# 112G Stocking



## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

I'm setting up a new 5 foot tank (112G - 60x18x24) and have decided to move away from African cichlids. I was considering setting up an SA tank but after reading some of the posts on this group (particularly from CJCichlid and Iggy Newcastle) and spending the entire morning today going through Lee Nutall's incredible website, going CA looks very appealing. My pH and water hardness out of the tap is ideally suited to Rift Lake cichlids and I'd prefer not to do much to adjust it so the CA route could be a better option anyway.

Here's what I'd like to have:

1. One large colourful centrepiece fish. I'm not sure how large is reasonable in a 5 foot tank. Is Vieja Heterospila an option? If I could do this, would having a pair mean there are no other fish possible in the tank?
2. A school of dither fish that use the top part of the tank, don't nip at the other fish or become a snack for the bigger fish.
3. A group of another cichlid species - possibly a Thorichthys or CA eartheater species.

I don't want to overstock the tank and prefer to stick to fish from the same biotope.

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

We're slowly turning everyone to CA's! =D>

If you have hard water, it should suit most CA's just fine (much more so than SA's)..

As for stocking, it sounds like you want something similar to what Iggy is in the process of setting up. A large centerpiece fish with a group of smaller paired cichlids. In a 5ft, I'd say you could do a single V. heterospila as your "centerpiece", but I would not recommend a pair. Although they are definitely one of the milder Vieja/Paraneetroplus species, any CA cichlid is going to be pretty nasty when they are in spawning mode.

For dithers, you can't go wrong with livebearers (mollies, swords, or even goodieds). They are biotope correct, not nippy (goodieds can be), and will produce fry which in turn acts as a natural food source for your cichlids.

I think you are on the right track in looking at the CA "eartheaters" as your second species. Take a look at the different Thorichthys and Astatheros species, as some of them can do well when kept in small groups.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

Thanks for your response, Chris. The thread on your tank modifications over time was hugely inspirational in going this route.

That's good to hear I'm on the right track. Are there any other similar options besides the V. heterospila as the centrepiece fish? The swords should be no problem to find at my LFS but the CA cichlids will require some searching so I want to have options.


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

It depends on if you're wanting to stay with Vieja/Paraneetroplus species? I know you said you wanted to have fish from the same biotope, so maybe first choose a location and then we can make some more recommendations.

Check out this site. It lists all the fish native to Central America and organizes them by country..
http://fish.mongabay.com/biotope_countries.htm


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

CjCichlid said:


> Check out this site. It lists all the fish native to Central America and organizes them by country..
> http://fish.mongabay.com/biotope_countries.htm


Thanks for that link! I'll go through it and then post any questions I have.


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

No problem.

That website is really helpful and I always seem to be revisiting it, checking which fish are native to where. If you take the time to look through the entire website, there are also some decent pictures of natural CA biotopes.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

After weighing my options, I want to go for a Nicaragua biotope. I decided on a some Rainbow cichlids and one Nicaragua cichlid with some swordtails. The potential barrier I'm facing is that Central American cichlids (other than Jack Dempseys) are very hard to find in Southern Ontario. Through another forum, I connected with somebody from my area who has an adult female Nic that he's willing to sell me for a reasonable price but no luck so far on any Rainbow cichlids.

If I do find some Rainbow juvies would there be any problem with putting them in with an adult Nic?

I have some time still (my tank will be getting delivered in the next week or two and then I have to cycle it) but I may have to revert back to an SA tank if this plan doesn't work out.


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

That could work as long as the Nic doesn't pick on the Rainbows from the start being such a size difference, as Rainbows are very passive. I had a group of Nics with Rainbows and they got along fine up until the Nics spawned. In a 112, I'd start with a good sized group of Rainbows (~10) and let them pair off. I'd say you could easily add a few more cichlids as well. To keep with the Nicaraguan theme, you could try and source Ar. centrarchus, Cr. spilurus, or Am. siquia.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Any updates on this?

I settled on CA because of my water, as you did. The fish made that an easy decision, though.

You could try reaching out to notho2000 for a fish source. I know he lives in Winnipeg but I would guess he could suggest some places to look into closer to you.


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

zimmy said:


> After weighing my options, I want to go for a Nicaragua biotope. I decided on a some Rainbow cichlids and one Nicaragua cichlid with some swordtails. The potential barrier I'm facing is that Central American cichlids (other than Jack Dempseys) are very hard to find in Southern Ontario. Through another forum, I connected with somebody from my area who has an adult female Nic that he's willing to sell me for a reasonable price but no luck so far on any Rainbow cichlids.
> 
> If I do find some Rainbow juvies would there be any problem with putting them in with an adult Nic?
> 
> I have some time still (my tank will be getting delivered in the next week or two and then I have to cycle it) but I may have to revert back to an SA tank if this plan doesn't work out.


