65 gal tank stocking suggestions??

[TheSwissAquarist]

Hello fellow Nerms!

I recently got a 65 gal aquarium (used to be a bunny enclosure) and I’m wondering what I should stock it with. 
I’ve considered an Endler/Guppy colony or a setup like @Fish Folks Discus show tank, but I’m a bit indecisive🙃.

Any thoughts??

[Fish Folk]

I think either setup could be very nice! One caution: I have a rule about never using tanks that housed mammals for fish. Too often, the silicone is damaged 

[Chris]

On 10/15/2022 at 7:38 AM, Fish Folk said:

I think either setup could be very nice! One caution: I have a rule about never using tanks that housed mammals for fish. Too often, the silicone is damaged 

I second checking the silicone - curious teeth and toenails can do a lot of damage!

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 10/15/2022 at 1:38 PM, Fish Folk said:

I think either setup could be very nice! One caution: I have a rule about never using tanks that housed mammals for fish. Too often, the silicone is damaged 

Would resealing it make it usable again??

[Fish Folk]

On 10/15/2022 at 8:41 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Would resealing it make it usable again??

Yes, if correctly done. But that can be a costly prospect.

What is more costly though is all of that water damage in your living space if a pane of glass pops out.

Several years ago, my young boy broke a pane of glass in a tiny 5-gal aquarium. But that was enough water to destroy an electronic musical keyboard, a clothes-dresser, and a small mattress. Imagine 13x that much water. The amount of money you spend cleaning up can far out-cost the amount you’d spend buying a new aquarium.

Now, having said this all… it is a worst-case scenario. Maybe your tank would just need a good seal touch-up to be fine for years.

In all, I certainly want you to be happy! 😎

[Fish Folk]

And to your post, stocking suggestions!

I always try to imagine my purpose with a tank. Over time, aquariums go through “iterations.” I’ve had as many as a half dozen different setups in one aquarium. Each served a purpose.

For a warm tropical setup, Discus are very alluring. I’m not sure what cost you’ll be into where you live, but try to find a Discus breeder. Buy young fish cheap from them, and listen to their tricks. Discus do very well with Cardinal Tetras, Rams, and certain Plecos. In USA hobby, we tend to get a lower quality of fish because we refuse to pay a lot. (I represent this, refusing to pay much for fish). In Europe and Asia, you can find high quality fish more easily simply because aquarists will pay for them. For example, I buy Discus young for $25 each. But mature Discus go for $100-$250 retail. I assume that higher quality specimens would go for much higher outside USA.

If I could afford it… I’d do 6x Discus, 25x Cardinal Tetras, 4x Rams, and 2x Zebra Plecos in a 65 gal. Yes… overstocked… you’ll need everything dialed in… but it would be amazing. Get a nice scape and planted tank rolling.

Alternatively, you have an infinite number of other options. Guppy colonies are fun! So are cold water setups. There’s a kind of cold water minnow in Europe that I’d die to get my hands on over here…

 

Edited October 15, 2022 by Fish Folk

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 10/15/2022 at 3:43 PM, Fish Folk said:

And to your post, stocking suggestions!

I always try to imagine my purpose with a tank. Over time, aquariums go through “iterations.” I’ve had as many as a half dozen different setups in one aquarium. Each served a purpose.

For a warm tropical setup, Discus are very alluring. I’m not sure what cost you’ll be into where you live, but try to find a Discus breeder. Buy young fish cheap from them, and listen to their tricks. Discus do very well with Cardinal Tetras, Rams, and certain Plecos. In USA hobby, we tend to get a lower quality of fish because we refuse to pay a lot. (I represent this, refusing to pay much for fish). In Europe and Asia, you can find high quality fish more easily simply because aquarists will pay for them. For example, I buy Discus young for $25 each. But mature Discus go for $100-$250 retail. I assume that higher quality specimens would go for much higher outside USA.

If I could afford it… I’d do 6x Discus, 25x Cardinal Tetras, 4x Rams, and 2x Zebra Plecos in a 65 gal. Yes… overstocked… you’ll need everything dialed in… but it would be amazing. Get a nice scape and planted tank rolling.

Alternatively, you have an infinite number of other options. Guppy colonies are fun! So are cold water setups. There’s a kind of cold water minnow in Europe that I’d die to get my hands on over here…

 

Any idea about the Latin name for that fish?? I’ve seen it before in my LFS!

On 10/15/2022 at 3:43 PM, Fish Folk said:

Zebra Plecos

I’m in high school, so my pockets aren’t deep enough to fit a couple of gold bars in🙃

[Fish Folk]

On 10/15/2022 at 10:18 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Any idea about the Latin name for that fish?? I’ve seen it before in my LFS!

