Hi - brand new member to the forum and to Africans and wanted advice on stocking expectations pertaining to suppliers. Expecting delivery of 185 gal in a few weeks and will set it up in my workplace office as an all male peacock/haps tank. Also plan to "pre-stock" with 3 or 4 clown loaches and maybe a pleco and let them settle in first. I'm thinking 30-35 male peacocks/haps as a final number of mature fish. Tank is 30" tall, with external overflow to large sump and just a painted background so there should be lots of open space.
Ideally, I would like to stock all 30-35 at once, as all male juveniles (2 1/2" give or take) with as wide a variety as possible (no more than 2 of any specific fish). While looking at the various suppliers' websites, I can't seem to find one that has that kind of guaranteed male juvenile inventory - at least all at once. I'd love feedback on if I should go with multiple suppliers and stock all at once, or go with one supplier and stock in batches. Or, if you know of a supplier who could fill my ideal order!
Am I fooling myself thinking suppliers can guarantee gender at say 90% accuracy at this size? Cost is not my main concern but it is always a concern. Would i be better off ordering 70 un-sexed all at once (which seems doable from many suppliers), pay about the same as 35 guaranteed 2 1/2" males, hope for the best and eventually remove the females? Total **** shoot? Will I end up wit a 50/50 male female mix, or would the males be somehow weeded out by the supplier and i'd end up with a 25/75 male to female mix?
Thanks - and I'm jumping out of my skin waiting for this tank to get here!
Ideally, I would like to stock all 30-35 at once, as all male juveniles (2 1/2" give or take) with as wide a variety as possible (no more than 2 of any specific fish). While looking at the various suppliers' websites, I can't seem to find one that has that kind of guaranteed male juvenile inventory - at least all at once. I'd love feedback on if I should go with multiple suppliers and stock all at once, or go with one supplier and stock in batches. Or, if you know of a supplier who could fill my ideal order!
Am I fooling myself thinking suppliers can guarantee gender at say 90% accuracy at this size? Cost is not my main concern but it is always a concern. Would i be better off ordering 70 un-sexed all at once (which seems doable from many suppliers), pay about the same as 35 guaranteed 2 1/2" males, hope for the best and eventually remove the females? Total **** shoot? Will I end up wit a 50/50 male female mix, or would the males be somehow weeded out by the supplier and i'd end up with a 25/75 male to female mix?
Thanks - and I'm jumping out of my skin waiting for this tank to get here!