New to Rope Fish - help on set up

[twentyleagues]

I was going to suggest a 75 overy the 55 just a more usable space I think. But since you are going to upgrade to a 150 then get the 55. Depending on the 150 you could even use the 55 for a sump if the 150 is drilled. I'd oversize your filtration keep in mind you could always use it on the 150.
As for dither/mid level fish if you like barbs look into filamented barbs get good size and are incredibly active and really a stunning fish in person. Like said deeper body tetras would be good. I started my 180 with 6 black skirt tetras 5 are still here. I don't really know where 6 went but my guess is one of my dels was quicker. It's always possible with polys that someone smaller is going to become lunch but most upper jaws are pretty good. Ljs are anything goes so stocking with them is harder.
Ctenapoma acutirostre (leopard leaf fish) are a great fish once again gotta watch the size of some of the smaller fish but they are so cool. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...AO4QFgiNATAW&usg=AOvVaw2JMxxGGlYRZM1qJJGTOq8y.
Rainbows would be a pretty good dither also. I know discus are really tempting but they are so "finicky" they really need to be the center of attention in a tank. Rams would be cool but I think you could get alot more bang for the buck with tetras or barbs.
Get your 55 and your ropes and start thinking about your 150. Work on training your ropes like mags did. Then when you get your 150 you'll have your super well trained ropes and they can show the rest the way. (I was gonna say ropes lol)

 

[twentyleagues]

Gourami are not a group fish. You might get 2 pair in your 150 but for me not the "wow" fish I'd pick. Not with polys and rope center stage anyway.....

 

[bottomdweller72]

OK so if you're going to get the 150 at the middle to end of next year, that helps. The problem is, can your 55 handle the bioload of the growing fish? I think in a 150 I'd be temped to get 3-6 ropes and 3-4 bichirs. Or you could do something like 3 ropes, 3 bichirs and something like a black ghost or an african brown knife.

The cories.... I'm a little worried about them an the bichirs. I don't think a rope will go for them but a bichir might, and it might be deadly for both of them due to the spines on the cories fins. :/ Maybe someone else can chime in on that one.


Sunburst Peacock Cic.
Demasoni Cic.

Both of these like higher pH levels. What is your pH?​

Angel Ram Cic. -

Had to google, I thought you were mixing Angelfish and Rams. These are balloon rams and are made by inbreeding a lot. They are probably not going to be long-lived. If you like these guys though, you could consider a large group of Bolivian Rams, however the Dwarf Cichlids like the bottom areas of the tank, too.​

Discus.

I think Discus are amazing and a group of them would be beautiful. They require very clean water, and a lot of research to do right, though. To have them be lower maintenance you'd want to get larger fish to start with vs. growing out small fish as the small guys require more feeding, are messy and require several water changes per week from what I understand. Larger discus are expensive. It's worth looking into, but they are not a fish to get into without doing a ton of reading and asking first.​

Red Fire Gourami
Pearl Gourami
Platinum Gourami

Gouramis are pretty, but I don't have a lot of exp. with them. I don't think you could keep a large group though - aren't they aggressive toward each other? I would personally look for a larger fish or a fish that you could keep in larger schools if you are talking about your 150. But if you did these guys with other mid-level fish that might be interesting.​

Boesemani Rainbow

I like rainbows as dither fish, and there are a lot of really beautiful color variations. They are also active. But I don't have any direct experience with them.​

Green Spotted Puffer (still tossed on this one)

These guys need a brackish setup.​

As far as the peaceful community fish option - a large group of deep bodied tetras would be cool, but I'd personally want something else in addition to that for personality, whether that was a cichlid(s), the Ctenopoma, or something else.... I'll think more on it and I bet others will chime in too.

White-tipped tetras are attractive, deep bodied, and hang out together. I've had them before and liked them a lot.

What about Rainbow Cichlids or Severums?

i won't do a full load in the 55. i do want to get at least 2 more ropes though so she has buddies. hoping to do 2 bichirs to get the feel of them and get them all used to eachother, but if that is too much, i can wait until the 150 goes up.

so far, as it stands, the cory's and rope ignore eachother. the rope sees them and goes in a different direction. the cory's see the rope and just keep going as if she isn't even in the tank, they seriously just pay no mind to anything in the tank. the 3 piggies are a tight group that are completely oblivious to thers. but i will heed about the bichirs with them. I will keep them in the 10 gal until the bichirs go into the 150. then i will move the cory's to the 55. last time i did a semi-aggressive tank, i had tiger barbs and clown loaches along with a variety of cory's. i had something else too but i cannot remember for the life of me what it was.

i think what i am envisioning is a good sized single "oh wow look at that fish" in the 150, then a little community dithering. probably won't work though. i seen someone on one of the poly threads with a big fish named hulk in with bichers, i can't find it now but it was a "oh wow" fish lol i will look up the rainbow cic and the severvums in a bit. i need to get nourishment now.

