# My 135 Gal South/Central



## inth3shadows (Sep 1, 2008)

I haven't posted on here for a good long while partially because I hadn't been in the hobby for a long time and relogin problems. But I am back!

My 135 Gal setup 135gal (72x18x24)

Filtration: Aquatop CF500UV 5-Stage Canister Filter, Emperor 400 Powerhead: 2x Hydor Koralia Evolution 1050
Lighting: 48" BeamsWork "Freshwater Bright" LED

Current stocking:
1x Vieja Argentea ~8"
1x Female Hypsophrys Nicaraguensis ~5"
1x Chocolate Cichlid ~4-4.5"
8x Silver Dollars ~2-3"
1x Crenicichla Sveni ~4.5"
1x Salvini ~4"
1x Hoplarchus psittacus ~5.5"

Argentea!








Sveni Pike (90% on this ID, sold to me as a Crenicichla Lepidota, but I am almost positive of Sveni)








Approx Current Setup








To the left and right of the tank are perches for the cats to sit occasionally. (they don't harass)








This day I really needed to clean the backglass.









Hopefully you all like, give me any opinions. 
(aware I am on the high end of stocking, I waterchange twice a week)


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## mlancaster (Jul 24, 2009)

Hi inth3shadows,

You tank looks great; are those sticks hanging from the top? Your Argentea looks flawless; it has an amazing shine to it. Is he/she "personable"? Does he/she come up to the front of the tank?

Thanks,
Matt


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## inth3shadows (Sep 1, 2008)

yeah, sticks are mostly hanging and stuck on the left side to make the chocolate more comfortable. Tried to find sticks around here, but at the time they were covered in snow. Ended up going to hobby lobby and the sticks are great.

I love the Argentea, he is very personable and likes to come out to the front often. He rules the tank without showing much aggression at all.
I actually got him from a LFS when I was in Grand Rapids, MI. ( I moved in March) He did not have near the colors and was fairly dull at the time. He was something someone brought in and I'd never had a Vieja before.


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

Welcome back! :thumb:


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## andywoolloo (Apr 12, 2014)

Beautiful tanks and fish!


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## inth3shadows (Sep 1, 2008)

Bunch of pics


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

Nice pics..

However, your Nic is a male and your Sal is a female.

How are you liking the SD's?


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## inth3shadows (Sep 1, 2008)

Nic is a male? I had thought female and I was pretty sure the Salvini is female!

I love the SDs look, they are a bit skittish though.


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

Nic is 100% male. Males will have the freckling on their finnage while females will not. There are two "races" as well, the Nicaraguan and the Costa Rican. Yours looks to be of the Nicaraguan variety.

I've been debating whether to get a school of SD's but think I will go back to Buenos Aires Tetras. SD's get too large for my tastes and as you said, tend to be skittish.


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## inth3shadows (Sep 1, 2008)

I was amazed by the price I got them for. $3.99 a peice for 2" (which are really full 2") and shipping was $18.

Few pics of them, best I can get..

Really need to clean the tank again


































Rough to take pics of


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

You definitely got a deal on them. They look to be the spotted variety as well which are often more expensive. If I could find the spotted ones for that cheap I'd probably give them a go, however my LFS wants like $20 a piece for them!


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## inth3shadows (Sep 1, 2008)

nevermind... can't post that here...


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## inth3shadows (Sep 1, 2008)

the retailer was great, I can be Pmed for info.

Sidenote, is your move done CJ?


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

Nope, I don't move until the end of June.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Nice fish! Love that pike.


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## inth3shadows (Sep 1, 2008)

Crazy thing, the salvini just starting come out more often the last couple days. Not sure why, maybe because we were gone for the weekend and they were fed less..

Chased the pike a few times even.

Generally, no one messes with the pike. She does her thing pretending to be another sd. (she swims with them all the time)


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## inth3shadows (Sep 1, 2008)

latest quick pic









Had a bit of a change recently. Did a 30+ gallon accidental overflow and damaged the floor, had to move the tank and tear it down to relevel it. Moved the fish to a spare 90G and just got them back into the 135 Gal again today.

