Thoughts about the new stocking

Xeno · Feb 6, 2017

Hey there!
In a few weeks my new tank will arrive.
It's 145gal tank with special dimensions which are 78,7in x 21,6in x 19,6in or 200cm x55cm x50cm.
It's dedicated to my little "predators" so the stock will be:
1 Mastacembelus dayi (1ft)
3 Polypterus delhezi (6in)
2 Cochliodon (8in)

And maybe my Metynnis altidorsalis but I am not sure about this.

So I am looking for potential tankmates.
I love Sorubim lima but I don't know if the tank is large enough.
I'd love to keep Rhamphichthys or Apteronotus albifrons but they might get hurt by the Mastacembelus or the Polypterus.
Astronotus would be great but they might hurt the Mastacembelus like my Heros did.
Mastacembelus erythrotaenia would be a great fish as well but I don't know if my Dayi accepts other spiny eels.
Some months ago I saw Videos of Monopterus albus online and my mind has been blown away!
I want this fish so bad!
But even if the new tank is big enough I can't get this species in Germany.
Synbranchus marmoratus are always available but I#ve heard about the horrorstories in which they'd bite pieces out of their tankmates.
Well that's nothing I want to be confronted with!
So I'd like to hear from people who have kept/ are keeping them if it's true!
Or maybe bigger Polypterus such as Ornatipinnis or Endlicherii since they rarely move as adults?

You see I really am struggling with what I want to keep in there.
The setup will be simple:
White sand and lots of rocks and wood!

Xeno · Feb 9, 2017

any ideas/comments?

Xeno · Feb 28, 2017

kno4te · Feb 28, 2017

I think that's some interesting fish. Love the oddball stock.

Would add the bgk but make sure it's large or grown out a bit. But it'll be fine. Will need a little bit of a hiding place.

Adding more eels will be fine as long as the tank is large enough. With hideout areas.

Would keep the delhezi or othe smaller upper jaws but not the larger upper jaws or any lower jaws. They will definitely will try eat tankmates.

Would add some upper zone fish (hujeta or chalceus). Even red tail cudas will be fine.

Just my suggestion.

Xeno · Mar 4, 2017

Hey,
To be honest:
I can do without "thinner" characins.
Semaprochilodus seem to be bad choice since they may damage the Polypterus slime coat.

So I guess I'll focus on Polypterus and Mastacembelus.
I am thinking about adding a Mastacembelus erythrotaenia and I'd love to keep Polypterus ornatipinnis, maybe endlicherii.
They shouldn't be able to kill other tankmates but I guess keeping those Polypterus with knifefish would be a bad idea!

Right now I'm thinking about this stocking:
1 Mastacembelus dayi
1 Mastacembelus erythrotaenia
3 Polypterus delhezi
1 Polypterus endlicherii
1 Polypterus ornatipinnis
Maybe a pair of Astronotus or Petenia.
And a group of loaches which I will get from people keeping them in way too small tanks.

moe214 · Mar 5, 2017

The larger bichirs won't be happy if this tank is for life, they'll need more width after some years. Especially with the Aquascape kind of narrowin the tank. But as I said you'd have years depending on the specimen, if it has good genetics and grows fast, that time is shortened.

Xeno · Mar 5, 2017

Hey,
Alright so endlicherii and lapradei are off the table!
But ornatipinnis should be still an option?
As far as I know adult specimen are not that active anymore and with an estimated size of 50-60cm the size itself in combination with the low activities shouldn't be a reason to say it doesn't fit.

Please correct me if I am wrong.
Until now I've only kept smaller species.

And if I might guess Petenia would be a better choice than Astronotus since they are peaceful and very calm cichlids.

moe214 · Mar 5, 2017

Ornate have the potential to reach up to 2' as well. Ornate weeksii and teugelsi are the three big upperjaws, should be treated as lower jaws. So like endli, if no plan of upgrade but you plan on keeping the fish for life, you shouldn't get it. However, whether it's wc or cb, and depending on genetics, you may be able to keep it, or get away with it for years. Cb are known to get large as well but not as large. Burbotman has one of the largest cb endli I've seen at I believe 20", so it probably had good genetics, in which case you shouldn't keep one like that, especially with your Aquascape since bichirs aren't so flexible, especially when larger, they get thick.

Xeno · Mar 15, 2017

Hey,
so I decided not to buy any larger bichirs.
Instead I finally got some Datnioides polota which I want to keep in this tank.

The stocking could look like this:
1 Mastacembelus dayi
1 Mastacembelus armatus favus
1 Mastacembelus erythrotaenia
4 Datnioides polota
1 Cochliodon basilisko
1 Cochliodon sp. Peru
6 Metynnis altidorsalis
7 Metynnis maculatus
3 Polypterus delhezi

This should be a good stocking .
I really hope my Dayi accepts the other spiny eels though!

I added some pictures as well: