Anyone have experience?

[juliethegr8t]

Alrighty I'm getting serious about stocking my new tank now, so I'd like some imput. It's an Eclipse Hex 5, and it's going to have a dwarf male gourami in it. From what I've read, my gourami should be pretty peaceful when he's seperated from his enemy (my other gourami), so I'd like some pretty, peaceful fish.

Supposedly dwarf gouramis are compatible with livebearers, tetras, rasboras, and barbs. I need something that isn't going to get very big since my tank is so small. So what I've narrowed it down to (though I'll take suggestions if anyone has other ideas), are: Cherry Barbs, Neon Tetras, or another type of tetra such as Glowlight, or Head & Tail Light.

The Cherry Barbs are looking the best so far, from what I've found. They seem to be pretty peaceful, stay small, and don't necessarily have to be in a big school, so maybe I could just get two?

Or, I realize Neon Tetras aren't really very hardy, so who knows... would that be a good or stupid choice? If not them, what about the other types of tetras? Are they only going to be happy in a school of 6 or more? Because if so, I obviously can't fit them in my tank. I'd like to just get a few. If possible, I'd even go for 2 Cherry Barbs, and then 2 tetras of some kind. I realize this is overstocking a bit, but I tend to do that, and it's working out alright in my other tank. We'll see I guess. I won't add everybody in at once and hopefully it will work out ok. I'm trying a fishless cycle right now, and I'm planning on adding the Gourami when it's complete. Thanks everyone!

 

[Alien Anna]

IMHO, cherry barbs would be fine because they aren't true schooling fish, and in fact some sources say their own kind freak them out. Best get a male-female pair (the males are orangey-red all over) or one male and two females. Cherries do require plenty of hiding places, however, so make sure you've got some plants and maybe a little bit of some bogwood in the bottom.

2 tetras wouldn't be so good since they really are schooling fish and should be kept in larger groups (6-8 minimum, ideally).

If your tank is as small as I suspect it is, best keep your ambitions small. Under-stocked with some interesting plants and bogwood would be a lot more attractive, and show your fish off to better effect than having it over-crowded.

P.S. I've kept cherries and various tetras. I'm quite fond of my cherries - a sweet, attractive little fish with a very gentle personality.

 

[Xenity7]

Neon tetras make a nice display, when they school it looks really neat... Anyhoo, you could probably have five in that tank if your careful, they're really small so it should be a problem. I have 10 and I am going for 20...

 

[baseballfan111]

i would also recomend 2 cories i wouldnt advise on having just on cause they like 2 have friends. a pair of guppies and 2 cories and your gournime would be nice

 

[AquaNut]

Is a Hex 5 a five gallon tank? If so, I don't think a gourami will be willing to share that small space with much, and I definitely wouldn't keep a gourami with guppies.

 

[juliethegr8t]

Yes, the tank is a 5 gallon, and I am going to be careful not to overstock, because I realize gouramis can be terratorial. We'll see how it goes though, since of course it depends on the individual fish. I am blessed to have a nice gourami male who really leaves everyone alone besides my other male. He's quite a nice fish, so he'll hopefully keep this attitude in the new tank.

Right now, I'm leaning towards 2-3 cherry barbs like Alien Anna suggested (thanks!), and maybe a pair of corys. I'm pretty fond of the pair of panda corys I have right now, so I might try another kind this time.

Anyways, thanks everyone!! I'm so pysched to get this tank cycled, I wish it would hurry, hehe. I'll let y'all know what I end up with.

 

[Kossy]

There wotn be enough food for 2 corries. (One maybe). Seccondly a nice hardy beutiful fish around green grassy plants are cardinal tetras. They are extremely hardy and have a reasonable life span (around 1.5 -2years). Only bad thing is they are reasonably expensive ($4.5 per fish in ozland) and need to in a school of about 8 - 10. If your going cardies then buy 6 first then add em slowly.

 

[suemack]

hi - I've had a 5 gallon Planet tank running for the last 3 years with a pair of guppies and a couple of cories - added a chocolate gourami about 5 months ago and have had no problems 'cept don't get any fry any more - the gourami looks extremely fat and happy about every 3 or 4 weeks ! He likes to hang out in the water sprite floating on the top of the tank.

 

[Alien Anna]

Seccondly a nice hardy beutiful fish around green grassy plants are cardinal tetras. They are extremely hardy and have a reasonable life span (around 1.5 -2years). Only bad thing is they are reasonably expensive ($4.5 per fish in ozland) and need to in a school of about 8 - 10. If your going cardies then buy 6 first then add em slowly.

My oldest cardinal tetra is 6.5 years old!

However, as schooling fish about 1" long I don't think a 5 gal tank would be big enough. They also nip fins in my experience.