# My new 125!!!! (pics and questions)



## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

I'm SO excited! I just got my new 125G set up! I moved my fish from Montreal to Virginia, and though I expected the trip to take 14 hours, we hit traffic... We ended up driving for 20 hours straight, but we finally made it. My two angels didn't make it  When we arrived, their fins were GONE! I don't know what happened....maybe it was the bumpy ride. But anyway, we've been here for 5 days now, and all the others are doing great. I brought all the filter media with me and kept it wet, and was REALLY hoping the bacteria would make it...and it did! I'm getting nitrate readings (not in the 125, but the smaller tank the fish were in)   

So.....the moment I've been waiting for all year!! Here's the new 125, and of course it's in progress. I'd really like opinions on stocking (now that my angels are gone  ) and aquascaping.


































































The current inhabitants are in the photos. 2 Bolivian Rams, 1 Severum, 1 Twig Catfish. I definitely want 5 more Bolivian rams. Aside from that, I have no idea! I originally wanted my 2 angels in there, but now that they're gone, I don't know if I'll do angels in this tank. Any ideas? I'd like 1 big school of tetras.

As for aquascaping, this is a huge tank, and i'm not sure what to do with it! I want more wood than this, because I want the bolivians to have enough territories. I'll be adding more sand. It's just tiring to wash it.

Thanks for looking, and let me know if you have comments. I'll post more pictures as I go.


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## RyanR (Apr 29, 2008)

Glad to hear almost everyone made it! Especially that purty sev. Looks pretty happy in there! 

The twig cat is super cool looking. Never seen one!

-Ryan


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## slickvic277 (Aug 20, 2006)

If your not gonna have plants,don't add to much more sand.The more you have the harder to keep clean.Add a background,black,dark green something to hide the equipment and it will add depth to the look of the tank.
As for aquascaping,I'm kinda of a less is more type of guy,so maybe a single large piece of driftwood and a few large smooth river stones.
For stocking I also like a large group of tetra's.Columbian tetra's are nice.(http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Hyph ... bianus.php)

Any Satanoperca,or maybe one of the Geophagus, type fish would be nice.
Uaru is another nice fish.Theres alot of nice choices for a SA setup.

Nice tank good luck!


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## DiscusQueen (Jul 16, 2007)

Hi there. Sorry to hear your angels didn't make it... but everyone else is looking great. What else besides the additional bolivians are you thinking about adding?? I'm sure you already know that a background would definitely help.. Have you ever considered a chocolate?? They get beautiful colors when they get larger and from what I've heard are really gentle giants.... altho between a chocolate and a sev, most tetras will probably end up as lunch at some point.. smae goes for most plants :lol: Give us some ideas of what you would like to add and we can go from there.. Good luck with the tank... Sue


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

I'm sorry to hear about your Angels... but congrats on an otherwise successful move...

Definitely get a background of sorts on that tank!

I'm a huge fan of standard latex house paint... It's easy to apply (brush or roller)... comes in every color under the sun... and is easy to remove if you later decide to change the color...

I've drained, moved, scraped, repainted and re-set up my 125 gal in a day a couple of times...

If you decide to paint it, don't be afraid to be creative. My current and favorite color for my 125 gal is a lighter blue, which is the same color as the wall the tank sits on... I really like the effect... I next want to try a bright'ish light olive green...

I love driftwood... And since your keeping SA fish that like soft water it's hard to go wrong with it...

Tannins can be a bit of a pain, but I always encourage people to deal with them in one way or another. I have 6~8 good size pieces in my 125 gal and they do not leach at all anymore... I'm SO glad I put up with them until it was over...

I've had several different stocking approaches in my 125 gal... I've chosen to stick with small to medium growing docile Cichlid community... Mine has a pair of adult Blue Dempseys, A group of Steiny (Red Hump) Geos and plan to add some Bolivian Rams & probably some Apistos soon...


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

Thanks everyone for your comments so far!

To recap, here is the skeleton of my plans:

1 Red Severum
7 Bolivian Rams
~15 tetras (don't know what kind yet)
1 Twig catfish

So...here are some ideas i had about this tank. first, I definitely want the severum to be the biggest guy in the tank. I was originally thinking to add a female sev, but then I read (on another thread) that it was a bad idea. I prefer to have groups of fish, rather than single fish. I find it to be more natural looking (instead of the 'one of each' approach). I love geos and satanoperca, but with 7 bolivians, I'm not sure I have room for more geos. I really want to stay with a SA theme. I like most SA dwarfs, I like really cool plecos (royal plecos look amazing), really...just about anything SA. I don't know where to go with my plan, which is why I wanted your opinions. But again, the general idea is that I like groups of fish (2 of those, 4 of those, etc...) instead of single fish. On a side note, lately, I've taken a liking to jack dempseys, even though they're not SA. I'm afraid for my bolivians though, so I don't know if I'll go that route. I really wanted a peaceful tank. BTW, that twig cat eats more algae than any tank would EVER produce. it's insane how much he eats. So no BN plecos for me.

