New Setup Time.

[Bri]

I'm gonna need an external filter, substrate will be minimal but enough to sustain plant life and i have a few large pieces of granite. Also i have plenty of wood should i need to use it.

Suggestions.....

[tom]

the tanks way to small for a group of clown loaches, they grown to around 1 foot

[Sparkyweasel]

It's a bit small for Tiger Barbs as well, they love to dash about, and are best in a good shoal. Cichlids could be good; you could have two species of South American Dwarfs if they have different spawning requirements, ie one pair of open spawners and one pair or trio of cave spawners. Add a few small tetras or pencilfish, and maybe some Otocinclus on algae patrol.

Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlids are great if you can't (or don't want to) provide soft water, otherwise Apistogramma agassizi, A. trifasciata, A. borellii etc for cave spawners. For open spawners, Nannacara anomala are excellent and OK with hard water, also Laetacara dorsigeros, curviceps etc, or Bolivian Rams. Also normal Rams and Checkerboards for soft water.

The third option of 'Other' is hard to comment on 

[Bri]

Thanks for the helpful replies, i have a couple of Bolivian Rams in the Rio 240 so i think the 2 footer may be the place for some cichlids :)

[Bri]

Just been going through my options and had a thought.....

How about Kribs? And if so, what kind of tankmates would be suitable for them....

Bri.

[Bri]

Cancel that, ive been offered some young Convict Cichlids, so they can go in the 2ft tank.

Kribs will probably end up being up in the Rio at some point, providing i can find a pair and get another cave for them :)

[ghostsword]

Kribs breed too much, what to do with the fry?

[Bri]

Another good point lol, I wonder if the LFS's round here would be interested....

If not then i guess i'll have to think of something when the time comes :)

Ive just read the convicts eat plants so this 2ft tank will be sparsely planted, if at all, and consist mainly of wood & granite caves with a sand base.

[Sparkyweasel]

Some Convicts are more destructive than others, so you might be OK if you want to plant their tank. If they are young fish your plants may be able to root well before the fish are big enough to pull them up. Tough rosette plants ( Echinodorus, Anubias etc) are more likely to survive the Convicts' attentions than anything with delicate leaves (Crypts). Mosses and fern may be OK too. Stem plants are likely to get battered, but if you have some (in other tanks) that need regular pruning you could give the Convicts the cuttings to play with. It would divert their efforts from the established plants and also keep them amused; I think they like to attack plants to re-arrange and control their environment more than actually eat them for nutrition.

As for Kribs, you might find it easier to find homes for the babies if you go for one of their less common relatives instead, like P. subocellatus or P. taeniatus if you can find some.
 

[Bri]

More awesome advice, thanks! :)

Well this weekend saw the arrival of the convicts and a hasty rescape of their new home.

Large piece of granite, sand base, some wood with well established anubias and a host of other plants that were in the original setup.

So far so good, they seem happy, measure about 1/2 inch each and made a beeline for the shade upon being released from their plastic bag. I dont think anything else will be going in with them as i was given 5 Convicts to see how they get on.

Pics and a new journal will follow when i get the tripod out tonight :)

Bri.