African River Tank

[Kittiee Katt]

Hi all! This thread will be where I keep track of my soon-to-be African river tank featuring synodontis nigriventris as the "star attraction"

I will document my plans as they're made/changed mainly for my own record. I would also love some opinions from the experts here on my stock list to make sure everyone will live happily and to make sure my catfish won't try to eat his tank mates.

Tank specs:
170ltrs (approx 45g)
80cm (31.5") long
60cm (23.6") wide
40cm (15.7") tall

Equipment:
Filtration will be a cheap unbranded canister that we picked up for a very low price, it's supposed to push 2000ltrs/hr but considering it's a cheap one I'm thinking more likely 17-1800ltr; and a hob (still need to buy this) for extra mechanical.
Heating will be provided by x1 200watt and x1 100watt 'aqua one' heaters.
Lighting is still undecided.

Décor:
The substrate will be a smooth gravel until I can get some dark sand to mix with it (this may take a while) then it will become a mixed bottom.
Hard scape will be done with goldvine wood, whatever the dark wood is that all the lfs's near me sell and tigers eye rock.

Plants: I don't want lots of plants, but will have a few chunks of bolbitis and various anubias through the scape to bring some colour and provide smaller fish with a bit if cover. I'm also looking for a floating plant (preferably from central Africa if possible) to add as well, so if anyone knows of any, please let me know.

Occupants: this is where I may need some help. Small African fish don't seem to exist anywhere and if they do they're either from the wrong part of the continent or small enough to become snacks for the synos.
I'm looking for tetras, barbs etc that max out under 7cm (2.7") and can be found throughout the central Africa - Congo tetras and small cichlids are NOT an option.

Current plans for residents:
x9-11 upsidedown catfish (synodontis nigriventris)
x5-7 moon tetras (bathyaethiops breuseghemi) - not sure if I can get these, if I can't I'll go with 5-7 one stripe characin (nannaethiops unitaeniatus)

Those are my current plans (they may change by the time its ready to be set up) any advice anyone can give me would be great, and also opinions on whether or not my catfish will try to eat the smaller fish would be awesome. The syno I have now (Felix) is big enough to eat my minnows but hasn't so I've been lucky so far.

I'll post pics during set up (should be next week sometime, no promises though) my hubby doesn't like me taking pictures of the tank while its not finished so I don't have pics of the tank being fixed, but I will post before and afters of it once its done and put up pics as I do the scape, add fish etc.

Please give your opinions and anything you think would "add" to the scape or anything you think I should remove from it, I want the best home I can provide for my little Felix

 

[Deadliestviper7]

Can u get water hyacinth as a floating plant? Synos don't seem to eat other fishes very often. I would face a cave or other hiding spot at the front of the tank, so u can see Felix when he hides

 

[Kittiee Katt]

Can u get water hyacinth as a floating plant? Synos don't seem to eat other fishes very often. I would face a cave or other hiding spot at the front of the tank, so u can see Felix when he hides

I'll look into the plant. Thanks! And all the wood will be arranged in such a way that I can see under the hanging bits so I can see him, I'm also hoping that he will be more active in a bigger tank with friends of his own kind.

Edit: plant comes from south America.. its very pretty though.

 

[Deadliestviper7]

If u have good lighting and a lot of space above tank u can have a pot of papyrus, or u can get a elephant ear(it's South American too)

 

[tlindsey]

Hi all! This thread will be where I keep track of my soon-to-be African river tank featuring synodontis nigriventris as the "star attraction"

I will document my plans as they're made/changed mainly for my own record. I would also love some opinions from the experts here on my stock list to make sure everyone will live happily and to make sure my catfish won't try to eat his tank mates.

Tank specs:
170ltrs (approx 45g)
80cm (31.5") long
60cm (23.6") wide
40cm (15.7") tall

Equipment:
Filtration will be a cheap unbranded canister that we picked up for a very low price, it's supposed to push 2000ltrs/hr but considering it's a cheap one I'm thinking more likely 17-1800ltr; and a hob (still need to buy this) for extra mechanical.
Heating will be provided by x1 200watt and x1 100watt 'aqua one' heaters.
Lighting is still undecided.

