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75 gallon severum tank stocking

M

Mythic Figment

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Okay, so I recently purchased a 75 gallon tank and have had it cycling for a while. Its will have been cycling for 4 weeks in a few days and all my levels are looking pretty normal (my nitrates are dropping and will be normal in a day or two). I am looking to build the tank around a severum (or two). I want a red one for sure and maybe a pair if there is room for them. I would prefer just one severum if having a pair is all my tank will hold. I have some fish in mind and have read up on most of them pretty well, but I have only ever had as large as a 36 gallon tank and never owned cichlids before. My girlfriend and I both picked 2 fish. She enjoys the look of a red severum as much as I do and she wants to have a peacock cichlid as well, but she's said that if she has to choose, she agrees the severum is nicer.

Here are some fish I would like in the tank:

- red severum
- blue peacock cichlid
- clown loaches (thinking 3)
- an algae cleaner of some kind (thinking bristlenose pleco maybe?)
- convict cichlids

Now I've heard that the convicts can be a real nightmare if I accidentally get a breeding pair (which I would prefer to avoid since a pair is so territorial). Is there a great way to tell the sexes apart?

I have loved the look of clown loaches and their size would make them impossible to be eaten by the severum. I am hoping to start with everyone as very young fish, but if I have to based on aggression/natural predatory instinct and size, I would invest in larger, older fish.

So what do you think of the fish above being in a 75 gallon tank with a red severum?
 
Oh....and I was also thinking about a bichir in there. I don't know a lot about them, but they look really cool. Anyone know if all bichir are the same or if there are a wide variety of species?
 
And just to clarify....I don't want all these fish in the same tank at the same time. They are just some of the species of fish I have looked at and like. I am okay with leaving some out. Especially since the severum is the star of the tank and I want him/her to get along with everyone else in the tank and vice versa.
 
If you take a look at my previous threads, you can find pictures of my 75 gallon. I have a breeding pair of rotkiel severums in there along with 3 different geos, a few plecos, bichirs, even a couple loaches. It'll really depend on what kind of filtration and upkeep you're willing to commit to, but it's definitely possible
 
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My 75
 
Filtration is not an issue. While I would like to keep water clean and have to do fewer water changes, I would much more prefer really nice looking fish. I have a Catalina canister designed to cycle 320 gallons per hour for a 125 gallon tank (got it cheap from a friend who just downgraded after his green terror died) and a HOB Penguin 150 (which came from my old 36 gallon tank that I upgraded from and is more for water flow/current more than filtration). Do you think this population of fish would work?

2 red severums
1 blue peacock cichlid
3 clown loaches or 1 bichir
1 bristlenose or other medium size pleco or algae eater
2-3 male or female cichlids or 1 parrot cichlid

So here are my questions with this stock:
- which is the better bottom feeder? the bichir or the clown loaches? I think bichirs are very cool looking, but I've heard that clown loaches are more personable. And the clown loaches need to be in a group of at least 3 because they are social fish, so is it better for the bioload if I just stick with the bichir?
- I was thinking a pair of bristlenose plecos for tank cleaning, but are they going to be too small to be in with a pair of full grown severums? Is there a larger and/or better algae eater or pleco than the bristlenose for living with severums in a large tank?
- I love the look of the convict cichlids and if I have a breeding pair of severums, obviously I don't want breeding convicts. Is there a sure-fire way of telling the sex of convicts? I don't want both severums and convicts to end up breeding at the same time because then nothing will be safe. LOL
 
I should probably tell more about the tank itself. LOL I went with a small, tan gravel that is natural looking. I have not planted the tank, but will if the the fish I choose need them. I will likely end up with at least a few plants even if I have to remove them if they get torn up. I have a few rocks in the tank, a 1 foot section of driftwood from my old 36 gallon I might put in (it was really slimy, hence why I want a good algae eater or I might not put it in the tank), and a plastic piece that looks like tree roots and provides a little cave. I will add more plants and decor once I know what fish I'm getting them for. I don't have anything to post pics with right now, but as soon as I do, I will post.
 
Bristle noses will be fine, I'd get 2 if it were my tank. A far as between the clown loaches and polys, that's apples and oranges. They're both awesome fish but completely different. As long as you keep up a good frequency of water changes, there's no reason you can't get 3 clowns and a poly also. Personally i wouldn't mix the African with the ca/sa, so I'd omit the electric blues. 2 secs, 2 bristle noses,3 loaches,1 poly is a sweet mix, and you could still get another fish or 2. I don't know how to sex convicts, but you could get an angel or 2 and you'd have a really nice tank
 
Well I don't want to overcrowd the bottom layer. Both the bichir and the clown loaches are going to get really big and I have no idea if a 75 gallon can maintain them. I don't really have the money for an upgrade within the next year, so I just want fish that can grow to their full potential inside this tank. I have been doing more reading and I think I will go with the yoyo/botia loaches. They are smaller than the clowns and have a similar design on them, so I can actually get 5 of them and not worry about overloading the tank. They get to be 6 inches long, so I don't think they will be an issue with the severums. I just worry that having 3 16 inch clown loaches and a 14 inch bichir will be WAY too much for that 75 gallon bottom. LOL

I see the reason for not mixing Africans and CA/SA cichlids is the water quality needs of the fish. Thank you for bringing that to my attention.

What about getting a group of 5-6 rams? Would they work even though they only get to be 3" long?

So what about this for a new set?:
- 2 red severums
- 5 yoyo loaches
- 5 rams
- 2 rubber lip plecos


I forgot to mention that I own 1 rubber lip pleco as it was the only one of my old fish I kept. My 36 gallon was loaded with guppies and mollies (girlfriends idea) and my buddy was downgrading, so I gave him $50, took his old 75 gallon with everything off his hands and gave him my 36g. Was a steal. LOL His fish all died from ich. So I set it up, treated it for ich for the first week just to make sure it was gone, got its cycle started and I just brought the pleco home tonight from my friends. I told him when I gave him all my fish that I was coming back for him. LOL He is a great little glass cleaner and my friend prefers cory cats anyways.

Anyways, I think I will get another rubber lip pleco since mine is a good cleaner and they get to be 6-7".

I know that from the 1" of fish is = to 1 gallon of water rule, I am still way under for the bioload, but I haven't dealt with large, territorial fish before. How is my stock looking with the above list? Am I over, under or perfect?
 
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