90-120 gallons fishtank stocking ideas - What fish for big tanks until 120 gallons?
We have already shown you how to set up and start an aquarium in our large guide. Now it's finally time to stock up your 90-120 gallons fishtank! It was a good choice to choose such a large tank, because with a length of 1.2 meters - 1.5 meters and a height of over 65 centimeters you can offer space for many different, exciting aquarium fish combinations and can surely make another aquaristic dream come true, e.g. a very large group of tetras. Some aquarists will surely ask why I describe examples of the significantly shorter 90 gallon tanks with the 120 gallon tanks in one article: this is quite simply due to the height of 65 centimetres, which permits exactly the same stocking in reduced quantity, of course.
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A 90-120 gallons aquarium is very forgiving to most of the beginners mistakes, like a lack of water hygiene (too rare a water change), overfeeding or a too big addition of fertilizer very well thanks to its size. Furthermore it offers a lot of comfort: so for example you can easily put frozen food dices directly into the tank without having to free them from coarse dirt/phosphate before, you do not have to dose food precisly or only change the water every two weeks (nevertheless it is recommended to do this on a weekly basis!). In the following article we show you many different, harmonious stocking ideas for the 90-120 gallons fishtank!
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Fish for 90 gal to 120 gal fishtanks at a glance
Thanks to the large height of 65 centimetres fishtanks between 90 and 120 gallons can be occupied with almost all aquarium fish and invertebrates available in the pet shop. Furthermore, thanks to the length of 1.2 - 1.5 meters you can use a large amount of ornamental fish and make great combinations of fish, invertebrates and also decorations such as plants and roots. Below is a small overview of species that you can keep in the 90-120 gal aquarium.
- Discus and Scalare
- Cichlids
- Common tetra species: neon tetras or Rummy-nose tetra
- Different catfish
- Loaches: Black-lined Loach or dwarf loaches
- rainbow fish
- Barbs: Fiveband barbs, tiger barbs or Odessa barbs
- gourami
- Shrimp
- and many more species that we show you in the following article
South America fishtank stocking ideas for 90-120 gallons tanks
South america: discustank
The eye-catcher:
- 6-8 Discus fish (Symphysodon aequifasciatus): These are available in countless colour variations, which are all suitable for the 90-120 gallons fishtank.
Additional Stocking: 1-2m-2-3w dwarf cichlids (harem keeping):
- Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid (Apistogramma agassizii) or
- cockatoo dwarf cichlid (Apistogramma cacatuoides) or
- red strip cichlid (Apistogramma hongsloi) or
- Tefe-Agassizii (Apistogramma agassizii 'Tefe')
Or 2-3 pairs of dwarf cichlids (in pairs):
- Bolivian. ram (microgeophagus altispinosus) or
- yellow convict (Cryptoheros nanoluteus) or
- Rainbow kribs (Pelvicachromis pulcher) or
- Yellow Dwarf Cichlid (Apistogramma borellii)
The swarm: 30-35 animals of one tetra species - one can never guarantee that tetras will not be eaten by the larger discus. Nevertheless you should always purchase the below mentioned tetras as adult "jumbo" animals and set them into the tank some time before the discus. Otherwise the danger of the animals being eaten is far too high.
- Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) or
- Bloodfin tetra (Aphyocharax anisitsi)
- black phantom tetra (Hyphessobrycon megalopterus) or
- black tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) or
- Firehead tetra (Hemigrammus bleheri)
- Serpae tetra (Hyphessobrycon eques) or
- Rosy tetra (Hyphessobrycon rosaceus) or
- Flame tetra (Hyphessobrycon flammeus) or
- Emperor tetra (Nematobrycon palmeri) or
- diamond tetra (Moenkhausia pittieri) or
- Cochu's blue tetra (Boehlkea fredcochui)
- and many more small tetras
On the ground: Catfish, such as
- 12-15 Corydoras Catfish: theses are available in many different variations, e.g.
- Panda Corydoras Catfish or
- Albino Corydoras Catfish or
- Skunk Corydoras Catfish
- and many more
- 1 pair of Starlight Ancistrus, L183 (Ancistrus dolichopterus) or
- 2-3 pairs Bristlenose Catfish (Ancistrus spec.) or
- 12-15 Otocinclus hoppei or
- 1m 2-3w whiptail catfish (Rineloricaria lanceolata) or
- 5-10 Leopard Frog Pleco (L 134) or
- 5-10 zebra pleco (L 46) or
- 5-10 Hypancistrus sp (L 333) or
- 5-8 Queen Arabesque catfish (L 260) or
- 1 Leporacanthicus cf. galaxias (L 240) - Only for the 120 gallons tank with an edge length of at least 150 centimetres!
south america: angelfish
The eyecatcher:
- 6-10 angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare): These are available in many different breeding forms in the zoo shop, which are all suitable for the 90-120 gallons fishtank.