 

[bottomdweller72]

Gourami are not a group fish. You might get 2 pair in your 150 but for me not the "wow" fish I'd pick. Not with polys and rope center stage anyway.....

no, i wans't looking at them as group fish. i am trying to find that "wow" fish to put in with the bichir and rope. but like i said, i like how the ones i listed look, but size and temperament were unclear if they would work. if i can do a school of dithers that won't get eating by the bottom dwellers or the mid level, i would enjoy that for the extra activity during the day. but i can toss that idea out easily as well.

 

[clm08k]

OK so if you're going to get the 150 at the middle to end of next year, that helps. The problem is, can your 55 handle the bioload of the growing fish? I think in a 150 I'd be temped to get 3-6 ropes and 3-4 bichirs. Or you could do something like 3 ropes, 3 bichirs and something like a black ghost or an african brown knife.

The cories.... I'm a little worried about them an the bichirs. I don't think a rope will go for them but a bichir might, and it might be deadly for both of them due to the spines on the cories fins. :/ Maybe someone else can chime in on that one.


Sunburst Peacock Cic.
Demasoni Cic.

Both of these like higher pH levels. What is your pH?​

Angel Ram Cic. -

Had to google, I thought you were mixing Angelfish and Rams. These are balloon rams and are made by inbreeding a lot. They are probably not going to be long-lived. If you like these guys though, you could consider a large group of Bolivian Rams, however the Dwarf Cichlids like the bottom areas of the tank, too.​

Discus.

I think Discus are amazing and a group of them would be beautiful. They require very clean water, and a lot of research to do right, though. To have them be lower maintenance you'd want to get larger fish to start with vs. growing out small fish as the small guys require more feeding, are messy and require several water changes per week from what I understand. Larger discus are expensive. It's worth looking into, but they are not a fish to get into without doing a ton of reading and asking first.​

Red Fire Gourami
Pearl Gourami
Platinum Gourami

Gouramis are pretty, but I don't have a lot of exp. with them. I don't think you could keep a large group though - aren't they aggressive toward each other? I would personally look for a larger fish or a fish that you could keep in larger schools if you are talking about your 150. But if you did these guys with other mid-level fish that might be interesting.​

Boesemani Rainbow

I like rainbows as dither fish, and there are a lot of really beautiful color variations. They are also active. But I don't have any direct experience with them.​

Green Spotted Puffer (still tossed on this one)

These guys need a brackish setup.​

As far as the peaceful community fish option - a large group of deep bodied tetras would be cool, but I'd personally want something else in addition to that for personality, whether that was a cichlid(s), the Ctenopoma, or something else.... I'll think more on it and I bet others will chime in too.

White-tipped tetras are attractive, deep bodied, and hang out together. I've had them before and liked them a lot.

What about Rainbow Cichlids or Severums?

+1 no to the green spotted puffers....at least in the same tank.
Green spotted puffers require brackish. Although they can also be converted to full salt water set ups.

no, i wans't looking at them as group fish. i am trying to find that "wow" fish to put in with the bichir and rope. but like i said, i like how the ones i listed look, but size and temperament were unclear if they would work. if i can do a school of dithers that won't get eating by the bottom dwellers or the mid level, i would enjoy that for the extra activity during the day. but i can toss that idea out easily as well.

Been reading your thread. Very excited for you to begin your bichir and rope fish journey! Everyone on the site is really helpful. Definitely keep asking questions! There's no such thing as too much knowledge.

would hold off on the ornate while you have the 55g. As T thefredpit mentioned, they can be more aggressive than some of the other upper jaw polys. Also they grow really fast. Next thing you know you have a 12 inch-still growing ornate in your tank.

I think having some dithers would be a great addition to your tank. If that's the route you want to go. Keeps the activity level in the tank moving. Sometimes bichirs aren't too active, so it is nice to see fish swimming in the tank. Plus when they do swim, the polys are the showpieces. Currently I have giant danios and congo tetras. Kinda like the rainbow fish idea. There are a lot of colors: turquoise, millennium, red, bosemani....and they might add that interest that you are looking for. Haven't kept them personally though. Don't know if I've seen many people do discus with polys......I know discus require an acidic pH, if your pH isn't naturally low at 5 or so, would ditch this option. Also I know they can be picky eaters, although I haven't kept them, but have always wanted to.

Just don't do 1-2" green tiger barbs. All mine got eaten during the first 24 hours haha.

I know a few members have had some good experiences with ctenos. Also redspotted severums might interest you.

