5ftx2ftx2ft Tank

[fenne11y]

Hi everybody, Im prity new to the hobby and just got my first tank which is a juwel rio 400 (as you can see is big for a first tank). Im haveing really big trouble with decideing what to put in it, and what goes with what, and the parameters of the tank. The tank is at the start of a fishless cycle so theres no rush to get fish or anything. im looking for mainly oddball and a shoul of 3-5inch fish.
i was thinking:

2x Macrognathus circumcinctus (half banded spiny eel) or 1x Macrognathus aculeatus (peacock spiny eel)

2-4x Pantodon buchholzi (african butterfly fish)

1x Apteronotus albifrons (black ghost knife fish) or/and 1 or 3x Gnathonemus petersii (elephant nose fish)

1x Farlowella ??? (twig catfish) and plec (L177 or something)

and maybe a small shoul of blue of gold Gourami's.

The tanks got a sand substrate and 1 large bit of bogwood and 2 smaller and a few plants.all critisisum is welcome and im a complete nooband ill send some pictures tomorrow.

Thank,

Antony

Oh and i thought by putting scientific names it make me look like an expert and don't mind the spelling.

 

[simonas]

thats a good sized tank. you could go for fish which were slightly smaller

the BGK, Spiny eel, butterflyfish and twig plec you would see very rarely or occupy obscure parts of the tank and you would probably need some activity in the mid levels. I had that problem with mine and got a flagtailed Prochilodus and he is gorgeous and active and will look stunning when he grows into the tank#

how bout a shoal of silver dollars?

oh and welcome to the forum, keep us updated with the fish you stock the tank with

 

[Mr._Fishy]

Given a proper environment, your bgk should be visible during the day quite often. My bgk has decided that fish eyes are tasty and has plucked the eyes out of an angel fish. Bgks is also rather sensitive but not terribly so. Keep up with water changes and you should be fine. I would say no on the gouramis as they are slow moving like angel fish and the bgk may be tempted. The farrowlla cat needs lots of green algae (not brown or hair) to survive and is a very difficult fish for first timers. I would recommend having at least three of each species of eel as they are gregarious (sp?). P. bucholzi need no surface disturbance, minimal current, and floating plants to hide in. They also need floating food. Ime, if it dips below their eye ball, they won't eat it. Mealworms, crickets, and freeze dried food works well.

Oh, and thank you for using latin names (especially with spiny eels). People will know exactly what fish you are talking about now.

Ryan

 

[simonas]

Given a proper environment, your bgk should be visible during the day quite often. My bgk has decided that fish eyes are tasty and has plucked the eyes out of an angel fish.

Is that a common trait of these fish cos mine generally comes out in a mad frenzy as soon as lights go out but very rarely before then. especially if food in there but he stays by his bogwood in the corner until then. Mines a 150g with loads of large bogwood and vallis and plenty of shade which I would describe as a proper environment for these fish

Fenne11y as your including all fish from different continents how about shoals of rinabowfish. they look lovely when mature are very active and shoal to an extent

 

[Mr._Fishy]

Given a proper environment, your bgk should be visible during the day quite often. My bgk has decided that fish eyes are tasty and has plucked the eyes out of an angel fish.

Is that a common trait of these fish cos mine generally comes out in a mad frenzy as soon as lights go out but very rarely before then. especially if food in there but he stays by his bogwood in the corner until then. Mines a 150g with loads of large bogwood and vallis and plenty of shade which I would describe as a proper environment for these fish

Fenne11y as your including all fish from different continents how about shoals of rinabowfish. they look lovely when mature are very active and shoal to an extent

Mine have come out during the day quite often. My tanklights are never on though as I have no live plants in my tanks (they got eaten).

Ryan

 

[simonas]

arghh well my lights are on for plants during the day but as sson as lights are out he's out!!lol at about a milion miles an hour

 

[fenne11y]

Hi everyone another question would i be able to put bgk and with an elephant nose in this size tank or not?
and hears a link to my fish tank as yet.[img=http/img129.imageshack.us/img129/2334/1000341rt2.th.jpg]

thanks

Antony

 

[Davo86]

Mine have come out during the day quite often. My tanklights are never on though as I have no live plants in my tanks (they got eaten).

My BGK is also very active during the day, (tank is planted, plenty of hiding places, light on 8-10hours)


Personally i have found the elephant nose quite hard to keep, They are definitely not for beginners,
If you would like to keep them however then just go for 1 on its own, when kept in small groups they do become quite aggressive.

As for a shoaling fish you could choose Congo Tetras, or if you have the funds Denisonii Barbs

 

[CFC]

Elephant nose and BGK both use electric fields for navigation and finding food which will most likely lead to aggression between them as their electrical organs interfere with each others reception

 

[Mr._Fishy]

I agree with CFC. I have personally kept a bgk and an elephant nose in the same tank and it did not work out well. I have also kept bgks with other bgks and it didn't go well so I believe it is definitely their electrical field that makes them incompatible.

Ryan

 

[Straydum]

with a tank that size, i expected stuff about larger oddballs, bichirs for instance. or maybe its just me

 

[fenne11y]

Hi haven't responded in a while thanks for all the feed back having read all of them and done a lot more reasearch ive disided on:

6x Melanotaenia boesemani (boeseman's rainbowfish)

1x Apteronotus albifrons (black ghost knife fish)

3x Macrognathus aculeatus (peacock spiny eel)

1x Polypterus senegalus senegalus (senegal bichir)

1x semaprochilus us taeniurus (red silver prochilodus)

2x pleco

i think there compaterbal there getting bigger and theres a bichir in that list does that make you happy now Straydum so !

thank again

Antony

 

[Straydum]

thats nice to hear

 

[simonas]

Hi haven't responded in a while thanks for all the feed back having read all of them and done a lot more reasearch ive disided on:

6x Melanotaenia boesemani (boeseman's rainbowfish)

1x Apteronotus albifrons (black ghost knife fish)

3x Macrognathus aculeatus (peacock spiny eel)

1x Polypterus senegalus senegalus (senegal bichir)

1x semaprochilus us taeniurus (red silver prochilodus)

2x pleco

i think there compaterbal there getting bigger and theres a bichir in that list does that make you happy now Straydum so !

thank again

Antony

Prochilodus are ace you'll enjoy him