135 stocking question

[blkrob]

I have a heavily planted 135 tank. I currently have 6 rams, 3 emepror tetra's, 3 SEA and 6 oto's.

I want to add 30 to 50 rummy noses and 6 discus. This doesn't seem like a problem to me. Does anyone else have a thought?

Thanks in advance for any and all replies.
Robert

[reddragon1977]

the discus alone would be enough to fill you bioload with your current stock. Or if you like the schooling effect stick to the rummy's (might chase the rams though). both might be to much for your tank and throw your carefully ballance tank out of wack. If we are voting i would have to say discus alone

[newshound]

I'd go with large school of Rummies...large schools are so cool.

[lauraleellbp]

IMO as long as you keep up with your PWC you should be fine.

Breeding rams might chase rummies, but I doubt rummies would chase rams?

[blkrob]

Thanks Lauralee. I thought I'd be all right. I may move the rams to my 90g, but they are barely noticeable in the tank right now.

I plan on 40% WC every 10 days or so.

I would decrease the discus but I don't have a pair. I also thought 30 neon green tetra's, 30 rummy's and 6 discus. I'd move the everything else to another tank. I got about a week to purchase the discus. Thanks again for the responses.

[fishscale]

I don't think 6 discus in a 135 in addition to what is there now will push the bio load to the limit. Otos might as well not exist, emperor tetras are small fish, and rams are 3-4".

[blkrob]

My Emperor's are the same size as my rams at this time. They all look small to me.

So 6 discus with my current stock. How big a school of tetra's can I pull off with minimal issues?

[lauraleellbp]

I'd say 30-50 small tetras would be fine, as in your original suggestion.

Neons might be OK, but are usually found in cooler water temps than discus. Cardinals would be my first recommendation (but I'm also admittedly biased! LOL)

Do you have any scavengers in there other than algae eaters? Cories would be my first thought... discus can be messy eaters, and do need meaty foods that will foul a tank pretty quickly if not taken care of.

[ingg]

Neons might be OK, but are usually found in cooler water temps than discus. Cardinals would be my first recommendation (but I'm also admittedly biased! LOL)

I thought they were collected from the same areas, warm water blackwater type areas in South America. No?

[lauraleellbp]

In general yes they all come from the Amazon rivers system, but the Amazon system is massive, spans more area than the Mississippi, and neons are more generally found in cooler areas (cooler being a very relative term- I don't think we're talking more than the difference between high 70s versus low to mid 80s).

It may not be that big a deal, though, since commercial discus and neons have often been acclimated to the same temps in the LFS... probably depends more on the actual sources of both fish and what they are used to.