help with forming community predator tank

[neko1]

hello, first of all. Im i in the right forum subject?

Second of all
I got a 2 meter aquarium around 800liters so thats 211 gallon
My fish right now are :
3x polypterus (orni/delhezi/senegalus)
5x silver dollars
2x bullhead catfish (idk why but they are so friendly)
1x rope fish

I wanted to add some bichirs, a snakehead. I just rehoused my big afer knifefish ,so the killer is gone.

and maybe some more:
im kinda stuck between deciding between these fish.
3x hejuta gars (but i cant seem to find them any bigger then 8cm so thats a problem)
toxates /archerfish (never had them but they seem fun)
masteculus spine eel (i used to have a dayi for around 6 years, was a really friendly tame fish.)
ctenopoma (but then i have another fish in the middle layer... and that seems to crowded)


So what i wanted to ask
-what kinda snakehead/channa would u recommend (only interested in fish that are houseable for their entire life)?
Do you think a dwarfsnakehead as bleheri or andrao would be eaten by the polypterus?

And how many bottemdwellers, polypterus species could i add? i was thinking about maybe 2 delhezi or senegalus (whatever i can find)

And what would u guys recommend out of the above list for top dwellers or any other oddbal or garlike recommandation?
Or do you think its overstocking by doing this?
Im especially intersted in tireeels. I really wane keep a fire tire eel but fullgrown it seems way to big for a 2 meter tank.
Does it really get upto 1 meter or does it normally stay much smaller in the aquaria?

Im running a fluval fx6 and another pomp for more stream. Doing weekly waterchanges of 20 maybe 30%. Feeding 2 a week.
If ur still reading, thank you. Havent been able to do something in my tank for years. No fish ever dies. Most of them i have kept for around 8 years. So removing the aggresive knifefish and the death of my spine eel has made me really sad but also really happy that I can finally keep something cool and new.
Here are some pics of my fish

 

[neko1]

?

 

[Deadeye]

Tank seems well stocked as is. You’re probably right that a cat or bichir may snack on a small snakehead, and of course a larger one will eat your other fish. Snakehead goby may work. Larger than a dwarf snake but much less aggressive. I also would suggest some type of larger cichlid. A tire track eel may fit a bit better than a fire.

 

[Krismo962]

ime dwarf snakeheads don't do well in community tanks,my channa gachua never displayed his dark colours when he was in a community tank he never came out and i had to drop in food right infront of his face to make him accept it.Ended up giving him his own tank.There are exceptions of course,it all comes down to the personality of your fish.Most channa keepers swear by species only tanks and i tend to stick to that now.

 

[neko1]

So started a new tank with snakeheads ... oeps....
love those guys. I have kept them before and even bred. Really happy to have snakeheads again. they are so interactive/agressive.

And i also got 2 new bichirs and 1 ctenopoma. For the big tank

 

[Krismo962]

I'm jealous! ,got any pics?

 

[FJB]

I would say the tank is well stocked as it is, considering your stated frequency and volume of water changes.
Your fish look nice. The 2 silver dollars shown appear to be two male Metynnis altidorsalis, the one shown in full, looking healthy.

Quote-
"Im running a fluval fx6 and another pomp for more stream. Doing weekly waterchanges of 20 maybe 30%. Feeding 2 a week."

I am glad this is working well for you. However, and just for myself, I prefer to have at least two filters in any largish tank; in fact all my tanks have at least 2 filters. It is cheap insurance, and there is no such thing as overfiltration.
Finally (and although it has worked for you), for myself, I would consider your level of water changing insufficient. I do ~60% weekly and wish I could do more. Just the bullheads alone are waste producing machines!
Just my thoughts, and again, given as if it were my aquarium....
Good luck!

 

[neko1]

I would say the tank is well stocked as it is, considering your stated frequency and volume of water changes.
Your fish look nice. The 2 silver dollars shown appear to be two male Metynnis altidorsalis, the one shown in full, looking healthy.

Quote-
"Im running a fluval fx6 and another pomp for more stream. Doing weekly waterchanges of 20 maybe 30%. Feeding 2 a week."

I am glad this is working well for you. However, and just for myself, I prefer to have at least two filters in any largish tank; in fact all my tanks have at least 2 filters. It is cheap insurance, and there is no such thing as overfiltration.
Finally (and although it has worked for you), for myself, I would consider your level of water changing insufficient. I do ~60% weekly and wish I could do more. Just the bullheads alone are waste producing machines!
Just my thoughts, and again, given as if it were my aquarium....
Good luck!

there is indeed no such thing as over filtration. Im actually doing to less waterchanges. Once a week is in just enough but i really should do more.
Only problem is that im 19, got 6 other tanks and im doing a full study with it. So time is a problem for me. I bought like a year ago another pump for the big tank so get more stream in the water. It does help.

If ur interested in pictures i will post some soon. But if u cant wait go follow 'anders_aquascapes' on insta or just take a look. Got some pictures and videos of the snakeheads and everything else on there.

 

[neko1]

Hey my catfish died he turned 9 years old i think this year. So it was time for him to pass sadly. Was a massive bullhead 34cm long.
I still have his brother in the tank.

So now my stocking :
2 senegal bichirs
1 poly. ornitapinus
1 delhezi bichir

5 silver dollars
1 amerius bullhead catfish
1 ctenopoma auc.
1 rope eel

I was thinking about adding an eel.
I know its quite full stocked but in half a year the other catfish is gone die aswell. And it might take some time to find the right fish im looking for.

What would u recommand for eels? Was thinking about a masteculus species. Not a fire eel do they are beautifull but get to big in my opinion.

My tank is 2meters and im running 1 pump for movement and a fluval fx6 for filtration. Doing weekly chances of 30%

 

[Deadeye]

Tire track is large but smaller than fire if I’m correct.