New tank setupSome of them look good

[Palmettodeuce]

Looks like I messed up the title, bad on me.

I’m going to setting up a new 6 foot 180g this weekend with some cycled filters. I have 9 vieja coming from CoA on Wednesday. Dan suggested melanarum, Regani, and bifasciatus for a vieja community tank. All are approx 3 in. I plan on using white sand substrate sprinkled with river pebbles and some fist sized river rocks. I’m looking for suggestions for some bottom dwellers. I don’t care for the look of the common plecostumus, and am not that familiar with the others. Some of them look good, but are quite expensive. Any suggestions for one that has some color but cost less than 50? I’m also considering clown loaches for a bottom dweller, any thoughts? Also considering a catfish, have no knowledge of them either, any suggestions? Also any food suggestions would be appreciated. I have been an aquarist for about 15 years so I do know a little but always like to get opinions, thanks.

 

[celebrist]

I have heard veja are pretty aggressive but a group of bristle nosed might work if you give them enough cover

 

[dan518]

Personally always found young vieja very skittish till they get about 10inch, having nine will help but as the numbers get cut down it might be a problem, I would consider a dither fish, a large shoal of swordtails, barbs, etc depending on if you want to be geographically correct or not.

 

[Gourami Swami]

Hello,
as far as bottom dwellers go, you could try a gibbiceps pleco, they are a bit prettier than most commons and won't break the bank. Most of the super fancy ones, are pricey. CLown loaches are cool, but you would need to buy large ones so that the vieja don't outgrow and eat them, and large CL's are very expensive.
I kept a pimelodus catfish with my vieja years back. It was large (12" or so) and it did get beaten up pretty regularly tbh, but it took the beatings like a champ and always recovered quickly. I did feel kind of bad for the fish though, after a while it had noticeable scars on it's back. Vieja can be tough on tankmates.
I love vieja and this sounds like a cool tank, though you may have some serious difficulties keeping all your fish as they grow. I could definitely see a pair of any of those species taking over a 180 for themselves. Not sure if you plan to keep all 9, but that would likely be quite a lot of bioload for a 180, as well as the likely aggression issues you will face.
Best of luck

 

[Palmettodeuce]

Good suggestions, thanks and anymore are welcomed. I was a bit surprised at the # he suggested, it was actually 9 or 12, and I went with the lower #. I could have some losses and I guess I may have to rehome some. I gave my 75g to my son who will be going with an Oscar, he’s fairly new to the hobby. I have an Eheim 2262 coming Wednesday and some Poret from SwissTropicals for filtration, also have a aqua clear 110. Was thinking northfin 2 mm cichlid pellets, any other food suggestions??