125 Gallon Questions (Stocking and filtration)

[Deadeye]

I recently got a long overdue 125 so I can finally get my dempsey (and tankmates) out of their cramped 55. Rather than make a dozen threads, I’ll just keep all of them here:
The tank came with a sump, but all of the plumbing was disassembled. Before I go and flood my house I figured I’d ask for some guidance on setting up a sump, both the plumbing and best media to go in. I can make out some of it, but am pretty much clueless as to how it goes together.
Second - what’s the best way to go about a hood? I’m not a huge fan of how eggcrate looks, could I cut a screen to fit?
As for stocking, am I capped at what I already have or is there room for another fish? The tank currently will hold:
1 male jack dempsey
1 banded leporinus
1 female convict
1 raphael cat
2 Aussie rainbows, 3 Buenos Aires tetras, 1 giant danio (all from schools that have thinned out over the years - they all make one big shoal together).
I also going to bring my bn pleco, rainbow cichlid, and some kribs over from another tank to reduce stocking in there.

Does it sound like I could get another fish in there? I was thinking of trying out a bichir (senegal or del).
I’d love to do an Oscar or amph but it alone would max out the tank…

Thanks all!

 

[Hybridfish7]

To answer the question simply, no big centerpieces with everything you have now. However, you are nowhere near capped. With what you have, assuming you don't want to make any big changes, I would scrap the leporinus and get more buenos aires. In my experience, solo banded leporinus are the ones picking off fish from your schools. You could maybe get more aus rainbows if you want. I would not get the bichir. I would also not move the kribs, as they probably wouldn't do too well with that crowd. Whatever tank you have them in right now, they're probably fine in.

If it were me, I would either double down on the rainbow/convict combo or the jack dempsey.

If working around the JD, I'd get more JDs, some thorichthys (meeki), scrap the leporinus, convict and aus rainbows, get more buenos aires, and maybe a female salvini as a sort of "centerpiece". That'll give you a nice Mexican biotope.

If working around the convict and herotilapia rainbows, I would again get more buenos aires, but this time get more herotilapia, more convicts, and maybe a few cribroheros (alfari, rostratus, longimanus, your call) and maybe a pair of hypsophrys. That'll give you a nice San Juan drainage (Costa Rica/nicaragua) biotope.

For either of these you can keep the pleco and the rafael, you're not going to see them anyway. However I will say the pleco may get nipped a bit with any of the stocks you go with, so it might be best to keep it where it is. Bottom line is scrap the leporinus and get more buenos aires.

 

[Hybridfish7]

To answer the question simply, no big centerpieces with everything you have now. However, you are nowhere near capped. With what you have, assuming you don't want to make any big changes, I would scrap the leporinus and get more buenos aires. In my experience, solo banded leporinus are the ones picking off fish from your schools. You could maybe get more aus rainbows if you want. I would not get the bichir. I would also not move the kribs, as they probably wouldn't do too well with that crowd. Whatever tank you have them in right now, they're probably fine in.

If it were me, I would either double down on the rainbow/convict combo or the jack dempsey.

If working around the JD, I'd get more JDs, some thorichthys (meeki), scrap the leporinus, convict and aus rainbows, get more buenos aires, and maybe a female salvini as a sort of "centerpiece". That'll give you a nice Mexican biotope.

If working around the convict and herotilapia rainbows, I would again get more buenos aires, but this time get more herotilapia, more convicts, and maybe a few cribroheros (alfari, rostratus, longimanus, your call) and maybe a pair of hypsophrys. That'll give you a nice San Juan drainage (Costa Rica/nicaragua) biotope.

For either of these you can keep the pleco and the rafael, you're not going to see them anyway. However I will say the pleco may get nipped a bit with any of the stocks you go with, so it might be best to keep it where it is. Bottom line is scrap the leporinus and get more buenos aires.

Whoops forgot to add "scrap the rainbows and leporinus" to the convict/herotilapia one.

 

[FJB]

I don't think you want to scrap the Leporinus, as you have had it for a long time, have shown it many times, and you love it. Even as a single. Unless you have had a change of heart.
I would add to the school of Buenos Aires tetras, and call it done. Or, I would add a group of cories and call it the day.
Although the tank may seem not fully stocked for some, it is for me. So if it were me, I would just be glad to give the fish the larger space they have deserved all along. And quickly they will feel as they have been in the 55.....
I would not be the person capable of advising on setting the sump.
Good luck. I know you will love it!

 

[Hybridfish7]

I don't think you want to scrap the Leporinus, as you have had it for a long time, have shown it many times, and you love it. Even as a single. Unless you have had a change of heart.
I would add to the school of Buenos Aires tetras, and call it done. Or, I would add a group of cories and call it the day.
Although the tank may seem not fully stocked for some, it is for me. So if it were me, I would just be glad to give the fish the larger space they have deserved all along. And quickly they will feel as they have been in the 55.....
I would not be the person capable of advising on setting the sump.
Good luck. I know you will love it!

