75 Gallon Aquarium Stocking Ideas

[tetra]

Hello All.

So I pretty much ditched the featherfin catfish with angelfish thing. Does anyone know other stocking ideas? I wanted to have a large school (at least 15-20) of small fish and one large center piece fish (around 8 inches if possible) I do have to move some rainbowfish from a 29 gallon to the 75 now (Murray River Rainbowfish). I also wanted some small to medium sized bottom dwellers. The tank will be planted as well. Something not too colorful or too colorless. Thanks in advance.

[nabokovfan87]

What about something like tetras and some rams?

Silvertip Tetras would be amazing and should do just fine with Bolivian rams. They are both subtle but pretty nice coloration.

[tetra]

I was thinking rummynose tetras. I never thought about rams though, would the ram be the center piece?

[nabokovfan87]

They definitely can be! They mostly hang out in the substrate, but they do often find themselves in front of most photos! ( @Chick-In-Of-TheSea )

I'm trying to check that the temp on the rainbowfish and the others will work well. Rummynose vs other tetras they all should do fine with the rams. You can have 2-3 species of you wish as well in a tank that size.

https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/melanotaenia-fluviatilis/

The rainbow will generally want slightly cooler temps it looks like. So I would lean towards barbs, rasbora, or others that enjoy the 72-74 range. My centerpiece for that range in my tank is the rainbow shark or Red tailed black shark (more aggressive).

[tetra]

Would RNT be able to withstand those temperatures? And would the RTBS be compatible with the RNT and Murrays?

I've heard they like hotter temperatures.

[tetra]

what about a ropefish? Can I keep only one? And is it compatible?

[Ninjoma]

Here are some suggestions

For the one of centerpiece fish:
-Angelfish
-Goldfish
-Rainbow shark
-Pictus catfish
-Blue Gourami
-Dojo loach

For the small schooling fish:
-Beckford's pencilfish
-Long fin white cloud mountain minnow
-Guppys

 

[Lennie]

You can do rams in a smaller tank, cause they are small. I keep mine with rummynose in a 40g. 
 

If I had a 75, I would try to use the potential better myself. Also if you have the rainbows, rams are a pass. They like different temperatures. 
 

What about a school of sawbwa resplendens?  Or emperor tetras? Both look very cool. I have rummy noses and they are fun fish as well. They just destroy amazon frogbit roots tho something I have mention, and they look elegant but they are the opposite of elegant in terms of behavior 😄 

I would def consider dojo loach. It is one of my dream fish. Super duper cute 🙂 

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 4/20/2023 at 6:09 PM, tetra said:

Would RNT be able to withstand those temperatures? And would the RTBS be compatible with the RNT and Murrays?

I've heard they like hotter temperatures.

Rainbows in the link above suggests the 72-74 range.  Rummynose will want 76-78 degrees.  Rams will want 78-80 degrees.  Rainbow or Red-Tailed Black sharks will do just fine with the cooler temperature.  They might give the rainbows some chasing, but I can guarantee mine wouldn't have much of an issue.  This type of temperament from the RTBS can make fish jump, so you do need a lid.  Rainbow sharks are a bit calmer from what I have been told.  My RTBS is pretty calm, this all depends on what your personal fish personality is.  When it comes to setup, they both will enjoy cover and have a big place to hide under/swim through. 

This is a very good guide.  My RTBS has been kept with a few wide body tetra (glofish rescues), odessa barbs, swordtails (a few varieties), tiger barbs, melon barbs, white clouds, otocinclus, amano shrimp, clown pleco, rubberlip pleco, bristlenose pleco, siamese algae eaters, borneo loaches, various corydoras and I'm sure a few others I'm not remembering.
 

 

In the video, you can see the juveniles with the rainbows ^^

[Flying fox 6523]

I have a 75 gal aquarium & I have to say the fish that is in mine are 
rainbow shiners, & white cloud mountain minnows, nerite snails &
yo-yo loaches, & with that selection of fish in there it's quite active.

Both type of fish the shiners & the minnows will really bring color
to the tank & the loaches will give all the action to entertain you 
for hrs, what more could you ask for to be inspired from a aquarium?

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 4/20/2023 at 9:00 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

They mostly hang out in the substrate, but they do often find themselves in front of most photos! ( @Chick-In-Of-TheSea )

Goodness, yes. My Bolivian ram Snoopy is notorious for photobombing and even has her own journal with a collection of these photos. 👇 signature line : Bolivian ram journal

[tetra]

On 4/20/2023 at 10:06 PM, Lennie said:

You can do rams in a smaller tank, cause they are small. I keep mine with rummynose in a 40g. 
 

If I had a 75, I would try to use the potential better myself. Also if you have the rainbows, rams are a pass. They like different temperatures. 
 

