Setting Up A 180 Gallon Amazon River Biotope

[GobyMaster]

Okay, I'm setting up a 180 gallon Amazon River Biotope aquarium. I need help with stocking. I already have some stocking in mind, but I'm not sure if the fish are compatable. Here's the stocking list:
'Schooling Fish'

• Serpae Tetra (Hyphessobrycon eques) x10
• Black Phantom Tetra (Megalamphodus megalopterus) x10
• Marbled Hatchetfish (Carnegiella strigata) x8

'Show Fish'

• Altum Angelfish (Pterophyllum altum) x5
• Royal Blue Discus (Wild Strain, Symphysodon aequifasciata) x5
• Royal Panaque (Panaque nigrolineatus) x1
• Black Ghost Knifefish x3

'Algae Eaters'

• Bristlenose Plecostomus (Ancistrus dolichopterus) x4
• Starlight Plecostomus (L182, Ancitrus dolichopterus) x4
• Scarlet Plecostomus (L25, Pseudacanthicus sp.) x1

'Waste Cleaners'

• Bronze Corydoras (Corydoras aeneus) x8
• Peppered Corydoras (Corydoras paleatus) x8

So, what do you think? Would these fish get along? The tank would have a sand substrate and would be densely planted in the back, as well as in parts of the front. There would be bogwood all over the place, as I've read that Panaque nigrolineatus isn't an algae eater, but a wood-eater. The main thing is the Black Ghost Knifefish. I've read mixed reviews. Some people say that these fish can be kept with other fish as small as neons, but others say that they will eat anything under 4". What should I believe? The Serpae and Black Phantoms are both fish I've kept before, and they can get fairly big (some of mine were over 3"), so would they be in danger of either the Black Ghost or the Altums? The Marbled Hatchetfish are surface dwellers, so I don't think that they would get eaten. The Corydoras can get pretty big for small fish standards, and they can swim fairly fast, so would they get eaten?

Thanks for all the answers ahead of time!

GobyMaster

 

[Maximus]

What happened to the "mega tank"?
Or the one where you were going to glue a load of tanks together?

 

[GobyMaster]

Parents said that they were 'too big'.

GobyMaster

 

[finchfarm]

I have a Brown Knife Fish (aka Little Scale Knife), that is very peaceful with my other fishes so far. He's about 5 inches long and he's been kept with Neons and Rummynoses and hasn't caused them any trouble......granted he is a Brown Knife, not a Black Knife. We had a Black Knife once, but he died within a few weeks after we got him. Thus I don't know much about Black Knives and smaller fish; I'd personally ask people with better knowledge on Black Ghosts in specific on this one.

The rest of your fish seem pretty good, the only qualm I might have is the Plecos. We've always only kept one pleco in our tank at a time.....and I've read on the internet that plecos tend to be territorial and agressive towards other Pleco species. Again, never tried it, but not sure wether its a good idea to mix plecos.

 

[WayneVT08]

Sorry to hijack Goby, but Cory's eat waste? Is that what I just read?

 

[roseK]

 

[GobyMaster]

What I ment by that was that they ate leftover food, not that they actually eat waste like fish crap.

GobyMaster

 

[jarcher1390]

cories do eat left over foods but u do have to feed the something like algae wafers, pellets and some frozen food(in other words feed them to not just what other fish cannot eat)
The rule is if a a fish can fit into another fishes mouth it is seen as food. With that amount of plecs in the tank they should be alright if they all got a place to go so they are not fighting over the hiding places. which then come onto ma next point plec are very dirty pooping machines which need a lot of filtration to get rid of there waste which means you'll problaly have to clean out your filter once a week.
Depending on your filtration and the flow rate of your filtration, if it is too strong and a hefty current your angels fish and your discus will not like it one bit as they like still water.
Jonny

 

[invader]

First of all... what are you using for filtration? That's one of the key points here. Discus do not like fast moving water, so you cannot use something that is too strong for them. Also, I have heard that angels and discus are generally not the best of tankmates, because angels are more aggressive and I have heard that they can pass diseases easier.

Second of all, there are way too many high waste producers in there. Do you know how much waste a royal panaque can produce?! It's rediculous! And on top of having the royal, you want 9 other plecos? It seems really extravagent and excessive, because you will have to be doing weater changes daily to keep up with their bioload, especially if you have discus, which are really sensitive to water conditions. And, scarlets get huge (and are pretty expensive), along with the royal... do you have enough territory for both of them to coexist?

Third, BGKs generally don't get along together. If you want one, just have one, not 3. Also, there is a possibility of it eating your tetras.

I think you should rethink your stocking and decide what you really want. Do you want a tank housing larger fish (BGK, cichlids, plecs) or do you want a more delicate tank (angels/discus, tetras, cories)?

 

[jarcher1390]

First of all... what are you using for filtration? That's one of the key points here. Discus do not like fast moving water, so you cannot use something that is too strong for them. Also, I have heard that angels and discus are generally not the best of tankmates, because angels are more aggressive and I have heard that they can pass diseases easier.

Second of all, there are way too many high waste producers in there. Do you know how much waste a royal panaque can produce?! It's rediculous! And on top of having the royal, you want 9 other plecos? It seems really extravagent and excessive, because you will have to be doing weater changes daily to keep up with their bioload, especially if you have discus, which are really sensitive to water conditions. And, scarlets get huge (and are pretty expensive), along with the royal... do you have enough territory for both of them to coexist?

Third, BGKs generally don't get along together. If you want one, just have one, not 3. Also, there is a possibility of it eating your tetras.

I think you should rethink your stocking and decide what you really want. Do you want a tank housing larger fish (BGK, cichlids, plecs) or do you want a more delicate tank (angels/discus, tetras, cories)?

basically what i said

 

[invader]

First of all... what are you using for filtration? That's one of the key points here. Discus do not like fast moving water, so you cannot use something that is too strong for them. Also, I have heard that angels and discus are generally not the best of tankmates, because angels are more aggressive and I have heard that they can pass diseases easier.

Second of all, there are way too many high waste producers in there. Do you know how much waste a royal panaque can produce?! It's rediculous! And on top of having the royal, you want 9 other plecos? It seems really extravagent and excessive, because you will have to be doing weater changes daily to keep up with their bioload, especially if you have discus, which are really sensitive to water conditions. And, scarlets get huge (and are pretty expensive), along with the royal... do you have enough territory for both of them to coexist?

Third, BGKs generally don't get along together. If you want one, just have one, not 3. Also, there is a possibility of it eating your tetras.

I think you should rethink your stocking and decide what you really want. Do you want a tank housing larger fish (BGK, cichlids, plecs) or do you want a more delicate tank (angels/discus, tetras, cories)?

basically what i said

Er. Sorry, then?

 

[jarcher1390]

well u added some notes ive forgotten tho