Debating fish again. 75g tank, non-planted...help me decide

[Nubster]

Oscars are super cool. If I had that kinda money, I'd do a huge Oscar tank.

[Neatfish]

No plants? I would get some cichlids use to have some red zebras they look pretty cool.

[creekbottom]

Lots and lots of driftwood, then you cover it with java fern, moss, anubias, plant some cool looking crypts. Then you just come back to watch the fish! Plecos, and schools of rainbowfish!

[HybridHerp]

look at my 75....I have 2 bichirs in there.

you could always try rope fish as well......tell us what you want as far as fish go, and I can help you out. I was a fish only person for far longer than I've been a planted tank person. and it was mostly oddballs and cichlids.

[Nubster]

That's the thing. Not sure what I want. I love oddballs but they either get too big or have to be housed separately or with limited other fish. I've had bichirs before. Awesome fish. I'd consider getting them again, I don't want the common brown one though. Maybe a Delhezi since they have some pattern and coloration but stay small enough to be housed in a 75g for life. But I'd like to find some suitable tank mates too if I went that route. I don't want just a handful of bichirs in the tank, I'd like some variety.

I thought maybe a Bolivian Ram community tank too. Maybe 5 rams and a bunch of tetras/barbs and cory cats. Or, maybe if the rams would work with the bichirs, that might be an idea. I think that the rams max out at around 4" or so, that might be big enough to not be looked at as food. I'll have to research that some. Butterfly fish are cool too and work with bichirs...maybe some Spotted African Leaf Fish (Ctenopoma)...bichirs, leaf fish, butterflies, get an african theme going...I don't know.

[Neatfish]

Discus is what you really want.

[Nubster]

Aren't they kinda of an advanced fish to keep? If so, not interested. I'd really like something that is pretty easy to keep. Feed them, change their water weekly/bi-weekly, go about my day. I don't want to have to mess with water chemistry, fertilizers, CO2, all that jazz. I do love the way discus look though. Would they even work in a 75g tank? I always thought they needed larger. I've never looked into them though so my knowledge about them, as you can tell, is pretty much zero.

[Alaskan Fishface]

A tank full of colorful Rainbows

[Nubster]

I do like the idea of some color. Bichirs, leaf fish, and buttlerfiles would be pretty drab.

[HybridHerp]

I mean, you could satisfy both worlds and do a ropefish with larger rainbow species. Smaller albino sens would also work, but I think ropes would be nicer.

[driftwoodhunter]

I'm interested to see what you end up doing - my next tank (maybe both my next tanks) aren't going to be planted either. I love rocks and driftwood, so I'll be focusing on those along with column feeders such as anubias, needle (or narrow) leaf java fern, and pennywort as a floater like I use it now. Black Diamond substrate. Easy-peasy, low tech/low light.

[Nubster]

Originally Posted by HybridHerp

I mean, you could satisfy both worlds and do a ropefish with larger rainbow species. Smaller albino sens would also work, but I think ropes would be nicer.

Nah, rope fish aren't anything I'd be interested. If I was going to do a bichir, I'll do a real bichir. I had an albino sen and a brown one...both cool, but I'd rather have something nicer if I go that route. I'm leaning towards the African theme with bichirs, butterflies, and leaf fish. But I'd like to see if there's a way to add a splash of color in there too. Maybe a non-aggressive cichlid? Or a school of some sort of tetras/barbs, even knowing there will be losses. Something cheap and that can be easily replaced.

[Nubster]

Originally Posted by driftwoodhunter

I'm interested to see what you end up doing - my next tank (maybe both my next tanks) aren't going to be planted either. I love rocks and driftwood, so I'll be focusing on those along with column feeders such as anubias, needle (or narrow) leaf java fern, and pennywort as a floater like I use it now. Black Diamond substrate. Easy-peasy, low tech/low light.

Same here. I'd probably still end up with some sort of plants. But nothing that needs ferts, special lighting, or CO2.

[HybridHerp]

Look at my 75 lol
Lots of cichlid options
And you can even plant if you wanted

[Nubster]

Originally Posted by HybridHerp

Look at my 75 lol
Lots of cichlid options
And you can even plant if you wanted

I actually did read your whole thread. I didn't pay attention to the particular fish you had other than the bichirs and angels, which are a million percent NO for my tank. The angels that is.

I'll revisit and see what else you have in there and see if anything peaks my interest.