Décor:
The substrate will be a smooth gravel until I can get some dark sand to mix with it (this may take a while) then it will become a mixed bottom.
Hard scape will be done with goldvine wood, whatever the dark wood is that all the lfs's near me sell and tigers eye rock.

Plants: I don't want lots of plants, but will have a few chunks of bolbitis and various anubias through the scape to bring some colour and provide smaller fish with a bit if cover. I'm also looking for a floating plant (preferably from central Africa if possible) to add as well, so if anyone knows of any, please let me know.

Occupants: this is where I may need some help. Small African fish don't seem to exist anywhere and if they do they're either from the wrong part of the continent or small enough to become snacks for the synos.
I'm looking for tetras, barbs etc that max out under 7cm (2.7") and can be found throughout the central Africa - Congo tetras and small cichlids are NOT an option.

Current plans for residents:
x9-11 upsidedown catfish (synodontis nigriventris)
x5-7 moon tetras (bathyaethiops breuseghemi) - not sure if I can get these, if I can't I'll go with 5-7 one stripe characin (nannaethiops unitaeniatus)

Those are my current plans (they may change by the time its ready to be set up) any advice anyone can give me would be great, and also opinions on whether or not my catfish will try to eat the smaller fish would be awesome. The syno I have now (Felix) is big enough to eat my minnows but hasn't so I've been lucky so far.

I'll post pics during set up (should be next week sometime, no promises though) my hubby doesn't like me taking pictures of the tank while its not finished so I don't have pics of the tank being fixed, but I will post before and afters of it once its done and put up pics as I do the scape, add fish etc.

Please give your opinions and anything you think would "add" to the scape or anything you think I should remove from it, I want the best home I can provide for my little Felix

Had a Synodontis Angelicus that never touched even the smallest tankmates which were a couple of 1 in Kribensis runts.

 

[Kittiee Katt]

If u have good lighting and a lot of space above tank u can have a pot of papyrus, or u can get a elephant ear(it's South American too)

I can't have anything growing above my tank, one of my cats (Rumpy) eats everything and anything; I've probably paid at least a years worth of the vets income in the time I've had him. For this reason all of my tanks are hooded aside from this one which just has a lid, but the lid on it fits pretty snug.

 

[Kittiee Katt]

I've been searching around and after hours and hours I discovered two little African gems that I'm thinking about adding to my tank (if I can obtain them here) in place of the moon tetras:

African Butterfly barbs (barbus hulstaerti)

Three Line African Tetras (Neolebias trilineatus)

I'm thinking maybe ditch the moon tetras going with small groups of both these, or just one large group of one of them. They're both much smaller than the moon tetras maxing out at 3.5-4cms so I'm thinking I could have a larger group of these, with the same amount of potential maintenance.

Stock plans (drafts)
#1. x 9 synos
x 15 butterfly barbs.

#2. x 9 synos
x7 butterfly barbs
x7 three line tetras

#3 x 9 synos,
x 15 three line tetras

Can anyone tell me what the chances are of a 10cm catfish eating a 4cm barb or tetra? Maybe thebiggerthebetter could help shed some light on this?
IF I can get these (key word here is IF) they're going to be pricey, and as much as I love Felix, I can't afford a tank full of $15-$20 snacks for him..

 

[Chockful O Phail]

I don't see upside down cats eating your other fish, I have four or five in a tank with ba tetras, rainbows, cories and I've never seen any of them hurt. Of course they really don't try to hide with the cats so fwiw

 

[Chockful O Phail]

I dig these a lot. I have a thing for fish with odd behaviors. Lots of clown loaches. But upside down cats have this thing that rarely happens, while moving from one piece of cover to another, if something like another fish gets in their way they will usually stop and go back. But occasionally they will stop and freeze in position and slowly float to the surface. It is complete no movement other fish bump into them and they don't react at all.once they hit the surface right back to life and back to cover. First time I saw this I thought oh no why did he just up and croak? It's happened a few times over the last year or so and I find it absolutely hilarious.

 

[cichlidfish]

Isn't white or light colored sand typical in African rivers/lakes? At least every picture/show I've seen appear to be.
Also Congo tetras are gorgeous.