I'm setting up a 150l tank for a solitary fish, I want something medium to large-ish

Must be carnivorous and have personality, I'm thinking cichlid of some type, personal hand fed kinda pet. The main reason is because I have a lot of fish (livebearers, big surprise!) That need to be culled out every month and the freezer method just seems a bit wasteful. Free Food is the best food. Off course the fish won't be fed just on live bearers but i thought it would also bring a small amount of primal excitement for my flat. The moments when the large fish eyes up the smaller fish and then BAM! You know what i mean lol

So my question is..... Any suggestions? previous experiences to draw from etc?

Cheers in advance

150l isnt really big enough for most cichlids that are considered 'wet pets' ie. Oscars, GTs, Jags etc..

A butterfly fish, a nandus nandus and a ctenopoma, with some senegal bichirs would be a pretty cool tank to watch with regards to live food - all those fish however arent cheap.

Small eel maybe, like morcs said a school of butterflyfish would be your best bet, bichirs you could get away but do prefer slightly larger tanks once big - albinos in 150L for life I reckon.

You could do a colony of peacocks in a 150L tank Maybe add some dems too..

defently oscars if you want a fish with personality , i had some and when we re arranged the room the fish did nt like it so he re arranged the tank and moved about 40kgs of gravel to one end of the tank also he would not come out unless he liked the person in the room ,like he didnt like my mum and she was like y does it always hide but when i feed him (worms, bloodworms,ox heart, guppys)he practly jumped out of the tank for the food

defently oscars if you want a fish with personality , i had some and when we re arranged the room the fish did nt like it so he re arranged the tank and moved about 40kgs of gravel to one end of the tank also he would not come out unless he liked the person in the room ,like he didnt like my mum and she was like y does it always hide but when i feed him (worms, bloodworms,ox heart, guppys)he practly jumped out of the tank for the food

An oscar in a 150L tank? Yeah they are definitely great at disposing of culls and have personality's but a 150L tank is probably not a good long term home for one

it depends on the length and depth of the tank if it is tall probaly not but if its ling it could be ok

puffers they will eat the fry could go brackish and get fig 8 puffers

it depends on the length and depth of the tank if it is tall probaly not but if its ling it could be ok

Yeah I guess a 120 x 40 x 30cm tank would be fine for an oscar

too small.

Oscars need a lot of space. 4ft is no where near long enough.

are you sure p44 ive seen then living in a 4ft tank happliy

ohh i know chocolate cichlids like an oscar sorta but smaller (still quite big in the scheme of things)

YES IM SURE.

you may have seen them living, but there isn't the slightest chance in hell they were happy.

Think of a big boisterous puppy like fish being pent up in a 4ft tank. its sad.

Minimum of a 5ft long tank, wider is better and the height takes secondary importance. This fish likes swimming, digging and rearranging the tank.

Don't forget that they get big too!

true they didnt seem as active as my im my old 6ft by2ft by 2ft

Minimum tank for an oscar is 55g - or according to most of the guys on the cichlid forum.

4x2x2 is decent for 2 oscars

Minimum tank for an oscar is 55g

55 US gallons = 208.2 litres

55 Imperial gallons = 250 litres

a pair of jewel cichlids!!!!!!!

these things rock, would love to be able to have some again

Will decimate any live fish big enough to fit in their mouth almost as soon as they hit the water and have a great personality and look amazing

a pair of jewel cichlids!!!!!!!

these things rock, would love to be able to have some again

Will decimate any live fish big enough to fit in their mouth almost as soon as they hit the water and have a great personality and look amazing

Realy? i had mine with silvertips, corys & baby kirbs (0.5-1cm) didnt eaven touch them

my jewels were the most agressive fish i have ever owned, started with 7, until the dominant male killed all except one female. would even attack my finger in the water.

Then again id gaven 2 of his brothers & sisters to a friend and his live peacefully in a community tank with lots of tetras etc, wouldnt harm anything

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think an oscar would be unfair to have in a 150l, I was thinking maybe a large freshwater yabbie, something interesting and unusual but can still help me in the circle of life that is culling lol

Cheers