I'm definitely going to get a background, probably just plain black or dark blue for now. I won't have my car until next week, so I'm stuck at home until then.....

As for driftwood... you're saying I should get a lot more than what's there? That's cool...just checking though 

Thanks, and keep the comments coming!!

Lara


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Here's a shock to those that follow my posts ...

get a pair of _Laetacara_ ... curviceps or dorsigera. *Blair*'s tank as all 3 species (his are dorsigera) and they've done well together. Another option could be bolivian ports if you can find them. Or even keyholes. You can deffinately fit a pair or two of other dwarf/smaller midsized cichlids with your footprint.


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## apistomaster (Jun 22, 2006)

Bleeding heart Tetras or Colombian Blue/Red tetras fair pretty well with as few large Cichlids as you have or have expressed having.


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## RyanR (Apr 29, 2008)

I don't think I'd put a JD in with a beloved severum.

Though, I'll second the suggestions for Colombian tetra's and a chocolate cichlid. Chocolates are absurdly mellow unless pushed around, at which point they'll gladly push back. Our's has never started anything, though.

I haven't lost a single Columbian tetra since I got them. We've got a couple handfuls or so in each tank. They're quite beautiful.

Definitely do driftwood. We've got piles of it our 125g. It's a great way to break the tank up. Soak it in a big muck bucket or spare tank for a couple weeks. Tannins are unsightly, but Amazon basin cichlids love it.

-Ryan


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

Hmm. Chocolates are nice, but I was really hoping for groups of cichlids (at least pairs). Who would get bigger, the Chocolate or the Severum?

As for the Colombian tetras...sorry guys, but I don't like them!! Their colors are just slightly boring from what I've seen. I don't mean to offend anyone! I think lemon tetras look nice, silver tipped tetras too, and cardinals, though I know the cardinals would end up as lunch. Also, I don't mind keeping a smaller tetra now and "upgrading" once the Sev grows more. He's currently 6.25" TL, but super super mellow and doesn't even eat my Bolivian fry (strange).

Laetacara are a good option; we'll see which ones I find here. I might add a pair. I may consider keyholes, but I was hoping for a bit more color. I will stay away from the JD though. I guess I'll need another tank for that 

Any other interesting fish that i haven't thought of? Maybe I'll have to get angels after all...?


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

i think if you are adding up to 7 bolivians, the bottom level will be solid. if i was you, i would look at maybe adding a large school of marbled hatchets to even the tank out some.

you would have bolivians at the bottom, the sev and what sounds like a small group of medium size cichlids in the middle and the marbled hatchets (which really are beautiful) at the top.

i use floating anubias in my sev tank and he really loves it. hatchets would appreciate that also. wood on the bottom, plants up top.

your tank looks great, good work!


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## Rigo (Aug 7, 2009)

forst off, nice looking tank. I agree with the last post hatchets are a good idea. I'm thinking u dont wanna get something that gets as big as your severum, you want something smaller im guessing. You think of maybe a pair of Rainbows the are medium growing and pretty peaceful?


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

That sounds great--I think the marbled hatchets are a good option. If I find them, I will definitely get a group for the tank. How many? 8? 10? more?

I picked up a group of tetras today.... Only 12, but my QT tank that I have available now is only 5 gallons, so I didn't want to get too many. I'll be doing big water changes often enough. Once those make it into the "big boy tank", I'll go pick up more. I got lamp eye tetras; I hope they're ok for the tank! How many should I have in total? I was thinking 20. Any comments on lamp eye tetras would be much appreciated.

As for my "group" of medium sized cichlids, I still don't know what I'll add, but how many should I have? 2? 4? Rainbow cichlids are CA, so I don't think I'll go in that direction. I'm going to another LFS tomorrow and I'll see what they have. Hopefully something fun! Oh.....so is it a no to get a female Severum instead of a group of medium sized cichlids? It would be really cool for my male sev to have a friend


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

in a 125, i would go with schools of at least 20.

i actually think that if you have 7 bolivians with the sev, another group might get a little crowded. i change my mind! go with another large cichlid to go with your sev... i say chocolate, or maybe even geophagus altifrons (zero experience with them so someone say if this is an awful idea). i just think they are amazing looking.

the bolivians will keep a good patrol of the bottom level of the tank, another group will just make it too busy down there. a group of medium size fish will either crowd your gold or pair up and cause trouble... IMO!

im just talking so much because i really like your tank and it is very interesting to me.


