How should I fill it?

[Cwmcglone]

I really need your help with stocking my new 150 gallon tank. I'm absolutely stumped.

I'm a teacher who has started several fish tanks at our school. Currently I have:

1. 125 gal community tank with Angles, tetras, etc.
2. 45 gal tank with larger cichlids in it (2 Oscars, really).
3. 30 gal tank with breeding convicts.
4. 15 gal tank with breeding guppies

So, the question is, how should I fill the new 150 gallon tank thats arriving this summer. Will have all the filtration I need. Here are my current thoughts.

1. I've always wanted a discus tank. Love the fish, but never have been able to afford them. I have the money now, but I'm not sure I can do the work (see below for what I do to maintain our tanks).

2. Move the big oscars to the 125 gallon tank, adding several more.

3. Create an African Cichlid tank (could be fun and is different).

4. Make a brackish tank with silver shark, puffer, pacu, etc.

5. Make a new, different community tank.


Here's our maintenance history. I have a team of students top off the water every week and do water changes with a professional every quarter. I feed the fish every day we have school, but don't often come on on weekends. All the tanks receive regular praise and are very clean.

 

[Convict2161]

Move your 2 oscars over to it so they can be happy and add nothing else.

 

[Cwmcglone]

I'd rather not spend 2 grand for two fish. They're still small and I have a home for them when they are too big. We chart their growth.

 

[Terrance]

I understand top off every week.
But a water change every quarter? Once a quarter?

 

[absolutangel04]

If there is only 1 pwc per quarter, I don't recommend discus.
I don't think 150 is big enough for pacu long term, but there are some other really cool brackish fish like dragon gobies and archers. Brackish is my vote. But even then, I still recommend doing more frequent pwc. Nitrates can have long term effects on a fish's health, even though the symptoms may not show up right away.

 

[Cwmcglone]

Yes, PWC every two to three months. More if tanks show sign of stress. So far, I've had great luck for about 3 years with this. We do a major maintenance each water change.

Would once per month be enough for discus?

 

[Terrance]

Discus IMO will not survive the long-term poor water condition.

 

[emerald76]

You need 1-2 water changes per week for discus and I reccomend it for oscars too as they are waste machines
My tank gets two fifty percent changes per weel with topoffs and 10% changes once a week.You should be doing 50% changes once a week for the oscars until they get a larger tank, 25% a week for the other fish too
A simple community featuring a bunch of tetra schools would look great
I reccomend-
10- neon or cardinal tetras
10- silvertip or lemon tetras
10- black neon or gold neon tetras
10- glowlight or head and tail light tetras
10- green fire or emperor tetras
10- bleeding heart or black skirt tetras
10- black phantom or white skirt tetras
10- penguin or splashing tetras
10- Congo or Colombian tetras
3- pearl gourami 1M:2F or 2- apistos
2- bristlenose pleco or pitbull pleco