What about a school of sawbwa resplendens?  Or emperor tetras? Both look very cool. I have rummy noses and they are fun fish as well. They just destroy amazon frogbit roots tho something I have mention, and they look elegant but they are the opposite of elegant in terms of behavior 😄 

I would def consider dojo loach. It is one of my dream fish. Super duper cute 🙂 

 

Dojo loaches do look pretty cool, and I've been wanting one for a long time. And rummynose rasboras are beautiful and also wanted that with the dojo loach. But is it possible to keep only one dojo loach? I went on AqAdvisor and it says my tank can fit 3 dojos without a problem. The issue is, they take up a lot of the stocking level in my tank (57%). While it still leaves space for the murrays and rasboras. I thought if I could keep only one dojo loach as a center piece fish, I'd be able to keep some other small cold-water fish along with the murrays, rasboras, and dojo loach.

 

AqAdvisor Stocking:

3x Dojo Loaches

5x Murray Rainbowfish

20x Rummynose Rasboras

Your aquarium filtration capacity is satisfactory.

Your aquarium filtration capacity for above selected species is101%.
Recommended water change schedule: 28% per week.
Your aquarium stocking level is 86%.

Also, the filtration capacity from AqAdvisor excludes the plants, pothos, and upgraded filtration media.

[Ninjoma]

On 4/21/2023 at 7:06 PM, tetra said:

Dojo loaches do look pretty cool, and I've been wanting one for a long time. And rummynose rasboras are beautiful and also wanted that with the dojo loach. But is it possible to keep only one dojo loach? I went on AqAdvisor and it says my tank can fit 3 dojos without a problem. The issue is, they take up a lot of the stocking level in my tank (57%). While it still leaves space for the murrays and rasboras. I thought if I could keep only one dojo loach as a center piece fish, I'd be able to keep some other small cold-water fish along with the murrays, rasboras, and dojo loach.

 

AqAdvisor Stocking:

3x Dojo Loaches

5x Murray Rainbowfish

20x Rummynose Rasboras

Your aquarium filtration capacity is satisfactory.

Your aquarium filtration capacity for above selected species is101%.
Recommended water change schedule: 28% per week.
Your aquarium stocking level is 86%.

Also, the filtration capacity from AqAdvisor excludes the plants, pothos, and upgraded filtration media.

If the dojo loaches are the only bottom dwellers, I feel like you could probably get away with "overstocking" according to aqadvisor since the other fish will be occupying different space in the tank.

[tetra]

 

On 4/21/2023 at 7:58 PM, Ninjoma said:

If the dojo loaches are the only bottom dwellers, I feel like you could probably get away with "overstocking" according to aqadvisor since the other fish will be occupying different space in the tank.

What about filtration? I'm growing pothos and planning to add java fern, anubias, frogbit, and possibly crypts as well as long as the dojos don't uproot it. 

[Ninjoma]

On 4/21/2023 at 8:09 PM, tetra said:

 

What about filtration? I'm growing pothos and planning to add java fern, anubias, frogbit, and possibly crypts as well as long as the dojos don't uproot it. 

What filter are you using? I would not be too worried about under filtering. If you are worried, you can always add an extra sponge filter or powerhead with prefilter sponge. 

[Lennie]

On 4/22/2023 at 5:06 AM, tetra said:

Dojo loaches do look pretty cool, and I've been wanting one for a long time. And rummynose rasboras are beautiful and also wanted that with the dojo loach. But is it possible to keep only one dojo loach? I went on AqAdvisor and it says my tank can fit 3 dojos without a problem. The issue is, they take up a lot of the stocking level in my tank (57%). While it still leaves space for the murrays and rasboras. I thought if I could keep only one dojo loach as a center piece fish, I'd be able to keep some other small cold-water fish along with the murrays, rasboras, and dojo loach.

 

AqAdvisor Stocking:

3x Dojo Loaches

5x Murray Rainbowfish

20x Rummynose Rasboras

Your aquarium filtration capacity is satisfactory.

Your aquarium filtration capacity for above selected species is101%.
Recommended water change schedule: 28% per week.
Your aquarium stocking level is 86%.

Also, the filtration capacity from AqAdvisor excludes the plants, pothos, and upgraded filtration media.

Hey again,

it is hard for me to say as I have never kept them before myself (sadly 😞 )

so @dasaltemelosguy may help better regarding the dojo loaches!

[dasaltemelosguy]

I have 6 dojo's, 3 each in 2 tanks. A 120G that has dojos with severums and a 75G which is really a menagerie. They are mixed with SA cichlids of a similarly docile nature, and I keep the tanks at 77*. I realize it's not ideal, but I've had them for over two years in these tanks without a single issue. They do like to sleep together so you may want at least 2 of them. 

They can alarm you in they take on the strangest positions that for most other fish, would suggest illness or even death. For example, it's not uncommon to find them in the morning literally upside down on the gravel or hanging from a filter or heater as if trapped or appearing dead. I have on several occasions gotten a net to 'remove the body' and they just get up and swim away! 

They seem to have no fear. They let you hold them, even raise them out of the water. Noisy eaters and dangerously good jumpers. Very inquisitive and very active. Personality-wise, they are one of the most delightful fish I have.

