Hi there! I've been reading through the forum for a few weeks now and decided to finally register so I could get some advice on how to proceed with my big (well, big for me) tank.
I was given a 60 gallon setup complete with fish by a friend who was moving away to college and wanted to make sure her fish would be well cared for. It took me a while (about a month and a half) to get everything set up, tweaked, and changed to my liking. But the more I research on what my next steps should be for upgrading (down the road, not soon), the more confused I get.
The 60 gallon is 48x12x24. I bought a new stand that can handle a 90 gallon, so there's some empty space up front that my cats like to perch on and watch "tv." It's stocked with 3 angels (1 male, 2 female), a male polypterus senegalus, and a julii cory cat. The angels are all about 3" or so, the bichir is about 4" and the cory is around 2". I'm running a canister filter and a sponge filter, with an extra air stone since the bichir loves surfing the bubbles. They've all been together since my friend originally got them as little guys from the lfs, so they get along surprisingly well. I'm constantly eyeballing the bichir to make sure he's not bothering the cory, but beyond swimming across the cory during feeding time they leave each other alone. The angels do their own thing toward the front of the tank. The bichir swims around all over the whole tank, surfing the bubbles, swirling around, planking, taunting the angels and generally seeming to enjoy himself. The cory nibbles around the whole tank all day.
My question really comes down to two parts. One, since the bichir will most likely need a larger/wider tank for when he gets bigger, would a 90 gallon be sufficient? Or should I plan for a minimum of 125, as some parts of the internet suggest? I know that footprint matters as much as gallons do for longer fish, so what opinion do ya'll have on that?
Second, stocking. Will the angels continue to be ok with the bichir? Should I add more cories since they are communal? (Obviously, there will come a time when they have to be removed before someone tries to eat them and chokes.) Should I add more senegalus while mine is still small enough so that he has company as well?
My main goal is for them to be healthy, happy, and live a long life. I want to give them a habitat they can thrive in. I also want them to be able to behave as naturally as possible, which is why I'm trying to figure out if the bichir and the cory need more of their own kind. Most posts and write ups about polys seem to involve multiple types (species? sorry, not sure what the appropriate terminology is) within the upper jaw/lower jaw, not having multiples of the same fish.
Hope this wasn't too long for a first post! I appreciate any input ya'll can offer.
I was given a 60 gallon setup complete with fish by a friend who was moving away to college and wanted to make sure her fish would be well cared for. It took me a while (about a month and a half) to get everything set up, tweaked, and changed to my liking. But the more I research on what my next steps should be for upgrading (down the road, not soon), the more confused I get.
The 60 gallon is 48x12x24. I bought a new stand that can handle a 90 gallon, so there's some empty space up front that my cats like to perch on and watch "tv." It's stocked with 3 angels (1 male, 2 female), a male polypterus senegalus, and a julii cory cat. The angels are all about 3" or so, the bichir is about 4" and the cory is around 2". I'm running a canister filter and a sponge filter, with an extra air stone since the bichir loves surfing the bubbles. They've all been together since my friend originally got them as little guys from the lfs, so they get along surprisingly well. I'm constantly eyeballing the bichir to make sure he's not bothering the cory, but beyond swimming across the cory during feeding time they leave each other alone. The angels do their own thing toward the front of the tank. The bichir swims around all over the whole tank, surfing the bubbles, swirling around, planking, taunting the angels and generally seeming to enjoy himself. The cory nibbles around the whole tank all day.
My question really comes down to two parts. One, since the bichir will most likely need a larger/wider tank for when he gets bigger, would a 90 gallon be sufficient? Or should I plan for a minimum of 125, as some parts of the internet suggest? I know that footprint matters as much as gallons do for longer fish, so what opinion do ya'll have on that?
Second, stocking. Will the angels continue to be ok with the bichir? Should I add more cories since they are communal? (Obviously, there will come a time when they have to be removed before someone tries to eat them and chokes.) Should I add more senegalus while mine is still small enough so that he has company as well?
My main goal is for them to be healthy, happy, and live a long life. I want to give them a habitat they can thrive in. I also want them to be able to behave as naturally as possible, which is why I'm trying to figure out if the bichir and the cory need more of their own kind. Most posts and write ups about polys seem to involve multiple types (species? sorry, not sure what the appropriate terminology is) within the upper jaw/lower jaw, not having multiples of the same fish.
Hope this wasn't too long for a first post! I appreciate any input ya'll can offer.
