210 Gallon Congo River Basin Biotope Stocking Questions

[cockroach]

In regards catfish especially syno’s in particular the concern is more for bichir safety from my understanding, they can become slime coat suckers from what Ive read. Ive never tried it so I cant attest to the validity of the follow post.

bichir and Synodontis

is it save to mix them together?this question may already be asked before, I know Synodontis is a peaceful type but I am just worry that they might suck my bichirs slime coat.

www.monsterfishkeepers.com

Interesting read thanks for sharing. S. eupterus was the actual species in mind when I made the suggestion. There were some experienced fish keepers in that thread.

 

[neko1]

I am sorry. I usually do not go into disagreements on forums but there is some misrepresented information here.

How would this be over stocking in a 210 gallon tank? None of the fish in the mentioned list except the ornate or "large distochodus" are waste machines. Any half decent filtration for a tank that size stocked with valuable fish like Congo species should be able to handle the bioload.

As for the comment on bichirs preferring not having catfish. This is the first time I have heard of this unless the catfish are outcompeting the bichirs for food during feeding. And, I am not trying to get into a he said, she said, on a forum called MonsterFishKeepers, but how is a 210g considered a 'smaller' tank? There are people on here keeping more fastidious fish of these sizes in much smaller quarters.
A great THREAD ON POLYPTERUS by Hendre can be found here.
THIS THREAD belonging to giseok jung attests to bichirs and catfish living together.

Although the odoe pike might reach 60cm in the wild, i have personally never seen a wild one that big and spent many years fishing African rivers. In captivity they are most likely to top out at about 12" for a good, healthy fish.
THIS LINK to a thread on here about captive keeping and breeding of odoe pike.

And lastly, the cichlids comment. What species are you imagining are being suggested if Congos and other tetras from that region are being suggested? A well chosen group of cichlids from a biotope with some of (opinion only) the worlds most fascinating cichlids would be an interesting addition.

I do agree on the knifefish/elephant nose fish as they both use electric signals to roam the tank. I did not account for the knifefish with regards to the stocking suggestion.

I hope this does not come across as a personal retaliation stemming from a disagreement but it is important with so much misinformation out there to ensure we are giving the most accurate information so future readers of threads like these can learn and take away what they need from them.

I dont see it as personal relatiation. This forum is meant for discussing things.
I do believe that catfish are okay to keep with bichirs. Aldo in my experience when you have highly active catfish on the bottom they will bump into bichirs all the time. Which might be stressful for them. The topics you name as an example have catfish that swim in the upper parts. These catfish will not bump into them at all and will be no stress for the bichirs. But catfish like pictus and other highly active mostly on the bottom catfish, arent really a great combination with bichirs (but that just my opinion)


2-3 senegals
2 ropefish
1 delhezi
15-20 congos (there are also yellow congo tetras and blue eyed congo tetras)
school of the smaller distochodus such as D. teugelsi/D. decemmaculatus/D. affinis
4 or so ctenopoma
6 cichlids
-group of synodontis (since they are group fish)
-odoe gar
And then he also had:
-knifefish
-ornate

I think all this above in a 210gallon would be overstocking.

Also a group of sydontis + those bichirs would be a lot for the bottom surface ( i know you recommended 1 sydontis but they do prefer groups)

 

[Friller2009]

2-3 senegals
2 ropefish
1 delhezi
15-20 congos (there are also yellow congo tetras and blue eyed congo tetras)
school of the smaller distochodus such as D. teugelsi/D. decemmaculatus/D. affinis
4 or so ctenopoma
6 cichlids
-group of synodontis (since they are group fish)
-odoe gar
And then he also had:
-knifefish
-ornate

I think all this above in a 210gallon would be overstocking.

If you did not put ANY filtration then it would be overstocking.
With a tank that size, you would probably want a sump. Sumps are by far the best filtration method E Exotic Fauna Habitation I strongly recommend you use this
I would assume that EFH would like plants in his tank. Well plants can take a good chunk of crap out of the water and substrate, not enough to only use plants, but will take out enough with the sump.
I'm not sure how much experience you have with tanks of this size, but really there is a lot worse you could stock it with.
In larger tanks, you can stock lots of small fish with adequate filtration. I would consider this stocking as somewhere between light to moderate.

 

[neko1]

If you did not put ANY filtration then it would be overstocking.
With a tank that size, you would probably want a sump. Sumps are by far the best filtration method E Exotic Fauna Habitation I strongly recommend you use this
I would assume that EFH would like plants in his tank. Well plants can take a good chunk of crap out of the water and substrate, not enough to only use plants, but will take out enough with the sump.
I'm not sure how much experience you have with tanks of this size, but really there is a lot worse you could stock it with.
In larger tanks, you can stock lots of small fish with adequate filtration. I would consider this stocking as somewhere between light to moderate.

i have had 2 tanks this size for around 6 years or something. I bet there is always a lot worse to stock it with
I also had 4 bichirs (del, orni 2 senegal)in that same size of tank and 1 bullhead. I do think that 4 bichirs (especially with an ornate )are a lot of surface area in a 2meter tank. Adding a group of catfish might be to much.
Also 4 ctenopomas, a group of congos and 6 cichlids might be a bit crowded in the middle layer in my opinion. I would do just the congos and ctenopomas (but thats me). You are recommending almost around 50 fishes in a 2meter tank.
im just saying that i think its quite a lot for a 2meter tank. But filtration will probably be able to keep up if you get/build a good sump

 

[Exotic Fauna Habitation]

If you did not put ANY filtration then it would be overstocking.
With a tank that size, you would probably want a sump. Sumps are by far the best filtration method E Exotic Fauna Habitation I strongly recommend you use this
I would assume that EFH would like plants in his tank. Well plants can take a good chunk of crap out of the water and substrate, not enough to only use plants, but will take out enough with the sump.
I'm not sure how much experience you have with tanks of this size, but really there is a lot worse you could stock it with.
In larger tanks, you can stock lots of small fish with adequate filtration. I would consider this stocking as somewhere between light to moderate.

