a cichlid dream

[the fox]

hello

I was having a look around the web and found this site caled elmers aquarium. I am interested in america cichlids eg oscars and found this one type of tank called communtiy 9 it goes as follows.
With a few differant personal touches

5 oscar
6 jack dempsey
6 fire mouths
1 green terror
1 devil
1 arawana
4 silver dollars
4 silver bala sharks
1 red tail catfish
2 iridescent sharks

will this work?
how big will tank have to be about?
about how much will it cost?
thanks
the fox

[nanaglen2001]

Stupid mixture, to be honest. Those animals are a mixture between South and Central America, and I wonder from which country the Arowana shall come.

Only to keep an Arowana in a decent way you need at least 2000 liters. You know this animal can become easyly, very easyly 2 feet.

[Lady Hobbs]

If you check the site again, it gives a possibly of what could go together. It doesn't mean all of them.

[RobbieG]

You would need about 2500 gallons for the red tail

I really can't imagine how much room you would need to be able to disperse aggression amongst the others

[the fox]

Ok so it might not of been the best idea but is there someing thing close to it and what fish will work in it.

[gm72]

There are many, many options to stocking that would "be close to it," but we really first need to know more about what you are looking for.
1. How large of an aquarium are you willing to keep?
2. Do you understand the maintenance requirements of said aquarium?
3. Do you have enough money to buy equipment?
4. What is your prior fish keeping experience?

Let's start with the "pre-aquarium" information. Then we can safely start talking about stocking.

[the fox]

1 i am willing to keep a 500liter tank.
2 No i do not really know what to do.
3 I not sure about the money.
4 But experience is on my side.
Ok when you put it out like that i do think its a great idea
but hell let me still dream about it.
So what would work?

[gm72]

Okay, so we're talking about a 132 gallon tank for those of us here in the states. For a tank that size I would recommend both a canister filter as well as a supplemental HOB filter. Maybe an Eheim 2028 as well as an Aquaclear 110. Around $350 maybe, give or take.

You really still need to determine the types of fish you want. If you want oscars as the primary fish, then we need to work with that first and foremost. The arowana is totally out of the question.

So, for our next step, you need to choose which fish you primarily want so that we can then calculate two things. 1: How many of the primary fish can you keep in your tank? 2: What other tankmates are compatible.

[the fox]

hello

first please give me a link or something about the filers because i have no clue what your talk about.
I already have young oscars which are rapidly growing out of thier tank so i was thinking oscars, firemouths, jack dempseys, green terrors, iridescent sharks, silver dollars, silver bala sharks and mabye a few more cats.

[gm72]

Hmm, okay, I thought you indicated you have some experience, but okay.

Eheim 2028:
http://www.eheim.com/pro2.htm

Aquaclear 110:
http://www.hagen.com/usa/aquatic/product.cfm?CAT=1&SUBCAT=107&PROD_ID=01006200020101

Your stocking suggestions are...a bit...lofty. In a 135 gallon tank you could have 2 oscars, 3 oscars maximum, and not much else. Period. They are very dirty fish, get very large, and are quite aggressive.

[the fox]

hello
ok about the filters in the SA the filter are a bit differant but it turns out that i have a aqua clear 200.
And then what other fish can i get.

[gm72]

Well we still need to determine what your primary desire is. What fish do you REALLY want to keep, then we can establish your stocking around that particular fish.

[the fox]

oscars


sorry it has to be 10 characters

[gm72]

Okay, now let's go with that. You could keep one oscar and build around that. 135 is, as I think would be the consensus with oscar keepers, almost too small for 2 oscars. I think you'd be better off keeping a single oscar. Then add maybe 2 jack dempseys?

[the fox]

Im sorry but you want me to have a tank that cost me 350 bucks that has 3 fish in it! are you crazy!:18:

[harvey]

Sorry fox, but gm72 is absolutely correct. I have oscars....too many and tank needs upgrading. But I didn't know this when I got them. Actually they were my childs and I inherited them. Please note. If you want more than a couple of fish....go with something other than oscars. Just run to the LFS everytime you get a craving for oscars and look at theirs.
You will be fine, just ask when you have questions. Everyone here is helpful. Do cycle your tank before fish though.

[gm72]

Im sorry but you want me to have a tank that cost me 350 bucks that has 3 fish in it! are you crazy!:18:

Not crazy, but realistic. If you aren't willing to keep a large tank you can't have large, dirty fish like the oscar. Period. If you aren't willing to make the accommodations for the fish you want then you need to move on to another primary stocking choice.

You need to research your fish before even considering keeping them.

[the fox]

Well sorry then its just not worth it.

[Lady Hobbs]

If you want to consider fish that become monsters, then you can only have a couple of them in a large tank. If you want several fish in a tank, then go with community fish or smaller cichlids and leave the big boys alone. Several fish crammed into a tank too small is like 50 people living in an elevator their whole lives.

But I am also confused. Do you have oscars yet or planning to get them because in another thread you wrote you have "trained" oscars but this post doesn't sound as they have been purchased yet.

[the fox]

Sorry but I will leave you to be confused.

[gm72]

We're done here, then.