# stocking my 75g



## BabyBull21 (May 3, 2017)

I'm looking at stocking my 75g. Ideas on the following:

1- Blue Acara
1- Rainbow
1- Salvini
1- GT
1- Firemouth
2- Festae (F)
2- Pitbull pleco

I also have a 50g I can setup for the more peaceful/less aggressive if I need too. I have had experience with new world cichlids and understand the aggression as they get older/bigger. GT haven't lived up to their name in my opinion, but the festae seem to be the most aggressive on my list. What say you all?


----------



## cage623 (Feb 2, 2008)

You want to keep them all in a 75? Seems way over crowded to me. Personally I wouldn't keep most of what you have listed with a festae. Most are smaller less aggressive cichlids and will likely get severely bullied or possibly killed down the road.

Would need a much larger tank with good aqua scaping just to make this possible. I wouldn't recommend even just the two festae in a 75. I would almost say you'd need a 120 to start and possibly upgrading to a 180 later on.

Just my opinion.

I do agree on what you said about the GTs though. But in some cases you will end up with a nasty one, same goes for salvinis.


----------



## BabyBull21 (May 3, 2017)

Thank you cage for your reply. If I go by the 1 inch per gallon, I'm still under 75 (unless I get the FM or GT that grows extra large). I have never owned Salvini, but their colors are similar to festae, would that cause problems? I know that rainbows and acara are less aggressive, but I would be getting all these at less than 3". Is it possible to let them grow together for a little while and transfer the less aggressive to the 50 gallon later? In Utah it's very difficult to find bigger tanks unless I go to a petsmart/petco and buy a complete setup for $1000...


----------



## JRW81 (Mar 14, 2017)

A female festae really needs at least a 75 gallon on its own. Blue acaras and GTs are really similar in appearance which can cause conflict and the GT will kill the blue acara. Firemouths can be really nasty too. I had one that would always harass a bigger GT so moved it to a tank with a jack dempsey which was bigger and the firemouth harassed it too


----------



## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

BabyBull21 said:


> If I go by the 1 inch per gallon, I'm still under 75


That is not a "rule" that applies to cichlids at all. It's a notion suitable for 1-3" fish (say something like neon tetras). Consider the weight of these small fish at 1-2 grams .....where as something like a GT or female festae can easily exceed 1 lb. (over 454 grams). Each fish is 100's of times larger then the small fish you might consider for the 1" per gallon "rule".
As JRW81 mentions, a 75 gallon might be suitable for a female festae alone as a single specimen.


BabyBull21 said:


> I have never owned Salvini, but their colors are similar to festae, would that cause problems?


Their coloration is really not that similar. But they are both very aggressive species that IMO are very unlikely to get along in 75 gallons. IME, female festae did not get along at all, with male salvini in a 180 gal. tank. A lot of violence between the two. 


BabyBull21 said:


> 1- Blue Acara
> 1- Rainbow
> 1- Salvini
> 1- GT
> ...


These are some possibilities:
1) I would look at blue acara and rainbow with more peaceful SA such as festivum or maybe severum.

2)The GT with female salvini and FM plus something else. Maybe female convicts. Over the last 16 years I have had 7+ male salvinis. Every one of them has been what I would describe as a very aggressive fish. It's certainly a fish that goes out of it's way to look for a fight and has little problem taking on larger fish. IMO, it's not a good bet to get along with other CA/SA cichlids in a 75 gal, long term. On the other hand, female salvini IME, have not caused much friction at all, and have generally been quite laid back. They can be sexed quite easily by the dorsal spot/blotch that the females possess.

3) A single female festae. IMO, it's too big and aggressive to get along with other CA/SA cichlids in a 75 gal. And very, very unlikely 2 females get along for any significant length of time, even in big tanks. But as a "wet pet", I think it is a little less suitable then something like a midas/RD. IME, festae are out and about when it was just me in the room, but always hid as soon as a stranger came around.

I have my doubts how suitable a pitbull pleco (_Parotocinclus jumbo_) is for a tank with aggressive cichlids. Can't say I have ever seen one in a tank with CA cichlids. It's very small and peaceful and I would suspect fairly delicate compared to more common plecos. IMO, a common pleco would be most suitable especially with festae. Also, BN pleco has at least decent chance of working out with most aggressive cichlids.


