Rope/reed Fish And Butterfly Fish

[Tim95]

I was at the lfs and saw a couple fish I've wanted for awhile, the Rope/Reed Fish, and Butterfly Fish, I was just wondering what kind of fish work best with these 2 species, and if they can be together. The tank is sand substrate, 74 gallons, I want examples of specific fish, nothing saying what can fit in their mouth, I don't know how big their mouth is, so it doesn't help me. I was looking at Skirt Tetras and Loachs, but I don't think the loachs would work.
 
Any other information will help. 

 

[TooManyChoices]

I keep my butterfly with yellow tail Congo tetras and a jewel cichlid. Skirt tetras should be fine as long they don't nip the trailing fin filaments. What kind of loaches? Most species I think would be fine.

 

[Tim95]

I have a few Kuhli loachs that I would like to move, all about 3.5'', I'm more concerned with the Reed Fish then the butterfly at this point, most I've read about the butterfly is that it won't bother mid swimmers unless they do it first. 
I was looking at getting 20+ Black Skirt Tetras to minimize the nipping of other fish.
I also have a Betta, but he tends to sit at the top, and I don't want him to get bullied, so I think he is going to be relocated to a smaller tank.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

I wouldn't put Kuhli Loaches or Black Skirt Tetras with either of those African oddballs, they will disappear (at least while smaller).
 
Not only that, nippy fish with ABF is a really bad choice, even if you do get a big group.
 
In addition, even if they escape predation as mature adult tetras, you also need to consider feeding habits. Most African oddballs (ABF; bushfish; reedfish, bichir, Congo Tetras; Upside Down Synodontis; Africna Knife Fish etc.) are all pretty cautious at feeding time and can be easily outcompeted by pig-like species.
 
Reedfish get pretty big and I would not want to keep them long term in anything less than a 5-footer. On the other hand, ABF are incredibly sedate and a singleton could happy live a 2-footer for life.

 

[Tim95]

What kind of shoaling fish would you suggest?  

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Depending upon tank size, species like Congo Tettras; Yellow tail Congo Tetras; Synodontis nigriventris.
 
In a bigger tank you can look at Distichodus affinis that are very social for this genus, I have 3 in QT at the mo after getting them last Sunday, they will be going in my African Congo/oddball 6-footer soon. I took a gamble and came home with a Distichoudus fasciolatus last weekend also, one I almost certainly looked after for one week last year (when I did not have this big tank), I really hope it will "play nicely" with the far more social D. affinis. If it works out, I might order another 3 affinis.

 

[Tim95]

Okay I'll look into it, thank you. The affinis are very nice looknig fish, if I had a bigger tank I would definitely go for them,

 

[Thom_Hardy]

I have blue Jack Dempsey, 10 silver disc tetra. And serverums, geophagus, and bamboo shrimp with my butterfly fish!

Such cool fish! With huge mouths!!

Just a word of warning! They are a nightmare to feed!! I have tried everything and the only thing they will take are floating cichlid pellets or my old little tetras (I forgot there name)

 

[Squidward]

Just a word of warning! They are a nightmare to feed!! I have tried everything and the only thing they will take are floating cichlid pellets or my old little tetras (I forgot there name)

My pair of Butterflies were easy to feed
They ate anything from pellets to flake, frozen food, freeze dried food. Etc.
 
Mine learnt to come right to me when I was feeding and they ate whatever went in before it sank.