# 75gal needs main fish suggestions



## AF_medic (Jun 8, 2006)

so, I got this great deal on a 75gallon tank from craigslist, I set it up, cycled it, went with my wife to the LFS to pick out fish, and she winds up talking me into getting fancy goldfish.... well it's been about 8 months since we've had the goldfish, they're big, they're healthy, and they're boring. so I am in the process of finding new homes for the chubby buggers.

but now I am trying to decide what to put into the tank as the main fish. 
currently in the tank:
10 fancy gold fish - soon to be relocated
20 long finned zebra and lepard danios
9 corydoras various kinds
6 khuli loaches
2 golden dojos
5 upsidedown cats
and a suprisingly laid back red betta

I want to replace the goldfish with something that won't eat the other inhabitants. I realize that the ones most likely to be eaten are the long finned danios.
I was thinking Angelfish, but I've had those before, so I was looking to try something new.
I was thinking Gold sevrums, probably four, but I don't know if they'll eat the danios.

What other suggestions do you have that might work with my current set up? my plants are plastic, I have a big plastic rock that is hollow with many holes to swim through, and a few peices of drift wood. my PH is usually about 6.5, and my water is fairly hard(i've never tested it, but it leaves deposits everywhere)

let me know what you think, I love to try new fish so if you have an idea, or a favorite fish let me know!


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## LG0815 (Aug 1, 2007)

i would only put 1 severum in a 75 gallon

4 is alot


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## AF_medic (Jun 8, 2006)

How big do severums get? don't they stay around 5-6in? I guess if they're an active swimmer they'd take more room. do you think I could get away with 2 severums, or would that just be delaying the inevitable?

What about some of the earth eaters, I don't know much about them, just that they have some cool markings, and funny shaped mouths...


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Earth eaters could work. A big jurupari would be nice.


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## PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn (Dec 26, 2005)

Earthewaters are a suggestion, though I wouldn't do satanoperca, as their quite big fish, and very social. so need to be in a decent sized group.

Bolivian rams would work very well, but arent big.

there are members of the Geophagus sp which could work. G parnibae are an option. G tapajos _might_ work however I've found them to be rather predatory with small tetra sized fish.

severums like S. sp rotkiel are smaller, maxing out at somewhere around 6-8"

but the thing is, if their mouth is big enough, they can eat it.


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## Darkside (Feb 6, 2008)

silver dollars


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## AF_medic (Jun 8, 2006)

Silver Dollars look like pirahnas to me. I'm not big on that type of fish.

the jurupari look cool, but one website says they get up to 10in. So I could only have one of them, and they would for sure eat my smaller fish. cool looking fish though. I might have to get back on craigslist and find another tank. bigger of course. :thumb:

I looked at the G parnibae, website I found said typical specimens are about 3in, maxed out adult size is about 6in. pretty fish, I'll have to see if I can find some of them, anybody know a source?

the website I found for G tapajos agreed with you on their predatory nature. too bad, pretty fish. I need another tank.....

the website I found for S. sp rotkiel was encouraging, and that is another pretty fish. it said you should avoid the smallest of fish, but others should be fine. my danios are around 1.5in. I'll have to see if I can find these too, again, anybody know a source?

I looked up gold severums again, do they really get up to 12in?!  I thought they stayed smaller. oh well, you guys have given me two fish to research more.

any more suggestions?


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

The jurupari will not eat your other fish


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## AF_medic (Jun 8, 2006)

So, the jurupari are like that big guy on the football team that sits out in the field picking flowers while the other team scores? :-? :lol:


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Yep  And I wouldn't keep more than one.


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## PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn (Dec 26, 2005)

TheFishGuy said:


> Yep  And I wouldn't keep more than one.


*I REALLY have to disagree with that.*

Satanoperca are very social fish, and are unusually timid for fish of their size. overall size depends on the population they came from, with some maxing out at 6", but they also have the potential to hit 10", and its very hard to work out which are which. especially when you through the richer diet in (which does enable species to grow larger than they do in the wild (mbuna are a good example of this))

Rotkiel would be my suggestion for a severum, you could possibly get a pair, maybe 2 pairs in there
the parnibae aren't easy to find (I know Rapps had some a while back, its a pity that I cant get them straight to the UK (got to wait till the importer I know puts in an order with him))


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Really? Every time I attempted to keep multiples they wanted to kill each other, so I always kept them one at a time... Never had an issue even keeping a jurupari with angels and other various community fish in a 55... Also in a 240 and 800... Huh... so what's the majic number to keep then? six? I've tried three and four with no luck...


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## PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn (Dec 26, 2005)

I'd be wanting to keep at least 10.

that said, seems odd that you've had problems with them. its the first I've heard of aggressive Satanoperca. the T Weidner book states "this species is rather more robust than other members of the genus as regards possible tankmates. smaller species will not be harmed, yet S. jurupari are reasonably able to deal with somewhat more aggressive species. Even so, they will not thrive in the company of particularly aggressive species or powerful predators."

and the book also states that like all other Satanoperca it should be kept as groups, 4 as a minimum (possibly a pair, but better as more)


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## AF_medic (Jun 8, 2006)

these are all fish I found on "thatpetplace" that I think might work with my setup. are any of these guys a bad idea? I really like the smiling acara, so if anybody has info/experience with those, I'd love to hear about it.

Geophagus pellegrini "Yellow Hump Eartheater"

Geophagus steindachneri "Redhump Eartheater"

Heros sp. Rotkeil "Redhead Severum"

Laetacara dorsigerus "Smiling Acara"

Aequidens pulcher "Blue Acara"

Laetacara thayeri "Redbellied Flag Cichlid"

Cleithracara maronii "Keyhole Cichlid"

Aequidens metae "Yellow Acara"

I gave away 4 of the fancy gold fish. now I only have to find homes for the other 6, then I can make a final decision for re-stocking.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

_'Geophagus pellegrini'_ "Yellow Hump Eartheater"

- These won't actually be real pellegrini, they will either be a colorful race of steindachneri or crassilabris. Either way they all act the same and get about the same size.

