Ideas for 650l Congo tank

[BigBossPants]

Thinking of trying to replicate the congo in my 4ft x 3ft x 2ft tank. Im wanting to plant it, substrate is daltons and sand. Lighting is 2 double t8 light hoods. Got a fair abount of driftwood to go in there, fish so far are a ctenopoma (sp?), kribensis and barbs. Would really like polypterus senegalus if possible.

Any ideas on other fish and plants for this??

[DennisP]

Congo tetra?

Plants:

Anubias,congo fern...

Thanks All I got!

OH YEAH! Elephant nose.

[Fruju]

Yes! This is an idea that I was considering for my 6ft. With plants just go all out on every type of anubias variant.

In terms of fish: school of congos (normal or yellow fin, both are nice), elephantnose, ctenopoma x2/3, senegal bichir, delhezi bichir, african butterfly fish, try and source the wild kribs off a forum member (look better IMO), maybe a cool african cat.

watch out for the ctenopoma + bichirs eating barbs if you want them in the tank, make sure whatever barbs they are, are at LEAST an inch, any smaller and they will be food i think.

IF you do this I would really like to see the end result. A cool idea would be to make a riverbank background out of poly, look at some threads in DIY, some good ones in there.

[BigBossPants]

Some awesome ideas forgot to add, there will be a standpipe for the sump overflow in the middle of the tank, apparently Im getting something made out of poly to hide it, need to talk sweetly to some people. Was thinking rocks or driftwood look for the poly

Not so keen on the congo tetras, elephant nose is a bit out of my price range... The barbs I have already are over an inch, the kribs range in size

[Joe]

For fish, 50 Hemigrammopetersius caudalis :bounce:

And for plants...

Although it isn't a plant that originates from the Congo area, I think various varieties of Java fern will look nice. And you must include Congo Fern (Bolbitis heudelotii) and as many species and varieties of Anubias as possible.

Tiger Lotus comes from Africa and that will look stunning in your tank.

[malevolentsparkle]

riverine upside down catfish! theres some African killies isn't there? congo tetras scream congo (dah) as well as butterfly fish and elephant noses.

[Stella]

there will be a standpipe for the sump overflow in the middle of the tank, apparently Im getting something made out of poly to hide it, need to talk sweetly to some people. Was thinking rocks or driftwood look for the poly

Actually a public aquarium I am working on is using a similar idea - disguising a standpipe in a fibreglass piece of 'driftwood'. I am not involved in the design, but I think it is going to protrude out of the water. I think the 'branch' was to have long cracks in it, and the water flow through that at the height of the top of the standpipe the standpipe, so it simultaneously acts as a fish filter.

I don't think this one exists yet, but it has probably been done before. Try doing a google on disguising standpipes.

(OMG riverine upsidedown catfish sound awesome! Must find a photo...)

[Nymox]

Actually a public aquarium I am working on is using a similar idea - disguising a standpipe in a fibreglass piece of 'driftwood'. I am not involved in the design, but I think it is going to protrude out of the water. I think the 'branch' was to have long cracks in it, and the water flow through that at the height of the top of the standpipe the standpipe, so it simultaneously acts as a fish filter.

That sounds like a great idea :bounce:

[BigBossPants]

There ya go, get cracking then

Maybe I will have to look into the congo tetras, see if I can get them through work...

Will definitely be adding java fern, anubias, congo fern if I can find it, and lotus.

Any thoughts on the poly eating kribs once its bigger?

Also are there suckermouth fish from the congo? I have 2 large male bristlenoses and enjoy my tank being algae free

[malevolentsparkle]

some links:

http://fish.mongabay.com/data/ecosystems/Congo_Zaire.htm

http://fish.mongabay.com/biotope_african_rivers.htm

heres some of the catfish from the area, no idea if they are available here though:

Synodontis alberti:

synodontis angelicus:

synodontis brichardi:

Synodontis Eupterus:

Synodontis nigriventris:

[malevolentsparkle]

oh and i found the killie i was thinking of:

Blue Lyretail Killifish (Fundulopanchax Gardneri)

[Ice222]

heres some of the catfish from the area, no idea if they are available here though:

Synodontis Eupterus:

Synodontis nigriventris:

I'm quite certain that Synodontis Eupterus is available. The one I saw at HFF just last week was being sold as 'upside-down catfish', which usually refers to Eupterus I'm told. Also, I have looked up Synodontis Nigriventris, it is on the allowable list, but sounds like it's not one of the fish that we usually get in the country.

[Fruju]

Bichirs are a must! Most intriguing african fish IMO, congo tetras are colourful and they have some nice teeth on them 8)

[David R]

Hollywood have a good assortment of Synos from the German shipments that came in a while ago.

[phoenix44]

Both euptera and Nigriventris are here and readily available.

As are angelicus, alberti, and a bunch of crosses.

[malevolentsparkle]

Also are there suckermouth fish from the congo?

have a look at: African suckermouth catfish - Chiloglanis polypogon

Euchilichthys sp.}

Atopochilus sp. } both these genera live in africa and have suckermouths

[snookie]

Steatocranus casuarius , Distichodus affinis, other Distichodus species will grow to big 8)

[waterlogged]

this sonds like it will be an awesome tank

[DennisP]

IMO, need a big rock wall/mound at the back+ lots of driftwood + the plants.

Maybe some ornate... ctenepoma(?) not sure where in africa the come from.

http://www.google.co.nz/search?um=1&hl= ... a=N&tab=iw

[BigBossPants]

I may be able to get a rock wall for the back, will have to do some schmoozing first hehe. I already have one ctenopoma in my smaller tank so he is definitely going in. I like the look of the african suckermouth cat, will see if they are available through work a couple of the other species mentioned look really cool but probably not for me, one is a plant eater, definitely want the tank well planted.

[livingart]

[BigBossPants]

Exactly what I was thinking of do you have enough left?

[livingart]

can always make more

your design or mine

[Joe]

http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum/sh ... amp-Nature

[BigBossPants]

That looks amazing! I think it could be mandatory. LA I think you probably have a better imagination than I do, maybe you and matt can coordinate and make the two pieces look similar

Im gonna owe a lot of baking by the end of this!