African tank (not Rift Lake)       7/26/`14
Dear Crew,
Hello, first off, I would like to commend you on such a wonderful job that you all do!
I have a 30 gallon (ish) freshwater tank. The tank is 30" x 12.5" x 19", and has an eggcrate cover. I would like to make it into an African oddball tank. The fish I plan on using would be an African Butterflyfish, a leopard Bushfish, a Senegal bichir, and a pair of Kribs.
<Nice fishes, collection; but need more room than a thirty. Perhaps twice this with/when the bichir is of size>
Aquascaping: I would like to grow Dracaena sanderiana
<Mmm; not an aquatic plant... won't live well or long underwater>
out of the eggcrate,
<Oh!>
with maybe the roots immersed in the water. If I only use fresh-cut shoots, would they eventually begin to have the bamboo cane look?
<Possibly; though can be toxic>
Or would the shoots remain like shoots? How far into the water could I immerse the plants before they started not thriving?
Just the white/roots; or planter base if it's already growing in this>
I think it would look really cool if I could see the bichir weaving between bamboo canes,
<Look to some of the members of the genera Vallisneria and Sagittaria>
but I don't want to sacrifice a few plants for my whims. I also plan on using both free floating and planted water sprite to provide cover for the African butterfly fish and the Bushfish.
<A good choice>
Would it be better to grow some Anubias nana var dwarf on Mopani wood immersed then put it underwater to prevent algae growth while attaching?
<"Six of one...">
I would like to take some of the Mopani wood and make half the tank look like a tangle for the Kribs to breed and the bichir to weave, and the other half with the D. sanderiana/water sprite for the Bushfish/bichir if the Kribs breed.
Fish: I know that the African Butterflyfish might require live food at first, so have started a hydei fruit fly culture for it. Are the fruit flies too small for the fish?
<Should be fine if the fish recognizes them. May have to use aquatic insect larvae or crustaceans for a while>
How many would you recommend per feeding and how often?
<Five twice a day>
I also plan on weaning it onto freeze-dried bloodworms and cichlid pellets as a staple. I know that most people like to use crickets, but I don't think I could handle the crickets.
The Bushfish (for clarification: Ctenopoma acutirostre) I understand will also require live food at first. I have some white cloud mountain minnow fry from this summer's breeding project, but am wondering: do the wcmm fry have Thiaminase?
<Not much; no>
I know that feeder goldfish do, as do fathead minnows, but what about the wcmm? I plan on weaning the Bushfish to frozen bloodworms/Mysis/brine shrimp as soon as possible. How do you suggest weaning?
<Just starting... very likely to accept w/o much time going by>
I'm thinking of giving it live fry, followed by frozen fry, then frozen foods via turkey baster. If this will work, how do you suggest painlessly killing the fry?
<Better to add live>
The Kribs (P. pulcher) seem big enough to withstand the bichir and the Bushfish. I also think they might provide a tad of color in a predominantly brown tank. I have had experience with convict cichlid breeding in the past, but are Kribs as prolife rant?
<Not as; no>
I'm hoping that the bichir and the Bushfish will take care of large amounts of fry, leaving the parents and
me with fewer fry. Would this work since the Bushfish and bichir are nocturnal?
<Only time can tell; but in a thirty gallon, likely all fry will be consumed>
They would get Spirulina pellets and plankton/krill sticks.
The bichir (Polypterus senegalus)I know gets to 12" in size...which might be a tad small maybe?
<Not small; but won't get this big in a thirty>
I saw one at PetSmart, and had to resist the impulse buy! Again, live foods might have to be used, so more wcmm fry?
<Insect larvae, earthworms, frozen/defrosted meaty foods.... See WWM re>
Hopefully, it would take the plankton/krill sticks and frozen bloodworms and maybe frozen daphnia?
Miscellanea: Before when I had the tank stocked with fish, I would add water conditioner, and use a garden hose to fill it up. Something tells me that these fish would either jump, or not appreciate it. I have a RO/DI unit for my saltwater and shrimp tanks, so would you recommend that instead?
<Depends on your tapwater quality. I would NOT use just RO, RO/DI>
If so, what pH should I buffer to? 6.0? 7.0?
<... see WWM re all these species. Likely somewhere near neutral; but with some alkalinity>
The filter I have so far is rated for the 30 gallon, but with the large predators, should I increase water changes/ get a bigger filter?
<Assuredly yes>
At the rate that the filter runs at the moment, the Butterflyfish shouldn't be bothered by excess flow.
Would 33% weekly/bimonthly changes manage the bioload?
<I'd do up to 25% weekly; per the SOP on WWM>
I understand that all of these fish have been captive bred, so where would I find captive bred fish?
<Stores, fish clubs, the Net>
There is a big event coming up soon, so my family wants me to have it finished by November. Could I get this done in that time?
<Sure>
Thank you so much!
a person under 18
<Welcome; someone much older. Bob Fenner>
Re: African tank (not Rift Lake)... Stkg., bichirs        8/1/14
Dear Mr. Fenner,
Just to clarify, are you saying that the bichir will not be comfortable in the 30 gallon tank long term?
<Correct... might be fine for a year or two as the only fish here. There are larger (and a few smaller) Bichir species>
What about the other fish?
<What about them? Other than what is posted on WWM?>
The bichir is the main focal fish that I chose, so if the bichir won't fit, then I feel that the tank idea would not work. I have a few more ideas in my head of what to stock, but I'd like to know if the bichir would work first.
Thanks!
the same person under 18
<Am even older now! BobF>