Getting my 200 gallon sooner than I thought; suggestions?

[Jyynx]

I was expecting to have enough room for a 180 in about a year, but as it turns out I got a 200 gallon for a good price, and we just bought a house so I'll only have to wait another few months before I can start setting it up

I've only really kept African cichlids, tiger barbs, RTS, pictus cats & severums in the past. I'm hoping to get something different in my 200 gallon, but I also plan on doing lots of research before getting a fish I am unfamiliar with.

Clown loaches are #1 on my list. My mom kept them when I was younger and they are so much fun to watch. I was hoping on getting at least 4 of them. I'm a big fan of severums (red cheeks; I've had them before) and I may add my pictus cats...and that's where I draw a blank. I'm not sure what else I should add. Any suggestions for some larger, yet compatible fish to add? I have always been intrigued by Black Ghost Knives and Clown Knife fish, but I'm pretty sure both of those get to big for a 200 gallon, and if not I doubt they are compatible with clown loaches or severums...

Thanks in advance!

[Graeme McKellar]

Hi Jyynx, Clown Loaches should mix well with Severums - especially so if they are all juveniles. Knives can grow quiet large (quickly) and are known preditors so they would not be good in my opinion.
With such a large tank you have lots of options including all the Botine Loaches like Kubotai - Rostrata - Striata - Histrionica - Dario -Almorhae etc.
You will want some fish that inhabit the upper part of the tank like Barbs - Danio - Rasbora - Rainbows or such.
You have soooo many options available to choose from.
Which part of the world are you from ???
Cheers Graeme.

[Diana]

My 125 gallon has these fish:
Senegal Bicher
Black Ghost Knife (Yes they grow too big)
Snakeskin Gourami
Clown Loaches
(1) Discus (Does not get along with my other Discus)
Puntius filamentosa (Listed for cooler water, but are highly active in this tank)
Bristlenose Pleco
Unknown Loricariad, 6" long

[Jyynx]

Do black ghost knives max out at around 22'' or so? How big is your BGK, and how is he/she with the clowns?

How do you think a few Stripped Raphael cats would do in this kind of set up? My sister-in-law has 2 of them in her tank and I think they're so cute(they're kind of like living rocks though...)

I was also considering a small school of Bala sharks; I still have to do some research on them, or maybe some tinfoil barbs or silver dollars(again, I'm not sure how aggressive they are or their compatibility).

Maybe a small group of Yo-Yo loaches? I really like horseface loaches too, but have never kept any.

I live in central Canada; I'm not sure where I would get healthy clown loaches from. My fish guy specializes in cichlids (African and South American) but also has other fish (he has quite a variety of nice catfish) as well as oddities (like ropefish, bichers or BGK). I'm sure if I asked he would be able to get some clowns in, but it isn't usually something he stocks.

[Martin Thoene]

I've kept a BGK with Clowns in the past. They all used to hang out together in a pipe! I even had Cardinal Teras in with them and at 12" the knife never touched them. They all grew up together.

I introduced some other small fish and he killed all of them in 2 days. The Cardinals were still untouched though. I think his electronic "radar" regarded them as just part of the tank's "furniture".

Martin.