As mentioned be careful with cichlids. Only thing I wanna add is no fish really helps with maintenance. Cats aren’t a clean up crew it will likely eat before the bichirs and be done before them while adding bioload.
stocking advice
- Thread starter Drogon
- Start date
Stock- you could easily have 3 polys and 3-5 ropes. Yes moke and butt are a good possibility with how your tank looks as both can be hiders at times. Dels are my favorite uj. JDs- is say not a good choice maybe some full grown eb acara much more mellow and super pretty.
Some smaller synodontis would be ok and most will hide during the day and feed after dark I have a few synos in my 180. Multis would be the best for you as the get about 5". Problem with them is they like to be in groups. Multi groups can be kinda hard to get as they will fight in 3 or less and if you get a male female pair the male may harass the female to much 5 or more seem good and gets them out and about in a pack more often. Alot of synos get really big 8+" so need to be careful. Feeding some can be a little difficult as like I said they usually come out after dark and you dont want a ton of foid waste hanging out. But you dont want to have to target feed either. All mine are doing good and if hungry will come grab something at feeding time.
Yes tight lids are needed with ropes as they like to climb. All polys can jump and will, there for lids are needed but ropes are escape artists so extra precautions are needed.
Well thats my .02!
Some smaller synodontis would be ok and most will hide during the day and feed after dark I have a few synos in my 180. Multis would be the best for you as the get about 5". Problem with them is they like to be in groups. Multi groups can be kinda hard to get as they will fight in 3 or less and if you get a male female pair the male may harass the female to much 5 or more seem good and gets them out and about in a pack more often. Alot of synos get really big 8+" so need to be careful. Feeding some can be a little difficult as like I said they usually come out after dark and you dont want a ton of foid waste hanging out. But you dont want to have to target feed either. All mine are doing good and if hungry will come grab something at feeding time.
Yes tight lids are needed with ropes as they like to climb. All polys can jump and will, there for lids are needed but ropes are escape artists so extra precautions are needed.
What's wrong with gold dust poly also called buettikoferi? They are No more aggressive then any other poly. I have two and they just mostly hide.
Well thats my .02!
Maybe
B
BichirKing
meant butterkoferi as in the cichlid.
What I was thinking after I typed my reply. But maybe hes had a bad or couple bad experiences? I wouldnt put teugs in with other ujs again and no smaller ljs either after what mine did.
yes I did. I have a PPB too and its one of my favsMaybeB BichirKing meant butterkoferi as in the cichlid.
Agreed with all that twentyleagues had to say about stocking. Ropes should be in groups of 3+ and you have plenty of room in your tank.
Everyone here knows I'm a huge proponent of floating plants. I think having some cover via plants helps settle fish, and I think you'll see the bichirs more if you have them. They also help with water quality.
I've had a densely planted tank with polys and though I loved it, I keep saying that in the future doing it again, I'd have fewer hiding places on the actual substrate and more cover in the water column with things like lilly plants, suspended driftwood with anubas/java fern tied on, floating plants or pothos with roots descending into the water, etc. My substrate itself would be more open. My reasoning for that is if you give them hiding places, you won't see polys as often. If they can get cover and security without places to hide out of view, you'll be able to enjoy them more and they'll still be comfortable.
Senegals and Dels are more on the active end of the spectrum, especially Sens. So it might be less of an issue with those guys but I'd still do the same thing with those species. My WC Del would come out but also spend a good portion of the day hidden among the base of my swords and vals.
For sealing the tank, many of us use duct tape or plastic craft mesh to fill up any small gaps, esp. those with rope fish. My only problem with water changes was my ropes being a little too hand-tame, so I'd have to really be careful that they didn't go into the siphon. If I was doing other things I'd rubber band a filter sock around the end to be sure they didn't take a ride into my sink.
Look forward to seeing your tank develop!
Everyone here knows I'm a huge proponent of floating plants. I think having some cover via plants helps settle fish, and I think you'll see the bichirs more if you have them. They also help with water quality.
I've had a densely planted tank with polys and though I loved it, I keep saying that in the future doing it again, I'd have fewer hiding places on the actual substrate and more cover in the water column with things like lilly plants, suspended driftwood with anubas/java fern tied on, floating plants or pothos with roots descending into the water, etc. My substrate itself would be more open. My reasoning for that is if you give them hiding places, you won't see polys as often. If they can get cover and security without places to hide out of view, you'll be able to enjoy them more and they'll still be comfortable.
Senegals and Dels are more on the active end of the spectrum, especially Sens. So it might be less of an issue with those guys but I'd still do the same thing with those species. My WC Del would come out but also spend a good portion of the day hidden among the base of my swords and vals.
For sealing the tank, many of us use duct tape or plastic craft mesh to fill up any small gaps, esp. those with rope fish. My only problem with water changes was my ropes being a little too hand-tame, so I'd have to really be careful that they didn't go into the siphon. If I was doing other things I'd rubber band a filter sock around the end to be sure they didn't take a ride into my sink.
Look forward to seeing your tank develop!
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If I were you I'd skip the cats since you are already planning on bottom dwellers... and many cats are also good hiders.
Get your EB acaras (or some rainbow cichlids?) and then consider a schooler group for more movement in the tank. Most people do OK with UJs and larger bodied tetras like congos.
With live plants and weekly water changes that should be a fairly easy stock to maintain.
This is all just my 2 cents. We all have different ideas of what we want in our tank and what we want it to look like.
Get your EB acaras (or some rainbow cichlids?) and then consider a schooler group for more movement in the tank. Most people do OK with UJs and larger bodied tetras like congos.
With live plants and weekly water changes that should be a fairly easy stock to maintain.
This is all just my 2 cents. We all have different ideas of what we want in our tank and what we want it to look like.
I do like a syno in my tanks to do exactly what op says though. They will find the uneaten bits.
Good suggestion on the eb acaras. Good 2cents there.If I were you I'd skip the cats since you are already planning on bottom dwellers... and many cats are also good hiders.
Get your EB acaras (or some rainbow cichlids?) and then consider a schooler group for more movement in the tank. Most people do OK with UJs and larger bodied tetras like congos.
With live plants and weekly water changes that should be a fairly easy stock to maintain.
This is all just my 2 cents. We all have different ideas of what we want in our tank and what we want it to look like.