Here's a 2-minute video of my dojos in the above mentioned 120 and 75:

Mostly Dojo's

 

[tetra]

On 4/21/2023 at 9:12 PM, Ninjoma said:

What filter are you using? I would not be too worried about under filtering. If you are worried, you can always add an extra sponge filter or powerhead with prefilter sponge. 

Tetra Whisper EX70. I know, not the best filter out there. But it is modified with bio rings, a prefilter sponge (large), and more sponges inside of the filter. I'm also planning to buy a ACO sponge filter that filters 40 gallons just to be sure that there is enough filtration and oxygen.

 

On 4/22/2023 at 9:20 AM, dasaltemelosguy said:

I have 6 dojo's, 3 each in 2 tanks. A 120G that has dojos with severums and a 75G which is really a menagerie. They are mixed with SA cichlids of a similarly docile nature, and I keep the tanks at 77*. I realize it's not ideal, but I've had them for over two years in these tanks without a single issue. They do like to sleep together so you may want at least 2 of them. 

They can alarm you in they take on the strangest positions that for most other fish, would suggest illness or even death. For example, it's not uncommon to find them in the morning literally upside down on the gravel or hanging from a filter or heater as if trapped or appearing dead. I have on several occasions gotten a net to 'remove the body' and they just get up and swim away! 

They seem to have no fear. They let you hold them, even raise them out of the water. Noisy eaters and dangerously good jumpers. Very inquisitive and very active. Personality-wise, they are one of the most delightful fish I have.

Here's a 2-minute video of my dojos in the above mentioned 120 and 75:

Mostly Dojo's

 

Thanks, but what if the two I get is a male and female? I didn't want the male o stress out the female if they were gonna breed. Have you ever experienced that @dasaltemelosguy ?

[dasaltemelosguy]

Hi @tetra, I have never seen any aggressive behavior out of the dojos, not towards each other, nor even with fish small enough for them to swallow whole. In fact, my baby GBRs that I got from @Guppysnail are perhaps 1/2" long yet seem to gravitate towards the relatively enormous dojos more than any other fish or other tank areas. I bought mine at about 2"-3" and they are now about 6" or so. Mine are about 2 years old at present. 

But I've also not experienced any mating behavior out of them either. I probably don't have enough experience to advise you on that topic but maybe others here do.

[tetra]

On 4/22/2023 at 12:03 PM, dasaltemelosguy said:

Hi @tetra, I have never seen any aggressive behavior out of the dojos, not towards each other, nor even with fish small enough for them to swallow whole. In fact, my baby GBRs that I got from @Guppysnail are perhaps 1/2" long yet seem to gravitate towards the relatively enormous dojos more than any other fish or other tank areas. I bought mine at about 2"-3" and they are now about 6" or so. Mine are about 2 years old at present. 

But I've also not experienced any mating behavior out of them either. I probably don't have enough experience to advise you on that topic but maybe others here do.

Would they eat cherry shrimp? I know most fish eat the babies but what about adults?

[Ninjoma]

On 4/22/2023 at 11:39 AM, tetra said:

Tetra Whisper EX70. I know, not the best filter out there. But it is modified with bio rings, a prefilter sponge (large), and more sponges inside of the filter. I'm also planning to buy a ACO sponge filter that filters 40 gallons just to be sure that there is enough filtration and oxygen.

I think this is probably fine. You could also stack multiple ACO sponge filters, to get more filtration in the same footprint. 

[tetra]

On 4/22/2023 at 1:48 PM, Ninjoma said:

I think this is probably fine. You could also stack multiple ACO sponge filters, to get more filtration in the same footprint. 

Do you mean when I get the sponge filter or with the filter I have now is fine? The filter is modified so It should be able to handle a little more fish than what it was supposed to. But I would feel better if I were to add a sponge filter along even if I have plants to consume it.

Btw, here is the new stocking list:

2x Dojo Loaches

5x Murray River Rainbowfish

20x Rummynose Rasboras

6x Clown Killifish

Your aquarium filtration capacity is satisfactory.

Your aquarium filtration capacity for above selected species is 114%.
Recommended water change schedule: 25% per week.
Your aquarium stocking level is 79%.

Again, this excludes the Pothos, plants, and upgraded filter media.

[Ninjoma]

On 4/22/2023 at 7:05 PM, tetra said:

Do you mean when I get the sponge filter or with the filter I have now is fine?

I was thinking with the sponge. However, I think you can theoretically get away with any filter since beneficial bacteria can also grow on your substrate and elsewhere in the tank anyways. 

[tetra]

On 4/22/2023 at 7:09 PM, Ninjoma said:

I think you can theoretically get away with any filter since beneficial bacteria can also grow on your substrate and elsewhere in the tank anyways. 

Maybe I should consider getting the 20 gallon sponge filter now🤔

But it is only 3$ more for a 40 gallon sponge filter.

 

[Ninjoma]

On 4/22/2023 at 7:17 PM, tetra said:

Maybe I should consider getting the 20 gallon sponge filter now🤔

But it is only 3$ more for a 40 gallon sponge filter.

I would get the largest one you have space for. Larger sponges won't get clogged as quickly.