Large Tank Stocking

[HMarcks]

Hi everyone!
Got my lights fixed on my 125 gal community and am now looking to restock and get a more cohesive mix of fish. The lights are making my existing cardinal tetras look great. Having trouble figuring out stocking on this large of a tank. I have two Eheim Ecco for 80 gal each on it.
So my initial wants was Angelfish with large group of good schoaling fish and another of schooling but calmer. Trying to add some surface and bottom fish in decent numbers and variety. Just having a little trouble with the number ie. I can only find that you should have 1 male dwarf gourami cause they fight but I am guessing with all the room I could have more...?
Here's the numbers and fish I was playing with. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Top:
Dwarf Gourami- 9 (3M different colors, 6F)
Thread fin Rainbow- 10 (5M, 5F)

Mid:
Angelfish- 7 (different color varients)
Cardinal Tetra- 75
Rummy Nose- 75

Bottom:
Zebra Loaches- 5
Panda Cory- 10
Dwarf chain loach- 5

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Overall it looks like a good plan. It may be a bit heavy on stocking but that depends on your maintenance schedule and how heavily planted it is.

You should have room/decor to have some different territories for the dwarf gouramis, but combined with a good number of angels it may be a bit iffy (esp. once the angels pair off and spawn). I think it would work but I also think that it might not really be a relaxed tank as there will likely be frequent spats. There should be enough different territories and broken up line of sight that they can mostly avoid each other though, so you may be fine. I've never had near that much space to play with or watch interactions in - maybe someone with large community experience can chime in too.

Have you considered Pearl gouramis? They are a bit more sociable than most other gouramis, and both the males and females have good color. The 6 female dwarf gouramis may be a bit drab amongst all the more colorful characters. Though maybe that'll make them stand out in a way.

If it were me, I'd up the number of cories as I feel like 10 smaller sized cories are going to get lost in a big tank like that. I would also start with just one large school (cardinals) and everything else, so you can get a feel for how it looks. And if it still looks like you have plenty of room to fill, then get the second school too (rummys).

 

[HMarcks]

Thanks I wasn't to sure on the Gouramis since I have no experiance with them. The Pearl Gouramis get a bit bigger then the dwarf, would you suggest reducing the total number to 5 or so?
Right now I have 4 angels and much smaller schools of cardinals and rummys and random stuff I will need to find homes for. I have the tank kind of broken up into 3 segments with driftwood and plants. So far everyone's happy but maybe I could add some more segments with plants off the corners if needed.
Do you think I should look into a larger Cory or just more pandas? I think they are all pretty cute so I could be flexible, maybe the green Cory's they look pretty neat.
I like the idea of doing one school at a time just in case, thanks. I am always disappointed with the size of my schools I end up buying whatever they have in stock and it never seems like enough in all that water. But I think the most I've had at once is maybe 50.
Also in general I want the tank to look interesting as it it the centerpiece of my living room and it is constantly being out shown by my tiny 12g salt in the corner. That being said do you think this may be too much int the interesting department and leaning towards a busy mess?

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Thanks I wasn't to sure on the Gouramis since I have no experiance with them. The Pearl Gouramis get a bit bigger then the dwarf, would you suggest reducing the total number to 5 or so?

A harem of pearls would be pretty awesome. The males have a red chest and a bit longer fins but otherwise both genders look similar. You should be fine with a few males in that size tank. Should be a good contrast to the angels. Like I said I haven't had a big tank like that so you would have to see what looks good numberwise. Mine used to "touch" things with her feelers.

Do you think I should look into a larger Cory or just more pandas? I think they are all pretty cute so I could be flexible, maybe the green Cory's they look pretty neat.

I would do a large group of one type of cories, in addition to the loaches. Pandas are adorable and the white should show off nicely. If you mean the green brochis ones, (those are actually not a cory) they are pretty timid and probably won't be as visible as most other types of cories. Though they do get bigger.

Also in general I want the tank to look interesting as it it the centerpiece of my living room and it is constantly being out shown by my tiny 12g salt in the corner.

I think a healthy planted tank rivals many reefs. Angels in particular are always a hit with the fish-savvy and non-fish-savvy alike. Just a graceful, attention catching fish.

That being said do you think this may be too much in the interesting department and leaning towards a busy mess?

I think it will be an interesting tank - with a second LARGE school of rummys it may go more towards being busy, that's why if it were me I'd see how it looked with one school first.

Personally I think having the small number of threadfin rainbows will add something that's a bit of a different swimming style from the schools of tetras and the angels so I like that idea.

 

[Newman]

if you want a planted tank it's a good idea to start with clean up fish that will take care of both left over food and algae problems. a school of SAEs are a must for large planted tanks imo. they eat all varieties of algae including the dreaded BBA. they keep the tank very clean. add a bristlenose pleco, maybe some black mollies, about 5 yoyo loaches or similar snail eating loach, and some cory catfish and your cleanup crew should be complete.
The rest should go toward the angelfish or w/e other centerpiece fish you choose and the school of dithers.

 

[HMarcks]

Thanks for the reminder Newman good points. It's already an established planted tank with a good clean up crew as that was my initial goal with it years ago. Now that I've had it a few years a have an unattractive mix of fish and want to get it right.

I have two huge Siamese Algae Eaters that I have had since my 60 gal, people say they don't do their job when they get big but my lack of hair like algae a begs to differ. They are by far the biggest fish in my tanks right now, yet I hardly ever see them. I will make sure not to get rid of them, though I consider it every time I see their hulking forms.

I also have a million Bristle Nose Plecos thanks to a family member dumping their females on me when I had two males already. So I will need to get rid of most of those but I guess I'll leave a couple per your suggestion.

I also have a small group, maybe 4, of zebra and some other similar sized loach that I figure I would just leave alone. But they definitely need some help with the snails, too many for them to eat. As well as two each of panda, peppered, and some other smallish Cory. I love them but think I would rather it be more cohesive like Caps said with a larger group of one kind.

I completely agree that a good planted tank can be better mine just hasn't been lately. Thanks for the suggestions. I'm going to pour over all this, take a good inventory of what I have and what I want/need.

 

[HMarcks]

While taking inventory this guy showed up he was another drop off by a family member. Don't know what he is or if I should keep him, like him though, call him Old Man Fish cause that's what his face reminds me of. Suggestions?

Also the angels posed together I need 3 more colors. Any suggestions there?

 

[Newman]

looks like some species of whiptail catfish.

you'll want a black angel and maybe an original zebra pattern. a koi or blue angel might be nice too.

 

[OrangeCones]

Looks like Sturisoma festivum.