Possible Tankmates For Leopard Ctenopoma And Rainbow Shark?

[Install]

I am unsure. It just seems to me that the word 'shrimp' equates to food for more 'aggressive' fish. 
 
That's fair enough. I'm planning a planted setup, but as well as that I wish to avoid anything that's going to do its best to hide constantly.

 

[Doomchibi]

Also i'm not going for a tank that "pops", i'm aiming for natural camouflage, and natural looking colors with interesting patterns or texture. I'm looking for interesting, and beautiful when you notice it. The leopard ctenopoma is the only one that *has* to be in this tank, as I already have it and specifically planned the tank for it. The rainbow shark is the only one in the tank that would have any color, being the red on it's fins, and even so I may put it in a different tank in the future if it seems to be stressed. 

 

[Ninjouzata]

Would be really interested to see some responses on your new list, as I'm wanting something very similar.
My worries with the shrimp though..just because it doesn't fit doesn't necessarily mean the fish won't try, and that can sometimes end up in them getting hurt.
 
What sort of subdued lighting are you using? Sorry if that's a dumb question.

 

[Doomchibi]

I haven't decided yet on the lighting, I am still going through the options though I am going to keep it as dim as possible without harming the plants. Apparently it's possible that some African filter shrimp will only reach 4", and you're right about the possibility of fish still trying to eat him. I have a nerite snail in my current tank that I am rather attached to and so I am going to eventually set up a planted tank with just some snails, different kinds of shrimp and maybe a Cory or two and have it as a safer tank for them. Need to get my invertebrate and crustacean fix somehow. I'm thinking I will plan for the list I have now unless someone gives me more suggestions or point out a problem with the list. 

 

[Install]

Also i'm not going for a tank that "pops", i'm aiming for natural camouflage, and natural looking colors with interesting patterns or texture. I'm looking for interesting, and beautiful when you notice it. The leopard ctenopoma is the only one that *has* to be in this tank, as I already have it and specifically planned the tank for it. The rainbow shark is the only one in the tank that would have any color, being the red on it's fins, and even so I may put it in a different tank in the future if it seems to be stressed. 

That's fair.
I would, but it's the only tank in the house, and if I do one of my murky masterpieces containing one fish jobs I think I'll be without a home.
 
Also, is there a reason you've gone for a senegal bichir over a palmas?

 

[Doomchibi]

I keep thinking about it and I probably should leave angelfish out of this. I am hearing a lot of stories about bichir biting the fins off of them when the lights go out. Would snakeskin gouramis work better? I cannot find a lot of information about tankmates for them, just no "highly aggressive" tankmates as they can be timid. I wouldn't be adding the brown knife or bichir until the rest of my fish were grown, so do you think that could work? 
 
 
Sorry for being so indecisive, I always put way too much thought into my tanks long before they are set up.

 

[Ninjouzata]

You'll want more than just one or two cories for that other tank, they should be kept in groups of 6+
 
Definitely don't be sorry, I think a lot of us do this. I know I do. I don't even have the tank yet and I lay awake at night wondering what I'm going to put in it.
Or rather if what I want will work..which like you, includes an angelfish. But I agree it may be best not to. I wonder if it'd be fine adding a larger angel?
 
I wish I could be of some help instead of just saying "I wonder too", but Goat pretty much got everything for neat tank mate suggestions.

 

[Doomchibi]

Well, I was planning on getting larger angels to start out with and letting it get to at least 4" if not bigger across before I added the bichir, which would only be about 3-4" when I got it. I didn't hear any sizes listed about the angels that were apparently having their fins bitten off at night, but then again I have also heard that bichir cannot "nip" fins because of the way their mouths work.. So it could be that other fish were at fault? I really do like the idea of angels as I grew up with them and I love their personalities. I'll just have to keep researching until I figure something out. I also wasn't planning specifically on cories for the other tank I mentioned, that was just one of the types I had been told would be safe with the shrimp I was looking at. I'll probably end up going with a few otocinclus instead unless I come across something that would be better, but that's another day and another thread if I end up getting flustered with it. Thank you though 

 

[Ninjouzata]

The place I had read about a bichir biting the angels dorsal fin, they said the angel was 2", if that helps any.
Ah okay, sorry if I came off as rude or anything! Didn't mean to

 

[Doomchibi]

No, you didn't at all- don't worry. I'll give the angels a try and give them to my mother if they start getting bitten fins, and then try out the snakeskin gourami as my second attempt unless I find a better idea. 

