New tank, and starting to plan how I want it

Howdy all.

I recently acquired a larger tank (praise the Fish Lords) and now I'm planning what I want to put into it.

Its a 120L Clear Seal tank. I will be using a TetraTec EX600 as a filter.

Now, every day I change my mind on what I want to keep, but keep coming back to the same few.

I'm thinking of a SE Asia tank, with some Clown Loaches, Panchax Killi's (we got one in a bag one day with some other fish, and he was the most entertaining fish we've had.), my lovely Asian Bumblebee Catfish, and thats all I really have in mind. (There'll also be a few oto's, not biotope specific, but they're great, and I'm not getting rid of them!)

I'm thinking of either a sandy/fine gravel substrate, possibly with leaf litter, with PVC pipes for caves buried into the substrate and covered in stones/wood. I have some nice pieces of Mangrove root as well, and some bogwood with some Java Fern that has decided to spring back into life. Other plant suggestions would be great, something hardy for the loaches, and something that I won't kill.

Lights, I'm not sure on what yet, I have a lid with it, but its in rag order, and is going to end up fired in the bin.

I had thought of making it a river type, with a river pump manifold, but I don't know if I could be assed with it.


Suggestions, comments, insults?

I would upgrade to the Tetratec EX700 if you havn't already bought the 600.
Anubias are an attractive and hardy plant.They need to be attached to wood or rock.Several varieties available,I would go for one of the smaller ones,eg 'nana'.
I believe clown loaches would be too big for that tank,but there's a host of different loaches available at the moment that would be suitable.Theres also a good variety of danios,barbs and rasboras around.
I like the larger fan feeder shrimps that are available now as well

Sounds like u know the way u want yer tank and the decor within the tank. These can always be changed and moved around the tank. As acara said choose wisely the fish, research a little more for the type of fish that can live within the tank up to an adult as most fish that we buy are in juvennille stage. I would go with shoals of little fish and then yer bottom dwellers such as corys.....U have some great ideas for the look and type of biotope for the tank now enjoy researchin all the various fish that u want to put in it.

Thanks guys.

Upgrading to the EX700 is a nay at the moment, already have the 600 running in a Rekord 60.

I was thinking that about the clowns, I was playing with the idea of a school of cory's, biotope not specific, but what the hell. I will have to look to see what other loaches take my fancy from SE Asia. Maybe some Kuhlies, but won't see them much.

I can't keep a school of smaller fish, as much as I'd love to, the Bumblebee Cat would make short work of them, he's the reason I don't have any at the moment.

I was also thinking, maybe, just maybe, a school of Rummynose, but I don't know. All I do know is, Bumblebee Cat is a check, and Panchax is a check, along with the Oto's.

The only other problem is a complete lack of decent LFS around here. There was one pet "superstore" that opened, but after a few months, their fish selection and quality went to shit, they blamed the supplier, and now they've done away with the tanks altogether. Woo, another shop with horsey crap, and over priced dog food.

I sound like I know what I want, but the damn image in my head changes daily, from Cambodia biotope, to flowing river, to riparium, to Sumatra/Borneo biotope, even considering Apisto's now, saw a nice article about them lately.

Anubia's, yes, and maybe some Vallis, but not sure where or what I'm looking for. I'm not too hot on plants. I also got some JBL 7 Balls on my last Zooplus splurge, should I need to use these immediately?

As for lights and stand, I have no lights at the moment, and the stand is a box iron, plasticoated stand, which will do for the time being, but its not as nice as I want. I know where there is a Fluval Osaka stand going, which I might invest in, does anyone know what the stock lights are like in it?