[LittleRhys]

Socolofi
Yellow labs
Acei
Maingano
Synodontis Petricola

As you maybe can tell, I like monomorphic species.

My mother wants a tank that's at least 24" tall, so I'll probably have at least a 90g, if not up into the 100s. What numbers in juveniles would you stock at first to have wiggle room with males and so on? How many catfish? If I were to add one species at a time (due to money constraints or whatever), which one should I start with, and which to end on?

Thanks!

 

[GaFishMan1181]

I would probably get 8 of each with the labs and acei. Possibly 10 each with the socolofi and maingano. If you had to get them one at a time i would do acei, labs, socolofi, and maingano.

 

[JoelRHale]

If you had to get them one at a time i would do acei, labs, socolofi, and maingano.

+1 though I would think labs and acei are interchangeable for the frist spot.

If you deal with one LFS, buy 20 or so of your first one (young labs shouldn't be more than $4). Then wittle your numbers and fish for fish trade for 10-15 of your next species, then trade 10-5 for your next and so on. Most all of those fish will cost a similar amount so it shouldn't be too hard to do that. Definitely get maingano last.

 

[Chunkanese]

That will be an awesome stock. Are those albino soco?

 

[LittleRhys]

That will be an awesome stock. Are those albino soco?

No, they'd be the pale blue ones. The albino ones kind of freak me out.

While I do have a locally owned fish store that I'll be buying fish from, I'm not sure how exactly the trading in plan works. More detail, please?

 

[JoelRHale]

Basically just ask them if they will trade with. If they are cool then they will basically offer you fish for fish trades. So you just buy a bunch of one species watch them for a month or two, figure out what fish you want to keep for your ratios, then catch the others, take them back to the LFS and exchange them for the next species.

As long as your species are closely priced there should be no more money involved in your stocking.

Another way they could do it is for store credit you can put towards your purchases.

 

[brinkles]

Good list!

I have a 150 tall, which is 30". I can't reach the bottom in the back, and I'm tall, so I couldn't recommend a tank over 24" unless you're well over 6' tall!

A shallower but longer tank, if you have a place for it, would be ideal.

 

[DJRansome]

My mother wants a tank that's at least 24" tall

Keep in mind there will be not so many fish in the top of the tank. And it IS a maintenance headache. My tallest tank is 21" and I would not want to go taller.

 

[Floridagirl]

I have a 125T 60x18x25. It is the deepest tank that I would advise to attempt.

The Socolofi and Acei will be similar in color. I would substitute Rusty (I. Spregerae for either), or you could do Cyno Hara, Demasoni, Giant Demasoni, etc.

Lab, Acei, Rusty, Maingano

Many LFS do not want to take in fish that could be diseased and won't trade. I have become friends with many of the owners of my LFS. I've started out giving them fish. I still don't have any avenues to actively trade fish here in the Panhandle of Fla. I've been told it is not legal for them to take fish back for resale, but I really don't know.

HTH.