Just not satisfied with the stocking...

[Xeno]

Hey,
I can't help myself but in my opinion my 6,5ft tank is just missing something.
I originally planned to get a pair of oscars but then chose to not get them at all.
Now I am sitting in from of the tank and it's interesting... I'm not saying it is boring BUT there is no character, no personality at all.
The scape came out pretty neat in my opinion.
Lots of free swimming space and LOTS of places to hide BUT since it's a dark tank with basically zero activity the fish tend to just hide all day until the food comes in.
I tried different scapes and different stocking with free roaming fish such as Hyphessobrycon anisitsi but still it wouldn't change the behaviour of the shy inhabitants.
The Metynnis maculatus became a little more confident by time but they'll still hide as soon as anything "suspicious" is happening.
The current stock consists of:
3 Datnioides polota which I never see besides them darting out of their hiding spots to get food.
3 Nandus nandus which I can move into another tank if I decide to realize what I am planning right now.
5 Polypterus delhezi
5 Polypterus senegalus which I can move into my 120gal if I need to.
1 Notopterus notopterus. Great fish, not shy at all.
1 Mastacembelus dayi sadly becoming more "chill" the larger it is getting (currently about 45cm)

The fish that will stay not matter what:
3 Datnioides polota
5 Polypterus delhezi
1 Mastacembelus dayi

The other fish I am able to move within my own 8 tanks.
I am keeping another D.polota in my 120gal and I noticed it become WAY more active than before since I added another LED and moved one of my male KKP with him.
So it seems they do fine with cichlids even with let's say a little rough ones.

If I leave the tank the way it is I can't see the situation changing so the Dats will stay hidden and I will still be unhappy with that one.
I know this tank is big enough to house a pair of oscars.
IF I'd buy some it would NOT be wildcaught or wild ones in general I'd prefer tiger oscar and albino reds.

Some people told me Vieja, Uaru or Heros would be a good alternative but to be honest I am not that much into Vieja (besides M.argentea) or Uaru and to keep a pair of Heros I could use a 80-100gal tank.

I'm still not sure about all of this.
I just know that I don't want to keep the current state.

 

[kewpiefishypewpie]

That's a great looking tank. I can't really tell, do you have many floating plants? That can help skiddish fish.

 

[Gourami Swami]

Scape looks awesome. How wide is the tank? Plenty of cichlid options. With your oddball fish in there, I would go with peaceful cichlids. a lone pearsei would probably be nice.

 

[J. H.]

It sounds nuts, but a couple of decent sized, common goldfish or bala sharks could make a big difference,. They are very outgoing, constantly checking out tankmates and decor, and more or less harmless. They will for sure add motion and maybe help bring out the other fish. If it doesn't work, they are cheap, and plenty of people would be happy to adopt them.

 

[Xeno]

Hey,
the tank is 6,5ft x 21,6inch x 19,6inch/ 200x55x50cm.
I guess I will seperate at least one of the Dats to see if keeping them as a group of three is the problem here.
'Cause as I said in my 120 there is a single D.polota doing fantastic and being active.

Got floating plants in a tank neaby I can try to move them but I'll BET they will either be eaten by the Metynnis or will die due to a lack of light.

A pearsei would be a little big for the tank wouldn't it?
I could go for a group of Heros severum red spotted but I'd have to grow them out in another tank because I'd get juveniles (adults are damn expensive here).
And I don't know if the red ones would even look good in there because they are not looking natural at all.
With Geophagus the problem is that I do not have a clue which species I would consider keeping.
No Tapajos Red Heads, never again!
These fish terrorized the characins and angelfish in the 120 to the point I sold the whole group cheap as heck just to get them out of the tank.

Acarichthys would be nice but I can't find them for a good price (only ones are juvies for 33 Euros each), Altifrons would be great as well but I can't get those either

Nah I am not a fan of goldfish in tanks if I'd keep them it would be in my pond .
To me this tank is too small for balas/tinfoil or similar HUGE and active barbs or characins.

 

[J. H.]

Maybe some big rainbows or spanner barbs then? If you feel like sacrilege, peacock cichlids or small haps could work. I'd even say angels or discus, but the dats might chew on them.

 

[Xeno]

Hey,
rainbows could be nice.
Thanks for that idea I've got an empty 80gal which I could keep a group of rainbows in.
But that's not what I am looking for for this tank.
As I said some personality is missing I don't want to add a schooling fish I am looking for a kind of cichlid (or similar) that would fit.

With peacock you mean Aulonocara?
Nah to me cichlids from lake malawi and lake tanganjika should be kept in fitting biotope tanks.

I am keeping angels already and discus... I don't know if I get into discus I'd rather keep them in 80-100gal which I am able to maintain way better than this tank right here.

 

[J. H.]

Yeah I meant aulonchara. That why I said sacrilege. From what you have said, gouramis, especially snakeskins, would work. They are gentle, can hold their own, and have personality. Some people have had their SDs nip their gouramis, but I have never has an issue keeping then together, although gouramis will disassemble angels that refuse to respect their territory. Another good choice could be firemouths. I think you are looking for something moderately big, active, but not open water and gentle. There just aren't very many SA/CA that fit the bill. Some of the cichlids from the Congo might fit, but I know nothing about them.

 

[Xeno]

Hey,
problem with gouramis would be that there is no structure/plants covering the top to provide hiding spots for weak specimen.
I've kept different gouramis for years and without any covers the non dominant males or the females in general won't have a fun time.
Open water is fine to me 'cause with the current scape there is quite some space to swim.
Territorial would be ok as well just not a species that truly terrorizes the other tank mates.

Considering oscars I am reading mixed experiences about keeping them with dats with the biggest problem being the growthrate of these two species.
Wouldn't be a big problem to me to be honest.
The dats are all about 10cm oscars I could get are 5-7cm.
If I had to I could keep them seperated until the dats reached a safe size to definitely not be eaten (which should be about 15cm ).

 

[justarn]

+1 on the spanner barbs, I have a group of 6 all around the 5-6" mark and they are boisterous pitballs of the barb world, more than make up for their lack of colour IMO.
They destroy silversides like a should of piranha and never ever hide. Wouldn't sell mine ever.
If you want some activity I can't advise more highly of them.
What about a carpintis, very active and fairly peaceful aswell as colourful, or a green terror?