cooledwhip said:
These are the last few questions I have or I will go with the tetras/cory setup.
Would a Cherry Barb be an OK fish instead of the corys?
Also idk if this is the same as the harlequin rasboras, but a Long fin Red Minor Tetra. They look sooo nice. Thanks
The corys are lower level fish, meaning they tend to spend most of their time on or close to the substrate. Upper level fish is the term for fish that spend their time in the upper levels of the tank, such as most of the tetras, rasbora, etc. I was only suggesting the corys as this is a good lower fish that will add activity and interest in the bottom area, so cherry barbs will not do this but they are another upper level fish. I would not go above two upper level fish species, as these being shoaling need the numbers, and more than two species is getting very crowded. We are considering smallish fish here, but not nano (the very small species) which would be different, but most of those are more specialized as to water parameters.
The Harlequin Rasbora is pictured below. Rasboras are cyprinids, occurring in SE Asia. Generally they are very peaceful, and not active swimmers, so they do well in smallish tanks. Tetras are characins, primarily from South America. They are a diverse group of fish, with some very peaceful and quiet species, but also some very active swimmers, and some that can be down right nasty. The Red Minor Tetra is one of these. It is also known as the Serpae Tetra. The species scientifically is
Hyphessobrycon eques. This fish is a known fin nipper; keeping it in larger groups of say 10+ can alleviate this, but this fish needs at least a 30 gallon tank just for this sized group, alone. So not in a 20g. Beyond that, just so you know, in larger tanks it must never be housed with slow or sedate fish, as it will almost always fin nip such fish. It is too bad this fish is so troublesome, as it is quite attractive, and of course readily available in stores. The Tiger Barb has near identical habits, and also is pretty and easily available. Many are tempted to start out with a few of either, but almost always live to regret it.
Rasboras are like tetras in many respects, so they often make good tankmates with the more peaceful tetras.
Byron.
/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Cloud_Mountain_minnow#In_the_aquarium
