent sharks, tiger shovelnose catfish, and other four foot fish). Also, is there a particular look to the aquascaping you might be looking for? You could go with the decorations first and pick fish around those. If you wanted lots of rocks and few plants african cichlids would be a good choice, or if you wanted plants, smaller community fish would be better, etc. And finally, what are the water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, kH, and gH) of your tap water after letting it sit in a container for 24 hours or so? You want to match fish to the water in a tank this large, not the other way around, so if it is hard and alkaline you wouldn't want discus or something, and if there is ammonia or high nitrate you would need hardy fish. These are all things to think about when you select your/their fish.

Ideas on stocking a 225 gallon tank?

felixpaws — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:20:44 GMT

My parents have been talking about starting up a big tank in my house, and I figured it might help move things along if I had a list of possible residents for them to look over. I have a few species books, i.e. axelrod aquarium fish, and several other popular beginner fish books, so might actually have pictures to show them of the fish in question. I'd be responsible for the tank, and they'd get to enjoy it. Please, don't include tiny fish that would be considered food, like the angelfish/neon tetra conundrum. Cichlids might be considered, but not a tank of exclusively cichlids. Thank you, so much! (I need another tank, and this is the only way I'm gonna get it) Sorry if I seem a little anxious, I need more water to take care of!