I know someone in Durham region with Nic juvies that are probably available. Also, if you haven't yet pay a visit to finatics, he does have a few CA.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

Iggy Newcastle said:


> Any updates on this?


Thanks for asking. I've connected with notho2000 previously and know a person he's purchased from (one of the best in the business in Canada). He mostly stocks Africans and SAs but has some CA selection.

I'm probably 6-7 weeks from being ready to stock my tank so I may end up having to go with what I can find.

My tank just arrived at my LFS earlier this week and a custom steel stand I'm getting them to have built arrives there next week. The LFS has the tank set up for me in their basement and I've been dropping by every day to put on a coat of paint on the background (great LFS!). When the stand comes in next week, I'll pick it up, get it set up in my basement (positioned, levelled with a sheet of plywood and styrofoam cut to fit on top, as per the tank makers directions) and then the good folks at the LFS will deliver the tank and place it right into position. The best-laid schemes...


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

skurj said:


> I know someone in Durham region with Nic juvies that are probably available. Also, if you haven't yet pay a visit to finatics, he does have a few CA.


PM sent.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

The other thing I wanted to get some opinions on is in looking for info about getting some Rainbow cichlids, I keep hearing that most of the ones available are of low quality (even Lee Nutall mentions this in a comment about one of his youtube videos). Have others heard this also?

The LFS I'm getting my tank from say they can get Rainbow cichlids bred in Singapore for me. I'm undecided if I want to go this route.


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

It would be nice to find an importer that could get WC CA's in the Toronto area. Not sure if Rainbow's would fit into the community I am in the very early stages of.. If I wanted African no worries... CA.. ok if I want a JD or convict.. but even then how crossbred.. It would be nice to be able to find what I want in quality.. Seems any cichlid non African these days is out of favour. Even the local BA's is stocking Tangs, Victoria and Madagascar..


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

zimmy said:


> The other thing I wanted to get some opinions on is in looking for info about getting some Rainbow cichlids, I keep hearing that most of the ones available are of low quality (even Lee Nutall mentions this in a comment about one of his youtube videos). Have others heard this also?
> 
> The LFS I'm getting my tank from say they can get Rainbow cichlids bred in Singapore for me. I'm undecided if I want to go this route.


Low quality compared to what.. F0 fish? The Rainbows I got certainly did not look low quality. They were some of the better Rainbows I have seen actually.. Very dark golden color with blue hues in their fins.
Here's an old pic of the dominant male I had..









I'm not sure about fish from Singapore as I have never knowingly gotten any from there. I generally like to see pics of the parents of the fry/juveniles that I am buying.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

That's a nice looking fish! I doubt I'll be able to see the parents of the ones in Singapore.

Are you not keeping Rainbows anymore?


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

No, unfortunately I sold them all off as they were a bit to mild mannered for my current stock. Wish I had the room to keep them though!


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

Not sure if you've seen this vid in my thread but this was when I first setup my 135gal. The dominant male Rainbow and his lady are front and center pretty much the entire video.. I really do miss those little guys; as well as my pair of Nics! Beautiful fish.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

That's a great tank! Really beautiful and active.

I've sourced out a few places I can get Nics. You seem to have a few female Nics in the tank and they're all showing their colours really nicely. If you removed the male(s) I'm guessing the female colours would not be so bright.

What was your stocklist for the tank at that time?


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

Thanks, it was definitely an active tank. When that video was taken, I only had a single male and female Nic. I eventually got two more females as the male was relentlessly harassing the lone female.

Stock at the time was as follows:
2 x Hypsophrys nicaraguensis (Nicaraguan)
1 x Rocio octofasciata (Jack Dempsey)
3 x Thorichthys meeki (Firemouth)
6 x Archocentrus multispinosa (Rainbow)
9 x Hyphessobrycon anisitsi (Buenos Aires Tetra)
1 x Bristlenose Pleco


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

CjCichlid said:


> Thanks, it was definitely an active tank. When that video was taken, I only had a single male and female Nic. I eventually got two more females as the male was relentlessly harassing the lone female.
> 
> Stock at the time was as follows:
> 2 x Hypsophrys nicaraguensis (Nicaraguan)
> ...


I really like it and I think I can actually source the whole list as juvies. Would this list likely work long-term in my 5 footer (without the pleco)? I know there are no guarantees. I wouldn't have thought I'd be able to have a Jack Dempsey with the others.

Thanks.


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

I'd say no, as this stock didn't work out for me in a 6ft. Of course there are lots of variables and every fish is different. Once my Nics spawned and their fry went free swimming, they claimed 3/4ths of the tank.


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