Everyone looks happy


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Geez sounds like a nightmare. Glad it wasn't a total disaster....


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## inth3shadows (Sep 1, 2008)

me too! It was about 1" off level on one side. Used it about a week like that before I had time to move the fish and setup the backup 90G.

I wouldn't recommend that, but I did reseal this aquarium with the thickest seams I've seen on an aquarium. I wasn't worried about one busting, more of glass breaking. Glad that didn't happen and the tank is in great shape.

With the rescape going back to the basics you'll see its a lot simplier than I had before. Only a cave or 2 for small fish escaping, but for the most part I'd like the bigger fish not to be hiding all the time.

With less territories, they seem to be happy swimming out and about!


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

Looking good. Sucks about the overflow, but I think we've all done it a time or two (I know I have :roll: ).

As for the leveling issue. My 135 has never really been perfectly level. I always take the time to level it however once the water is in it for a few days it always seems to settle. My tank is currently probably a solid 1/2in off from end to end.


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## inth3shadows (Sep 1, 2008)

I can happily say that now, with the full weight in it might be off about 2-4 mm. This summer is quite busy, so hopefully I can do an update in a week or two. Got a new puppy and its summer and much harder to make an excuse to sit around and watch the fish.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

What kind of dog?


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## inth3shadows (Sep 1, 2008)

We are dog sitting a Catahoula Leopard Dog . And we got a yellow lab/golden retriever mix. She is cute and ferocious like a furry pirahna. Love her, but she drives you mad sometimes.


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## inth3shadows (Sep 1, 2008)

Update:

Leftover Stock:
1x Vieja Argentea ~9-10"
1x Female Hypsophrys Nicaraguensis ~7"
8x Silver Dollars ~4" ( think about 4")
1x Crenicichla Sveni ~6"

Additions:
12" polypterus ornatipinnis Probably nearly 12" now, got it at 9". 
4" Rhino Pleco
3" Paraneetroplus synspilus (I think is the latest name)
5" Herichthys Pearsi

Stock Deletions:
The chocolate Cichlid cut himself something nasty when he jumped and hit the lid or corner. Hospitalized him, but he died in two days.
The salvini was getting beat up by the Sveni pike, and is not in the hospital tank.
The Hoplarchus psittacus was great, but a bit shy. One day the Argentea didn't like him and killed him (or atleast within minutes of death) The day before the True parrot was showing some of the best colors I had seen it have.

Looking for any suggestions on stock. I realize the Bichir isn't south/central but it'll stay. I love the thing. 
I may depending have another Pike on the way. If one has bad behavior I'll have to get rid of one though.

FTS:


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

Your argentea is looking great! He's getting pretty big, as they are slow growers from my experience. I don't think too many other cichlids can compare to a fully mature male argentea. Very elegant looking.

As for stocking, I'd say you're pretty much fully loaded. I'd even expect some problems once everyone puts on some more size. I had a syn in with my pearsei and argentea a while back and ended up getting rid of him as there was too much bickering between the three for my liking. I think the syn was the instigator as my pearsei and argentea get along quite well..


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## inth3shadows (Sep 1, 2008)

He is getting pretty big. I am thinking about doing a mixup in stocking, but there are a few fish I'd like to keep. Totally though about getting rid of the argentea after a couple of his semi-aggressive incidents. With the new setup, there are more spots smaller fish can hide he can't readily get if he gets aggressive with them.

Oh yea, I expect I'll have to get rid of the Pearsi or synspilus or possibly even the argentea long term. My argentea is a bit of a brute and occasionally when he is feeling more aggressive the black on his forehead gets really dark and he turns a lighter color.

Might get rid of the SDs... Just not sure if any body would still hang out as much.


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

I'd like an argentea, but from reading they tend to get nastier and nastier.. he may want the tank for himself in the end, while the pearsei and the syn aren't as nasty they may cohab just fine..


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## inth3shadows (Sep 1, 2008)

Update

So far as good. This last week the ones that is making a case for its removal is my large male Nic.

Unfortunately, my glass had a lot of scratches on it :\









Argentea looking great





















































FTS


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