What to do with my 115g?

[DragonFish71]

After a horrible week of losing all of the mbuna cichlids in one of my 115g tanks due to the heater failing I'm planning to restart the tank slowly.


Keep in mind the tank is 36 inches tall x 48 inches long x 18 inches deep.

My hubby wants kribinses cichlids. I can do that. I like kribs, no problem. (though I really wanted Laetacara dorsigera)

I'm stuck on what to go with them. A top-mid dweller. I was thinking some Congo tetras. I'll have plenty of space for a big school of them.

As for bottom dwellers, I haven't quite decided yet, but I'll probably go with corys of some variety and some BN plecos.

So, decor I'll be keeping some of the lace rock I used for the mbunas, and adding a tall, willowy piece of driftwood. Planted of course.

Any thoughts, ideas? The tetras need to be larger, since it's a large tank, I want them to stand out. So if you have some other ideas, throw them out.

 

[toddnbecka]

Personally I like Colombian tetras, but they're as bad as silver dollars for eating live plants. Never been a Corydoras fan, I prefer Synodontis or loaches (have a group of polka-dot loaches and a S. eupterus in the 220, S. multipunctatus in a 75 with peacocks, and S. petricola mixed with lucipinnis in the 125). A deep tank like that goes well with angels or a severum, though the severum is another plant eater. The white variant of the black skirt tetras are a pretty hardy critter, about the same size as the Colombians, and mix well with the rest.

 

[azmodan]

Love me some Congo tetras so I'm definitely in favor of them. I enjoy pentazona barbs a lot too and they're generally pretty peaceful, but I think the real winner would be a pretty decent sized group of denison barbs -- they're always awesome in big planted tanks.

 

[bettaowner]

Bleeding heart tetras are really nice tetras. scissor tail rasboras aren't colorful but look great in a school.

 

[DragonFish71]

Personally I like Colombian tetras, but they're as bad as silver dollars for eating live plants. Never been a Corydoras fan, I prefer Synodontis or loaches (have a group of polka-dot loaches and a S. eupterus in the 220, S. multipunctatus in a 75 with peacocks, and S. petricola mixed with lucipinnis in the 125). A deep tank like that goes well with angels or a severum, though the severum is another plant eater. The white variant of the black skirt tetras are a pretty hardy critter, about the same size as the Colombians, and mix well with the rest.

Yeah, I'm kinda moving towards a loach species myself. I have a school of albino corys in my other 115g with angels, so after some thought last night, I started checking into them. Trying to find something that catches my eye.

As for syno cats, I have some in my 120 already.

Way ahead of you.

 

[DragonFish71]

Love me some Congo tetras so I'm definitely in favor of them. I enjoy pentazona barbs a lot too and they're generally pretty peaceful, but I think the real winner would be a pretty decent sized group of denison barbs -- they're always awesome in big planted tanks.

My first thought was denison barbs. I might get a school of them as well to add some flash. I'll have the room in the tank for sure. The Congos really caught my eye as a nice contrast to the Kribs. As for the Pentazonas, I have some on order actually for my 120.

 

[DragonFish71]

Bleeding heart tetras are really nice tetras. scissor tail rasboras aren't colorful but look great in a school.

Bleeding hearts are nice for sure, but I wanted to go with something a bit different in this one. As for the scissor tails, I don't know why, but I've never been big on them. They aren't ugly or anything, just, I don't know.

 

[Brookster123]

A shoal of 20 Odessa barbs would look pretty outstanding!!

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[Bichir Bro]

Bichir!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well if you want tetras and such that may not be the wisest decision lol but still if you go for bigger fish consider one!

 

[DragonFish71]

A shoal of 20 Odessa barbs would look pretty outstanding!!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

This is true, and maybe a consideration for one of my other tanks. I wanted something that contrasts the coloring of the kribs.

 

[DragonFish71]

Bichir!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well if you want tetras and such that may not be the wisest decision lol but still if you go for bigger fish consider one!

ha, that would be for my 120. A bichir would go perfectly with my dojos.

 

[fishenthusiast]

What about a school of Upside-down Catfish? That would be a cool addition

 

[Brookster123]

This is true, and maybe a consideration for one of my other tanks. I wanted something that contrasts the coloring of the kribs.

Penguin tetras? ?

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[DragonFish71]

What about a school of Upside-down Catfish? That would be a cool addition

Oh now there's a good one! I do love those lil buggers. I'll add those to my possibles. They're different from the usual cory, different from my tank of synos, would get along with loaches should I go with them as well and like the top of the tank.

Thanks for the idea.

 

[DragonFish71]

Penguin tetras? ?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Too common. Think flashy, different and contrasting. It's a big tank. It's like looking at a picture window.


If this helps, white pool filter sand as the substrate, lace rock pieces for caves which are a grayish color, will have driftwood and plants.

 

[fishenthusiast]

Oh now there's a good one! I do love those lil buggers. I'll add those to my possibles. They're different from the usual cory, different from my tank of synos, would get along with loaches should I go with them as well and like the top of the tank.

Thanks for the idea.

You're welcome! I have an idea that you may like. You could have an African biotipe. You could have Congo Tetras, Upside-down Catfish, African Glass Catfish, maybe some Killifish, and some Kribs. If you wouldn't want to have a biotipe, then the addition of small loaches would be cool.

 

[DragonFish71]

You're welcome! I have an idea that you may like. You could have an African biotipe. You could have Congo Tetras, Upside-down Catfish, African Glass Catfish, maybe some Killifish, and some Kribs. If you wouldn't want to have a biotipe, then the addition of small loaches would be cool.

Ha, you read my mind. I was thinking the same thing since the upside downs are also Congo natives. The glass cats I have upstairs would love the bigger tank, although they're of Asian origin.

I'm not sure how the killies and kribs would work together. I've had both and depending on the fish, they can be nasty tempered. However, if I do the planting and decor right, it just might be do-able.

 

[Bichir Bro]

Ha, you read my mind. I was thinking the same thing since the upside downs are also Congo natives. The glass cats I have upstairs would love the bigger tank, although they're of Asian origin.

I'm not sure how the killies and kribs would work together. I've had both and depending on the fish, they can be nasty tempered. However, if I do the planting and decor right, it just might be do-able.

I'd have to admit A good school of Upside down cats and a shoal of Congo Tetras would be pretty dang awesome.

 

[DragonFish71]

To give you an idea of the tank, here an old picture of it, it's the middle one. My angelfish tank is the one on the left, another 115g, and the long tank is my 120. We call the 115's "the twins".

 

[DragonFish71]

I'd have to admit A good school of Upside down cats and a shoal of Congo Tetras would be pretty dang awesome.

Right!?! With 3 pairs of Kribs. And eventually a small school of denisons.