Please HELP with fish, substrate, plant & ornament reorganising!

[Ogrim]

This may seem a no brainer, but I am open to views of others in the hobby. Please vent your thoughts on what I am planning to do with my livestock below. You may actually help me & my fish live longer

For a couple of months I was cramped more or less into a 65g 4 footer with the following fish. I had some in the 47g 3 footer with the ABN colony tough. The colony has sold so I can split the rest of my bio-load perhaps better. The third Polleni for sale out of four is due to be picked up tomorrow. Otherwise the Polleni has to be in different tanks, due to both being male.

So here are my current & planned fish:
1x Polleni male 6”
4x Keyhole Cichlid 2”
6x Firemouth Cichlid (will trim to 4 eventually) 2” to 3”
3x BGK two females 10” & 6” with a 4” Juvenile
1x BGK adult male I am hoping for soon to try breed with my females
6x Future SAE Juveniles (Siamese Algae Eaters) to clean my plants in both tanks

There is loads of driftwood & plants. Plants are Anubias, Java-fern & Frilly Java-fern. The fish don’t bother my plants tough. Also got some, 2” pebbles for the BGK breading tank. One set of pebbles are dark brown & very smooth. These don’t alter the pH so be likely more suitable for the breading tank. The other set of 2” pebbles are white textured & do alter the pH a bit.
Running an EHEIM 2217 on the 65g & a 2215 on the 47g as a primary biological filtration. Have good heaters for each tank as well. Twin 4’ T8 (Aqua-Glo & Power-Glo) over the 4 footer & a single 3’ T8 (Power-Glo) over the 3 footer.

Proposed livestock for 47g or 65g
I enjoy the colours with the quarrels of the Firemouth & The innocence of the Keyhole Cichlids, so they should be in one tank perhaps where I can view them. The Polleni does ignore them, except when he darts in to break up the fight between the Firemouth on occasions. So these could go in one tank. However the Polleni needs my attention & wants to interact so he may end up in the 4 footer either way where I spend time near the tank.

Proposed livestock for 65g or 47g
The 2.5 BGK’s & a likely fourth male adult BGK coming could go in the second tank for breading. Any one not fitting could go in the other tank, but I rather keep all BGK in one tank. The 3 BGK’s are doing fine in the 4 footer now & don’t bother the other fish. They feel quite relaxed considering, but they are well fed & there are plenty of hiding places & shadows.
Thank you for your time

 

[Ogrim]

Come on, anyone?

Should I have my Firemouth & Keyholes over white pebbles or is that a bad idea?
Which tank should I place which fish, only got a 65g & a 47g?

Currently the Firemouth & the Keyholes are in a bare bottom tank with black bag over the white Styrofoam & heaps of driftwood with plants attached
Do I expect too much here? Bit of an input here please
Cheers

 

[Ogrim]

I don't know why I've even bothered writing to this FORUM

Over 4 weeks later & over 60 views no one CBF :WTF:

 

[Rockbass6]

If it were me, I wouldn't keep the cichlids under white substrate, I think they would look better under some darker sediment if you choose to do so. A darker sediment will also make your plants stick out too. I have a similar setup with gravel and plants on drifwood you can search my threads for ideas possibly. Which tank you put what in doesn't matter if you ask me. Polleni, I feel would get aggressive with age, but if you want to keep him keep it in the tank with cichlids not bgk. I have had fish like that think that the white tip of the bgk was food and it never recovered after they bit it off. Any particular questions I'm here to help, 4 days and no help is kind of odd. This filtration forum is kind of dead, and when I posted a similar thread like this a mod moved it into this thread, where I didn't want it because I knew nobody would reply and help. And you know what.. I was right. lol 4 views in a day no replys.

 

[JteSchertz]

For the keyhole cichlids...they prefer a dark substrate and heavily planted tank. They also do not like a lot of current.

As far as your proposed stocking...looks good to me.

 

[Ogrim]

Thanks!
I have find a more responsive forum locally & will support that forum
Cheers

 

[aclockworkorange]

Maybe people didn't respond to your thread because of your stock list. I wouldn't mix keyholes with firemouths, and that many BGKs need a way bigger tank.