 

[Doomchibi]

I went to to my LFS planning on picking up some water sprite for one of my tanks, ending up walking by the fish and HELLO.. Little baby albino senegals, AND marbled bichir. This store has never carried them and everyone I spoke to had no clue who ordered them. I was planning on getting the bichir last for my tank since I expected them to be bigger, but I picked one of each up because they are absolutely tiny and I was planning on having to order the albino online so that saves me a good $40-50 with the shipping. The albino is only about 1 1/2" and the marbled is 1 3/4", maybe 2". I got one of each because I have heard of many people being able to keep multiple ones together if they have enough room and are the same size. Both get to about 13" I believe so they should both grow at a pretty even rate. I also got 2 angels that are a decent size, and i'm going to take them out if the bichir grow faster than they do, until the angels catch up. I figure I may as well give them a try and if anyone starts looking like they want to snack on them i'll move them to a different tank. My ctenopoma kept looking at my albino as if he was a gigantic worm, not sure what to do. Seemed like she was going to try to nip at him until the bichir turned around and looked back at her, then swam up and put his face right against hers so she swam off and hasn't gone near either of them since. The two bichir have such different personalities, the marbled wants to be by himself and check everything out, and the albino is acting like a little puppy, swimming around my other fish and a few times now i've caught him flopped across the back of the other one, taking a nap. The two bichir were kept in different tanks at the store, and as soon as they saw eachother in mine they started rapidly shaking their fins, swam over to eachother and pretty much immediately started to cuddle. Is that normal or more of a baby / juvenile thing? So far i've gotten both of them to eat mysis, brine shrimp and bloodworms, so far so good. I'm waiting for my substrate and some driftwood to get here so I can finish getting my 75 ready for them, so they should be able to go in by the end of the month. The store also had an african brown knife and the featherfin catfish, but both were much larger than I expected, each about 6-7" and so i'll wait to get those like I had originally planned. I'm going to wait a few months before I get the butterfly fish  because the only size my store gets in are at least 3" and I wouldn't trust them with the bichir looking like earthworms. 

 

[Ninjouzata]

Oooh please tell me you can get some pics of the cute little fellows!
 
Marbled bichir is Polypterus palmas palmas, in case you need to know for any future reference. It gets 13", like you said.
Senegal I've read can get up to 20" but was told they usually end up around 12" or so.
 
They do like to pile on each other, it makes them feel safer

Glad the Ctenopoma seems to be leaving them alone for now. Hope it stays that way!
 
Here is my thread I put up, told you I was doing something very similar  http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/427725-75g-stocking-suggestions/
I don't know if it'll help you or not, but just in case..there it is. XD

 

[Doomchibi]

I found a reasonably small African brown knife and a baby featherfin catfish and added them both to the tank a couple days ago and so far none of them are too nippy with each other. Planning on putting them all into the 75 today

I'm keeping the smaller tank set up for now as a backup while i'm watching the knife because he's the biggest of them all and I want to be sure he's being nice. The two bichir are the only ones in the tank that it seems to get upset with when they come too close. I can't believe how much my ctenopoma has grown since I've gotten her, she's gained 1.5" in a little over a month. The marbled bichir is already starting to get a little fatter since I've had him, too. The store was apparently feeding them only flakes, and now they gorge themselves any chance they get.. I've even caught the Senegal stealing tetra veggie from the snails! I've been trying to put a few pictures up but whenever I try it says I can't use that image extension. I am trying to use photobucket, is there something else I should try?

 

[Ninjouzata]

I hope the transition goes well!
How does the knife react to the bichirs?
Sounds like great growth on your ctenopoma & glad the marbled is getting chunkier.
 
That's odd about the pics..have you tried a different browser? May need to use a different photo sharing site :c I hope you can get it working, would really love to see some pictures!

 

[Doomchibi]

In the small tank, when the bichir went near the knife he would go at them as if he wanted to bite them until they swam off, and a few times he seemed as if he was going to chase them. Since they have been in the 75g, the knife is all over the tank and seems much happier. The only aggression i've seen from it so far has been towards the rainbow shark when they try to go into the same hide, and luckily none of the fish seem to think any particular place is worth actually fighting over. I'll keep trying to post pictures!