I have a 60 gallon aquarium with a male Missouri long ear, two western sand dollars, as well as an ancient pearl gourami, a lonely diamond tetra, and a couple of otocinclus left from a previous tropical build. Weird mix, but everyone gets along.
Two questions:
1. The tank is filtered by an Eheim 2217, and there is very little flow. I've been struggling with some algae and bacteria (aka blue-green slime "algae"). I was entertaining the thought of adding a second 2217, but I don't actually think the fish are causing this (especially since I only feed every 2nd to 3rd day). It's possible that a large piece of driftwood I collected is leaching something into the water, but for now I decided to battle the mess with a ton of water lettuce (covering the entire surface and increased flow by adding a powerhead. My question is, will my sunfish be okay with some flow? I am thinking of a 600 to 750 gph unit.
2. When the tropical fish die out eventually, I'd like to add some non-sunfish tank mates. What are some suitable native tank mates for my guys? Ideally, I'd like something that is lively and occupies the upper part of the tank. The tank is topless, but the dense water lettuce growth should hopefully prevent suicidal jumping. The tank is around 68 - 70 degrees most of the year - a bit warmer in the summer.
Thanks so much!