So I have been keeping fish for since 15 I am almost 23 now and I have kept a 29, 40, and a 75 which is up now. this would definitely be a larger upgrade for me but I have learned a lot since 15 . I have a sump in my 75 right now and would run a larger unit for the 210 along with many plants from the congo. I also have my 40 set up now for the purpose of growing the plants out for the 210.

 

[Exotic Fauna Habitation]

i have had 2 tanks this size for around 6 years or something. I bet there is always a lot worse to stock it with
I also had 4 bichirs (del, orni 2 senegal)in that same size of tank and 1 bullhead. I do think that 4 bichirs (especially with an ornate )are a lot of surface area in a 2meter tank. Adding a group of catfish might be to much.
Also 4 ctenopomas, a group of congos and 6 cichlids might be a bit crowded in the middle layer in my opinion. I would do just the congos and ctenopomas (but thats me). You are recommending almost around 50 fishes in a 2meter tank.
im just saying that i think its quite a lot for a 2meter tank. But filtration will probably be able to keep up if you get/build a good sump

I haven't really looked at any cichlid species because they usually tear up plants to my knowledge but do you think the stocking I had originally posted would be fine and not overstocked?

 

[neko1]

I haven't really looked at any cichlid species because they usually tear up plants to my knowledge but do you think the stocking I had originally posted would be fine and not overstocked?

yeah definitely i would recommend to add a bit more then 8 congos, if u plan to get them. They are group fish so the more the better

maybe take a look here if u want to find other fishes : https://www.inaturalist.org/guides/6975 / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Freshwater_fish_of_West_Africa

 

[Friller2009]

i have had 2 tanks this size for around 6 years or something. I bet there is always a lot worse to stock it with
I also had 4 bichirs (del, orni 2 senegal)in that same size of tank and 1 bullhead. I do think that 4 bichirs (especially with an ornate )are a lot of surface area in a 2meter tank. Adding a group of catfish might be to much.
Also 4 ctenopomas, a group of congos and 6 cichlids might be a bit crowded in the middle layer in my opinion. I would do just the congos and ctenopomas (but thats me). You are recommending almost around 50 fishes in a 2meter tank.
im just saying that i think its quite a lot for a 2meter tank. But filtration will probably be able to keep up if you get/build a good sump

1. 4 smaller species of bichir in a tank with a footprint of 12ft/3.5 metres? I will say that there are people much more knowledgeable on bichirs on this forum, but I do believe that that is not overstocking.
2. Footprint is way more important than length or gallonage. I think 50 fish, with majority staying small, in a tank with a 3.5 square metre footprint is fine!
3. I recommend jewel cichlids or humpheads. These are both species that stay quite small, and hang around towards that bottom of driftwood. Not mid layer.

 

[twentyleagues]

I have synodontis with my bichirs and rope fish, no issues. Obviously if you keep smaller synos there will be issues like the synos being eaten. Not all synos like to be in groups in fact a lot are happier being the only syno of that type. Some are very territorial and if not given a place to call theirs then they will continue to fight until one or more are dead. Synodontis flavitaeniatus is a medium....ish syno and they do not get along with other flavitaeniatus at all. Multipunctatus like either pairs or a larger group of 8 or more. Nigriventris tend to be loners as well but I have kept a couple in the same tank. I currently have 8 different types of synos small to medium 5 different types in with the polys. My other three types are the small guys and unfit to live with the polys. Lucipinnis, petricola and schoutedeni, all though I've read a couple of these reach more of the medium size 6-7" mine are all less then 4" at most and have been for over 2 years. I have multiples of these, some have bred for me a few times.
As for congo tetras I love them but honestly they'll end up a meal for your polys in time. I'd not add them as heart breaking as that is. Trust me it happened to me.
Also be very careful with cichlids and polys. Polys don't speak cichlid at all and do not care what cichlids think or want. Cichlids want a space to call their own and will attack other fish entering their area. I've seen polys loose eyes to jewel cichlids and have fins shredded. Not my fish, I also have and sometimes still do work at a large lfs.
Synos can and will damage polys if not left alone in their space they have very sharp spines on their pectoral fins. But like I said above give the synos a place to call theirs and it's usually fine. At least in my experience.

 

[neko1]

1. 4 smaller species of bichir in a tank with a footprint of 12ft/3.5 metres? I will say that there are people much more knowledgeable on bichirs on this forum, but I do believe that that is not overstocking.
2. Footprint is way more important than length or gallonage. I think 50 fish, with majority staying small, in a tank with a 3.5 square metre footprint is fine!
3. I recommend jewel cichlids or humpheads. These are both species that stay quite small, and hang around towards that bottom of driftwood. Not mid layer.

how did u get to 3.5 meter? 210 gallon is mostly a 2 meter tank if im correct.