Need help for a Biotope!

[fain]

I've recently been hired on at my LFS and my new boss wants me to design and set up several biotope aquariums. He wants to represent the larger rivers and a couple lakes and I'd really like to include some loaches, but I have some very specific needs.

The tanks I can work with are about 6~7' long, 1' wide and about 18" tall. That gives me plenty of room to work with. He'll be using RO water that is adapted to the specific regions that the fish are from (water purist) and the tanks are easily 7' off the ground. His aquariums are set on a shelf system where the top tanks are the largest, and set back a little ways from the front to allow easier access to the lower tanks.

Basically, I need something active, interesting, large/bright, and easily viewed from below. The gravel will be much higher in the back than the front, but even with this sloping, I still need something that looks good from this angle. The filtration is a non-issue, I have access to any equipment and decor that I need.

Any suggestions?

I'm thinking a fleet of Clown Loaches!

[fain]

I just remembered that he is interested in representing the Mekong in a couple of the tanks. Maybe a group of Sids?

[ClownLoachSharky]

how about a grouip of maybe 30+ zebra loaches. They seem to stand out a heap and they can go with fish like harlequins, cherry barbs. Or just a shoal of arrowanna which would probably stand out heaps and will draw attention as well. . I like the arrowanna.

[Jim Powers]

The species index might assist you in finding species from the Mekong. There are many species of loaches that live in that drainage so you will have plenty of choices.