# Stocking a 125g SA tank



## oTheBeardedFiish (Oct 29, 2013)

Hey guys! New to the forum and am looking forward to soaking up some quality information from some quality fish keepers. Alittle background on me.. my first fish was a gold severum that i kept in a 40 breeder tank. Now, two years and 4 tanks later i am keeping almost all south american cichlids except for my original 40 breeder that i turned into a dwarf mbuna tank, which im still not so sure about. Anyways i have been looking into getting a 125g tank that i of course wanted to stock with some SA cichlids. i was thinking something like
-group of red head goes
-chocolate cichlid
-maybe a dwarf pike (regani?)
-school of lemon tetras
Hows it look? Lemme know what ya think. Im open to any and all suggestions. Thanks.


----------



## mambee (Apr 13, 2003)

I have a 150 gallon that currently has 1 angelfish, 3 geophagus surinamensis type, 1 uaru, 1 turquoise severum, 1 red severum, 4 silver dollars, 2 striped raphael catfish. If I had to do it again, I would go with a low tech planted setup with geophagus for the bottom and angelfish for the top, and a school of lemon or congo tetras. I would also add lots of corys for the bottom.

I like my uaru, but he is really big and eats anything green. I like my geophagus and would love to stock redheads. I personally find the severums to be a bit inactive. The silver dollars are fine but wouldn't work in a planted tank.


----------



## Bamboo (Jan 12, 2011)

Maybe the Chocalate Cichlids would eat the lemon tetras ? 
I'd personaly go with a medium size group of red head geos and lemon tetras


----------



## Pseudeotropheus BB (Jan 24, 2013)

Im glad to see Lemon Tetras getting some love.


----------



## oTheBeardedFiish (Oct 29, 2013)

So i am getting pretty close to setting up this tank and i have come up with two potential stocking lists. I feel that both may be alittle much. Thats why i would really really appreciate some thoughts. Feel free to tweak and suggest all you want. The tank itself is a 125 gallons and I will be running an fx6 along with an aquaclear 110.

Option 1.
-4x Geophagus Red Head Tapajos
-2x Geophagus Winemilleri
-1x Chocolate Cichlid
-School of tetras
-Maybe a pleco

Option 2.
-4x Red Head Tapajos
-1x Columbian Parrot cichlid (Really need some input)
-1x Chocolate cichlid
-School of tetras


----------



## oTheBeardedFiish (Oct 29, 2013)

Anyone?


----------



## FedEXguy (Feb 24, 2005)

I like your option 1, but I would double the Red Head's.


----------



## oTheBeardedFiish (Oct 29, 2013)

I really didnt think i would be able to get away with that many fish. What about instead of adding more Red Heads i add two Severums? Maybe a Threadfin Acara? Something other than what i already have. I would like there to be a good variety of fish and color along with all of the strata occupied. This is the ONE fish tank im aloud to actually have in the house where company can see it so i need it to be a stunner :wink:


----------



## FedEXguy (Feb 24, 2005)

Yeah, I think you could. I'd go with the severum over the acara, just personal opinion. Just keep in mind your m/f ratios and that you may have to pull some fish at some point. If you're getting babies to start, I'd double all your numbers to be safer on deaths and gender ratios. You're choosing all relatively peaceful cichlids, so bio-filtration capacity and water change schedule is going to limit you more than stock numbers.


----------



## oTheBeardedFiish (Oct 29, 2013)

Yeah I also am more of a severum fan. I actually already have the chocolate cichlid (7in), two of the red heads (3-4in), and a severum (4in). So I would end up having to buy fish at around the 3 in mark or buy babies and grow them out a bit. I do weekly 40-50% water changes on all of my tanks. I also plan on running two fluvial 406's instead of what I originally planned which was an fx6 and an aqua clear 110.


----------



## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

I like your selection of species however I'd stick to just one species of Geo and up the number. So pick either the Red Heads or Winemilleri then aim for a male/female ratio of about 2:4. To get this, you may need to start with 8-10 juvies and weed out the extras once you can accurately sex them. Besides that, I feel the rest of your stocking looks good regardless of which option you go with.


----------



## oTheBeardedFiish (Oct 29, 2013)

Thats interesting. May I ask why you feel I should stick with one species of geo? When i say the parrot cichlid in the second option I dont mean the hybrid blood parrot, im talking about hoplarchus psittascus. I cant find too much information on them and every video i have seen has them in a 200+ gallon tank, which makes me think my tank may be too small for it along with a fair amount of tank mates. Also the the information i have found on them says that there may in fact be some aggression with it and the chocolate, more so than normal between two larger cichlids, due to the fact that they look vaguely similar. 
At this point im leaning towards stocking with 
4x Red Head
2x Winemilleri
1 Chocolate
1-2x Severums
and maybe a school of lemon tetras. 
Im more than willing to make changes i just wanted to hear your reasoning CjCichlid.


----------



## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

I'm sure your above proposed stocking could work out, I simply recommended to stick with one species of Geo as most species are quite gregarious and do best in groups (5+). When kept in smaller numbers dominant individuals can begin to single out others (especially when spawning) and pick on them. I feel a group of say 6, would do better than a group of 4 (and especially only 2).

