What Goes In With My Oddballs?

[Gankutsuou]

Interesting....

There are not many shoaling fish in my area that would be safe around a full grown bichir though, save Giant danios, which I am using to cycle my tank... but I plan to trade those in for something....

Hmmm.....

So if I went for just a single angel, it probably wouldn't get agressive because it'd have nothing to mate with and no angels to attack, right?

And from what i've read in here and in the oddball section so far, the brown knife is very dociel, except towards other knife species. So I believe I am safe there....

hmmmm..... I really like the sound of

2x peacock eel
1x Albino senegal bichir
1x African knife fish.

then what.... I also like the cichlids, but i hear a pair of convicts would mate like crazy....

perhaps yellow labs or something may work out?

 

[jayjay]

Convicts or labs won't work IMO.

Convicts are agressive and labs are African rift lake fish so aren't suited to mix with the fish you've chosen really.

 

[Gankutsuou]

I see.... Are there any suggustions besides what i've menioned, and the schooling fish?
You usually think of some really cool things jay... help me out!

 

[§tudz]

well to be honest I think your gonna go with what ever you want as you dont seem to be listening to anyone here tbh.

 

[Gankutsuou]

I am listning

A: I can't get yellow labs. I can';t get convicts

Those options are gone

B: Instead of a pair of angels, it looks like one will be the better option.

I took that in. I'll get one angel max if i get one at all

C: the knife may have problems with the bichir running around

D: the schooling fish aren't easy to find around here, but i'll look into them

I'll do some heay planting on both ends of the tank, and make a slate legde in the middle for him to hide under. That should help I'd think. maybe some plants behind the slate too.

What i'm also intrested in are other fish options that'd go nice, and maybe replace the angel, as it isn't too desirable. I'm far open to suggustions on other fish that'd work with these, as I'm low on ideas.

Edit:
synodontis catfish - that;s something I REALLY like the looks of, but I've never seen one in the area... not once But I can look around again for them. how big do they get?

talking catfish - you mean a striped Raphael? I hear you'll only see these once every 3 months after they esablish themselves.... I thought about him in my original plans but scratched him.

 

[spAcE mOnkEy]

well to be honest I think your gonna go with what ever you want as you dont seem to be listening to anyone here tbh.

He is listening.... he just wants to know if theres a cichlid he can put in with that group. Theres hundreds of different species of cichlids, just because convicts and lab cichlids wont work doesnt mean that he cant get any other cichlids. Maybe you could get a small type of gymnogeophagus?

 

[Gankutsuou]

Exactly! And specifics would be awesome so I can look them up, find more info, then check all 7 lfs I have for them! thanks

get a small type of gymnogeophagus? I do have one LFS that specializes in Cichlids, I'll be sure to look around for them there. They look intresting, but finding a smaller breed will be hard I'm sure.

 

[§tudz]

ok I stand corrected corrected, its just you seemed to be repeating a few of your questions.

As for Synodontis different species grow to different size from 3" upwards.
Search planetcatfish and there you find some you can they ask if they are seen in the trade or not, as some on there are rarely seen.

when I started keeping birchirs I was told not to keep them with any cichlids as birchirs dont fight back they will just sit there and be killed. They dont take too agression very well, as they are not naturally aggressive themselves, although my female wants to bite me, lol.

I'd not bother with the angel, this would give you more room for a bigger fish. Talking catfish = striped Raphael thats what they seem to get called by the USA fish keepers. its also refers to the spotted talking catfish and the hitcock catfish, which are very similar. Althought they are nocturnal and get more so as they get older.

so your main options are:

- Large Loaches
- Large Barbs
- Large Tetras
- other birchirs of similar size
- Large catfish
- Synodontis
- Lima Shovelnose
- etc
- Tiger Fish
- plecs ( i know these are catfish )
- Knifefish - though they can be skitish and damage themselves
- Elephant noses - these are hard to keep in a tank as it is very hard to get them to eat
- Climbing perch
- Butterfly fish
- Spiney Eels
- rubber eels

 

[jayjay]

Lima shovelnose the tank is too small for, plecs can often suck on bichirs slimecoats but NOT ALL do. Tiger fish by which you mean dats a.k.a. siamese tiger fish, grow too large. Elephant nose are not suited to that tank, they'd be outcompeted for food easily.

 

[§tudz]

yeah I ment the siamese tiger fish, I didn;t take into concideration the tank, I just listed a few types of fish that would bve suitable to go in with a birchir or two.

I have read that some plecs do take a fancy to their slim coats, my L001 hasnt.
I used to keep a BN with it, which is the suggested variety and that didn't either.

As for the elephant nose's I did state feeding would be hard, as its hard to feed them generally, due to the way they feed by sifting through the sand

 

[Gankutsuou]

This is why I love this fourm....

So out on my trip, suprisingly... out of all the places that NEVER has any fish that intrest me....

Petsmart had

Synodontis Longirostrus.
Striped peacock eels.
African brown knifes (in with bichirs)
African Featherfin Catfish (is this close to the synodontis? looked similar, $16 instead of 15).

Also - how would a Leporinus Fasciatus do with them? instesting shaped and colourd fish.....

But thanks a lot! I'd have never noticed that fish if you didn't mention it. Certainly something worth thought on

 

[jayjay]

The Leporinus would kill your fish.

 

[Gankutsuou]

Not the answer I wanted, but I'll take it... So check him off my list too.....

And it looks like longirostrus can get to 20 inches... scratch him off....

But the African Feather Fin Cat seams to be a synodontis as well. I'll look more into him. And getting the other peacock eel. It is a striped one, so it is a different type, but I hear they mix fine....

So it's lookin like

1x Albino senegal
1x African Brown Knife
2x Peacock eel and 1x striped peacock eel
1x African Feather Fin cat

And, if all goes well with that, POSSIBLY one angel, but probably not at this rate........

Thanks guys! any other suggustions that were missed are welcome!

 

[Nevergone815]

Not the answer I wanted, but I'll take it... So check him off my list too.....

And it looks like longirostrus can get to 20 inches... scratch him off....

But the African Feather Fin Cat seams to be a synodontis as well. I'll look more into him. And getting the other peacock eel. It is a striped one, so it is a different type, but I hear they mix fine....

So it's lookin like

1x Albino senegal
1x African Brown Knife
2x Peacock eel and 1x striped peacock eel
1x African Feather Fin cat

And, if all goes well with that, POSSIBLY one angel, but probably not at this rate........

Thanks guys! any other suggustions that were missed are welcome!

ok people correct me if i'm wrong, but don't synodontis like to be in small groups (3+) like corydoras do? if not my apologies, but i would add a couple more african feather fin cats and then your tank looks more than good at this point. i would skip on the angel though.

 

[Gankutsuou]

yeah, I guess instead of the angel, I'll get 3 of those feather fins.....

then again, $45 VS something i can get for free.....

if it was just 15... hmmmm

I'll have to think on that. I have store cred at a place that has angels. I'll have to ask them about their cats too.