75 gallon stock proposal

[blert]

9 Danios (Rerio)
- or 7 Bloodfin Tetras
5 Dwarf Neon Rainbows (Praecox)
1 Black Ghost Knife
2 Angels
2 Bolivian Rams
1 Tiger Pleco or similar small Pleco
- or a school of smaller bottom dwellers?
1 Red Tailed Black Shark

AqAdvisor says I am overstocked at 104%. It also says I need more filtration than the SunSun 304 at 95%. I will add a sponge filter and power head if I have to.

I am not sure if the Danios will be ok or end up as food. They make a good dither fish though and they can get up to about two inches. I may switch the Danios for seven Bloodfin Tetras but they don't make as good dither fish as they don't tend to hang out at the top of the tank.

What do you folks think?

 

[josh7]

I would go with 6 giant danios and instead of 2 Ángels i would get 1 and instead of a black ghost knife I would get an African brown knife still a cool knife fish they just stay smaller.

 

[LittleFoot]

My experience says your danios will probably be fine. They've been much too fast for my angels or my RTBS to even think about snacking on them.

If your BGK is small when you get him, keep an eye out to make sure he's getting food. Ours was only 2.5 inches and was clearly being out-competed for food. He got thin and listless and we eventually had to move him into a separate tank to grow out some. Now that he's bigger it's not an issue anymore.

 

[blert]

I would go with 6 giant danios and instead of 2 Ángels i would get 1 and instead of a black ghost knife I would get an African brown knife still a cool knife fish they just stay smaller.

Why only one Angel?
The issue I have with African Knives is that the "black" version is not black and the "brown" one is, well, brown. BGKs are just too cool looking.

My experience says your danios will probably be fine. They've been much too fast for my angels or my RTBS to even think about snacking on them.

If your BGK is small when you get him, keep an eye out to make sure he's getting food. Ours was only 2.5 inches and was clearly being out-competed for food. He got thin and listless and we eventually had to move him into a separate tank to grow out some. Now that he's bigger it's not an issue anymore.

Do you think the Danios would be safe with the Knife (BGK or African)?

 

[josh7]

I would just do 1 because if they pair there will be quite a bit of aggression and if you want to try the BGK you can its just IMO they get to big for a 75.

 

[LittleFoot]

I never had a problem with mine. Knifefish are nearly blind and usually prey on slower fish while they're sleeping or sick (they eat the eyes out). The tank I grew him out in was just him and danios. I never lost any to the knife, he's not huge yet though, only about 6-7 inches, and still pretty shy so there's still time I suppose. I feed him at night with the lights out to try and keep him full and happy in the dark so he's less prone to eat my other fishies.

So I guess what I'm saying, is that your danios will probably be safe for the next couple of years. Once your fish starts growing into a monsterfish though, it's hard to say. Just remember that you may have to revise your stock and/or upgrade your tank at some point in the future.

I have to laugh at your statement about BGK being just too cool. I tried to talk my wife into a smaller brown one and she wouldn't hear of it either. LOL! The black ones ARE just too cool, apparently. We love ours. His name is Atticus, and he's ridiculously cute, spoiled, and very loved.

 

[blert]

I would just do 1 because if they pair there will be quite a bit of aggression and if you want to try the BGK you can its just IMO they get to big for a 75.

I have no real experience with Angels but I would really like two. If it turned out that they were both males or both females would there still be aggression issues. If they get too aggressive could I separate them to relieve the tension?

Going to have to say you are right about the BGK. Potentially swimming only three or less body lengths would be a bit cramped. Plus, I think that I don't want to put a log or cave in the tank that is bigger than a foot long.

 

[josh7]

There would still be aggression with the angels fighting each other and if you want a knife I would just get a African brown knife only get to about 10 inches and are still cool.

 

[blert]

There would still be aggression with the angels fighting each other and if you want a knife I would just get a African brown knife only get to about 10 inches and are still cool.

I think I will go with the ABK. Already broke the news to the wife (see below). One Angel, bummer.

...I have to laugh at your statement about BGK being just too cool. I tried to talk my wife into a smaller brown one and she wouldn't hear of it either. LOL! The black ones ARE just too cool, apparently. We love ours. His name is Atticus, and he's ridiculously cute, spoiled, and very loved.

Yeah, my wife is kind of bummed. She already had a name picked out, Toothless, because she said it looks like the dragon off of 'How To Train Your Dragon'. I said she could buy me a 300 gallon tank and we would all be happy. I got "The Look".

 

[LittleFoot]

Yeah, my wife is kind of bummed. She already had a name picked out, Toothless, because she said it looks like the dragon off of 'How To Train Your Dragon'. I said she could buy me a 300 gallon tank and we would all be happy. I got "The Look".[/QUOTE]

LOL! I love toothless!!! Fantastic name!!

 

[jetajockey]

Personally I think a 75 is ok for a bgk, it's probably the absolute minimum long term, but it'd work just fine.

Granted most sites say they get up to 20" full grown, I don't think there are many aquaria specimens (that I could find documentation of, anyway) that have gotten that big, so it's not like stuffing an oscar into a 20H and hoping for the best. Given that they are peaceful, nocturnal, slow fish, I think a smaller tank volume is o.k., and even if it did begin to outgrow that size tank you have a few years for it to happen.