Additional Stocking: 1-2m-2-3w dwarf cichlids (harem keeping):
- Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid (Apistogramma agassizii) or
- cockatoo dwarf cichlid (Apistogramma cacatuoides) or
- red strip cichlid (Apistogramma hongsloi) or
- Tefe-Agassizii (Apistogramma agassizii 'Tefe')
Or 2-3 pairs of dwarf cichlids (in pairs):
- Bolivian. ram (microgeophagus altispinosus) or
- yellow convict (Cryptoheros nanoluteus) or
- Rainbow kribs (Pelvicachromis pulcher) or
- Yellow Dwarf Cichlid (Apistogramma borellii)
The swarm: 30-35 animals of one tetra species - one can never guarantee that tetras will not be eaten by the larger discus. Nevertheless you should always purchase the below mentioned tetras as adult "jumbo" animals and set them into the tank some time before the discus. Otherwise the danger of the animals being eaten is far too high.
- Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) or
- Bloodfin tetra (Aphyocharax anisitsi)
- black phantom tetra (Hyphessobrycon megalopterus) or
- black tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) or
- Firehead tetra (Hemigrammus bleheri)
- Serpae tetra (Hyphessobrycon eques) or
- Rosy tetra (Hyphessobrycon rosaceus) or
- Flame tetra (Hyphessobrycon flammeus) or
- Emperor tetra (Nematobrycon palmeri) or
- diamond tetra (Moenkhausia pittieri) or
- Cochu's blue tetra (Boehlkea fredcochui)
- and many more small tetras
On the ground: Catfish, such as
- 12-15 Corydoras Catfish: theses are available in many different variations, e.g.
- Panda Corydoras Catfish or
- Albino Corydoras Catfish or
- Skunk Corydoras Catfish
- and many more
- 1 pair of Starlight Ancistrus, L183 (Ancistrus dolichopterus) or
- 2-3 pairs Bristlenose Catfish (Ancistrus spec.) or
- 12-15 Otocinclus hoppei or
- 1m 2-3w whiptail catfish (Rineloricaria lanceolata) or
- 5-10 Leopard Frog Pleco (L 134) or
- 5-10 zebra pleco (L 46) or
- 5-10 Hypancistrus sp (L 333) or
- 5-8 Queen Arabesque catfish (L 260) or
- 1 Leporacanthicus cf. galaxias (L 240) - Only for the 120 gallons tank with an edge length of at least 150 centimetres!
southamerica: cichlid tank (kept in pairs)
The Eyecatcher:
- 1-2 pair (m/f) flag cichlid (Mesonauta festivus) or
- 1-2 pair (m/f) Mesonauta insigni (Mesonauta insignis) or
- 1-2 pair (m/f) Blue acara (Aequidens pulcher) or
- 2-3 pair (m/f) Bolivian. ram (microgeophagus altispinosus) or
- 2-3 pair (m/f) yellow convict (Cryptoheros nanoluteus) or
- 2-3 pair (m/f) Rainbow kribs (Pelvicachromis pulcher) or
- 2-3 pair (m/f) Yellow Dwarf Cichlid (Apistogramma borellii
The swarm: 30-35 animals of one tetra species - one can never guarantee that tetras will not be eaten by the larger discus. Nevertheless you should always purchase the below mentioned tetras as adult "jumbo" animals and set them into the tank some time before the discus. Otherwise the danger of the animals being eaten is far too high.
- Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) or
- Bloodfin tetra (Aphyocharax anisitsi)
- black phantom tetra (Hyphessobrycon megalopterus) or
- black tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) or
- Firehead tetra (Hemigrammus bleheri)
- Serpae tetra (Hyphessobrycon eques) or
- Rosy tetra (Hyphessobrycon rosaceus) or
- Flame tetra (Hyphessobrycon flammeus) or
- Emperor tetra (Nematobrycon palmeri) or
- diamond tetra (Moenkhausia pittieri) or
- Cochu's blue tetra (Boehlkea fredcochui)
- and many more small tetras
On the ground: Catfish, such as
- 12-15 Corydoras Catfish: theses are available in many different variations, e.g.
