# 150 Gallon Stocking, need opinions



## BJJBlackbelt (Jan 31, 2013)

Have a FX5 and an AC110 on it. Eventually will run 2x FX5's. I prefer overkill.

Going to try and establish some mosses and Floating plants. Roughly 1.5 hiding spots per fish right now and 40% stocked. But as adults it's closer to 130% but that's 2-3 years down the road.

2x L001 plecos at 4-5"

3x Clown loaches at 3"

2x EBJD'S at 2"

1x Red Severum at 3"

If I'm going to add anything, in my mind it has to be soon so they all grow together to prevent future issues.

As you may have guessed I'm going for a colorful mix of fish.

The only thing I want to add is a single 2.5" Banded Leporinus for the yellow and black colouration.

I use a master test kit to monitor my water quality, I do water changes at 20ppm and never let it go any higher.

Am I asking for trouble? I would be 150% stocked as adults. But only about 45% today. I maintain a tropical community that has been over 300% stocked for over a year without issue.

Looking for honest feedback. 

Be mean. Be brutal. Be honest. I'm a big boy and I can handle it.

Thanks!


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Plants will be torn up and maybe even eaten by that stock list.

L-001 get huge fast and are poo machines. They are your messiest fish and might drive you mad with their crap.

Clown loaches need to be in groups of 5+ to thrive. 
They'll most likely be the slowest growing fish in there and could end up as a snack if the ebdj decide to eat them once they've grown. 

Instead of looking into another FX5 look at buying a 2260(2) eheim. 
The FX5 holds 5.9l of media and is really not as good a canister as people say. It's built cheap and doesn't really do a great job. 
I hated mine and couldn't wait to switch them out and when I did I was much happier.
The eheim is built well does a great job and holds 18l of media. 
You'll want the extra capacity for bio media once your fish have grown. 
The flow is awesome out if these things I couldn't imagine what my tank would be like with out them.


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## BJJBlackbelt (Jan 31, 2013)

2 quick things.

The L001 Plecos are only 4-5" and I've had them for months. Approx 6 months, so they're somewhere in the 6-8 month old range. I may need to post pics of them to verify the type of plecos. They were labeled as L001 at big als Hamilton. I too have my doubts.

And secondly I'm just debating on the Banded Leporinus. If I do it, I need to do it soon while they're still young, skittish and accepting of new tank mates. I don't want to be adding any tank mates once their juvi's and beyond.


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## BJJBlackbelt (Jan 31, 2013)

Bailing on the idea of the Banded Leporinus. 

I think it would work. But I read too much about them eating eyeballs and tearing up bala sharks.

I like my EBJD'S and Severum way too much to risk it. The tank stays as is, just gonna let them grow out. If I add anything, it would be more loaches. But 3 seems to work well.


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## Ryan.Wilton (Dec 12, 2012)

I say more than 3 CL's I'd put 5. I don't think you'll need 2 plecos, but hey if you want the excess waste go for it 

No, do not get a leoparanus, I have 1 (it's about 13") pain in my butt. It's killed all sorts of fish, the only thing it's living with peacefully now are my african cichlids. And they're only about 1" each.


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## snaggle (Feb 19, 2010)

I would do 3-5 more clowns, 2 or 3 more Sevs, and a nice school of tetras (Red Blue Columbian) and a pair of BM plecos for algae control.

You will find the Sevs destroy plants almost as fast as you can add them.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

A problem I see is the clowns grow slow, some of the others grow fast and may end up eating the clowns as they outgrow them. Be prepared to move the clowns to another tank if the other fish grow too much faster


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## BJJBlackbelt (Jan 31, 2013)

snaggle said:


> I would do 3-5 more clowns, 2 or 3 more Sevs, and a nice school of tetras (Red Blue Columbian) and a pair of BM plecos for algae control.
> 
> You will find the Sevs destroy plants almost as fast as you can add them.


My problem with adding more is that the 3 are doing really well and that as Adults the tank will be 130% stocked, I'm not looking to be doing 50% water changes twice a week. I'm trying to be responsible this time around.

I had my fun with 4 Breeding pairs of Cichlids, 12 Silver dollars and 2 Common pleco's in the same tank and the 2x per week 50% water changes. I'm gonna be 36 this month...Some days I wanna come home put the kids to bed and get naughty with the wife...not do 4-5x water changes 

I also don't want anything breeding in the tank and getting territorial.

The Severums can eat away, I'll keep adding


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## Ryan.Wilton (Dec 12, 2012)

pyrrolin said:


> A problem I see is the clowns grow slow, some of the others grow fast and may end up eating the clowns as they outgrow them. Be prepared to move the clowns to another tank if the other fish grow too much faster


Eating the clowns? Clownfish have a "switch-blade" bone under their eyes that is razor sharp. They fend for themselves with minimal issues, as well the sevs wont do much to them at all.


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## BJJBlackbelt (Jan 31, 2013)

I will be adding 2-3 more clown loaches in the near future. Although the 3 I have are going great.


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