stocking advice

[Drogon]

So first time as an adult owning my own fish tank, decided to take the hobby up and purchased a 120US Gal tank (juwel Rio 400) and have absolutely fallen in love with bichirs. Been fishless cycling it for 2 weeks now and I do think I'm a few days away from all ammonia and nitrites being cleared in 24 hrs after a full dose.

My question is what sort of stock can I keep in my tank? My partner and I were looking to get a couple of bichirs (she wants a senegalus, I want a delhezi) then I was also considering 2-3 rope fish! Aqadvisor puts it at 100% stocked but after lurking the forums for a few weeks I've seen tanks smaller than mine have more fish and no one seemed to mention them being overstocked. We were looking to house a couple of EB Jack Dempsey's too and potentially some sort of cat fish to help with tank maintenance (and tbh I was looking also at a 3rd bichir maybe a mokelembembe or
buettikoferi depending on how hard they are to find/expensive they are in the UK).

Will attach a pic of the current tank/Scape. Plants need jigging around a bit but overall happy with how it looks so far! Filled some mesh bags with ceramic media and added them to the filter, and intend to upgrade the pump sooner rather than later from the one that comes with the tank.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[BichirKing]

you could have all 3 bichirs and ebjds but I would avoid the buttikoferi as it would be the only fish left. nice tank !

 

[kno4te]

Scape looks nice already. You’d be fine with 3 upper jaws and coupe of rope fish. Gotta be carful with cichlids. But an ebjd and a pinelodus blochii might work.

 

[Drogon]

I'm aware that bichirs but ropes especially like to take leaps out of the tan, so everything must be battened down, but what are they like during a water change/ gravel vac? Would box my head in if every time I open the lid they decide to jump!

Thanks for the advice on the stock. I've done a lot of looking at tank mates and the general concenus always seems to be more bichirs but we both love the look of the EBJD.

Another question I have is about the lighting. The lights provided with the tank seem a bit bright, so was wondering if when they're on they'd be too much for the bichirs? The wood in the center I have dig out around the substrate to provide some hiding spots should they need it, but wondering if some floating plants would help too?

 

[BichirKing]

what is the substrate?
when I do water changes they all hide, bichirs and JD. so no worries about them jumping then.
the lights would be fine if you provide them with some more cover either caves or more wood. floating plants are an idea except the over flow tower in the corner might not be able to flow properly if blocked or tank water level is to low to allow room for the plants. just fyi bichirs breath air so there should be some room between the cover and water.

 

[Drogon]

A fine black gravel
Good news about them hiding! Will look at more hiding spaces then.
Yeah maybe I'll avoid floating plants. There is a level at the top for them to breath, doesn't go to the very top! Have an airstone in currently because I tried to make a DIY gravel vac and figured it might help colonise the a/n bacteria

 

[BichirKing]

the other thing I found helpful is with feeding. getting food past the ravenous JD's to the bichirs I use an old gravel vac tube. its clear so it doesn't spook the bichirs and I can sink food directly to them. my Senegal sometimes comes up right into the tube to eat.

 

[Drogon]

Great idea! Did wonder about how to go about feeding them. Hopefully the tank will pass it's cycle test in a few days and I can get them ordered

 

[BichirKing]

what are you cycling it with?

 

[Drogon]

Pure ammonia. I had nitrites show up within days, but they've held still every test for a week, then yesterday they've started to drop a shade (whilst feeding 2-3ppm worth of ammonia when it drops to 0)