# How would you stock a 1600 gallon tank?



## TriPaC87 (Nov 16, 2012)

I have a 1600 gallon freshwater tank. It has one little African cichlid in it, two of the normal brown plecos, and 2 or 3 of the little whitish-yellow plecos. (They hide a lot so I am not sure how many I have.)

What should I get?


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## cumbrianewbie (Jul 25, 2013)

1600 gallon ?

That's not a tank - it's a swimming pool


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## TriPaC87 (Nov 16, 2012)

cumbrianewbie said:


> 1600 gallon ?
> 
> That's not a tank - it's a swimming pool


Yeah it pretty much is!


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Dimensions? What African cichlid do you already have? Are you going to stick to that theme?


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## ozman (Sep 7, 2012)

is that a missprint at 1600g? surely so.


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## TriPaC87 (Nov 16, 2012)

ozman said:


> is that a missprint at 1600g? surely so.


Aprx 11' wide x 4' deep x 5' tall.


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## TriPaC87 (Nov 16, 2012)

DJRansome said:


> Dimensions? What African cichlid do you already have? Are you going to stick to that theme?


I don't know what kind of AC it is. It's small and blueish-black. Bought it at a pet store with a whiteish-yellow cichlid about a year ago. The white one died.


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## jcabage (May 29, 2012)

Pics or it didn't happen :fish:


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## chopsteeks (Jul 23, 2013)

If we go with the 1 inch rule, 1600 divided by 3 = 533 Demasonis is my suggestion :fish:

On the serious note, pics will be great. Got your aquascape started ?

How did you even move this ?


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## TriPaC87 (Nov 16, 2012)

I would love to have that many fish!!

My aquascape is lava rock, I suppose.

We didn't have to move it. When our house was built it was built in to the wall.


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## ozman (Sep 7, 2012)

went on the calculator on this site and it is really 1639.473 US gallons given the sizes you qouted. wow man how are going water change/clean that tank


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## TriPaC87 (Nov 16, 2012)

Here's my little nug that needs some friends.


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## TriPaC87 (Nov 16, 2012)

ozman said:


> went on the calculator on this site and it is really 1639.473 US gallons given the sizes you qouted. wow man how are going water change/clean that tank


We have a 3 inch drain pipe and a 2 inch fill pipe for water changes. When that valve opens to drain water, the level goes down about 1 foot a minute. It's fast!


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## chopsteeks (Jul 23, 2013)

My dream tank has always been to mix haps, peacocks and mbuna.

As haps tend to like the open water, so as most peacocks then augment this with rock dwelling mbunas.

Will aquascape the tank where I will place the rocks in different sections of the tank so I can keep a colony of dwarf to medium size mbunas. I believe I can keep mbunas such as demasonis, different flavors of afras...

As for the haps, will get most medium size (6" or so) a few large ones (10") and very few really large ones.

Same thing with peacocks.

Nice thing about a tank that size, compatibility issues are greatly minimized as the tank is large enough to give the fish territories to establish on their own away from their natural rivals.

Keep us posted as to the progress of this project.

BTW, do not forget to purchase a good set of snorkeling gears !!


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

1600 neon tetras and 16 bristlenose plecos

oh and i'd hire a neighbours 8 yr old to dive in it weekly to clean it.

ok kidding aside... big centrals.. maybe a pair of dovii, festae... some Vieja...


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## jas1313 (Dec 3, 2012)

Better question is what couldn't you stock with. I would like to see it go salt water. That would be beyond cool but cost would be insane. But as an african cichlid tank I would kinda say what chop said. Mix of haps, peacocks, mbuna. Are there any nice schooling cichlids?? That would school like tetras? Any route you go its bound to look good. What type of filtration are u running? Do keep us posted.


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## TriPaC87 (Nov 16, 2012)

I would like some colorful fish, some schooling, maybe an eel?

Filter is sand.


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## pablo111 (Dec 10, 2013)

40 Yellow labs
40 pseudotropheus acei
protomelas sp taiwan reef
red empress
every kind of peacock X1
fossochromis rostratus
C. moori


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## jcabage (May 29, 2012)

My vote is a group of Tigerfish 8)


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## ozman (Sep 7, 2012)

lost for words re the pics posted. lucky to see that in a large aquarium shop over here, let alone in someones home...wow =D>


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## gverde (Mar 3, 2010)

Large african predators.


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## JimA (Nov 7, 2009)

This or a huge group of Tropheus, and altocomps



pablo111 said:


> 40 Yellow labs
> 40 pseudotropheus acei
> protomelas sp taiwan reef
> red empress
> ...


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

If you're sticking with Africans, then a Malawi predator tank would be sweet, as gverde said.

A massive colony of tropheus would be amazing(and crazy expensive) as JimA suggested.

But a tank like that deserves big fish(not that Malawi preds are not). Fish that most of us can't stock. A Central American setup(as skurj said) with massive pieces of driftwood would be impressive.

Side note... Imagine trying to pull holding females outta there?


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## TriPaC87 (Nov 16, 2012)

Something that gets pretty big would be nice. Just as long as he doesn't get hungry and eat his friends. Lol


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## chopsteeks (Jul 23, 2013)

TriPaC87 said:


> Something that gets pretty big would be nice. Just as long as he doesn't get hungry and eat his friends. Lol


Hahahaha...or gets bored and use the little ones as toys...