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

HONDO--instead of a chocolate, how about another severum? Would it work?

I like that you're providing a lot of input, it's pretty cool to see other people excited about my tank. I'm REALLY excited. 

So, I've put a temporary background on my tank; just some black cardboard. Taking the tank down and painting seemed like a really daunting task, and I'm just not willing to do that since I just moved!! I also bought a 2-foot piece of driftwood, but I'll be getting more. Tonight, I'll post some pics of the tank and of my new lamp eye (red eye?) tetras (in QT).

On another note, I saw in another thread that these tetras would end up as "lunch". I thought they were one of the bigger tetras?? I saw online on a few different sites that they can get up to 3".


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

red eyes/lamp eyes usually are said to get 4" in length in many referances ... but I believe it to be a close realitive/look alike as the red eyes in the hobby rarely break over the 2-2.5" range that I've seen.


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

Ahh, I see. That's too bad :? They're really nice fish. I'll treat them really well and we'll see what happens 

Update pics!

Here are the lamp eye tetras in QT:

















Here are my five month-old bolivians that I've raised from birth  Is it just me, or are they more colorful than they're supposed to be at this age? They went into the "big boy tank" this evening:
















I would guess that they're girls...but really, that's not much of an educated guess. Is it too early to tell?

And finally....FTS! (can you tell that I'm really excited?) The plants are randomly placed, but I'll fix that. I don't like the way they look right now.


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## wickidchap (Feb 27, 2009)

Hi Isis, I am actually setting up my 125 right now also. I ordered the gravel which will be coming in on Thursday (can't wait!!!) and went out today and bought 30lbs of slate rock. I was thinking of adding a group of rummy nose tetras in, maybe that would interest you as well. All my fish are still in the 55 gallon right now since the 125 doesn't have the gravel as yet. My stock list is: 1 Electric Blue Jack Dempsey, 1 teacup stingray, 2 red head Geos, 3 odessa barbs, 1 fire eel, 1 female black convict, 1 upside down catfish, and 1 pictus catfish. Maybe we could give the rummy nose a try, anyway your tank is looking great!


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

adding another severum would be pretty hit or miss. if they were a mated pair, possiblt. if not, severums can be pretty nasty to eachother. i had to give one away after he got beat up so bad by my male.


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

wickidchap: Congrats on your new tank! I probably wouldn't do rummy nose tetras, because I've heard that they require higher temps than the other fish I'm keeping. They're nice though. Thanks for the compliment!

HONDO: If I'm stubborn, I might try a female severum.

I went to my new LFS yesterday and they didn't have anything I wanted for this tank (other than that awesome piece of driftwood). They DID have chocolate gouramis though, and I picked up two for my 25G. I know that they're tough to keep, but they've been at the store for 2 months already and they looked great. Really cute 

Still trying to figure out what other cichlid(s) to add to the tank. :?


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Chocolate gouramis rock!!! Too bad they didn't have the Valenti Chocolates, but they are even more sensitive!! I expect chocolate pics in the general or photo section missy!!!


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## Chrispy (Apr 8, 2006)

I would try another sev. That tank is huge and especially if you get some plants that grow very tall, like swords. Anything that would break the line of sight from one end of the tank to the other. A 125 should be plenty of room for each fish to get away if necessary.


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

sooo....I did something _really_ stupid. I went to another LFS just to see what they had.... and they had one male rotkeil sev. :roll: I did what I shouldn't have.... It's just that he was SO cute, and I've always wanted a rotkeil... He's about 3.5" TL.

I know.... I almost regret it... but he's really really cute. I hope they will get along. If they don't, I'll figure out a plan B. How long do I need to wait to figure out if they really do get along? A day? A week? A month? If they do get along for now, is it possible for them to turn against each other later?

















The bolvian next to him is my brand new male. That brings the Bolivian count up to 5 

here's the whole group:


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## leopio (Nov 18, 2007)

I wish my lfs had rotkeil thats a nice pick up.


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## FishingFrk (Feb 1, 2009)

Lookin very nice. Im jealous. How did you do your backround? I have never been a big fan of backgrounds but i like the black look.


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

Thank you  The background is a really simple one. I just bought some black posterboard from Target. It seemed like the cheapest and most simple option


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## mlancaster (Jul 24, 2009)

Isis24 said:


> On another note, I saw in another thread that these tetras would end up as "lunch". I thought they were one of the bigger tetras?? I saw online on a few different sites that they can get up to 3".


Very cool tank, I am really liking the progression.

