African themed (not cichlids) stock for a 65B

[DMD123]

I have been thinking of doing some sort of an African themed stock for my 65B...

Considering a community and looking at:

Leopard Bush Fish
African Brown Knife
African Butterfly Fish
Smaller Bichir (solo senegal, moke or delhezi)
Rope fish (some say too long a fish for a 36" tank, also said to do better in group instead of solo)
Small syno cat(s)
African red eye tetra
Congo tetra? (likely too much for a 36" tank?)

Any other ideas? Of course I dont plan on adding ALL those fish on my list, just looking for some unique or interesting ideas.

Lots to consider with this... IF I get a butterfly fish, probably should not get any tetras that would nip at its feelers. IF I do a bichir I may need to go to a smaller smoother substrate and may not want to mix in certain syno cats which may decide to suck slime coat or the bichir may try and eat the syno. The Leopard Bush fish and bichir are said to be a good combo which I am liking the idea of.

I know I want the fish to be easy to keep, so no special water conditions. Easy to feed, so no live foods but hopefully take pellets and frozen foods I already have to buy. This would likely mean no elephant nose, or baby whale types due to pickiness in food, possibly the knife would have same problem? Also not overly expensive, doesnt have to be overly rare, just something that is interesting and maybe slightly 'oddball' in nature. And of course has to be able to live in the 65B for life, so no giants.

Appreciate any ideas or combination of fish you guys can suggest.

 

[DMD123]

A few cichlids may work like Steatocranus casuarius or the lion head or buffalo head cichlid. Or a few types of Kirbensis…

I also like the dwarf Giraffe catfish, Notoglanidium macrostoma

 

[sir_keith]

Seems like your criteria are eliminating at least 90% of the African fishes at the outset, which raises the question- 'Why Africans?'

 

[DMD123]

Seems like your criteria are eliminating at least 90% of the African fishes at the outset, which raises the question- 'Why Africans?'

Limited tank size and not wanting to have special water conditions are really the main things. Having kept shell dwellers and having to keep special water conditions just for them was not something I enjoyed that much. Seems what Im looking at is more West African or Congo fishes as opposed to the rift lake fishes… likely closer water conditions to whats on tap.

 

[lloyd378]

Buckley fish store is selling those baby whale fish… they appear to be very unique Looking and I think they fall into your parameters

 

[DMD123]

Buckley fish store is selling those baby whale fish… they appear to be very unique Looking and I think they fall into your parameters

I wasnt sure if they were the difficult feeders... need to only use live foods like black worms? I would need to do some more research on them but as far as my water conditions and what not, I think they would work.

African Starry Night Eel might work but I think its going to be a picky eater like the fire eel and tire track eel.

 

[sir_keith]

I don't see why you're thinking 'African themed.' Cichlids are the dominant fish family in all of Africa, not just the Rift Lakes, so much so that it's difficult to think of more than a few non-cichlid Africans of interest in the hobby. Or am I missing something?

 

[DMD123]

My main fish of interest in this tank has been the leopard bush fish. Seems like my list of fish of interest to add to the community tank based off it pretty much are what they are found with in nature. The tank itself is dark in design and from what I am reading would make the bush fish get quite dark, almost black and I wouldn’t get much of the pattern of it coming through. Im wondering how my red wolf would do on the black substrate? The other 65B does have a lighter color substrate which might show off a leopard bush fish pattern better.

So now the hunt to find fish…

 

[DMD123]

Pushing the boundaries with this one... a feather-fin cat for the 65B
A this point completely disappeared in the tank but will get pretty sizable. Decided on this instead of a bichir. The activity level will be so much higher from the catfish as an adult so that was the way to go. Now I need to figure out the other inhabitants, maybe a school of Congo tetras? Still not sure on the leopard bush fish?

 

[lloyd378]

My son has 3 to 4 of these catfish… super cool when they are out, but given a cave or a structure to hide in, they do acts like typical catfish and hunker down….but give them some frozen bloodworms and they go crazy

 

[DMD123]

I was kind of shocked that the Petco person knew enough to remind me that the ‘Synodontus eupterus’ can potentially reach 10”. Most of what I have read says most people get maybe 8” out of them. But she didn’t ask what size tank I was putting it in just letting me know the potential size. They had the smaller upside down cats but I love the feather-fin’s tall fin.

 

[DMD123]

I dont really see this cat much but I feed and when I gravel vac there is not a single bit of uneaten food. I have seen some growth on the little guy but I do need to get it some tankmates. Still considering a leopard bush fish and some Congo tetras.