----------



## cage623 (Feb 2, 2008)

Glad some others chimed in here. Looks like you got some great responses. I especially like what BC said.

When it comes to the 1" rule many fish keepers make the mistake of thinking this is some golden rule. But as was stated it really only works with small fish and doesn't scale up with larger fish. Otherwise you could keep a 14-16" cichlid in a 20 breeder. Doesn't make much sense when you think of it that way.

If you can only realistically do a 75 there are still a number of things you can keep in there. But most medium to larger aggressive cichlids will not do too well, especially with tankmates. I'd look more at smaller species like convicts, rainbows, sajica, HRPs, or some of the less aggressive cichlids such as acaras or severums.

I used to come up with similar stock lists when I first started out and could only do 55s and 75s. I'm just hoping you use the experience here on this forum to not repeat many of the same mistakes that other fish keepers make. This will help ensure you end up with an enjoyable experience that can work for you and the fish long term. Good luck.


----------



## BabyBull21 (May 3, 2017)

Thanks for your replies.

BC I will look at different plecos and see what may work better than a pitbull. 
I will find a combo that works between my two (2) tanks.


----------



## BabyBull21 (May 3, 2017)

ok guys, after taking your replies and doing some more work, give me some ideas on how these might work out:

1- or (2) Rainbows
1 Jewel (I know its african, but it actually works better with SA/CA from what I have been reading)
1- Salvini (F) hopefully
3- Pictus Cats

Or maybe a GT in there, or FM, with a couple pleco or oto cats.... Suggestions?


----------



## BabyBull21 (May 3, 2017)

Crickets......


----------



## cage623 (Feb 2, 2008)

To help us, and yourself, out of the 5 cichlids you have listed, which one is your favorite?

Also, I wouldn't do pictus cats (especially not 3) as they get around 8 to 10" and create a fair amount of waste on their own. For a 75 of you are wanting a community I'd try a couple of rainbows with a firemouth. If you want to do either GT or salvini I'd get 6 or so, wait for them to pair, and get rid of the extras. Might be a bit cramped down the road for the GTs but it should work for a while.

Personally, I've never kept Jewels as the are African. But as you said many do mix them.

I'd do a bristlenose pleco over pictus if it were my tank. Little less active and crazy to allow the cichlids to be more of the focal point of the tank.

Just my $0.02. Hope it helps.


----------



## BabyBull21 (May 3, 2017)

Thank you cage. I had read that pictus do better in small groups and only get 6", that was my reasoning. Along with them being so active and maybe being a style of "dither" that wouldn't get eaten or beat up. Rainbows, jewel, Salvini are all types that I have never had so I don't really have a favorite.

So, one other question... has anyone ordered from any of these 4 dealers?
Azgardens.com
Liveaquaria.com
Petsolutions.com
Bluegrassaquatics.com


----------



## cage623 (Feb 2, 2008)

Don't know if this helps as it wasn't cichlids that I ordered (was some pond fish and snails so easier to ship) but I ordered from liveaquaria. That was a number of years ago though. I think as far as ordering fish goes they had a lower minimum order compared to many of the other online sites and breeders. Many have a $100 minimum order which would be hard for you to reach with the fish you are wanting as they are normally not very expensive.

If you are doing an online order you may want to order 4-6 of each of what you want and grow them out a little. This would allow you to keep your favorites and weed out the trouble makers. Just give the ones you can't keep to other friends who keep fish or see if a LFS would take them. Just a suggestion. This should work if you get them really small like 1-2" and grow them out to around 4-5".

Hope that helps some.


----------



## BabyBull21 (May 3, 2017)

That's a really good idea cage. Then I could maybe figure out a happy medium between 2-3 species. Thanks!


----------



## cage623 (Feb 2, 2008)

No problem, glad I could help. Let us know if you have any other questions or if you have decided what you are getting. Looking forward to seeing how it all works out.


----------



## easywolf31 (Jan 19, 2017)

A Green Terror pair


----------



## cage623 (Feb 2, 2008)

Not a bad suggestion, I'd say your better off with a 90 or 120 long-term but could work in a 75. Don't think GT's are as hard on their mates as some cichlids of similar size.


----------



## easywolf31 (Jan 19, 2017)

I just picked up by accident a really nice male Juvenile today, couldn't resist. I think I may go find a female somewhere else. Really smart fish, quickly adapted started eating immediately.


----------

