180 gallon Stocking Ideas

[Bubba643]

So I'm sitting here literally watching the silicone cure on bulkheads to my sump and starring at a partially filled, fishless 180 gallon tank so I figured I'd dream about potential fish to pass the time.

The only fish I am sure of that will be definite are no more than 6 no less than 4 Electric Blue Acara(I own 9 now and have at least three paired couples)


Really really love Oscars and especially curious to own a sunshine lemon oscar. Would only put one in, but would he or she coexist with full grown EBA's?

I also like pleco's and finally have a tank big enough for one. I like the red titanic or maybe a green phantom idk. Any other cool ones I don't know of? I only plan to have a few large fish in this so I'm willing to pay more for rare or unique ones.

I'm definitely a Cichlid guy but lean heavy South/Central American or New World as I've tried African cichlids and they stress me out with the territorial type aggression although their colors are amazing. I like slow moving, quick to a live meal aggression not fin nipping constant harassment aggression. Not big on grommies, tetra, sharks, angels or typical smaller schooling tropical community fish either really. I like oddballs and personality. Never owned Rams, would love to one day, but I've read there water parameters would be hard to merge with the EBA's and they would also rule out a potential Oscar.

Interested in ideas you guys and gals might have on potential tankmates for the EBA's.

 

[coralbandit]

If you are not trying to breed the EBA I have clown loaches in my 180 with my EBA..
I know everyone says they get huge and yadda yadda..
I have had mine for 10-15 years ,NEVER in less then 135g[6 footer] and yet my largest is just big enough to punk the EBA if he gets snotty !I have 11 clowns ,7 EBA who I just stole and hatched eggs from ! and 10 Denison barbs[roseline sharks.] I know you said you were not into sharks so I dig it. The clowns kept properly may live to 50 years old..
Nice to know barring disaster I will not be alone in my retirement...
They are not an 'odd ball' so much but IMO too heavily discouraged by those only read and have little real experience..I do think a /my 180 is still pretty small[no arrowana in it's future] but not so small some fish many can't keep can't be kept by one with a tank of this size..I run a 'gyre' that creates super flow from one end to the other of the tank...
My 180 also has 3 super red female BN plecos that stay on the wood all time...
I considered Geophagus sp.{many} before I got my EBA last fall.
Enjoy the sump ,mine is in the basement while tank is in living room..This was the whole beginning of the fish room...

 

[Brookster123]

Geos would be my choice in a big tank.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Bubba643]

Coral you and brookster think the Oscar is a bad idea? Man I want one bad but I love these EBA's too.

 

[Bubba643]

If you are not trying to breed the EBA I have clown loaches in my 180 with my EBA..
I know everyone says they get huge and yadda yadda..
I have had mine for 10-15 years ,NEVER in less then 135g[6 footer] and yet my largest is just big enough to punk the EBA if he gets snotty !I have 11 clowns ,7 EBA who I just stole and hatched eggs from ! and 10 Denison barbs[roseline sharks.] I know you said you were not into sharks so I dig it. The clowns kept properly may live to 50 years old..
Nice to know barring disaster I will not be alone in my retirement...
They are not an 'odd ball' so much but IMO too heavily discouraged by those only read and have little real experience..I do think a /my 180 is still pretty small[no arrowana in it's future] but not so small some fish many can't keep can't be kept by one with a tank of this size..I run a 'gyre' that creates super flow from one end to the other of the tank...
My 180 also has 3 super red female BN plecos that stay on the wood all time...
I considered Geophagus sp.{many} before I got my EBA last fall.
Enjoy the sump ,mine is in the basement while tank is in living room..This was the whole beginning of the fish room...

Man I'm having trouble getting this simple plumbing done if I ran a sump that far away I'd need a plumber for sure. I'm pretty handy with electrical and building but man I hate plumbing.

 

[Bubba643]

Geos would be my choice in a big tank.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

They do look cool, I'll start learning on them now definitely a possibility.

 

[Brookster123]

If the eba are full grown than the Oscar won't eat them. They may outcompete during feedings?? Think they'd be ok??

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[coralbandit]

I always think of my EBA like mini Oscars so not so sure they would be cool together?

 

[Bubba643]

If you are not trying to breed the EBA I have clown loaches in my 180 with my EBA..
I know everyone says they get huge and yadda yadda..
I have had mine for 10-15 years ,NEVER in less then 135g[6 footer] and yet my largest is just big enough to punk the EBA if he gets snotty !I have 11 clowns ,7 EBA who I just stole and hatched eggs from ! and 10 Denison barbs[roseline sharks.] I know you said you were not into sharks so I dig it. The clowns kept properly may live to 50 years old..
Nice to know barring disaster I will not be alone in my retirement...
They are not an 'odd ball' so much but IMO too heavily discouraged by those only read and have little real experience..I do think a /my 180 is still pretty small[no arrowana in it's future] but not so small some fish many can't keep can't be kept by one with a tank of this size..I run a 'gyre' that creates super flow from one end to the other of the tank...
My 180 also has 3 super red female BN plecos that stay on the wood all time...
I considered Geophagus sp.{many} before I got my EBA last fall.
Enjoy the sump ,mine is in the basement while tank is in living room..This was the whole beginning of the fish room...

So much for all of those EBA's being male right? That's awesome send me some picks of the little guys once they start to color up. I haven't had mine spawn again yet but I've kinda been focused on the big tank. Hopefully they will wait till I put them in there to really get going.

 

[Bubba643]

I'm going to break some ground and risk one juvenile Oscar addition. Sounds like you guys are exactly where I am on it, seems like it would work but food battles and double the size could be an issue. It's definitely close enough for a trial run I think. Hopefully adding one as a Juvie will help ease them together.

 

[coralbandit]

I'm interested to hear how this goes with Mr. Oscar ...

That's funny you remember me not knowing who is who as for the EBA...
I hatched eggs that I stole [lucky to see it happen] to get fry numbering 150-200 at 5 days free swimming and eating dry food!
Hoping there is no real secret that the 'average breeder' wouldn't know...
I am pretty excited with the spawn..Thinking they are easy peasy like angels and new to me ..

 

[Bubba643]

I'm interested to hear how this goes with Mr. Oscar ...



That's funny you remember me not knowing who is who as for the EBA...

I hatched eggs that I stole [lucky to see it happen] to get fry numbering 150-200 at 5 days free swimming and eating dry food!

Hoping there is no real secret that the 'average breeder' wouldn't know...

I am pretty excited with the spawn..Thinking they are easy peasy like angels and new to me ..

No one knows on those EBA's, haven't seen one online seller that is willing to sex them guaranteed. Even adults they sell unsexed. I'm getting better at recognizing but you have to have perfect heathy fins to tell for sure. Even then I second guess sometimes until I see who lays eggs... might need to mini tag them lol.

 

[Bubba643]

My LFS says he'll pay around $2 cash per EBA fish for half inch which sounds pretty good to me. Especially for moving them all at once. Said he'd go more if store credit vs cash.