inputs on the first draft of a 150g stock.

[genocidex]

well i was just handed a blank slate for a 150g tank. its a standard 150g (72x18x28") and we are setting up 55g sump (adding about 40g of volume). i want to keep the stock on the lighter side of full, so im not taking the 40g extra into account here.

12 boeseman rainbows
(edit: might want to substitue the rainbows with congo tetras)
a pair of severums (hoping to get red heads)
2 BN plecos
3 pictus cat fish
1 Cuvier Bichir
1 angel fish

the last 2 are the only fish thats a must to keep, as they are in way too small of a tank.

seems like everything should work just wondering if any one has any insight. btw the angel is full grown (about 5 yrs old) and the bichir is in danger of being stunted.

[Fish from Filly]

Congrats to you on the new tank! The bichir likes higher PH as do do the rainbows and even though they aren't from the same region, should be good together, especially if your water is around 8 PH. I have an albino BN pleco and think he is one of the coolest fish I have. If you get, I would def get the male (so they have the bushy nose) and would make sure it is long-fin sometimes called butterfly fin. I'm sure you know the catfish are a schooling fish and would be better with 6 or so but I've seen them solo too and they appear fine. Still though, there are some cool African catfish that you could go with (upsidedown are really fun). Bumblebee goby, I know are small, but go with the bichir too.

[genocidex]

well the upside down cats are in play, but i think he wants to stay away from those. i knew the pictus liked groups i wasnt aware they liked a full school. might be able to give him a school of them then.... not sure thanks for the input. i think the water is very neutral 7.1 ph and like 7*kh.... not 100% on that tho

[Sandz]

12 boeseman rainbows
(edit: might want to substitue the rainbows with congo tetras)
a pair of severums (hoping to get red heads)
2 BN plecos
3 pictus cat fish
1 Cuvier Bichir
1 angel fish

SOUNDS COOL! I just have one worry about the Cuvier V the Pictus:

[genocidex]

you think the bichir and the cats would fight it out in a tank with such a big tank?

[Fish from Filly]

well the upside down cats are in play, but i think he wants to stay away from those. i knew the pictus liked groups i wasnt aware they liked a full school. might be able to give him a school of them then.... not sure thanks for the input. i think the water is very neutral 7.1 ph and like 7*kh.... not 100% on that tho

yeah they don't really school, more of a shoal. I never kept them but I know people who have 1 or 3 in their tank and they do fine. When I see them in the nice lfs where there are like 25 of them in a small tank, they swim together and look really cool. The pictus look like sharks! They are very active whereas your birchir is not.

I had idea before to do African tank with birchir and upsidedown catfish for bottom, butterfly fish for top, and congo tetras for school. Could also add leopard bushfish, ropefish, or knife fish but they would eventually get pretty big and snack on small catfish.

[Sandz]

I dont think they will fight, I think the birchir will eat them flat out when he puts on size.

[Fish from Filly]

Dont the pictus get to be 6" ++? I know birchirs can get over a foot but wow!

I think a tank with school of Congos tetras and some medium/large African oddballs like mentioned above would look really cool. Add some mopani wood with anubia and you got yourself a cool biotope. The Angel isn't African but since it is large, should have no compatibility issues.

[Sandz]

Remember when you see a birchir... its much like a large mouth bass, in that its mouth is the biggest part... If it fits... it ships... They (the cats) are mostly nocturnal making them easy pray for the slower moving birchir and they stay on the bottom making run ins really common. I dont doubt the coolness factor, I just dont like the idea of the birchir. I think they belong in a tank like this with small gar and such.

[genocidex]

Well that one of the 2 first that have to come. Sadly to say the bichir is in a 29g tank.... Ik ik ik but its not my tank and its hard to explain to someone about tank size vs fish size. He had 2 balasharks in a 55g if that tells u anything lol