# Soil Planted Tank



## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Erpetoichthys-calabaricus.html

If you do not want to get a large enough tank, then re-home the fish. They can grow to over a meter long, and need a large tank. 
This does not mean they need a tank to themselves, you can keep other fish with them, but start with a large enough tank. 

I have several _Polypterus senegalus senegalus_ in a tank of about 500 liters, 1.3m long (6', 125 gallons)

This group of fish (Polyipteridae) (Bichers, Rope fish) are predators that can open their mouths quite wide, and eat prey that seems almost as large as they are. The secret is to keep only large fish with them. I have several fish none of which are smaller than 10 cm (4") long but are also taller, not thin fish. (Clown Loaches (_Chromobotia macranthus_), Snakeskin Gouramis (_Trichopodus pectoralis_), Filamentosa Barbs (_Barbus filamentosa_), several catfish)
I add Guppy culls to the tank and the Bichers hunt through the plants to find and eat them. 

Polypteridae are usually safe in a planted tank. Not generally diggers, and do not nibble plants. Choose tank mates carefully, though. My Barbs are plant nibblers, so I can only keep a short list of plants with them. 

Rope fish are quite adaptable when it comes to water parameters (see Fish Base link above) so I would set up the tank based on the needs of other fish, and the Rope fish will probably be just fine. 

Substrate: I am not familiar with the materials you list. 

Plants: All the plants you ask about are worth trying. Rotala seem to need the most light of the ones you list, and generally are better with more attention to CO2 and fertilizer. Still worth trying. The others are fine in low tech tanks. 

Decor: Rope Fish appreciate some sort of driftwood arches and things like that. Not exactly caves, but a bit of a hiding place. They like 'snaking' in and out between the plants.


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

The a gravel cap you want the grain sizes to be 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch or smaller. Pool filter sand also works well as a cap.


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## Nepriceputu (Sep 17, 2012)

Diana said:


> http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Erpetoichthys-calabaricus.html


Thank you very much for the info !! Awesome info base.
I have to think about what u've said regarding the fish tank size ... I wanted a nano low tech tank for her and a bigger one for the others but now ... I have to rethink my "strategy" :flick:

By the way ? What do u feed them with ?

I'll be back in a few days with some new developments .. or at least conclusions ... but I'll still watch this thread ) I'm still interested in doing something to change my setup tank or tanks.

Ty Diana



kamikazi said:


> The a gravel cap you want the grain sizes to be 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch or smaller. Pool filter sand also works well as a cap.


Yeah .. I have something like that in my old tank, and I probably have to buy some more if I want to have 2 tanks. Thank you for the info Kamikazi.


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## steven p (Jun 22, 2012)

Bichirs are awesome. Mine swims through the plants stalking for food and naps in the tangled roots of water lettuce...

Mine is a senegal bichir, he is not aggressive but he won't hesititate to try and eat anything that smells good to him. Some times he almost looks like he wabts to cuddle with other fish, then he gets hungry and chomps on somebody.


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