60 Gallon African Oddball

[GetItSahn]

I put a post up recently asking ideas for a 60 gallon tank i have obtained. After receiving help and having suggestions given to me, I have decided on having an "African Oddball" tank. I most definitely would like to have a trio of Leopard Bushfish. This is the main part of my tank which I want everything else to go with.
 
For this sort of tank, what would I need as far as filtration and heating? I figured I'd have a lot of caves and hiding spots, and maybe a few tall plants in the back of the tank. I plan on using sand. 
 
Another thing that kind of has me confused is conflicting information about bichirs. I'd love to have one in this tank but some sites say certain bichirs such as senegal could live in a 60 gallon while others say I'd need close to 100 for any kind of bichir. Opinions on this? 
 
The bushfish and bichirs are relatively easy to come by where I live but I'm having trouble finding some other fish suggested to me online at all (synodontis petricola, lucipinnis). What are more readily available fish (whether online or at common pet stores)? I like catfish, but any sort of bottom swimmer would be fine. Also, a group of mid level swimmer would be nice to have.
 
I know this is kind of similar to my other post but I have narrowed down what I'm looking for and continuously done research.

 

[sawickib]

Good choice on sand 

most if not all fish prefer sand!
 
Well heating depends on the fish but usually around 76-82 degrees, and average filtration, if you can get above the average tank rating that would be better, but most suggest canisters as would I, more power and area for biological and mechanical filtration.
 
Some caves along the bottom will be good, but you also need to be generous on the tall plants to break eye sight if the bushfish get too aggressive then they can get out of sight.
 
Generally you can have a senegalus, delhezi, retropinnis, buettforkei, p. palmas palmas, and p. palmas polli. However usually i like to see bichirs in a 75 gallon tank or larger, but you can get away with a 60 gallon. Species that you can NOT keep in this tank are weeksii, orante, teugelsi and ALL lower jaw species. It helps that you have sand as well, id like to say they really like it better and if ingested can usually be passed easily, black sand is said to make the colors of Upper jaw bichirs pop.
 
Im sorry im not the best at recommending common fish all the time, but if you do bichirs and have some other bottom feeders, then you will be very close to stocked, i dont think you will have much room for a group of mid-dwellers, you may be able to find a single mid-dwelling fish though.

 

[DarkEntity]

I kept a Senegal, Palmas in a 60Gal without issue,along with Ctenopoma,Hoplosternum and some GEOS. Just make sure u have serious over filtering as they are all carnivorous and messy. Plenty of plants and some light and dark areas..u should be fine.

 

[GetItSahn]

Good choice on sand 

most if not all fish prefer sand!
 
Well heating depends on the fish but usually around 76-82 degrees, and average filtration, if you can get above the average tank rating that would be better, but most suggest canisters as would I, more power and area for biological and mechanical filtration.
 
Some caves along the bottom will be good, but you also need to be generous on the tall plants to break eye sight if the bushfish get too aggressive then they can get out of sight.
 
Generally you can have a senegalus, delhezi, retropinnis, buettforkei, p. palmas palmas, and p. palmas polli. However usually i like to see bichirs in a 75 gallon tank or larger, but you can get away with a 60 gallon. Species that you can NOT keep in this tank are weeksii, orante, teugelsi and ALL lower jaw species. It helps that you have sand as well, id like to say they really like it better and if ingested can usually be passed easily, black sand is said to make the colors of Upper jaw bichirs pop.
 
Im sorry im not the best at recommending common fish all the time, but if you do bichirs and have some other bottom feeders, then you will be very close to stocked, i dont think you will have much room for a group of mid-dwellers, you may be able to find a single mid-dwelling fish though.

 

I kept a Senegal, Palmas in a 60Gal without issue,along with Ctenopoma,Hoplosternum and some GEOS. Just make sure u have serious over filtering as they are all carnivorous and messy. Plenty of plants and some light and dark areas..u should be fine.

Thanks to both of you, it seems like I'll be having more plants than i had planned but nothing wrong with that, all about having a better home for the fish. 
I'm definitely liking the idea of 3 ctenopoma and a bichir (sengalus or delhezi preferably). Let's say I didn't get a school of bottom dwellers and left that space to the bichir, what mid dwelling fish or school of fish could i have?

 

[DarkEntity]

Anything substantially larger than the mouth of the ctenepoma and polypterus once grown. I had geophagus as they swam together and were always active but too large for the others to try anything with. Just for note my senegal, ctenepoma and GEOS all lived together from juvi to adult might be something worth doing over adding them together once mature.

 

[sawickib]

I would also add that if you go geophagus route then have small species like red head tapajo, and take note that you should have 5-8 of them to have a proper social group.
 
Also be careful with your choice of plants, they pretty easily uproot, rooted ones.

 

[GetItSahn]

Anything substantially larger than the mouth of the ctenepoma and polypterus once grown. I had geophagus as they swam together and were always active but too large for the others to try anything with. Just for note my senegal, ctenepoma and GEOS all lived together from juvi to adult might be something worth doing over adding them together once mature.

 

I would also add that if you go geophagus route then have small species like red head tapajo, and take note that you should have 5-8 of them to have a proper social group.
 
Also be careful with your choice of plants, they pretty easily uproot, rooted ones.

Aren't geophagus south american cichlids? Would they be alright with african fish?

 

[sawickib]

Well they do work with eachother, generally you would want to meet the geophagus's requirements since bichirs are so hardy, but to anwser you question yes they can live with one another, i have red heads, winemilleri and jurupari's with my bichirs.