Phoxinus phoxinus

Eurasian Minnow

https://aquadiction.world/species-spotlight/eurasian-minnow/
 

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 10/15/2022 at 4:35 PM, Fish Folk said:

Phoxinus phoxinus

Eurasian Minnow

https://aquadiction.world/species-spotlight/eurasian-minnow/
 

That could actually be an idea !!! I’ll ask around a couple of wholesalers and see if any are available for a decent price!

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 10/15/2022 at 4:35 PM, Fish Folk said:

Phoxinus phoxinus

Eurasian Minnow

https://aquadiction.world/species-spotlight/eurasian-minnow/
 

I’ve done a quick google search: Phoximus Phoximus for sale Switzerland (in French) and first thing I see is an ad for a trap for them!😢

Good thing is that I can supposedly go down to lake Geneva and catch some… yet to be proven!

[Fish Folk]

On 10/15/2022 at 11:20 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

I’ve done a quick google search: Phoximus Phoximus for sale Switzerland (in French) and first thing I see is an ad for a trap for them!😢

Good thing is that I can supposedly go down to lake Geneva and catch some… yet to be proven!

Traps are typically used for collecting minnows for bait fishing. If you can find a good one, it may be a safe way to collect some. Typically a minnow trap needs to be left out in water awhile. Unfortunately, you cannot “card” any other critters at the door. I recall catching a snake in a minnow trap years ago 😬

If you go this route, I highly encourage you to build a DIY spraybar. Minnows need lots of oxygen, movement, etc.

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 10/15/2022 at 5:36 PM, Fish Folk said:

Traps are typically used for collecting minnows for bait fishing. If you can find a good one, it may be a safe way to collect some. Typically a minnow trap needs to be left out in water awhile. Unfortunately, you cannot “card” any other critters at the door. I recall catching a snake in a minnow trap years ago 😬

If you go this route, I highly encourage you to build a DIY spraybar. Minnows need lots of oxygen, movement, etc.

It is quite tempting, but would rainbow shiners be better.

So far Plan A is a discus tank with a nice scape and a couple of rams.

Any thoughts?

Thanks for all your help btw!

[anewbie]

On 10/15/2022 at 3:04 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Hello fellow Nerms!

I recently got a 65 gal aquarium (used to be a bunny enclosure) and I’m wondering what I should stock it with. 
I’ve considered an Endler/Guppy colony or a setup like @Fish Folks Discus show tank, but I’m a bit indecisive🙃.

Any thoughts??

First you need to determine your water softness (kh/gh/tds); second you need to examine your pocket-book and history of keeping fishes healthy. Be aware that not only are discus expensive but they require quality care to live longer than a year. You need to understand their diet and how to keep the aquarium extremely low in nitrate and other pollutants (hint beef-heart is horrible for discus despite its popularity). 

To be honest I would go with festums or angelfishes until you gather more experience. festums are not going to be as pretty; angles there are a huge selection of colours and some of them can be quite stunning. One huge difference between discus and angels is that discus are more peaceful and you can keep more together; in a 65 you would be best off with at most 2 angles. You could grow out 8 or so if they are small but once they mature chances are pretty good you will have to reduce it to 2 after a couple of years. 

If you have hard-water I would look at ca cichild or africans lake. There are some spectacular ca cichild and imho they are under-rated.

 

Btw guppies and swordtails love hardish water.

Edited October 15, 2022 by anewbie

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 10/15/2022 at 5:57 PM, anewbie said:

angelfishes

I’ve kept and bred angels for about 2 years now, and I’m a bit bored of the colors.

[Fish Folk]

On 10/15/2022 at 11:38 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

It is quite tempting, but would rainbow shiners be better.

So far Plan A is a discus tank with a nice scape and a couple of rams.

Any thoughts?

Thanks for all your help btw!

I think @anewbie has offered helpful input. If you purchase tank-raised Discus, they are much hardier and less challenged by water parameters than wild-caught stock. I do think that soft water will make everything much easier if you're going for a very warm Amazon community tank. Discus like to be in groups of 6 or more, if possible.

Your experience level is a key factor. You'll need to understand how to maintain a stable tank, how to balance various factors well, how to recover quickly if things get out of line, etc. 

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 10/15/2022 at 10:56 PM, Fish Folk said:

understand how to maintain a stable tank, how to balance various factors well, how to recover quickly if things get out of line, etc.

I’ve had a 63 gal for about 1 1/2 years now and the only major problem I’ve had is a blue-green algae bloom during the first month.

I am kind of tempted to do a ‘mountain stream’ themed tank with vallisneria , hillstream loaches, and white clouds, although the loaches could be a tad pricey…

Maybe a large school of neons with some SAEs and Amanos, and maybe a couple of cherry shrimp??