# severum stocking help



## iceprizm (Jun 3, 2009)

i am planning my stock for a 75g 48" x 18" x 21" with 2 emporer 280gph powerfilters.
tank has sand bottom and silk plants. water is soft and ph 7.8+.










this is my current planned stock:
1 severum
12 preacox
12 cories
12 tetras (rummynose?)
1 pleco

would the rummynose be compatible?
is this too much stock?
are there any issues i dont see?

Where can I purchase a severum online?
I was looking for a variety other than green and gold.


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## mambee (Apr 13, 2003)

Rummynoses may get eaten.

Make sure that you purchase a pleco that stays reasonably small, such as a bristlenose. Avoid common plecos or gibbiceps, as they grow too large and are poo machines.

Stocking level seems ok.

Rotkeils are nice. They are available on www.aquabid.com.

Mike


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## iceprizm (Jun 3, 2009)

ok, thats a no with the rummynose. 
any ideas what would work better? i was thinking b. heart tets.
Yes i was leaning towards an albino bristle pl*co.
i have been looking on aquabid, but prices seem extremely high.


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## Ape-Fish (Jul 1, 2006)

how about tiger barbs? Maby the green ones... would they get by without being eaten?


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## iceprizm (Jun 3, 2009)

i always thought that barbs would be too aggressive.


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## ktluvsfish (Jan 13, 2008)

Tiger barbs won't be aggressive towards your severum. I have a school of six in with my Rotkeil sev and they get along fine. Higher bodied tetras would work fine. Columbians are a good choice. Bleeding hearts would also work.


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## iceprizm (Jun 3, 2009)

yeah but what about the preacox and cories?


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## iceprizm (Jun 3, 2009)

anyone?


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## under_control (Jan 9, 2008)

Buenos aires tetras are a nice choice too.


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## iceprizm (Jun 3, 2009)

never seen the buenos aires at any store round here. ill prob. go with the b. heart tets. i know i can get those cheap.


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## illy-d (Nov 6, 2005)

what are preacox?
as for dithers if you get your severum small enough maybe you would have a better chance of success with the noodle shaped tetras - cardinals, rummynoses, neons... Start with the tetras - let them get some size on them and then add the sev.

IMO experience the sevs will try to eat any of the tetras I listed - but I've always added the tetras after the fact. The two tetra species that worked with my rotkiel were congo tetras - which I had grown out to a good size before introducing. And Serpae tetras.

If I was to try a setup like yours again here is what I would do - and take it with a grain of salt as I am notoriously an overstocker when it comes to tetras and the like;

First - add real plants like anubias, java fern, and valisnaria - all are ridiculously easy to grow. Then I would add 8 - 12 Sterbai cories or something like that... then about 50 or 60 cardinal tetras. Then 6 young keyholes (in order to get a pair and then remove the rest), then a Rotkiel severum = preferably 2" or less size (nice & young). I would also add 1 or 2 BN plecos of some variety and if after a year or two when the cichlids had matured I would make a decision on maybe cutting back on the cories and adding some Bolivian Rams. Again, I am an overstocker and may catch flack for my suggestions but I believe in playing everything by ear - and being that tetras & cories don't add much bio-load and arn't territorial like cichlids I think you can go a bit nuts with them... On the flip side I am also diligent with my maintenance and water changes which helps to keep things healthy...


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## Enoch (Jun 2, 2008)

Depends on the size of your cories. Are they young or larger? I have larger cories that I have had for years now in a tank with 8 young severums that I am growing out. I have not had a problem at all with any of the young severums or my full grown severum hybrid.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

*illy-d* - praecox is the species specific name for Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish, one of the few rainbows to come from neutral to slightly acidic softer waters.


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## jack lover (Aug 12, 2008)

Go with columbian tetras i got a small school in my 55g and they are awesome and you probley can add a school of silver tipped tetras got em to love them.

As for filters 2 emperor 280's wont do the trick imo, i got a 75g with 2 emperor 400'sand will be adding either a C-60 or a AC110 but my fish are messy 2 JD's and a female red devil lol but with weekly water changes i could work but looks like you should add a canister or a AC110


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## RyanR (Apr 29, 2008)

Tiger Barbs aren't great. They *will* nip a severum....

I like Colombian tetra's.... but other large tetra's will work.

-Ryan


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## iceprizm (Jun 3, 2009)

jack lover said:


> Go with columbian tetras i got a small school in my 55g and they are awesome and you probley can add a school of silver tipped tetras got em to love them.


i love silver tipped tets, look awesome when schoaling. i didnt mention them because i thought they would be too small.