- Panda Corydoras Catfish or
- Albino Corydoras Catfish or
- Skunk Corydoras Catfish
- and many more
- 1 pair of Starlight Ancistrus, L183 (Ancistrus dolichopterus) or
- 2-3 pairs Bristlenose Catfish (Ancistrus spec.) or
- 12-15 Otocinclus hoppei or
- 1m 2-3w whiptail catfish (Rineloricaria lanceolata) or
- 5-10 Leopard Frog Pleco (L 134) or
- 5-10 zebra pleco (L 46) or
- 5-10 Hypancistrus sp (L 333) or
- 5-8 Queen Arabesque catfish (L 260) or
- 1 Leporacanthicus cf. galaxias (L 240) - Only for the 120 gallons tank with an edge length of at least 150 centimetres!
South America: large cichlids (kept in groups)
ATTENTION: The following stocking ideas are only suitable for the large 120 gallons fishtank with a length from 150 centimetres! In addition, the tank urgently needs to be equipped with many clay pipes, roots and large-leaved "perch plants".
The eyecatcher:
- 6x Threadfin acara (Acarichthys heckelii) or
- 6x Geophagus altifrons (Geophagus altifrons) or
- 6x retroculus lapidifer (Retroculus lapidifer) or
- 6x Geophagus argyrostictus (Geophagus argyrostictus)
On the ground: Catfish, such as
- 1 pair of Starlight Ancistrus, L183 (Ancistrus dolichopterus) or
- 2-3 pairs Bristlenose Catfish (Ancistrus spec.) or
- 1m 2-3w whiptail catfish (Rineloricaria lanceolata) or
- 5-10 Leopard Frog Pleco (L 134) or
- 5-10 zebra pleco (L 46) or
- 5-10 Hypancistrus sp (L 333) or
- 5-8 Queen Arabesque catfish (L 260) or
- 1 Leporacanthicus cf. galaxias (L 240) - Only for the 120 gallons tank with an edge length of at least 150 centimetres!
asia fishtank stocking ideas for 90-120 gallons tanks
southeast asia: gourami tank
The eyecatcher:
- 2 pairs of Three spot gourami (Trichopodus trichopterus) or
- 2 pairs of Moonlight gourami (Trichopodus microlepis) or
- 2 pairs of Paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis) or
- 2 pairs of Pearl gourami (Trichopodus leerii) or
- 2 pairs of Thick-lipped Gourami (Trichogaster labiosa) or
- 2-3 pairs of Vaillant's Chocolate Gourami (Sphaerichthys vaillanti) or
- 2-3 pairs of Chocolate gourami (Sphaerichthys osphromenoides)
The swarm: 30-35 animals of a species of Rasboras - The Rasboras should reach a minimum size of 4-5 centimeters, if they are socialized with the larger Gouramis.
- Lambchop rasbora (Trigonostigma espei) or
- Glowlight rasbora (Trigonostigma hengeli) or
- Harlequin rasbora (Trigonostigma heteromorpha) or
- leopard danio (Danio rerio var. Frankei) or
- Zebrafish/Zebra danio (Danio rerio) or
-
Redstripe rasbora (Rasbora pauciperforata) or
-
Eyespot rasbora (Rasbora dorsiocellata) or
- Pearl danio (Danio albolineatus) or
- cherry barb (Puntius titteya) or
- Spotted blue-eye (Pseudomugil gertrudae)
- and many more Rasboras, as long as they reach a size of 4-5 centimetres.