I have one in my 125 and he's one of my favorites, although I have resorted to spot feeding to make sure he gets enough food.

 

[Greenphantom]

I have my B.G.K. in a 120 breeder with a ton of other fish and he eats and gets along fine with the other fish other then the ocassional quarrel over realestate. Here he is eating with some tank mates mine likes veggies to

 

[blert]

I highly respect jetajockey's opinion so I am going to go ahead with it. Thanks jetajockey, my wife is going to be happy. We are going to have to move into a bigger house in less than two years which should then allow me to have a bigger tank I can move him into.

I think I will cut down to one Angel and maybe increase the Rainbows to seven.

 

[jmpgop]

I have one angel - he's (or she) is gorgeous. IMHO when you have a beautiful Angel - it is all you need. I don't want problems. Right now he and my pearl gourami MOSTLY get along (some fighting now and then) but I'd like to keep it that way.

I'm digging that knife fish? How would they do with a pictus? And Yeah Yeah on the rainbows! LOVE!

However, I am most certain that my angel picked off my whole school of danios except the one crazy enough to swim like a manic to survive. Granted they were long fins, pearls, leopards - and slower than zebras. Anywho... I will follow this thread! I'm stocking my 72 gallon now!

Janelle

 

[blert]

Just ordered the Rainbows and Red Tailed Black "Shark", will be here tomorrow.

The Danios are all large at about 1.5 to 2 inches (being moved out of my 37 gallon). I am going to get a relatively small Angel so they should have some more time to grow before it starts seeing them as lunch.

Will order the Bolivians next and then the BGK last.

Still undecided on bottom dwellers though. I am not sure I want to get a Pleco and I'm hoping to not have enough algae to sustain Otos. I might just go with Cories. Maybe a couple of Raphael Cats but I'm thinking something smaller.

 

[Greenphantom]

Here are just a couple ideas on plecos one is an L 333 and the other is a vampire pleco

 

[blert]

'Big Dude' went off to my LFS this morning to meet his future girlfriend. Picked up three Rainbows and the RTS. Named the shark 'Nimrod' as the silly thing jumped out of the bag and my wife noticed him lying on the floor. Put him back into his bag and swished it slowly and he came to. He's lucky no cats found him first. Caught my other two Rainbows for transfer. Trying now to catch the Danios, have all but one. I had to pull out half the plants and this last one is making think about pulling the rest up. Man, these things are fast!

 

[blert]

Well, ended up pulling out the rest of the plants because they got all beat up in the chase. I finally got him though. Everybody seems happy in there new home. Is just my luck though... The place where the Rainbows came from have people that actually think. I got one male and what looks like two females. Now I have to either trade somebody for males or get more females. My fault for not being gender specific when I made the order. Any recommendations as to how many more females I should get if I decide to go that route?

 

[jmpgop]

Hi Blert - Yeah - those danios are fast! I have a really big fish net and I use a pitcher on the other side. Using two hands with two catching devices makes it easier!

Anywho - I'm thinking of going to my LFS for rainbows today. I don't know if they'll have them. Did you order through your fish store? I need to add more fish to my 72 gallon but I'm also afraid of not QTing. My problem is that my QT tank is being taken up by 11 baby cherry barbs who just aren't big enough yet to relase with the big guys. 1/2 of them are, 1/2 of them aren't! I thought the babies would be big enough at 3 months?

What to do?

I'm about ready to set up a 5th tank (3rd 10 gallon) just because of that. My husband is going to freak! LOL. I have the tank, I have the dirty filter media, just need a heater and a rock for QT.

And because I cannot scroll back up, what is your total count on the rainbows & gender to gender ratio now? If you have five, I would at min have 3 females and 2 males. I would probably get 6 and have 4 femailes and 2 males though.

Janelle

 

[blert]

Hi Blert - Yeah - those danios are fast! I have a really big fish net and I use a pitcher on the other side. Using two hands with two catching devices makes it easier!

Anywho - I'm thinking of going to my LFS for rainbows today. I don't know if they'll have them. Did you order through your fish store? I need to add more fish to my 72 gallon but I'm also afraid of not QTing. My problem is that my QT tank is being taken up by 11 baby cherry barbs who just aren't big enough yet to relase with the big guys. 1/2 of them are, 1/2 of them aren't! I thought the babies would be big enough at 3 months?

What to do?

I'm about ready to set up a 5th tank (3rd 10 gallon) just because of that. My husband is going to freak! LOL. I have the tank, I have the dirty filter media, just need a heater and a rock for QT.

And because I cannot scroll back up, what is your total count on the rainbows & gender to gender ratio now? If you have five, I would at min have 3 females and 2 males. I would probably get 6 and have 4 femailes and 2 males though.

Janelle

I used two nets and a two quart measuring cup to catch them. It's just very hard to catch fast guys in a well planted and deep tank. Going to invest in some larger nets though.

I order from my LFS and get them the next day usually.

Current ratio is three males and two females. My two older males are already starting to show off.