Have a look at these well written profiles:

http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/geophagus-winemilleri/

http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/geophagus-sp-orange-head/


----------



## oTheBeardedFiish (Oct 29, 2013)

Ah thankyou very much. This is my first go around with geophagus on this scale. That was the type of information i was looking for. So seeing as i already have two of the Red Heads i will go with them. Just a quick question about filtration. Do you think two fluval 406's would be okay?
The more i think about it the more i realize how hard of a time i would of had trying to find the Winemilleri anyway.


----------



## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

Dual 406's should work just fine.. of course combined with regular water changes. :thumb:


----------



## oTheBeardedFiish (Oct 29, 2013)

Of course of course. Thank you so much for your help. I'll be sure to post pictures when everything is up and running.


----------



## oTheBeardedFiish (Oct 29, 2013)

Hey guys, here is a quick update on the tank. The picture quality is alitte rough and its still early on in the process but i figured i would get some feedback. I have the sand almost ready to go, im just waiting for it to warm up a bit to give it a good cleaning. After that the tank should be ready to go so expect more pictures!


----------



## FedEXguy (Feb 24, 2005)

Nice driftwood. It's going to look good!


----------



## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

That piece on the right is killer!


----------



## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

Agreed, some great pieces of driftwood.

If you plan on painting the back of the tank, do it now before there is water in it!


----------



## oTheBeardedFiish (Oct 29, 2013)

Thanks for the compliments guys! Instead of painting i think im actually going to go with a solid black plastic background. Anyways recently had a major bump in the road. I was growing out 5 geophagus red head tapajos, all between 1-4 inches, in a thirty gallon tank and would eventually put them in the 125. They were all healthy and fine the one night but when went to turn the lights on the next morning 4 of the 5 were dead. I checked my parameters and everything came back fine, 0 amm, 0 nitrite, and under 10 nitrate. We did get water in the basement that night and my powerstrip was on the ground at the time, couldnt tell ya what happened to the brick it was sitting on, but maybe the power cut during the night? My filters and heater were on in the morning though. The only other thing i can think of is that i hadnt cleaned my canister filter out in maybe 4 or 5 months, and i read somewhere that they become nitrate factories if you neglect them but wouldnt the nitrate have shown when i did the water test? Im kinda at a loss with the situation honestly and am rethinking the stocking now. It took me a year and a half to gather that group of red heads and i cant see myself waiting another year and half to come across more. So, i am leaning towards rotlkiel severums now as the center piece of the tank. Would a group be too much? Say 4-5? Would that even work out aggression wise? Also a chocolate cichlid is in the mix too, i believe it is a female if that helps any.
Sorry for the long post guys..


----------



## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Sorry to hear about the loss of fish. Doubt it was a dirty canister. Did you do a WC recently?

I regularly see the Red Heads on vendors lists. They shouldn't be hard to locate. Just have to be willing to pay for shipping. Usually around $45-60.


----------



## notho2000 (Dec 8, 2012)

I have lost Tapajos on at least three occasions when the air supply went off due to a malfunction. Most geos require high oxygen content. They cannot withstand a drop in oxygen for more than a little while before they will succumb. Most recently I lost 4 full adult size G. brachybranchus due to an overnight power failure.


----------



## Crenicichlaphile (Jan 6, 2014)

I hate hearing about the loss of your red-heads. That sort of thing has happened to most of us, at one time or another. In other words, we feel your pain. Perhaps, this was God's way of telling you that shouldn't have pulled the dwarf pikes off of your stock list. 

The set-up should still be great, though. I think that the severums would be an interesting alternative to the geos. In general, I've found them to be a little more interactive with their owner than geos, which is usually a plus.


----------



## oTheBeardedFiish (Oct 29, 2013)

Thanks for the support guys. Iggy ordering fish online wasnt really an option to me before, but it may be now. We will see. It all really depends on if i want to change the stocking or go with the original plan. Thanks for the information and helping me clear that up notho2000. I was completely in the dark with the whole situation as it was my first time dealing with any type of geophagus. Im gonna make sure that doesnt happen again, believe me. Crenicichlaphile honestly the regani pikes were always secretly on the stocking list, whether i listed them or not. They are way too cool.. even if they dont work out in the 125 i have an extra 55 they could call home. 
Well now my next step will be reworking the stocking list, or maybe not. 
Thanks


----------



## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

Too bad about the Geos..

+1 to what Iggy said though. You shouldn't have a problem finding Geos from an online vendor, especially Red Heads.


----------



## testtube (Jan 23, 2014)

I would get at least one or two severums, and 3-5 tin foil barbs. The foils are a great dither fish and fun to watch skittering around the tank. I have a 125 G also with 3 foils right now and one large severum. The foils love the swimming room in a 125g. See my topic on severums and Mbuna,s 
beaker


----------



## notho2000 (Dec 8, 2012)

testtube said:


> I would get at least one or two severums, and 3-5 tin foil barbs. The foils are a great dither fish and fun to watch skittering around the tank. I have a 125 G also with 3 foils right now and one large severum. The foils love the swimming room in a 125g. See my topic on severums and Mbuna,s
> beaker


I think the severums are a good choice. But Tinfoil barbs get very large (14"), and in time will need much more room. I would suggest the SA Silver Dollars (Metynnis sp.) instead, such as 'fasciatus' which will reach 5-6" maximum. They are a very attractive schooling fish and three to five would be about right for your 125G.