On the ground: 5-6 loaches - in the following a small selection of the species suitable:
- Sucking loach (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri) or
- Sucking Loach gold (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri var. Gold) or
-
Rainbow shark (Epalzeorhynchos frenatum) or
- Red-tailed black shark (Epalzeorhynchos bicolor) or
- Dwarf loach (Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki) or
- black-lined loach (Yasuhikotakia nigrolineata) or
- True Siamese Algae eater (Crossocheilus siamensis) or
Or harness catfish and other catfish
- 1x Chocolate Frogmouth Catfish (Chaca bananensis) or
- 1x Frogmouth Catfish (Chaca chaca)
- 10-12x Glass catfish (Kryptopterus bicirrhis)
Southeast asia: Barbs tank
The eyecatcher: 25-30 barbs - You can also mix different types of barbs in the 90-1290 litre aquarium. For example 12-15x Barbe A and 12-15x Barbe B - The following barbs are suitable for the 1.2-1.5m fishtank:
- Green tiger barb (Puntius cf. tetrazona var. green)
- Checkered barb (Oliotius oligolepis)
- Fiveband barb (Desmopuntius pentazona)
- Melon barb (Haludaria fasciata)
- Odessa barb (Pethia padamya)
- Spanner barb (Puntius lateristriga)
- Tiger barb (Puntius cf. tetrazona)
On the ground: 5-6 loaches - in the following a small selection of the species suitable:
- Sucking loach (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri) or
- Sucking Loach gold (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri var. Gold) or
-
Rainbow shark (Epalzeorhynchos frenatum) or
- Red-tailed black shark (Epalzeorhynchos bicolor) or
- Dwarf loach (Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki) or
- black-lined loach (Yasuhikotakia nigrolineata) or
- True Siamese Algae eater (Crossocheilus siamensis) or
Or harness catfish and other catfish
- 1x Chocolate Frogmouth Catfish (Chaca bananensis) or
- 1x Frogmouth Catfish (Chaca chaca)
- 10-12x Glass catfish (Kryptopterus bicirrhis)
Southeast asia: Snakehead (Channa) tank
The eyecatcher:
- 1 pair of Rainbow Snakehead (Channa bleheri)
The swarm: 20-25 barbs - You can also mix different types of barbs in the 90-1290 litre aquarium. For example 10x Barbe A and 10x Barbe B - The following barbs are suitable for the 1.2-1.5m fishtank:
- Green tiger barb (Puntius cf. tetrazona var. green)
- Checkered barb (Oliotius oligolepis)
- Fiveband barb (Desmopuntius pentazona)
- Melon barb (Haludaria fasciata)
- Odessa barb (Pethia padamya)
- Spanner barb (Puntius lateristriga)
- Tiger barb (Puntius cf. tetrazona)
Community fishtank stocking ideas for 90-120 gallons Aquarium
Community fishtank: Gourami aquarium
The eyecatcher:
- 2 pairs of Three spot gourami (Trichopodus trichopterus) or
- 2 pairs of Moonlight gourami (Trichopodus microlepis) or
- 2 pairs of Paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis) or
- 2 pairs of Pearl gourami (Trichopodus leerii) or
- 2 pairs of Thick-lipped Gourami (Trichogaster labiosa) or
- 2-3 pairs of Vaillant's Chocolate Gourami (Sphaerichthys vaillanti) or
- 2-3 pairs of Chocolate gourami (Sphaerichthys osphromenoides)
The swarm: 30-35 animals of a species of Rasboras/Tetras - The Rasboras/Tetras should reach a minimum size of 4-5 centimeters, if they are socialized with the larger Gouramis.
- Lambchop rasbora (Trigonostigma espei) or
- Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) or
- cherry barb (Puntius titteya) or
- Glowlight rasbora (Trigonostigma hengeli) or
- black tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) or
- Pearl danio (Danio albolineatus) or
- leopard danio (Danio rerio var. Frankei) or
- Zebrafish/Zebra danio (Danio rerio) or
- Firehead tetra (Hemigrammus bleheri)
- Rosy tetra (Hyphessobrycon rosaceus) or
-
Redstripe rasbora (Rasbora pauciperforata) or
- Bloodfin tetra (Aphyocharax anisitsi)
-
Eyespot rasbora (Rasbora dorsiocellata) or
- All other Tetras/Rasboras listed in this Guide and many more.
On the ground: Catfish, such as
- 12-15 Corydoras Catfish: theses are available in many different variations, e.g.
- Panda Corydoras Catfish or
- Albino Corydoras Catfish or
- Skunk Corydoras Catfish
- and many more
- 1 pair of Starlight Ancistrus, L183 (Ancistrus dolichopterus) or
- 12-15 Otocinclus hoppei or
- 1m 2-3w whiptail catfish (Rineloricaria lanceolata) or
- 5-10 Leopard Frog Pleco (L 134) or
- 5-10 zebra pleco (L 46) or
- 5-10 Hypancistrus sp (L 333) or
- 5-8 Queen Arabesque catfish (L 260) or
- 1x Frogmouth Catfish (Chaca chaca)
- 10-12x Glass catfish (Kryptopterus bicirrhis)
or 5-6 loaches - in the following a small selection of the species suitable:
- Sucking loach (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri) or
- Sucking Loach gold (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri var. Gold) or
-
Rainbow shark (Epalzeorhynchos frenatum) or
- Red-tailed black shark (Epalzeorhynchos bicolor) or
- Dwarf loach (Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki) or
- black-lined loach (Yasuhikotakia nigrolineata) or
- True Siamese Algae eater (Crossocheilus siamensis) or
Community fishtank: Barbs/Loach tank
The eyecatcher: 25-30 barbs - You can also mix different types of barbs in the 90-1290 litre aquarium. For example 12-15x Barbe A and 12-15x Barbe B - The following barbs are suitable for the 1.2-1.5m fishtank:
- Green tiger barb (Puntius cf. tetrazona var. green)
- Checkered barb (Oliotius oligolepis)
- Fiveband barb (Desmopuntius pentazona)
- Melon barb (Haludaria fasciata)
- Odessa barb (Pethia padamya)
- Spanner barb (Puntius lateristriga)
- Tiger barb (Puntius cf. tetrazona)
On the ground: 5-6 loaches - in the following a small selection of the species suitable:
- Sucking loach (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri) or
- Sucking Loach gold (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri var. Gold) or
-
Rainbow shark (Epalzeorhynchos frenatum) or
- Red-tailed black shark (Epalzeorhynchos bicolor) or
- Dwarf loach (Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki) or
- black-lined loach (Yasuhikotakia nigrolineata) or
- True Siamese Algae eater (Crossocheilus siamensis) or
Or catfish, such as
- 12-15 Corydoras Catfish: theses are available in many different variations, e.g.
