Suggestions For Unusual Fish For My Community Tank

[Ashley1991]

Hey all

i have been looking into getting a few cockatoo cichlids for my community tank but my ph is 7.8 (they like neutral to acidic water right?) and i have a few lower level fish which im afraid they may attack (there lower to mid level fish?) oh and i cant find them anywhere! lol my lfs gets them in extremly rarely and noone i have rang seems to have any ever

just wondered if anyone could think of some unusual fish for a community tank i could look into??

oh the tank is around 190 liters

thanks

Ash

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Most of my fish stocking over the coming weeks could fit the bill of being "unusual" (quirkly look/behaviour, new to the hobby)

Rhomb Barb
Indian Red Tail Squirrel Loach
Humphead Glassfish
Vietnamese Golden Sucker (maybe)
Golden Wonder Panchax (maybe)
African Bushfish
African Butterfly Fish
Steatocranus cichlids [genus that includes the Lionhead/Buffalo Cichlid]
Nanochromis nudiceps (maybe)
[plus others I already have in sig, with Panda Garras and Dennisons Barb on day6 of post-buying quarantine]

However, I should point out that my stocking all have crutial things in common... They are all naturally found in or near flowing water with lower then average temperature for tropicals (23-24C) with high oxygen content, hence I'm picking up an Eheim 2078 "Pro 3e" external filter, which has programmable stream/river currents!

 

[didz04]

Steatocranus cichlids also known as African congo tinanti cichlid, this is a fish to get and even though its a cichlid however I have had mine in community first and it never attacked an innocent fish but will definitely defend itself. These are bottom dwellers and they need to be in groups of atleast 3 unless you want to see some funny behaviour. Mine was by itself meaning its own species-wise in a community and so he hung around with my 2 flying fox as the way they swim in some ways was just alike. He loved to hang around with them, but also very funny he breaks up fish fights lol soo funny to watch as he breaks up any fights in sight even if he sees it from one side of the 4ft to the other and he is a very fast bottom dweller, all you see is sand moving because it looks like they almost sprint lol. I recommend this fish and it will definitely be your favourate.
The only problem is that they are not too common however, they are now being stocked in a lot more than before. Just ask your lfs to get them in because the waiting game wouldn't be a good idea.

 

[the biffster]

we used to breed these Pantodon buchholzi aka African Butterfly Fish
the are a nice fish non aggressive unless your a
fly or bug or something we used to feed them on
freeze dried blood worm and fresh blood worm
with tweezers also fruit flies nice fish that
you dont see that often at the LFS

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

My LFS got a new batch of ~12 Butterfly last week, it was great to see some action from these beautiful fish... As the filter current drifted them into one another, it had a "domino effect" on upsetting most of the bunch (showing their territorial nature), causing one of them to end up swimming very close to the tank base, which just looked so wierd in a good way!!!

Biffster, did you lower the water level in your tank for them and if so, how much room did you give them for "jumping space?" Due to all the fish I have planned for my moderately planted 240l, I'm a bit concerned about lowering the water level by more than ~3" (which will stop these guys being out of view behind the thick top border of the tank).

 

[BethK]

I really can't remember the name of this catfish/pleco but it looks like a weird leaf on the tank bed, they look weird but cool!

 

[the biffster]

My LFS got a new batch of ~12 Butterfly last week, it was great to see some action from these beautiful fish... As the filter current drifted them into one another, it had a "domino effect" on upsetting most of the bunch (showing their territorial nature), causing one of them to end up swimming very close to the tank base, which just looked so wierd in a good way!!!

Biffster, did you lower the water level in your tank for them and if so, how much room did you give them for "jumping space?" Due to all the fish I have planned for my moderately planted 240l, I'm a bit concerned about lowering the water level by more than ~3" (which will stop these guys being out of view behind the thick top border of the tank).

just about three inches if i remember the tank had a three inch
tape around the top so we lowered it so we could see them
when they spawn floating eggs so it is best to have them in a tank
by themselves other wise the eggs get eaten also some floating plants
is good but not to many and yes they jump and almost
fly

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

I really can't remember the name of this catfish/pleco but it looks like a weird leaf on the tank bed, they look weird but cool!

Banjo catfish perhaps?

I would look at a Polypterus if you dont have anything small enough to get eaten, perhaps an African Knife fish (Xenomystus nigri)

I have both the Polypterus and Knife fish in my main tank

 

[Ashley1991]

is there any info about African congo tinanti cichlid? google search not throwing up much at all

and i have tetra so im guessing polypterus would eat them lol

looking into the other suggestions to thanks all

ash

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

is there any info about African congo tinanti cichlid? google search not throwing up much at all

and i have tetra so im guessing polypterus would eat them lol

looking into the other suggestions to thanks all

ash

Oops, missed that you have tetra! Yes, they would be lunch, I had some a year or so ago that I swore were too large to get eaten. They ended up exploring the recesses of Polypterus stomach one after the other!

Steatocranus tinanti is the full name for the African Congo (I think) have a search with that name for care-sheets

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

http/www.tropicalfishfinder.co.uk has a number of Steatocranus cichlids listed and will show you where stock is in their subscribed shops

http/www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&safe=off&q=steatocranus+tinanti&aq=0&aqi=g1&aql=&oq=steatocranus+t&gs_rfai=&fp=178baddf3f495ddd should help you find info of these guys, they are commonly called the "Slender Lionhead Cichlid" as there are much less 'stocky' than the true Lionhead (casuarius).

My LFS of choice is expecting 4 or five species of these quirky fish as part of of a wild caught Congo batch, expected to arrive (and then be quarantined for 2 weeks) anytime in the next few days, which I will definitely be taking movie clips of and posting them to my youtube account!

 

[Ashley1991]

is Steatocranus casuarius still suitable for my tank even though i dont have sand?? from what i have read they do like to dig caves under ornaments and wood

also would they be ok with guppys and tetra?

thanks for all your help all

Ash

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

I cannot advise you on the gravel instead of sand issue, but from my research into these, it suggests a good current in your tank is quite important. These cichlids tend to come from the Zaire/Congo river, rather than being commercially bred, where they inhabit the strong currents (which has lead to their evolutionary change of losing most of their swim bladder, so that they can stay close to the riverbed). I could not say if your small fish would enjoy such a current, even if it was concentrated on the bed of your tank with a powerhead like a Koralis 2 or 3.

Steatocranus will stay low in your tank, perhaps hopping onto rock/stone/bogwood plateau upto the mid depth for a short while. I suspect that your guppies and tetras will stay mid to high, so even if you got a breeding pair (these fish mate for life, there are not "plenty of otehr fish in the sea"), they should be fine. When not breeding, Steatocranus are supposed to be quite shy for cichlids, but they are good parents

 

[Ashley1991]

the flow issue is a bit of a worry and if they prefer sand over gravel then it would not be fair to get them

if anyone can clarify this for me it would be greatly appreciated

ash

edit: also read they uproot plants like no tommorow due to there burrowing so kind of veering away from them now wich i had a spare tank

Ash

edit edit lol: also read Steatocranus tinanti like to burrow and prefer a sand substrate

ash

 

[Ashley1991]

i have looked into african butterfly fish but they jump right? dont really want to lower my water level and if i dont they will dive onto the brace bars and get stuck against my lights

thanks for all your suggestions if anyone can confirm about Steatocranus tinanti do in fact need sand or not

thanks all!

Ash