Advice on stocking ideas for new 80gal (beginner)

[Stormcrow01]

Hello everyone,

I would like to ask for your advice on the typ and no. of fish I should keep. Aquariums are completely new to me - I previously posted in the general discussion forum and received a number of helpful responses from Hholly, ImACoolGuy, Dotrskepper, and Slade – Thank you!

I realised I had a lot more reading to do before making any decisions. I have looked at many fish tanks online and cannot decide what type of fish I would like. I can be a very indecisive person sometimes – hopefully you can help.

Given my work hours, I would like a:

• low maintenance tank, with minimal water changes
• I have no preference about the type of fish except that they are colourful
• I would prefer peaceful fish (that are still somewhat active to watch without being aggressive),
• I am thinking about a community tank but also open to have a single species tank

Now for the details of my set up:

• Tank: Aquience Cube Aquarium ; 120 (l), 66(h), 45(d), 300 litre / 80 us gallon capacity / 65 imperial gallon capacity
• 
• 
• Filter: EFX 400 External Filter Suitable for aquariums up to 400 litres (max. flow rate- 1400 lph)
• Substrate: Gravel
• Plants: Plastic / Silk
• Cycling: Fishless cycle

Could you please provide suggestions on the type and number of fish that would be suitable for this tank? I hope to keep this thread updated with photos of my steps in the future.

Thank you.

 

[sydneypaige690]

Aqadvisor.com is an awesome site for stocking questions. You just plug in all your setup information and it gives you a list of what you could get. That's an amazing tank btw ?


Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice

 

[ImACoolguy]

There's many types of Corydoras. Sterbia(spelling) and Pandas are my favorite. They like groups of +5 and different species can school together. The more you have the more fun they are to watch. Small, very active, and easy to care for. Max 3 inches.

Kuhli loaches are very pretty but sometimes are not very active. Again +5 or more to see them even more active they like groups. They get max 5 inches.

I have dojo loach. Gets to be 10 inches. But he is the life of my tank, very, very, VERY active, always swimming around all over the tank. AqAdvisor will say do +3 of them but my 1 has always been comfortable. Eats like a fatty. I'm my experience, corydoras and the dojo don't work together, the dojo is so big it stresses them out. Others have had luck with them though it's all on the personality of the dojo.

Never tried platys or mollies so can't say much on them

Rasporas are very small(max 2 in) but pretty in large groups.

A lot of people like the giant danio. Very hardly fish. Like +5 groups. Celestial Peal danios are gorgeous fish!

Guppies are not my personal choice but they come in many colors. Make sure you get all males or all females though. They will breed like crazy(that's not an exaggeration!).

I have white and black skirt tetras. Very peaceful and active. Never harmed anything in my tanks. Tons of species to choose from.

You could do 1 angelfish, or if you want to, try a pair. Sometimes they are a hit or miss depending on personality. I wouldn't do rasporas with an angel though because they might become an angel snack.

Tiger barbs when I had some are crazy active and eat like pirañas during feed time. A large school would look awesome. Cherry barbs are not as crazy active but still very pretty

Just some suggestions from my experiences and readings. Hope this helps


Caleb

~10g 7 ghost shrimp, Betta,2 ADF
~45g ick is fixed! 5 White skirt tetras. Soon to add Corys
~75g NEW! dojo loach, 5 black Skirt Tetras, 5 cherry barbs, live plants

 

[ImACoolguy]

Oh didn't Mention it but corydoras *need* sand or very fine gravel that's not sharp. Same with loaches. IMO sand it's much better because you don't have to worry about it cutting up the fish. Just hover above it when you vacuum.


Caleb

~10g 7 ghost shrimp, Betta,2 ADF
~45g Rescaped! 5 White skirt tetras, 5 green Corys, 3 pandas, 1 peacock Gudgeon.
~75g NEW! dojo loach, 5 black Skirt Tetras, 5 cherry barbs, live plants

 

[ywagner]

Get sand, and go for oddballs, tbh all these corydoras are cool but they are really boring after a while. My personal favorites for a tank that size would be a:

Hydrolycus scomberoides-> smallest of payara
acestrorhynchus falcatus
Silver dollars
-> wetspot has some nice striped ones for super cheap now, only around 30

Or

Severum and crenicichla mix!
Probably gonna want to go with saxatilis group.


As for the low maintenance, that problem can easily be fixed with a crap ton of sponge filters, get like 3 120 gallon rated and you'll be fine.



Sent from my fish tank

 

[ImACoolguy]

Get sand, and go for oddballs, tbh all these corydoras are cool but they are really boring after a while. My personal favorites for a tank that size would be a:

Hydrolycus scomberoides-> smallest of payara
acestrorhynchus falcatus
Silver dollars
-> wetspot has some nice striped ones for super cheap now, only around 30

Or

Severum and crenicichla mix!
Probably gonna want to go with saxatilis group.


As for the low maintenance, that problem can easily be fixed with a crap ton of sponge filters, get like 3 120 gallon rated and you'll be fine.



Sent from my fish tank

Great choices but IMO not all are beginner fish such as the Severum. That's just my opinion though.

Side note if you get silver dollars and eventually want live plants, don't bother... Silver dollars destroy plants but they are very cool fish if you really don't want live plants


Caleb

~10g 7 ghost shrimp, Betta,2 ADF
~45g Rescaped! 5 White skirt tetras, 5 green Corys, 3 pandas, 1 peacock Gudgeon.
~75g NEW! dojo loach, 5 black Skirt Tetras, 5 cherry barbs, live plants

 

[ywagner]

Ya but lighting for an 80 gallon is expensive and the maintenance is a pain. Tbh severums are not hard to keep as long as you buy them larger


Sent from my fish tank

 

[ImACoolguy]

Ya but lighting for an 80 gallon is expensive and the maintenance is a pain. Tbh severums are not hard to keep as long as you buy them larger


Sent from my fish tank

Depends on the personality of the fish. I work all day and I find time for my planted tank plus 2 others. It's not that much maintenance.


Caleb

~10g 7 ghost shrimp, Betta,2 ADF
~45g Rescaped! 5 White skirt tetras, 5 green Corys, 3 pandas, 1 peacock Gudgeon.
~75g NEW! dojo loach, 5 black Skirt Tetras, 5 cherry barbs, live plants

 

[ywagner]

Honestly I keep both planted and oddballs, and the planted tank species are pretty boring idk just my opinion plus such a huge tank has potential to be something amazing, not just a planted tank with corydoras IMO


I hate when people have super long signatures talking about there tanks, isn't it annoying?