_'Geophagus' steindachneri_ "Redhump Eartheater"

- If you go this route, get a group and wait until you can tell males from females. Like malawian mbuna, these are best kept in a 1 male, 3 female group. But you could keep a pair of ground dwelling cichlids with them like the blue acaras or the metae.

_Heros_ sp. Rotkeil "Redhead Severum"

- A single one makes a great show piece in a 75 gallon as they don't tend to get quite as big as green sev's. The danios might end up lunch.

_Laetacara dorsigerus_ "Smiling Acara"

- Great dwarf cichlid, can mix with everything you have in the tank and even hang with the sev.

_Andinoacara pulcher_ "Blue Acara"

- A pair would work well in a 75 gallon, perhaps with the geo's. The danios might end up lunch though.

_Laetacara thayeri_ "Redbellied Flag Cichlid"

- A rarely seen fish, I don't like them at all. Only becuase I had a rogue male take out 10 zebra plecos and 4 rare dwarf pikes. Not a dwarf species, would also work well with the geos.

_Cleithracara maronii_ "Keyhole Cichlid"

- Called 'giant dwarf cichlids' due to shy nature, a very cool underestimated cichlid. Would work with a rotkiel sev as well but not with the blue acara, metae, or thayeri.

_Aequidens metae_ "Yellow Acara"

- A neat 'true acara', again a pair can be kept with a group of the geos. Danios would deffinately be gone though, these get bigger than the blue acaras and are more apt to take a snack on the fin.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Apparently evry fish and every experience with them is different. BUT! My wife would love it if we had a group of ten, they're one of her favorite cichlids!


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## AF_medic (Jun 8, 2006)

dwarfpike, thanks for the information! you certainly seem to know your fish!


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

No problem. I like south american cichlids, so your fish were in my wheelhouse as it were.

*TFG* - they are so cool in groups!!! Especially if you have a larger cichlid with them, then you can see their look out behavior while the others sift.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Cool!


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

G'day *AF_medic*,

Here's a link to a C-F member who keeps a single Heros sp. Rotkeil "Redhead Severum" in a 75 gallon SA community tank. 75 Update-Major prune and 'scape. Rottie is getting too big!

As you can see and read, the rottie is outgrowing the 75 gallon tank.

If this was me I would; trade all the tanks current inhabitants to the LFS for store credit, or sell all the fish, and start from scratch.

I would want to try a pair of Aequidens metae. They're not an uncommon SA cichlid, but they are not kept by many hobbyists. For tank mates, I'd start with a school of Bleeding heart tetras. They are a high bodied tetra that is unlikely to be predated on. I'd also do a small school of Spotted hatchetfish. Again another SA dither fish unlikely to be predated on.

I'd then look to add some SA catfish. You can actually buy in most LFS a good selection of catfish that are native to the Rio Meta where Aequidens Metae are also found. I'd do a small group of Corydoras metae. A pair of Sturisoma tenuirostre, which are a good algea eater and general omnivore, and while they are a long catfish, they are slender. Finally I'd add a couple of peppermint bristlenose catfish.


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## AF_medic (Jun 8, 2006)

deadfishfloating, thanks for the headsup on the rottie. and thanks for the suggestions on stocking, but if I were to get rid of the khuli loaches and the golden dojos, my wife would kill me! those are the only fish she really cares about. I might take your suggestion on some of the dither fish though. instead of risking my danios as a $1.50 a piece snack, I'll see if I can trade them in on something a little less prone to being eaten.

for stocking the main fish, I was thinking of a couple of the smiling acaras, and a couple of the yellow or red hump eartheaters. I wish there was an easier way to sex them and pair them other than buying a bunch, and waiting until they decide to tell me what they are, and then selling back the others.


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

Hey again *AF_medic*,

Steinies are considered a harem eartheater. You need several females to spread out the males attention, otherwise he can be quite hard on one or two females. I'm a big fan of the laetacara species, but I wouldn't consider keeping them with steinies, or other acara species for that matter.

One last try to persuade you to seriously consider a pair of Aequidens metae. Here's a recent thread from the SA forum with photo's of a similar species to A. metae, 125 update.


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## AF_medic (Jun 8, 2006)

so it looks like I don't have the room to keep the eartheaters. or that I would barely have room for them if I followed dwarfpike's 1male 3female guideline.

the pair of yellow acara could be cool. those pictures you had me look at certainly make it look tempting.

I still have to get rid of the goldfish before I can make a final decision. but the more I talk with you guys, the more it looks like I should choose one of these species and ditch my danios, as they are most likely to get eaten. the khulies and cories can probably hide well enough to avoid getting eaten.

so, in review:
ditch danios in favor of bigger dither fish, or abandon dither fish all together.
and get
a pair of blue or yellow acaras
or
some of the smiling acaras, maybe 3 or 4.

of course, if I am gonna ditch the danios anyways, that opens up the possibilities to other fish that I had originally dismissed. dang it, just when I thought I had the possibilities narrowed down. :roll:


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

I wouldn't keep the stieny's with _Laetacara dorsigera_ either, they simply could not handle the level of aggression a male stieny puts out. Stienies are not like true _Geophagus_, hence why they are no longer part of the genus. I have kept them with a pair of blue acaras in a 75 gallon before without issue though. The blue acaras can push back when the male stieny got rough. Metaes should do fine as well, but they do tend to get bigger than blue acaras ... so you might hit the stocking limit with them and the geo's.


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