As for the lamp eyes: I did not know there was a difference between lamp eye and red eye, I though it was the same fish. Anyways, I used them as dithers in my CA tank with an EBJD and a Texas hybrid. They actually did really well for a while, then one day it was down to just 1. But the one has been around for some time now, not sure but probably over 6 months. I guess what I am saying is, I think they will do fine. In a tank that size, with a school of 10-20 I do not suspect the severums will give them too much grief, a large school will help deter the sevrum, I would be more worried about the tetras killing off the weakling of the school. They are fast and resilient fish and I think you made a great call. Anyways, sorry to tell you, mine has not gotten that big, 2.5". However, they are my favorite tetras, they look awesome, and a school of 20 or even more would be great in your tank. I think they should have no problem, just make sure to get some tall plants so they have some line of sight barriers in the upper water column.

I also wanted to say your original sevrum and your new one are great looking fish. I have never been that interested in sevrums, but yours are kind of changing my mind. The big one looks so awesome. I have not seen many in LFS with such a great body shape, and none with such great coloration.

The pieces of wood you have look great, I think a couple smooth river stones could be used to prop the wood up and just add to the overall decor of your tank, personal opinion.

Thanks for the progress updates, keep them coming.

Thanks,
Matt


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

Update! I've added the tetras that were previously in QT. There are 18 in the 125, but I got lazy and failed to catch the last 3. I'll do that in a few days. I've added more wood also, and this is what happened....










Here are the tetras in the big tank:










And another photo (without flash this time) of the tank:










(bad pic, I know).

The tank still looks really empty to me! What would you do at this point? I don't mind keeping other fish for awhile and returning them when these guys get bigger. I was just hoping for a bit more action in the tank.


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

it will start looking less empty as those sevs grow! beautiful tank, you did a really nice job.


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

I've added some plants (I know they may not last long...but I thought i'd try!). Yesterday, I bought 4 Satanoperca leucosticta, and I'll keep them until I can get some orange heads 

Here's a video!!!


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## AU Chief (Jun 20, 2007)

I didn't really read the posts in the thread, but I looked at the pics and that is one of the most stunning gold sevs I've ever seen and that rotkeil is great looking too (i wish i had access to one or some). Really all the fish look great and you have a great looking set up...I am so jealous.


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## HiImSean (Apr 5, 2007)

tank looks great. i like the water color change from the tannin release. i'd like to add some schooling tetras but they'd be gone by morning lol

both severums look great!


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

Awesome setup *Isis24*! :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

Did I see a Satanoperca species in there?


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## leopio (Nov 18, 2007)

very nice.


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

Thanks everyone for all the great compliments! Coming from you guys, it means a lot.

DFF.....yes, there are 4 S. leucosticta!!  



















It was certainly an impulse buy, but I really like them!! I lost a bit of sleep over them last night, because I know they grow quite large, but I have at least a year before they "outgrow" this set up. If they don't grow too large, maybe I can keep them.... If I do keep them, I'll move the bolivians to their own 40G. I'm open to suggestions! Sometimes I fail to see other possibilities!

Do you think it's possible to keep the leucosticta long term?

I have an opportunity to get some orange heads, and I like both of these species a lot, so I don't know what to do, which to choose, and if I can keep a couple of both! (new tank...?...just kidding). I know geos live in groups.... This may be a stupid question, but will they live in a group with other eartheater species? (i.e. can I keep three OHs and two leucosticta?)

Sorry for the long post... I'm just trying to figure out what to do with my current situation!


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

A 6'x18" footprint is fine for a group (5+) of leucostictas ... so get at least one more and you are golden. :thumb:


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

dwarfpike... did you mean 5 leucosticta AND the 2 severums.....? Or just the 5 leucosticta?

I'll retype my other question in case it gets lost between all those words. I was hoping to keep the 2 sevs, but also have some leucosticta and orange heads. Would this ever work? i.e. 2 leucosticta and 3 orange heads (or more). If you think I'm crazy, just let me know. If you don't think I'm crazy, let me know that, too  These are probably my 3 favorite species of fish, and if I can have them all, I'll be one very happy girl


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

bump?


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

I wouldn't do both a group of _Satanoperca_ and _Geophagus_ in a 125 ... and I deffinately rather have 5+ of one group than a few individuals of each. I imagine the orange heads would do better with the sevs ... but a group of either should work with the sevs, though I'd keep a close eye on the sevs with the leucos incase you get one of the ones that thinks it's more jag than sev.


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

Thanks, dwarfpike. I will choose one of the two eartheaters to keep. I'm leaning toward the orange heads for 3 reasons:

1. As you mentioned, they'd probably do better with the sevs.
2. love the colors
3. They're smaller than leucosticta, and therefore, I'd feel more comfortable keeping a group of them with my sevs.


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