75g Tank

[Sin in Style]

i have a 75g tank, 40 lbs of black moon sand, PH 7.6 , 10ºdh,6ºkh out of the tap and stable in the tank all yr. 2 pengiun 330s and a eheim 2222 ( 132 gph rated for 40g ) canister filter. Gibbiceps pleco 5 inches is the current stock. driftwood,plants,caves,pots all over the place. The original plan was mbuna tank but ive lost interest because of the lack of versitility so im gona try community with some dwarf. was thinking Kribs or something from the same family and maybe some(apistogramma) caca and agass. pair of each with some yoyo loaches and some agass cories.
im looking for some nice variety and activity. breeding is not a must but allways an option im open to. what are some options i have or mistakes made in the previous. right now im completly open to suggestions of combinations, upper level fish, and anything else you would like to input.

 

[Sin in Style]

more research ive decide kribs with the agass and caca would be a bad idea and the agass dont like the PH to much.
so i have a new question, if i have a harem of bolivan rams OR caca would they harass the cories when breeding?

 

[Sin in Style]

what a helpful bunch

 

[Randall]

Stocking a 75-gallon tank

Hello Stylish Sin,

Please forgive the lack of rapid response. It is the weekend.

Given the size of your tank and the water parameters, yes, I agree, Apistogramma agazzisi is out of the question. A. borellii and/or A. cacatuoides, however, should do quite well. Mikrogeophagus altispinosa is also a very likely candidate. None of these fish should unduly harm your Corydorus sp.

As for mid to upper-level fish, a shoal of any of the small but hardy tetras will make your cichlids feel more at home. They also add a nice aesthetic to the community. Any of the small rasboras, if you like, will achieve the same thing.

Some other cichlid possibilities? Benitochromis ufermanni, Nanochromis parilus or Pelvicachromis pulcher. All three fish are small and beautifully colored; the former is a mouthbrooder, and the latter two are cave spawners that like to excavate their own breeding caves.

Good luck!

Randall Kohn

 

[Sin in Style]

Thanks for the reply, sorry for my agrivation. the weekend is the best time for to get on here for any length of time to get information. i had also posted on a number of other sites and sat in chat rooms for hrs on end hehehe. wasnt just here i was failing to get anywhere it was everywhere.

would a pair of angelfish scare bolivian rams or apistogramma cacs? was also gona include multiples of the other fish you mentioned also. i was told pulchers would be to agressive toward the rams and cacs so ive decided to live with out them. they would have also terrorised the corys which i would really like to have.

Thanks again for the info

 

[Randall]

Stocking a 75-gallon tank

Hello Sin,

Angel fish (P. scalare) grow to be significantly larger than than the other cichlids mentioned. They are not usually housed with dwarf cichlids due to their larger size and higher aggression levels. They also may outcompete the smaller heterospecifics for food.

If you're looking to keep something a little larger, you might try Cleithracara maronii (the keyhold cichlid). They grow to about 4", relish plant cover and do well with small dither fish. Their temperment is also more in line with many dwarf cichlids. Although technically a soft water species, tank raised specimens do well in harder water as well.

Good luck!

Randall Kohn

 

[Sin in Style]

Really out to find a top half of the water centerpiece. some gold gouramies were on my possibility list. maybe ill just stick with them as centerpieces.

 

[Neil]

Sin in Style,

WELCOME TO THE FORUM

Sorry for the delay in response. Randall offers many excellent suggestions. I don't think you need to rule out angels in your tank, however. They have worked in combination with apistos in the past. The key is to make sure you don't put in young apistos and mature angels. I have found that some apistos, especially during spawning, often will harass the angels as much or more that the other way around. If you really like the idea of the combination, by all means, try it.

Also, although aggies are not as likely to breed in your water as cacs, they probably will be fine, given clean water via regular water changes. This may be an advantage to you, as aggies can sometimes be pretty aggressive when spawning. Even in a 75g., you will be less successful with numerous species spawning. Maybe you can just emphasize the cacs as the spawning pair in the tank and see if you can raise some of the fry in this tank. Don't count on too much, though, because the most ideal way to have productive spawns that live to adulthood, is in a species tank without so many potential predetory elements.

Good luck,

Neil