African Biotype Tank

[Ace Of Spades]

Stocking wise I was thinking as both tank are really mature I have the option of two different tanks, 80 Gallon and 47 gallon, both 4 foot. SO while I make up my mind im going to buy a ABF tmorrow so I thought id hear your thoughts on my stocking. (Filters have been running for 8months+):

47 Gallon: 1 Abf, 8 Congo Tetra, 1 Senegal Bichir, 2 Ctenopoma Acuit, 1 Elephants nOSE(Still undecided on the elephant nose)

80 Gallon: 3 Abf, 15 Congo Tetra, 2 Senegal Bichir, 3 Ctenopoma Acuit, 1 Elephant Nose(as above)

Tell me what you guys think

 

[nmonks]

Both plans look good to me. Do review sexing Pantodon before buying; ideally you want to avoid having a bunch of males and no females.

Cheers, Neale

 

[Ace Of Spades]

Both plans look good to me. Do review sexing Pantodon before buying; ideally you want to avoid having a bunch of males and no females.

Cheers, Neale

Would it matter much if I swapped the Ctenopoma for some Nandus Nandus?, I know they are not african but I love the look of them

 

[nmonks]

Depends whether or not you want to be breeding a tankful of safe feeder fish of not. N. nandus is quite difficult to wean onto non-living foods. Some success can be had with live invertebrates such as earthworms and river shrimps, but keeping a year-around supply of these foods is probably more work than breeding livebearers. Ctenopoma, by contrast, will take frozen bloodworms and chunks of prawn right away.

Cheers, Neale

Would it matter much if I swapped the Ctenopoma for some Nandus Nandus?

 

[Ace Of Spades]

Depends whether or not you want to be breeding a tankful of safe feeder fish of not. N. nandus is quite difficult to wean onto non-living foods. Some success can be had with live invertebrates such as earthworms and river shrimps, but keeping a year-around supply of these foods is probably more work than breeding livebearers. Ctenopoma, by contrast, will take frozen bloodworms and chunks of prawn right away.

Cheers, Neale

Would it matter much if I swapped the Ctenopoma for some Nandus Nandus?

So basically if im up for the challenge, do it?

 

[nmonks]

Can't answer this; I wouldn't want to keep any fish I'd need to be breeding live food for. Gangetic leaffish can live 5+ years, so that's a major investment of time and resources in livebearers or whatever you choose to produce at home. Using cheap "feeder" goldfish and minnows just isn't an option for the nutritional and healthcare reasons I've discussed many times before.

My philosophy is this: the "coolness" of a fish lasts about a week. After that, any fish you own should be sufficiently easy to maintain that you don't mind keeping them. If a fish places some exceptional demand on you, you can quickly become bored.

Cheers, Neale

So basically if im up for the challenge, do it?

 

[Ace Of Spades]

Can't answer this; I wouldn't want to keep any fish I'd need to be breeding live food for. Gangetic leaffish can live 5+ years, so that's a major investment of time and resources in livebearers or whatever you choose to produce at home. Using cheap "feeder" goldfish and minnows just isn't an option for the nutritional and healthcare reasons I've discussed many times before.

My philosophy is this: the "coolness" of a fish lasts about a week. After that, any fish you own should be sufficiently easy to maintain that you don't mind keeping them. If a fish places some exceptional demand on you, you can quickly become bored.

Cheers, Neale

So basically if im up for the challenge, do it?

I see what you saying, Shame as ive been admiring these fish for a while , Maybe if I can find one that has been weaned onto frozen food, and bloodworm etc. If not ill probally stick with the Ctenopoma.

Thanks for your help as usual

 

[Ace Of Spades]

Will the Nandus Nandus not take Mealworms, Or Crickets? as I was going to get these anyway for the ABF...

 

[Ace Of Spades]

Bad news, Ive got to buy a freezer before I do anything as you cant have these fish on just flakes and pellets. I have no room in my freezer atm and my mum wont allow it so ill buy a £100 chest freezer

 

[Ace Of Spades]

Well this is back on!, Ive just been to the shop and I am now the proud owner of a Senegal Bichir and Giant African Filter shrimp. Hopefully the shrimp will survive. More updates soon

 

[dave_oddballs]

i'd say go for the african bush fish rather than the gangetic leaf fish. i have one of each in a 55g tank living happily with a bichir might i add, its polypterus delhezi though not senegalus, as i find the senegal a bit bland and boring! each to their own. as said the leaf fish is difficult to feed, due to other fish in the tank everything from whole lance fish to shrimp and cockles to bloodworm goes in. the lea fish won't touch anything but the bloodworm. this may sound ok but the fish really needs more 'meat' ie feeder fish. my nandus seems happy in its self, all be it a lil slow growing and not as chunky as it should be, due to its diet. i like the fish, extremely good looking fish, but if i had known all this about the fish before i got it, i would of left it in the store. the bush fish on the other hand has grown a lot, from2.5 inch to a good 4 - 4.5 inch in 4 1/2 months. eats from my hand, cockles, lance fish, prawn and shrimp, doesn't care much for small foods like bloodworm etc but if your willing to keep stocked up on frozen fish and shrimp then they are brilliant ish and become hand tame remarkably quick, it does have a bit of a grudge with one o the geophagus brasiliensis cichlids and they fight now and again but you won't be keeping anything like that so would be great. i would (as i have done) get one of the more colourful bichirs, like the delhezi, they are a stunning fish, always out, doesn't bother a thing, eats cockles, lance fish, shrimp and prawn, not fussy only gets to 12-13" (35cm).
there are other fish from the area you are designing your tank on like african butterfly fish and the mentioned mormyrid family, all of which i would stay away from if your seeking a relatively problem free aquarium

David

 

[DarkEntity]

Ctenopoma are a nice fish, ive had a pair for a long time now, they are very intelligent fish. Ive been thinking about ditching my tank completely recently and moving completely to reptiles...the 2 Ctenopoma i have are the only thing holding me back.

 

[Ace Of Spades]

Ctenopoma are a nice fish, ive had a pair for a long time now, they are very intelligent fish. Ive been thinking about ditching my tank completely recently and moving completely to reptiles...the 2 Ctenopoma i have are the only thing holding me back.

Thanks guys, both of you . My mind has completley gone of Nandus Nandus now, after seeing countless pictures of these Ctenopoma they are lovley fish.

The tank should be fully stocked within 2-3 weeks, then ill do the rest of the decor
(The tank Im using is quite dirty atm so Im going to switch the tank for a brand new 48"x12"x18" tank they are only cheap