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## TriPaC87 (Nov 16, 2012)

Well I got another "medium" cichlid. I wanted to go easy on my other little guy to see how he does. So far he is just following the new one around the tank. The new guy has only made through about one quarter of the entire aquascape so he as a lot of exploring to do. Hopefully they get along!


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1946


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## miDnIghtEr20C (Aug 13, 2013)

Would love to see a picture of this tank!

And to the dude who's tank was built into the wall at his house.... That is awesome! I'd love to be able to do that.


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## jcabage (May 29, 2012)

noki said:


> http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1946


Awesome choice here. Almost forgot about these guys.

Emperors have my second if tigerfish didn't pass :lol:

opcorn:


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## Azawakh (Nov 20, 2013)

Sorry but this is not a 1600g tank if that is the picture of your tank.


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## spotmonster (Nov 23, 2006)

If it's really 11 feet, hands down, get some big Centrals!


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## TriPaC87 (Nov 16, 2012)

Azawakh said:


> Sorry but this is not a 1600g tank if that is the picture of your tank.


Yes that is my tank. So what makes you think that it isn't 1,600 gallons?


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## jcabage (May 29, 2012)

If those Oscars are ~12" long (not hard to believe at all), 11'x5' doesn't seem too unbelievable.

If you go central American, I'd do some serious bio-type stuff with lots of different little communities, etc. I always think its sad to see a few giant fish swimming around in an even more giant tank without some context. Then again, I've never been to much of a"wet pet" fan.


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

How about 300 Pseudotropheus saulosi... that would be a colorful school and be much larger than the school left in nature.

Why not a large Malawi Hap tank... very colorful foot long males schooling, would be very impressive


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

Frontosa tank for sure. I'd buy a house for a tank like that...lol


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## smitty814 (Sep 27, 2012)

Alligator gars and good ole sunfish. Maybe throw in some bass.


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## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

You could fill it up pretty cheaply with koi and you wouldn't have to heat it. Sure hope it doesn't use electric heaters, the power bill would be scary. Its pond size so I'm think pond type fish and equipment.


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## AlmightyJoshaeus (May 2, 2013)

That would be one spectacular apisto tank if you went that route...you could probably pull off or approach the '1,000 apistos per 10 square meters' density that they attain in the wild with so much water to dilute their own waste.


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

jcabage said:


> If those Oscars are ~12" long (not hard to believe at all), 11'x5' doesn't seem too unbelievable.
> 
> If you go central American, I'd do some serious bio-type stuff with lots of different little communities, etc. I always think its sad to see a few giant fish swimming around in an even more giant tank without some context. Then again, I've never been to much of a"wet pet" fan.


That was my reasoning on the size of the tank, as well. Plus, the chair nex to it being 16 inches or so. We are a skeptical bunch. But, us women rarely trust men and their size calculations.


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## wharfrat (Sep 9, 2013)

I would want a Tanganyika Predator or Malawi Predator tank...there are some impressive specimens from both groups....or a Peacock Bass tank


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## ozman (Sep 7, 2012)

That was my reasoning on the size of the tank, as well. Plus, the chair nex to it being 16 inches or so. We are a skeptical bunch. But, us women rarely trust men and their size calculations. [/quote]

awww come on florida girl, thats not fair. not all men have exacturated size claims :lol:


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

ozman said:


> That was my reasoning on the size of the tank, as well. Plus, the chair nex to it being 16 inches or so. We are a skeptical bunch. But, us women rarely trust men and their size calculations.


awww come on florida girl, thats not fair. not all men have exacturated size claims :lol:[/quote]

Just trying to be funny!! It's an awesome tank. I'm very jealous!!!


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## miDnIghtEr20C (Aug 13, 2013)

Floridagirl said:


> jcabage said:
> 
> 
> > If those Oscars are ~12" long (not hard to believe at all), 11'x5' doesn't seem too unbelievable.
> ...


Ha ha... dammit. :thumb:


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## kbro (Feb 14, 2014)

I'm partial to Africans u could have in that tank too. just do large predators which would be impressive, i feel would be a waste. Think of the amounts of life a large to small sa/ca tank would provide. with large plants a tree root/trunk half way down one side a slide of rock and substrate in the opposite cornor like the bank fell in a little bit. Moss and java fern growing with crawdads shrimp plecos catfish apistos large schools of tertras and some less aggressive large sa's in a tank like that ... Would be an amazing tank to watch


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## PiccoloJr (Oct 14, 2013)

Get a mermaid.


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## TriPaC87 (Nov 16, 2012)

PiccoloJr said:


> Get a mermaid.


I'm working on that :wink:


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

Mermaids are highly endangered. Do not exploit the Mermaid population, unless your are going to breed them for reintroduction to their nature habitats.


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## miDnIghtEr20C (Aug 13, 2013)

****.. can't remember the name of the cheesy movie.. but there was some newer movie that had all these Monsters in it, and there were teens going to a cabin to party and ****.. long story short. The movie had Mermaids.

Don't F with Mermaids!!!!


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## TheJ0kerrr (Aug 14, 2012)

I love how OP asked his question just like anyone else does for a regular sized tank. Kinda like "How would you stock a standard 1600g tank? No big deal, just looking for inputs here" Haha!

This is friggin amazing dude. Hopefully, you don't pay for water where you live! I have no idea how I would stock that, but it better be awesome


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