 

[bottomdweller72]

clm08k i actually considered the green puffers because they are listed as freshwater on multiple sites and found mentioned that they tolerate brackish. so thanks to those that clarified that.

ya, i want a wow fish that will be the sole one. sort of the "other white meat" concept, when the ropes and bichirs aren't active, i still have that other beauty moving around saying "look at me" lol ropes are nocturnal, although my Beamer is pretty active during the day, bu t usually in the mornings until around noon then again mid evening. but at night, she is out and about.

one of the big points of a fishtank in my bedroom, i can peacefully relax to them on the often many nights i can't sleep because of my ptsd. the 55 will be in my room, once i get the 150 going in my living room next summer/winter. dithers are very helping at all hours of the day and night, as long as i can safely have them with carnivorous bottom dwellers. i do prefer my mid level fish to be colorful though too. diamond tetras, not a very big fish, looks plain at first sight but is quite eye catching when they move around, they sparkle under the lights

ah yes, my ph, i forgot to answer that earlier, i think magpie asked me about that. I run more alk in my tank, just how it naturally is, i think because of our water here. i try to lower it down but nope. it runs at about 7.8-8.1, depends when i do it, but it is fairly stable, i just am not stable on when i do it. since it pretty much stays in that range, i don't test it weekly like i do the other things. so, ya, discus are definitely out!

awe man that stinks about the green tiger barbs now that i have been educated on a grow out tank, i can probably do them at that size, but put them in my 10 gal until they are big enough to go with the ropes and bichirs. if not, i will just do them when i turn the 55 into the semi-aggressive tank after the 150 is set. i love tiger barbs, so i will have them again one way or the other lol

ah yes, the severums, i keep forgetting to look those up. thanks for that reminder and thanks for your input, it is appreciated

 

[bottomdweller72]

question on rope behavior. i got some plants in the tank, pond grass type stuff, since ropes live in a river with reeds, i thought it was the closest i could do at the moment. she is quite happy with the plants being in there and has become a bit more active, weaving in and out of the blades and going through the roots (tall roots, i left them partially exposed for the purpose of her playing). but i have noticed a behavior i didn't see before the plants.

she loves to just go in circles, sliding her body through the blades of the plant, around and around and around. like a hoolahoop type figure. it didn't even look like she was righting herself on the way up, just swimming upside down at the top loop and then upside right at the bottom of the loop. is this normal behavior? it is quite beautiful to watch really, not fast, just a slow elegant playful hoop. just want to make sure it is normal and i just never seen it because she had no plants to play in like that.

 

[Hendre]

ok, my list of mid swimmers thus far... most i really like the colors of, but am unsure if their size/aggressiveness would be an issue. i kinda only want 1 good size mid level but willing to do several smaller as long as it doesn't kill the bio-load with the rest of the crew already planned to be in there (i can leave out the cory's and pleco for now if need be until the 55 is free again after i get the 150 but i really want to keep them all together.)

Sunburst Peacock Cic.
Red Fire Gourami
Pearl Gourami
Boesemani Rainbow
Demasoni Cic.
Angel Ram Cic.
Platinum Gourami
Green Spotted Puffer (still tossed on this one)
or a variety of Discus.

Basically i would like a bright colored mid level to give the tank some color when the bottom dwellers are well, at the bottom resting.

in the tank will be ropes, bichers, cory's, bn... so the mid level needs to be able to handle the very active piggies and not eat them or anything else for that matter. i see the term aggressive on a fish and envision my mind freaks out a little. or would a school of peaceful communities do better? i can do diamond tetra's and black phantoms along with some red wag swords if the bichers or ropes won't eat them. the diamonds are listed as peaceful community but they can be slightly aggressive, more on their own kind in my own experience.

A friend breeds discus, those are work be warned! I wouldn't mix them, completely different needs unfortunately

Awesome stuff on the rope, they are like pringles can't stop at one

Low tech tanks are easy to do, while injected co2 can really bump growth you'd need fertilisers and lighting to match which can be complicated to set up and balance. Rather try flourish, low light and root tabs to give any substrate plants a good boost. Polys really love plants, my 2 sens appreciate the jungle I have tried making for them. A good amount of wood doesn't hurt either!

Mighty Wizard made good suggestions! I have a lot of plants he listed and man my polys love it, ropes probably even more so. The sens love dancing in the plants


I'd also suggest having an open area, for feeding and checking up on your fish. It helped me when I dealt with bichir worms, I could check progress easily when they were chowing. I think this will apply for ropefish too

Hope this helps

 

[Hendre]

question on rope behavior. i got some plants in the tank, pond grass type stuff, since ropes live in a river with reeds, i thought it was the closest i could do at the moment. she is quite happy with the plants being in there and has become a bit more active, weaving in and out of the blades and going through the roots (tall roots, i left them partially exposed for the purpose of her playing). but i have noticed a behavior i didn't see before the plants.

she loves to just go in circles, sliding her body through the blades of the plant, around and around and around. like a hoolahoop type figure. it didn't even look like she was righting herself on the way up, just swimming upside down at the top loop and then upside right at the bottom of the loop. is this normal behavior? it is quite beautiful to watch really, not fast, just a slow elegant playful hoop. just want to make sure it is normal and i just never seen it because she had no plants to play in like that.

Sounds pretty amusing, I think it's just exploring and enjoying it's plants

 

[magpie]

Can you take a video?