Congo River Biotope

[Fishlover94]

Hi, I want to design my aquarium into a Congo River Biotope. I'm moving out soon, so I would like help with ideas on what to do. I do have Dragon Rock and Med-size Pacific Driftwood; I'm looking to add Activ-Flora[emoji769] Floracor river gem

 

[Colin_T]

What fish did you want to keep?

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website (Water Analysis Report) or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

The Congo River is normally soft acidic water and can vary from sand to rocks or gravel. It might have driftwood or rocks (wood normally where there's sand, rocks where there is gravel) or there might not be any wood or rocks. If you want open water fishes, have some smaller rocks around the base and most of the tank open for the fish to swim around. If you want bottom dwelling cichlids they can have rocks, caves or driftwood.

I don't like plant substrates especially if you plan on keeping bottom dwelling fishes or fish that dig. Plant substrates are mainly for heavily planted tanks with a few mid to surface dwelling fish, or no fish.

 

[Fishlover94]

GH, KH are unknown at the moment as I'm still geting stuff ready for the moving.
I'm keeping Congo, X-Ray, Yellow X-Ray, and Rummynose Tetra, Boesemani, Neon Rainbow, Cherry, Odessa Barb, Corydoras, Danios, and Bushynose.

Tank is 72x18x24

 

[Colin_T]

I would be careful what driftwood you put in with rainbowfish or Congo tetras. These fish can move pretty quickly and sometimes swim into things if startled. If they swim into a sharp piece of driftwood, they could seriously injure themselves. Smooth pieces of driftwood in a back corner or on the bottom are less of an issue but keep the wood and rocks out of the middle of the tank so the fish can swim in open water.

The bristlenose catfish need driftwood to help their digestion.

Rainbowfish generally do best in water with a pH above 7.0 and a GH around 200ppm. Most of the other fishes you listed come from softer water with a pH below 7.0.

Rainbowfish need lots of plant matter in their diet and at least half of their diet should be plant based. You can sue vege flakes/ pellets, goldfish food, live aquatic plants like duckweed and Ambulia, some will also take cucumber, spinach, pumpkin and zucchini.