- Panda Corydoras Catfish or
- Albino Corydoras Catfish or
- Skunk Corydoras Catfish
- and many more
- 2-3 pairs Bristlenose Catfish (Ancistrus spec.) or
- 12-15 Otocinclus hoppei or
- 1m 2-3w whiptail catfish (Rineloricaria lanceolata) or
- 5-10 Leopard Frog Pleco (L 134) or
- 5-10 zebra pleco (L 46) or
- 5-10 Hypancistrus sp (L 333) or
- 5-8 Queen Arabesque catfish (L 260) or
- 1x Frogmouth Catfish (Chaca chaca)
- 10-12x Glass catfish (Kryptopterus bicirrhis)
Community fishtank: the cichlid tank
The Eyecatcher:
- 1-2 pair (m/f) flag cichlid (Mesonauta festivus) or
- 1-2 pair (m/f) Mesonauta insigni (Mesonauta insignis) or
- 1-2 pair (m/f) Blue acara (Aequidens pulcher) or
- 2-3 pair (m/f) Bolivian. ram (microgeophagus altispinosus) or
- 2-3 pair (m/f) yellow convict (Cryptoheros nanoluteus) or
- 2-3 pair (m/f) Rainbow kribs (Pelvicachromis pulcher) or
- 2-3 pair (m/f) Yellow Dwarf Cichlid (Apistogramma borellii
The swarm: 30-35 animals of a species of Rasboras/Tetras - The Rasboras/Tetras should reach a minimum size of 4-5 centimeters, if they are socialized with the larger Gouramis.
- Lambchop rasbora (Trigonostigma espei) or
- Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) or
- cherry barb (Puntius titteya) or
- Glowlight rasbora (Trigonostigma hengeli) or
- black tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) or
- Pearl danio (Danio albolineatus) or
- leopard danio (Danio rerio var. Frankei) or
- Zebrafish/Zebra danio (Danio rerio) or
- Firehead tetra (Hemigrammus bleheri)
- Rosy tetra (Hyphessobrycon rosaceus) or
-
Redstripe rasbora (Rasbora pauciperforata) or
- Bloodfin tetra (Aphyocharax anisitsi)
-
Eyespot rasbora (Rasbora dorsiocellata) or
- All other Tetras/Rasboras listed in this Guide and many more.
On the ground: Catfish, such as
- 12-15 Corydoras Catfish: theses are available in many different variations, e.g.
- Panda Corydoras Catfish or
- Albino Corydoras Catfish or
- Skunk Corydoras Catfish
- and many more
- 1 pair of Starlight Ancistrus, L183 (Ancistrus dolichopterus) or
- 12-15 Otocinclus hoppei or
- 1m 2-3w whiptail catfish (Rineloricaria lanceolata) or
- 5-10 Leopard Frog Pleco (L 134) or
- 5-10 zebra pleco (L 46) or
- 5-10 Hypancistrus sp (L 333) or
- 5-8 Queen Arabesque catfish (L 260) or
- 1x Frogmouth Catfish (Chaca chaca)
- 10-12x Glass catfish (Kryptopterus bicirrhis)
or 5-6 loaches - in the following a small selection of the species suitable:
- Sucking loach (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri) or
- Sucking Loach gold (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri var. Gold) or
-
Rainbow shark (Epalzeorhynchos frenatum) or
- Red-tailed black shark (Epalzeorhynchos bicolor) or
- Dwarf loach (Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki) or
- black-lined loach (Yasuhikotakia nigrolineata) or
- True Siamese Algae eater (Crossocheilus siamensis) or
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