BTW all the fish i am looking to add will be newly purchased fish. so their size will be small, including the severum........i definetly want a juvenile.
I do have some fully grown harlequin rasboras. would they be ok when the severum gets bigger?



jack lover said:


> As for filters 2 emperor 280's wont do the trick imo, i got a 75g with 2 emperor 400'sand will be adding either a C-60 or a AC110 but my fish are messy 2 JD's and a female red devil lol but with weekly water changes i could work but looks like you should add a canister or a AC110


I was planning on upgrading to 2 emp 400s. the reviews on the ac110 suggest that the 400s are a better option. i already have 2 280 in my 55g so i have a stock pile of emporer filters. so running 2 400s would be more economical than using a canister.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

The harly's would get eaten. Silvertips size wise might get eaten, but they are so darn fiesty they might not!! *lol*

As for filters, I think it will depend on the amount of waste in the tank. I love Emperors/Penguins and have at least one on every tank (sometimes 2). But with larger cichlids that create more physical waste, I match one Emperor with one AC110. The AC's are much better at mechanical filtration (pulling the solid fish waste out of the water column) compared to the Emperors while the Emperor handles the biological.


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## iceprizm (Jun 3, 2009)

dwarfpike said:


> The harly's would get eaten. Silvertips size wise might get eaten, but they are so darn fiesty they might not!! *lol*
> 
> As for filters, I think it will depend on the amount of waste in the tank. I love Emperors/Penguins and have at least one on every tank (sometimes 2). But with larger cichlids that create more physical waste, I match one Emperor with one AC110. The AC's are much better at mechanical filtration (pulling the solid fish waste out of the water column) compared to the Emperors while the Emperor handles the biological.


maybe instead of 2 400s i will upgrade to a 400 and an AC110.


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

personal experience, severum is eating rummynose as we speak, blackskirts working great. good luck!


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## iceprizm (Jun 3, 2009)

HONDO said:


> personal experience, severum is eating rummynose as we speak, blackskirts working great. good luck!


hmmm, its seems to be hit or miss. what works good for someone may not work for someone else. 
maybe ill just start with the cories, preacox, severum and pleco and see how that goes.


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

yep, you just have to figure out what works for you.


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## iceprizm (Jun 3, 2009)

i heard that denison would work. anyone try them with a severum?


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## mambee (Apr 13, 2003)

I think that the Denisonis are too expensive to wind up as Severum food. Congo Tetras would work.

Mike


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## iceprizm (Jun 3, 2009)

ok my tank is fully cycled!!!!!!!!!unfortunately i can not get the preacox right now. 

but i can get columbian tets. 

so i am looking at severum, columbian tets, pleco, cories.

what would be a good alternate for the preacox?
what other types of rainbow fish would work?
Melanotaenia trifasciata "Banded Rainbowfish"?

how about bueno aires tets?

so close.........


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## under_control (Jan 9, 2008)

I recommended buenos aires tets to start. They are a great fish and work great with more aggressive fish.


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## RyanR (Apr 29, 2008)

iceprizm said:


> so i am looking at severum, columbian tets, pleco, cories


That's exactly the stock of our 75g severum tank. 

-Ryan


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## iceprizm (Jun 3, 2009)

RyanR said:


> iceprizm said:
> 
> 
> > so i am looking at severum, columbian tets, pleco, cories
> ...


great i guess i am on the right path. i like the columbian tets. i could go with B.A. tets, but i would like a school of tetras and a school of rainbow fish.

any recommendation on a rainbow fish besides preacox?


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## Ape-Fish (Jul 1, 2006)

I have four 6" severums in a 135g tank. They have eventually eaten everything, including some that were much bigger than their mouths - they just chomp on bigger ones until they succumb. The only ones that had zero problems were the giant danois, but the severums were yonger, and the danios were hyper-active.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Bosemani rainbows? Yellow and Purple would look good against the blue and red of the Colombians I would think.


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## iceprizm (Jun 3, 2009)

dwarfpike said:


> Bosemani rainbows? Yellow and Purple would look good against the blue and red of the Colombians I would think.


not a bad idea..............
how about Melanotaenia lacustris "Turquoise Rainbow"? i read they grow big fast.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Thoe would probably work well too, and they are a much deeper blue the colombian tetras so it wouldn't be too similiar.


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## iceprizm (Jun 3, 2009)

how about Melanotaenia parkinsoni "Parkinson's Rainbowfish"? having trouble finding info on them.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Pretty much most rainbows would work. :thumb: Most prefer harder water (praecox are an exception) but are very adaptable.


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## iceprizm (Jun 3, 2009)

ok how about: 
1 severum
12 cories 4x3 varities
12 columbian tets
8 torquise rainbow
2 pibull plecos


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## iceprizm (Jun 3, 2009)

bump


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## iceprizm (Jun 3, 2009)

would i be able to house a breeding pair of rokteils in a 75g long term? im thinking 1 severum would get boring


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

i think that may be pushing it with two sevs, but a pair might do ok. severums can get pretty nasty with other severums. if you have a pair of sevs in a 75 i would not put any other cichlids in with them. i have a single severum and i never get bored watching him.


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## iceprizm (Jun 3, 2009)

ok how about:

1 severum
1 blue acara
1 firemouth
8 rainbow fish
10 cories.
comments?


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## beaker99 (Apr 15, 2007)

Insead of the tetra's I would get a small school of tin foil barbs. If you like constant motion then tin foil barbs are the way to go. Like the severum they like vegies in their diet. I used to throw lettuse in my tank and watch the severum and barbs go at it like feeding frenzy sharks.


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