Advice on setting up a 150g tank

[Mothi]

I have a 150g tank that I plan on setting up, but need some advice on the type of fish I want to keep, which will determine how the tank will look.

Some key points I have decided on:
1. The fishes I am considering is rope fish, bichirs, and african butterfly fish.
2. I would like my choice in fish to reproduce eventually...
3. I want the tank to fit a biotype the best I can.
4. I would like to see activity in the tank instead of a barren appearence.

Now for my questions:
1. Are my choice of fish from the same biotype and do they get along?
2. What other fishes should I consider?
3. Any suggestions or feedback?

I am not new to keeping freshwater or saltwater tanks. I have kept bichirs in the past and loved them greatly. My concern is the sengal bichirs are said to not be social but the ropefish seem okay with it. I have never kept african butterfly fish. From my reading, it seems I need to go with sandy substrate with some live plants and lots of bogwood.

 

[Menagerie]

[center:1af6c0ada5] Welcome to AA, Mothi! [/center:1af6c0ada5]

I don't keep any of those fish, but I will PM someone to help out. In the meantime, research will be key.
I like http://www.mongabay.com/fish/species_index . Under Other, both butterfly fish and bichirs are listed. Also one the Mongabay site, they are biotopes listed.

 

[Mothi]

Yes, I saw that website last night while doing various searches for information. It is a very helpful site. Right now I am leaning more towards keeping mostly bichirs with a few afican butterfly fish, but getting mixed information about bichirs getting along in a community tank. The most readily available are the senegal bichirs. I want to stock my tank primarily with bichir. How do you stock a tank with long slender fishes? Would 8-12 be an okay number? Plus about 4 afican butterfly fishes. I read no pleco should be in the tank so I won't buy one. That means no algae eating fish since they can eat the smaller algae eater species...

I am definately trying to research and plan as much as possible. I want the tank set-up the right way from the start. Btw, anyone know when it is baby bichir season?

 

[Menagerie]

I PMed Fruitbat for you. He should show up by the end of the day. Toirtis is another member that has experiance with bichirs.

 

[Mothi]

Thank you.

 

[Feynman]

I have an African Butterfly Fish and I really enjoy him.

It doesn't swim around much except at feeding time when he goes crazy. It's a very shy fish and floating plants or ultra tall plants that have their top leaves floating in the water are a must because these fish love to hide in them and won't feel secure without them.

I don't know about keeping them in groups as I only have one. It can be a picky eater... I got him to eat flakes but live food is best I hear.

Because they stay at the top of the tank they allow plenty of room for middle and bottom fish even though they are predators. I have tetras and he hasn't gotten any of them... yet.

I would recommend this fish.

 

[Fruitbat]

Mothi...

In a tank the size of the one you're considering you should have few, if any, problems keeping bichirs with butterfly fish. I've got a grow-out tank for my bichirs right now that also houses a trio of African Butterfly Fish, various Ctenopoma species (Bush Fish), a couple of small Synodontis catfish and an African Knife Fish (Xenomystus nigri). They all co-exist without any problems.

By nature, Polypterus (and Erpetoichthys - the Rope Fish) aren't particularly aggressive fish, nor are they very territorial. Any fish that they can swallow will be considered part of the menu and I've had large bichirs in the past that have occasionally devoured medium-sized Congo Tetras (Phenacogrammus interruptus) and 'kribensis' cichlids (Pelvicachromis pulcher) but the losses have been minimal.

Baby bichir 'season' is generally in the Spring to early Summer here in the U.S.A. PetSmart was selling very young Polypterus senegalus last spring as 'dinosaur eels'.

Sounds like a great tank you've got in mind!