Tankmates with Polys.

[Sundew]

I just tore down and re-did my 135 poly tank. Originally it had 4 P. del. (8"), 2 P. ornat. (10") , 1 Ropefish, 3 Bala Sharks and 1 Common Pleco, some swordplants and some rock. The reason for the re-do was I have come to dislike regular aquarium gravel as it holds too much detritus and is difficult to clean, plus the fish needed new "homes" because they had gotten bigger (who knew?). Also more and more I have been keeping fish from the same habitat together when possible for a more natural look.

Anyway, a sheet of styrofoam was placed on the bottom of tank, then some rocks, a clay pipe and some driftwood were arranged to form caves and holes, then the gravel was replaced with pool filter sand (which I have in several other tanks and really like, plus it's cheap and pre-washed!). I saved the bio-filters in some of the old water and after added de-clorinator replaced them. Next the glass heater was replace with a shatter proof plastic one. The tank was allowed to sit overnight to clear a bit.

Finally the polys and ropefish were introduced and are fine, but I didn't want to put the other fish back in with them. I would prefer some other african fish and was looking for good tank mates, hopefully something that swims around more that the polys. I did see and bought 4 really nice African Knifes at a local FS and have them in quarantine. A friend has some with his polys and they do fine together.

Any suggestions on other tankmates?

 

[jdryden]

I am doing the same type set up. I wanted to stick with all African species if possible. I am planning on an african knife, ctenopoma acutirostre (Sp), and a school of congo tetras. I'm sure I'll lose some tetras when the bichirs get bigger, but at least there will be some activity until then.

 

[Sundew]

I am doing the same type set up. I wanted to stick with all African species if possible. I am planning on an african knife, ctenopoma acutirostre (Sp), and a school of congo tetras. I'm sure I'll lose some tetras when the bichirs get bigger, but at least there will be some activity until then.

I have two Congo Tetras in a mixed fish 180 with some SA and Asia fish. They are very beautiful but short lived in my experience. I bought about 12 or so around a 1 1/2 years ago that were half grown and they have died off one by one until now there are only two large males left. The polys are already too large to add the Congos, they would be snacks. I think there are a few larger African tetras of some sort, but they are rarely imported as they are large and drab?

The knives seem to do fine with polys in my friends tank, he has had them together for several years and his P. ornat. are nearly two feet. They seem scared of the knives, perhaps because they are electric fish. In any case they are nocturnal and would be difficult to sneak up on at night.

I am quarantining 3 Distochotus sexfaciatus (spelling?) that will eventually go into the tank, however they are still a bit small, but they will eventually get very large (soon I hope) and then should be poly safe.

Synodontis cats should be good, but I suggested one to my friend and he got a S. alberti if memory serves. The first night in the tank, one of his polys had it by the belly swimming around with it and you could hear it croaking through the glass. He has a huge heavily planted and decorated tank and he could not catch the poly to save it. The next day he found the catfish dead with its guts missing.

Maybe more polys is the answer!

 

[ironmunki]

I have a new poly that I like so much I was thinking of making a seperate set up so I can have more of them. Right now my 5" poly is in with a 6" rainbow wolf and I'm not sure how long this arrangement can last. They seem to get along quite well now, the poly and wolf share the same "resting" spot, but I know the wolf's reputation. In the new tank I want to get a few more polys, sens and some dels maybe, and AKF sound good.

Sundew, do you have any problems with any of the pool filtered sand getting sucked up when you do cleanings?

 

[Sundew]

Sundew, do you have any problems with any of the pool filtered sand getting sucked up when you do cleanings?

Not really, it's fairly heavy as sand goes. I usually siphon the water into a 30 gallon bucket and then pump the water into a laundry type sink so as not to put sand/gravel into the p-trap. Sometimes there is a little sand (or gravel depending on which tank is being cleaned) in the bottom of the bucket but rarely more than a few spoonfuls. Like I said though, it's cheap. I just cleaned out another 135 planted tank that had 3 baby Datnoids, 2 giant danios and 6 Siamese Algae Eater in it. I wanted to move all the fish into other tanks and clean and re-plant the plants which had become overgrown and leggy. But when I originally set up the tank I did not put enought sand. So when I vacuumed the sand I pulled up all the plants, dumped in another 50 lb. bag of sand (unwashed) and replanted the plants. I left one Siamese Algae Eater just to keep down any hair algae. But the sand only cost $7.00 a bag and three bags easily fills a 135. Any pool supply house should carry filter sand which I believe is just pure course silica sand.

Now I just have to figure what fish to put into the 135.....

 

[Palma Fan]

I have the same problem. I have a 13 in. ornate an a 10 in. palma. I have so much algae in my tank. I can't put any other "algae eating " fish in there because the eat everything. I need help my tank looks crazy.

 

[HiImSean]

i have my polys in my 125g with mostly SA cichlids, severums, chocolate, true parrots, and a pike. i also have a datnoid, royal pleco, and flagtail in the tank. people say to watch out for the pleco and flagtail sucking the slime coat but i keep everyone well fed. the cichlids pay no attention to the polys. ive recently had problems with them getting enough food but i feed them some sinking stuff after the lights go out. my little albino has no problem coming to the surface to eat floating pellets though. the only problem i had was when my severums would spawn they would be someone agressive but less to to the bichirs than any other fish in the tank

 

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

for african fish def go with Ctenopoma