aite so im new to this forum, first post.
~the tank~
ive had a 75 gallon for a while now maybe like 8 to ten months, it was an upgrade from a 29 id had for about a year. just recently took out like 40% of the gravel and put in sand (a mix of 10 gallons inert white sand and 20 gallons of eco active sand (i guess with bacteria and all that, didnt care tho i bought it for color. it was darker and had a more earthy color, but it was too dark, added inert stuff to lighten it up. rinsed it clean anyways through the mixing process, didnt care, my tank is established enough and it has good filtration so i dont needa stress about bacteria establishment, figured id do it in pieces will finish soon) it has two 70 gallon aqua clear filters (i love them, i put what media i want in it, i almost always double up on carbons) heater keeps it at 79 or 80 for lack of a better idea of temp. soon to be nicely planted but not heavily, hoping to avoid co2 system.
~too much info~
ANYWAYS i sold a bunch of old oddball and brackish fish to make room for a mostly new batch of south/central american cichlids. bought a whole bunch of driftwood, but now trying to keep the ph from dropping. i messed up and didnt soak the wood first. anyhow, i plan to deck the tank out with plants, graft plants to the very nicely sized peices of wood. and just keep it busy, one corner is decked out with slate rock making nice caves, its actually pretty raw looking. i know that crowding is easy with afriacns (at least easy enough that ive seen it several times before) but ive never seen this with south/central americans, and everyone i speak to about it that is of any experience to answer a question like that usually says "its not quite the same for south/central, but then again, i dont think ive seen anyone try... so i dont know for sure, but id advise against it if messing up is a big deal to u, slim chances"
QUESTION - 75 gallon: if i wanted to have the best chances at a good survival rate and happy lifestyle for my crowded fish (9 cichlids plus 2 plecos 1 loach, small green spotted puffer, also keep in mind the cichlids are small too, the biggest one is the firemouth and salvini second palce, there not fully grown but not far, and considering more if deemed physically possible) in this tank, what would i need to do?
STOCK: green terror, jack dempsey, jaguar , bleekeri (madagascar??) two jewels (one is turqoise) firemouth, texas, salvini, i STILL want to go and get a elec blue jack and a nice flowerhorn, however im sure im seriously pushing it with what i hav already. theres also two plecos of 6 and 4 inches, some strange loachy type bottom feeder i found in a feeder tank in LFS, and my prized posession: green spotted puffer, about two inches nd change(first fish, the only other fish to survive this long was a pleco!)
!?!?!?!?! whats the deal people, what do i gotta do to crowd this tank?
~pictures~ ask for a pic of whatever you want to see and i got you.
~the tank~
ive had a 75 gallon for a while now maybe like 8 to ten months, it was an upgrade from a 29 id had for about a year. just recently took out like 40% of the gravel and put in sand (a mix of 10 gallons inert white sand and 20 gallons of eco active sand (i guess with bacteria and all that, didnt care tho i bought it for color. it was darker and had a more earthy color, but it was too dark, added inert stuff to lighten it up. rinsed it clean anyways through the mixing process, didnt care, my tank is established enough and it has good filtration so i dont needa stress about bacteria establishment, figured id do it in pieces will finish soon) it has two 70 gallon aqua clear filters (i love them, i put what media i want in it, i almost always double up on carbons) heater keeps it at 79 or 80 for lack of a better idea of temp. soon to be nicely planted but not heavily, hoping to avoid co2 system.
~too much info~
ANYWAYS i sold a bunch of old oddball and brackish fish to make room for a mostly new batch of south/central american cichlids. bought a whole bunch of driftwood, but now trying to keep the ph from dropping. i messed up and didnt soak the wood first. anyhow, i plan to deck the tank out with plants, graft plants to the very nicely sized peices of wood. and just keep it busy, one corner is decked out with slate rock making nice caves, its actually pretty raw looking. i know that crowding is easy with afriacns (at least easy enough that ive seen it several times before) but ive never seen this with south/central americans, and everyone i speak to about it that is of any experience to answer a question like that usually says "its not quite the same for south/central, but then again, i dont think ive seen anyone try... so i dont know for sure, but id advise against it if messing up is a big deal to u, slim chances"
QUESTION - 75 gallon: if i wanted to have the best chances at a good survival rate and happy lifestyle for my crowded fish (9 cichlids plus 2 plecos 1 loach, small green spotted puffer, also keep in mind the cichlids are small too, the biggest one is the firemouth and salvini second palce, there not fully grown but not far, and considering more if deemed physically possible) in this tank, what would i need to do?
STOCK: green terror, jack dempsey, jaguar , bleekeri (madagascar??) two jewels (one is turqoise) firemouth, texas, salvini, i STILL want to go and get a elec blue jack and a nice flowerhorn, however im sure im seriously pushing it with what i hav already. theres also two plecos of 6 and 4 inches, some strange loachy type bottom feeder i found in a feeder tank in LFS, and my prized posession: green spotted puffer, about two inches nd change(first fish, the only other fish to survive this long was a pleco!)
!?!?!?!?! whats the deal people, what do i gotta do to crowd this tank?
~pictures~ ask for a pic of whatever you want to see and i got you.
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