Stocking 150 gallon

Jakeschmidt13

Feeder Fish
Oct 7, 2017
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Okay so I'm in looking for a 150 to 200 gallon tank to start up a American cichlid tank just want some help on stocking,
Here are some of the fish I am interested in putting in there and I'm just wondering if it could work?? I'm new to all of the American cichlids currently I have a 75 gallon mbuna and peacock tank and I know people say not to mix peacocks and mbuna but I have not had one issue in 28 months and I have a 40 gallon planted dwarf gourami tank

Oscar
Green terror
Black belt
Chocolate cichlid
Feather fish catfish
 

bbortko

Polypterus
MFK Member
Mar 3, 2010
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Anything is possible but I’d put money down on the blackbelt being a problem. I’d try the rest in that size tank, as long as the individual fish you actually get are typical for their species there’s a good chance it will work.
 

Jakeschmidt13

Feeder Fish
Oct 7, 2017
4
0
1
27
Anything is possible but I’d put money down on the blackbelt being a problem. I’d try the rest in that size tank, as long as the individual fish you actually get are typical for their species there’s a good chance it will work.
Anything else you would suggest like the salvini's or jack Dempsey I just don't know that many South/Central American cichlids
 

bbortko

Polypterus
MFK Member
Mar 3, 2010
3,165
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Northwest, Indiana
Anything else you would suggest like the salvini's or jack Dempsey I just don't know that many South/Central American cichlids
All the fish you listed are South American except the black belt so I’d lean towards replacing it with another South American. geophagus brasiliensis and hopparchus psittacus are both good size, aren’t overly aggressive but tough enough to stick up for themselves so either has a good shot at working. If not 100% concerned with it being a new world cichlid a paratilapia polleni woul also be a good option.
 

mattison187

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Jun 28, 2007
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What about possibly trading out the black belt for a severum or two?
 

kewpiefishypewpie

Potamotrygon
MFK Member
Jan 21, 2016
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I've kept Polleni with South Americans before. Although not geographically correct, they do get along nicely.
 

Gourami Swami

MFK Moderators
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Jul 13, 2006
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There are a few ways you could go with the 150-200g tank.
The fish you listed are mostly on the lower end of the aggression spectrum when it comes top SA/CA cichlids, so if you wanted to keep those (Oscar, gt, chocolate) you should ditch the black belt and stick with similarly tempered cichlids. Some other examples are:
Uaru
Geophagus (most species will work- brasiliensis is a bit more aggressive IME)
Belly Crawler Pike

If you wanted to go for more aggressive fish, you would want to ditch the Oscar, gt, etc. and stock with more attitude. This will be more difficult to pull off but if you like the fish more, it can be done. You would want to put all fish in as juveniles, at the same time, and let them grow up together.
Some species that could be mixed in a 150-200:
Hericthys carpintus (any hericthys really)
Salvini
Sajica
A. Lyonsi
Nicaraguense
Vieja Breidohri (most vieja- though I would only do a single vieja species in this size tank)
Cryptoheros species

Personally, I think a cool setup would be something like this
1 Vieja melanura, etc. (centerpiece fish)
5x Sajica
5x Honduran redpoint
2x ancistrus (or pleco of choice)
15x swordtail or goodeid
 
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