----------



## oTheBeardedFiish (Oct 29, 2013)

Hey everyone. Thanks for the support and advice. I actually decided to stick with the original plan. I do intend on ordering my next group of Red Heads online. I have been checking Rapp's website occasionally but havent seen them. Is there anyone or anywhere else as reputable as Rapps that i could check out? I mean im sure there is but... also i am going with a school of buenos aires tetras. Not really a big fan of either silver dollars or tinfoil barbs. Thanks though.


----------



## oTheBeardedFiish (Oct 29, 2013)

Well guys so far this tank has been a nightmare... where to start where to start... alright well i have been keeping my chocolate cichlid and one of the two severums along with some buenos aires tetras in a 55 gallon tank until i can get the 125 up and running. I did around a 60% water change on this tank and directly after my buenos aires tetras were gasping at the surface, my chocolate cichlid was floating at a downward angle with his tail end up, and my severum was laying on the bottom gasping. I put an airstone in the tank incase it was from a lack of oxygen and plus i didnt really know what else to do. My parameters all read 0 except maybe a little nitrate, like less than 10. I do 50% water changes weekly and i cant think of anything i did differently this time. I turned the lights out and am now just hoping they pull through. Im on the verge of a mental breakdown here with the potential to lose ALL of the fish i was going to stock the 125 with (i lost my group of red head tapajos three or so weeks ago as well), plus i mean i have had them for over a year now and have a connection with them. They are no longer just fish if you know what i mean. Now onto the filter that i have on the 125, its a fluval g6. So i put it all together,primed it, and turned it on. It ran very well for about three hours and then an alert sounded and stated that there was a problem with the impeller. I went online to research this and discovered that this usually means there is air in the filter. So i took the filter apart and lubed the o-ring and any other rubber gaskets i could find. I did so with plumbers grease, which i read should be aquarium safe and does not contain petroleum. After i was done i hooked it all back up and plugged it in, again it ran for three or so hours and then the alert popped up. This time i realized that i had put the output above the water line and assumed that when i primed the filter the output would suck air in. So i extended the output thus bringing it below the water line and again primed the filter and turned it on. Now i am waiting to see if the alert pops up again or not. I forgot to mention that each and every time the filter was on the output would push micro bubbles out. I realized this the first time and moved the output away from the intake to avoid air bubbles being sucked up. This is turning into a novel so Im gonna end here even though there have been more problems... If anyone has any answers that would be great. Again sorry for the ridiculously long post.


----------



## Coriandre (Jan 30, 2014)

Something in your parameters must have drastically changed in your water change to have such an effect on the fish. Water temperature ? Gh-Kh or Ph ? How are things now ? Is your filter operating normally ?


----------



## oTheBeardedFiish (Oct 29, 2013)

I only just saw your reply now, apologies. I actually moved houses and have been trying to organize and setup the tanks. The two tanks i have, have been up and running at the new house for a week or so. The tap water here comes out of the tap at a pH of 8.8, while the water in my tanks is around 7.0-7.5. I have also noticed that the water is extremely hard. Sooo now my fish go through a period of extreme stress and are near death after every water change. This has me thinking of maybe aging my water with peat or investing in an RO unit.


----------



## oTheBeardedFiish (Oct 29, 2013)

Hey everyone its been awhile. Quick update on the tank- I ended up deciding to age my water instead of the RO unit and could not be happier. After the fallout with the red heads I also decided to completely redo the stocking. I currently have-
-4 angelfish (want to add 2 more)
-1 festivum (want to add 2 more)
-5 bolivian rams
-2 keyholes
-10 black neons
-10 lemon tetras
-10 green corys
-(would like to add a school of hatchetfish)
Lemme know what you guys think. Ill post some pictures soon too!


----------



## oTheBeardedFiish (Oct 29, 2013)

After months of trying to figure this tank out its finally done, well atleast it is heading in the right direction. Honestly are they really ever done?...
[/UR
Yes I still need a background thank you.


----------



## oTheBeardedFiish (Oct 29, 2013)

Here are some of the inhabitants. Sorry the pictures may be alittle rough.. 
Year and a half old chocolate cichlid. Pushing 8" now. Male/Female?

Recently acquired wild Heros severus. I think he/she is around 3". There is one other severus in the tank that I couldnt get a good picture of. 

Year old Rotkiel severum. HE, this is the only fish I know the sex of in the tank, is around 5-6". 
So my stocking currently is
1x chocolate
2x wild mouth brooding severums
1x Rotkiel severum
1x Raphael catfish 
2x Cory cats that I cant catch
I have 4 Geophagus red heads growing out with 2 wild Heros efasciatus that will be going into the tank as well. After I put these fish into the tank I will eventually cut the severum number down to around 3 and hopefully up the geophagus number by 1.


----------



## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Killer tank and fish.


----------