Just realized deadeye's pfp. Lol
I have bad experience with leporinus, so I am biased
I had a 13" one that ate
3 rainbows
2 silver dollars
An angel
Multiple plecos
Some other stuff I'm forgetting, probably tetras

 

[Joshuakahan]

I recently got a long overdue 125 so I can finally get my dempsey (and tankmates) out of their cramped 55. Rather than make a dozen threads, I’ll just keep all of them here:
The tank came with a sump, but all of the plumbing was disassembled. Before I go and flood my house I figured I’d ask for some guidance on setting up a sump, both the plumbing and best media to go in. I can make out some of it, but am pretty much clueless as to how it goes together.
Second - what’s the best way to go about a hood? I’m not a huge fan of how eggcrate looks, could I cut a screen to fit?
As for stocking, am I capped at what I already have or is there room for another fish? The tank currently will hold:
1 male jack dempsey
1 banded leporinus
1 female convict
1 raphael cat
2 Aussie rainbows, 3 Buenos Aires tetras, 1 giant danio (all from schools that have thinned out over the years - they all make one big shoal together).
I also going to bring my bn pleco, rainbow cichlid, and some kribs over from another tank to reduce stocking in there.

Does it sound like I could get another fish in there? I was thinking of trying out a bichir (senegal or del).
I’d love to do an Oscar or amph but it alone would max out the tank…

Thanks all!

For the second, you can always make a frame out of egg crate, cut out the center and use reef mesh in the middle.

 

[Deadeye]

Just realized deadeye's pfp. Lol
I have bad experience with leporinus, so I am biased
I had a 13" one that ate
3 rainbows
2 silver dollars
An angel
Multiple plecos
Some other stuff I'm forgetting, probably tetras

Lol this guy ain’t the nicest fish either…but he’s too beautiful!
He hasn’t bothered any of the smaller fish in this tank, but is bothered by anything his size (except the dempsey apparently). Most of the damage to the dither school came from each other or when I thought a piranha would ignore tetras…
So seems like the best option is to just beef up tetra numbers in the larger tank. The Cory school sounds cool too - any risk of the Jack eating them?

 

[Hybridfish7]

Lol this guy ain’t the nicest fish either…but he’s too beautiful!
He hasn’t bothered any of the smaller fish in this tank, but is bothered by anything his size (except the dempsey apparently). Most of the damage to the dither school came from each other or when I thought a piranha would ignore tetras…
So seems like the best option is to just beef up tetra numbers in the larger tank. The Cory school sounds cool too - any risk of the Jack eating them?

Could do some of the bigger cory species but I feel like the damage would add up over time. Wouldn't be my first choice personally.

 

[duanes]

I'd like to tackle the sump issue. But first, some basic info is needed.
Is the tank drilled?
If so where is it drilled? The bottom? the back panel? the side panel(s)
Answers to these will help with plumbing configurations
Do you want the sump directly below the tank, or off to the side,? or even in another room, or different floor?.

What is the actual sump chamber?
A small plastic commercial sump box? or a standard aquarium?
Is it sectioned off?
Is it meant to have shallow water?

Did it come with a pump?
And what size plumbing? 1/2"? 1"? larger?

Then the big question,
What do you expect from a sump? The underlying concept.
Do you see it as a box to put gear? Maybe a little extra mechanical filtration? with filter socks? or
Do you expect extra bio filtration? or extra water volume?
Do you want total filtration, mechanical mechanical, bio, and nitrate consumption?

 

[Deadeye]

I'd like to tackle the sump issue. But first, some basic info is needed.
Is the tank drilled?
If so where is it drilled? The bottom? the back panel? the side panel(s)
Answers to these will help with plumbing configurations
Do you want the sump directly below the tank, or off to the side,? or even in another room, or different floor?.

What is the actual sump chamber?
A small plastic commercial sump box? or a standard aquarium?
Is it sectioned off?
Is it meant to have shallow water?

Did it come with a pump?
And what size plumbing? 1/2"? 1"? larger?

Then the big question,
What do you expect from a sump? The underlying concept.
Do you see it as a box to put gear? Maybe a little extra mechanical filtration? with filter socks? or
Do you expect extra bio filtration? or extra water volume?
Do you want total filtration, mechanical mechanical, bio, and nitrate consumption?

Is the tank drilled?
Yes
If so where is it drilled? The bottom? the back panel? the side panel(s)
Bottom

Do you want the sump directly below the tank, or off to the side,? or even in another room, or different floor?.
It would sit under the tank (in the stand)

What is the actual sump chamber?
A small plastic commercial sump box? or a standard aquarium?
Plastic commercial sump box
Is it sectioned off?
Yes
Is it meant to have shallow water?
Yes
Did it come with a pump?
Yes
And what size plumbing? 1/2"? 1"? larger?
Most of the plumbing is 1” (I’ll have to recheck)

Then the big question,
What do you expect from a sump? The underlying concept.
I would want it to be a space for biological and mechanical filtration, not much different than how my canister is set up - ideally I would want a refugium in there but it doesn’t look like it’s built for it.

I’m not sold on the idea of the sump though (mostly because it takes up storage space and I’m not confident I can set it up properly without flooding the room). If I don’t run it, what’s the best way to plug the holes? A bulkhead?