Stocking Ideas

[CaspianRain]

I'm about to purchase a 85G tank. I'm not exactly certain how I want to set it up but here are the 2 options I like:

Option A:
- Fire Eel
- Delhezi Bichir
- Senegal Bichir
- ??? (want to add some fishes but not sure what I can add)
- Pleco

Option B (Cichlid Tank):
- Strawberry Peacocks
- Ram Cichlid
- Zebra Cichlids
- Tropheus Cichlid


Questions:
1. What else can I add to Tank A?
2. How many of each can I add to Tank B?
3. Any way I can get a Leopard Ctenopoma & African Butterfly?

Suggestions are greatly appreciated! Please state how many of each I can get if you do!

 

[fluttermoth]

I don't know anything about eels or birchirs so can't comment on option 'A'.

Option 'B' will not work. The peacocks and the zebras are from Lake Malawi and the Tropheus is from Lake Tanganyika; all those species need very hard, alkaline water to do well and you shouldn't really mix fish from different Rift valley lakes; pick one lake or the other. There all relatively agressive.

The rams come from South America, are fairly peaceful, dwarf cichlids and need very soft, acidic water to survive.

You really need to research where all these fish come from and what requirements they have as they're just not, in any way compatable.

 

[CaspianRain]

Some idiot suggested tank B to me.

After some more research, I am liking the Lake Malawi Cichlids a lot. How can I make it work? How many of each?

 

[fluttermoth]

Some idiot suggested tank B to me.

There's always one..at least you didn't do it!!

After some more research, I am liking the Lake Malawi Cichlids a lot. How can I make it work? How many of each?

I don't know much about Malawis myself, though my mum has kept them for many years. I know they are quite agressive, so you need to keep a lot of them to reduce that; to a level that would be classed as overstocked in a 'normal' tank. They also prefer rather hard, alkaline water.

If you want to go down the Malawi route, I suggest you post in the 'Old World Cichlids' forum further down where all the experts in that area hang out