http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Erpetoichthys-calabaricus.html
If you do not want to get a large enough tank, then re-home the fish. They can grow to over a meter long, and need a large tank.
This does not mean they need a tank to themselves, you can keep other fish with them, but start with a large enough tank.
I have several Polypterus senegalus senegalus in a tank of about 500 liters, 1.3m long (6', 125 gallons)
This group of fish (Polyipteridae) (Bichers, Rope fish) are predators that can open their mouths quite wide, and eat prey that seems almost as large as they are. The secret is to keep only large fish with them. I have several fish none of which are smaller than 10 cm (4") long but are also taller, not thin fish. (Clown Loaches (Chromobotia macranthus), Snakeskin Gouramis (Trichopodus pectoralis), Filamentosa Barbs (Barbus filamentosa), several catfish)
I add Guppy culls to the tank and the Bichers hunt through the plants to find and eat them.
Polypteridae are usually safe in a planted tank. Not generally diggers, and do not nibble plants. Choose tank mates carefully, though. My Barbs are plant nibblers, so I can only keep a short list of plants with them.
Rope fish are quite adaptable when it comes to water parameters (see Fish Base link above) so I would set up the tank based on the needs of other fish, and the Rope fish will probably be just fine.
Substrate: I am not familiar with the materials you list.
Plants: All the plants you ask about are worth trying. Rotala seem to need the most light of the ones you list, and generally are better with more attention to CO2 and fertilizer. Still worth trying. The others are fine in low tech tanks.
Decor: Rope Fish appreciate some sort of driftwood arches and things like that. Not exactly caves, but a bit of a hiding place. They like 'snaking' in and out between the plants.
If you do not want to get a large enough tank, then re-home the fish. They can grow to over a meter long, and need a large tank.
This does not mean they need a tank to themselves, you can keep other fish with them, but start with a large enough tank.
I have several Polypterus senegalus senegalus in a tank of about 500 liters, 1.3m long (6', 125 gallons)
This group of fish (Polyipteridae) (Bichers, Rope fish) are predators that can open their mouths quite wide, and eat prey that seems almost as large as they are. The secret is to keep only large fish with them. I have several fish none of which are smaller than 10 cm (4") long but are also taller, not thin fish. (Clown Loaches (Chromobotia macranthus), Snakeskin Gouramis (Trichopodus pectoralis), Filamentosa Barbs (Barbus filamentosa), several catfish)
I add Guppy culls to the tank and the Bichers hunt through the plants to find and eat them.
Polypteridae are usually safe in a planted tank. Not generally diggers, and do not nibble plants. Choose tank mates carefully, though. My Barbs are plant nibblers, so I can only keep a short list of plants with them.
Rope fish are quite adaptable when it comes to water parameters (see Fish Base link above) so I would set up the tank based on the needs of other fish, and the Rope fish will probably be just fine.
Substrate: I am not familiar with the materials you list.
Plants: All the plants you ask about are worth trying. Rotala seem to need the most light of the ones you list, and generally are better with more attention to CO2 and fertilizer. Still worth trying. The others are fine in low tech tanks.
Decor: Rope Fish appreciate some sort of driftwood arches and things like that. Not exactly caves, but a bit of a hiding place. They like 'snaking' in and out between the plants.
