72 Bow Front Stocking Angels/Discus/Dwarf Cichlids?

[Biz]

Hello,

I have recently setup a 72 gal bow front which is currently stocked as follows:

12 Rummy nose tetras
4 Sterbai Corys
1 Oto (bought 7 after 24 hours 1 remains)
2 German Blue Rams (guy at the store said they were a pair but I am not so sure)

I am running 2x Eheim 2217s and the tank is lightly planted with small gravel and some spiderwood.

The original plan for this tank was to eventually add discus, but the more and more I read and the more issues I have (see Otos above) the more I am thinking I may need some more time before I tackle a discus tank.

The more I have been watching the German blue rams the more I have been falling in love with just watching them move around an interact with each other and was considering either putting in a pair of electric blue or golden rams or a pair of Kribensis. Would it be okay having a couple pairs of dwarf cichlids? There is a lot of cover in the tank and a couple stone caves. I would prefer Kribs but if that isn't recommended some more rams would be pretty great as well.

Since I think I will be holding off on Discus I was wondering about adding some Angelfish as a show piece to this tank on top of the cichlids and the other current stocking. Is this doable? If so how many would work? 4? 6?. I am looking at adding a Zebra Pleco as obviously my Oto experiment has been a complete and utter disaster. (My water parameters were text book before I went to the store and I brought in a sample today for them to test and they said the same thing, I know they say store bought otos can be prone to die off but I wasn't expecting anything like this.)

Here is my ideal stocking:

6 x Sterbai Cory
2 x German Blue Ram
1 x Zebra Pleco
2 x Kribensis (or another type of ram)
4-6 x Angelfish
12 x Rummynose Tetra

Thoughts, suggestions or warnings? Is this even doable?

Thanks so much for any guidance you can offer, I am not a complete newbie to the hobby but have never tackled a tank this size and am a little overwhelmed.

 

[dudley]

Welcome to the forum!!!

What exactly were your water parameter results? The reason I ask is that you said the tank is recently set up and you didn't mention if or how you cycled it.

 

[Biz]

Sorry I guess by recently set up I meant recently cycled, the tank has been setup for coming up on two months with fish for the last two weeks or so. I cycled with a mix of nutrafin cycle, as well as used substrate from a recently torn down tank as well as filter media. I added live plants about 4 weeks in and then once all of my readings had 100% stabilized I added the corys and then worked my way up to the fish I have now.

I am at work at the moment so don't have my notebook in front of me but from what I can remember these were the values.
PH- 6.8
NH3- 0
NO2- 0
NO3- 10 PPM

Can't remember my hardness readings off the top of my head but the guys at the LFS said they were fine.

 

[Biz]

Welcome to the forum!!!

What exactly were your water parameter results? The reason I ask is that you said the tank is recently set up and you didn't mention if or how you cycled it.

Also thanks for the welcome! Have been lurking for a while absorbing what ever information I can.

 

[FreshyFresh]

Is your tap water a pH of 6.8?

It's best to sample it after a sample has sat for 8hrs or so.

Was there an ammonia source being fed to your seeded media for the time no fish were in the tank? Reason I ask is, the whole point of using seeded media and substrate is so you can stock instantly.

 

[Biz]

Is your tap water a pH of 6.8?

It's best to sample it after a sample has sat for 8hrs or so.

Was there an ammonia source being fed to your seeded media for the time no fish were in the tank? Reason I ask is, the whole point of using seeded media and substrate is so you can stock instantly.

Yup my tap water comes out at 6.8, I haven't tried letting a sample sit. I will take a sample before I go to bed and test when I wake up. While the tank was sitting I used a couple grocery store shrimp to keep some ammonia active in the tank (had heard this was an option). Only reason I took so long to add fish was quite frankly I didn't have time to go fish shopping and honestly didn't know what direction I wanted to go with the tank.

 

[FreshyFresh]

I think otos are usually so skinny and stressed by them time you get them home that it doesn't take much to push the poor buggers over the edge.

I'd hold off on them anyway until your tank ages and forms lots of the bio films they like to skim on. I'm sure you know you need to feed them blanched veggies, etc as well.

 

[Biz]

I think otos are usually so skinny and stressed by them time you get them home that it doesn't take much to push the poor buggers over the edge.

I'd hold off on them anyway until your tank ages and forms lots of the bio films they like to skim on. I'm sure you know you need to feed them blanched veggies, etc as well.

Ya that's what I've been reading so expected die off but not this much. Ya I had read about supplementing veggies into their diet. Unfortunately they didn't survive long enough to even think about it.

 

[fishorama]

German blue rams, gold & electric blue rams are all the same species, just color variations. They can & will interbreed, they know they're all the same kind, lol. Kribs are a bit larger & a bit more aggressive than rams. IF you have enough hiding places (5-6 or more) you might try 2 pairs of either...but keep in mind the rams may not choose partners by color if you give them a choice. Mixed colors may not be as pretty or as sellable...& parents or other cichlids may eat fry. You might get a survivor or 2 in a community tank if you have enough plants & other cover. A separate tank is needed to raise fry...& it's some extra work to keep them fed often & change water often too. It's fun to try, even if it's just to see breeding behaviors.

With 1 pair or 2 female/1 male trio of rams, corys & plec your bottom area is pretty full. Another bottom type small cichlid pair is pushing it. Cichlids & the plec are territorial, the corys don't understand or respect that behavior...there may be egg or fry eating or aggression by parents. Less is easier to deal with. 1 more thing, plecos often hide. So investing in a zebra you may not often see may be disappointing. There are some plecos that hide less & stay small. BNs (especially females) are more visible & way less expensive, there are others but most of my "cool plecos" have been hiders & or nocturnal.

Discus need more care, cleaner water (more water changes) & usually better foods than angels need to "just" get by. Either as younger smaller fish need more care than adults to grow well; angels are more forgiving but either can be stunted by poor care. But, again, it's fun to watch cichlids breed. Angels are much better at hunting fry, their own or others & may eat otos if they can.

 

[fishorama]

Sorry, I should have said I was given 6 almost adult angels for my 75g. When 2 paired up & laid eggs they took 2/3s of the tank as their territory. Every other fish was driven into the 1/3 end. They laid eggs a few times & even had free swimming fry once. But it wasn't enough room for the "other" fish but also too many for the angel parents to defend against...everyone likes caviar & fry if they can get them. I had no interest in rescuing & raising the fry but it was a bit distressing when the parents spit some into the filter intake & ate some too.