African tank setup  5/14/06
WWM Crew,
First off, thanks for all the help you've been in the past.  This site and all the books are amazing sources of info!
Here's the setup for my question.  I'm going to be getting a 29 gallon tank soon, coming with PC lighting (tank, stand, and light for about $30, it was too good to pass up!).  This is the plan I'm thinking of for the tank at the moment:
Substrate of Eco-Complete mixed or unmixed with fluorite as the substrate
Water Sprite
Possibly some Cryptocoryne Wendtii
Some type of Val, maybe Corkscrew
Various slate/plant pot "caves"
Pair of Pelvicachromis Pulcher
Pantodon Buchholzi butterflyfish
Maybe a small group of about 3-5 Congo Tetras
Aquaclear HOB filter, using sponge, bio-media, and peat inside the basket (maybe moving gradually to just sponge and peat)
Depending on the number of plants I end up with, some sort of CO2 system
Does this sound like a good amount of stock, in terms of plants and fish?
<The CO2 is probably not needed with the plants you have selected but will do better with the CO2. The Congo tetras get big and the butterfly fish will not feel comfortable with all the activity. The kribs will probably not breed because the will be hiding from the active Congos. Smaller ones will help but they will grow quickly.>
I'm thinking about any other types of floating plants I can add as cover for the butterfly, as well as adding some root cover for the tetras.  What would be some other good types of floaters I could add, or even substitute completely for the water sprite?
<Hornwort, Naja grass, Hygrophila or even plastic plants will all work well.>
I don't want the overhead lighting to overpower the kribs at all.  For the butterfly, I'm planning on a staple of live crickets about every other day, and attempting to get it to eat some frozen or flake food on the other days.  I will feed the crickets some type
of flake prior to feeding them to the butterfly.
< They will eat mealworms too.>
Would it work to add some driftwood and let that lower the pH gradually, instead of/in addition to the peat?
< It will take a long time for the driftwood to lower the pH. Any lowering of the pH would be offset by a water change.>
With the above list, I'm thinking I shouldn't add any more fish. Losing the tetras, would some species of Synodontis work with the butterfly and kribs, and if so, which species would be best?
< Synodontis are actually very aggressive catfish. Only the smallest species of upside down cats would be considered.>
My hope is that with a good amount of plants and the Aquaclear, I won't need any more filtration.  From the other ones I've used they don't disturb the surface a whole lot except directly below the output, so I'm thinking that these would be good with the butterfly.  I guess my overall question is, does this sound like a workable setup, something which will keep everything alive for quite a while?  Thanks for the help, with the website and the
books! Alex
< You still need circulation to provide nutrients for the plants and to prevent hotspots next to the heater. Congo are much too active to go without aeration.-Chuck.>