6'x30"x18" botttom feeder tank stock idea

[reddead38]

I have a 150gal wide tank that runs a 25gal drip system and a fx6. Im just setting this tank up from scratch and im in the planning stages while my new concrete 3d background is getting rinsed.
The scape is black sand with a bunch of driftwood and some river stones. Im thinking about stocking with
8 clown loaches
4 Pictus cats
2 ornate birchir
A Few smaller fancy plecos (galaxy/phantom)
A flagtail
Maybe a few clouded archers as well.
What do you all think? Id love some feedback since its been while since i planned out a community setup like this.

 

[cockroach]

I had friends have issues with ornate bichirs in particular and clown loaches. The bichirs, slowly over the course of about a year or two, more than halved the clown population as it grew quicker.
The stock is very nice if you like bottom dwelling fish. They may be a little sedentary or shy.
The archers should liven things up a bit though.

I personally am not a huge fan of flagtails. I found that for their size and longevity, they lack charisma and personality.

 

[Iamfish]

I would be worried about the ornate bichirs going after the cats. I tried keeping bichirs with my cats and they could not even come close to swallowing them but they still tried, they also went after the barbels a lot. If you really want to try bichirs I would suggest a smaller species or instead of the bichirs go with a second species of catfish.
Flagtails are great imo, mine will follow me when i walk by the tank and will beg for food.

 

[reddead38]

cockroach Iamfish i appreciate the feedback, im not dead set on the ornates but i would like to have something else that might be similar.. i want to stay away from any eels though because i think they will end up in my overflows. I would switch to teugelsi birchirs if i could find them but they are pretty scarce.

 

[Blakewater]

On an aesthetic note. I think you’re going to have a lot of empty space in the middle/top. Until your guys grow out even the bottom will look empty. Maybe get 1-2 more solid sized top fish. I know you said a flag tail but, in my experience, my flag tail just follows my other fish. if they’re all near the bottom that’s where he is, too.

 

[reddead38]

Blakewater i agree, but the tank is only 18" deep. I might end up doing 4-6 clouded archers

 

[Hendre]

Try senegal bichirs instead. If your clown loaches are already relatively large then a senegal would have no hope of eating them. Also the most lively species

 

[reddead38]

Hendre i currently have nothing. And iv never really cared for sens. They are just a bit too plain for me

 

[Hendre]

Captive bred delhezi also don't get stupendously big and look nicer imo. I just love the activity level of sens.

 

[David R]

Agree about the Ornates, unless you're starting with larger Clowns you'll end up with a problematic size difference. As I also found out, many years ago, that size difference may not be an issue until the bichirs get really hungry. I had a mid-sized Ornate with about 8-10 clowns that had been in the tank for nearly a year with no issues, then I went away for a week over Christmas and came back to find 3-4 clowns missing!