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Best species for a new 38 gal freshwater tank?

Some additional info:
For Tetras species, I think my favourite will be Rosy Tetras, Lemon Tetras, Red Phantom Tetras, etc
 
On the cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi)...this species has a temperature range of around 23-27C/73-81F. A very recent paper (Campos, et.al, 2017) determined that it does not live in waters that rise above 30C/86F. For many years I kept as group of cardinals in tanks with a constant temperature of 25C/76F with wild caught cories. However, for a very similar fish, P. innesi (Neon Tetra) will certainly be healthy at 24-25C/75-77F. As for Corydoras and temperature, some species seem to do well in the 25-26C/77-79F range, while others should be somewhat lower by a couple degrees.

On the barbs. Very generally, barbs are active fish that do not suit sedate fish like cichlids, gourami, etc., because they (the barbs) are too active. There are characins (tetras, pencilfish, hatchetfisdh) that would be much better suited to tanks with dwarf cichlids. When planning the fish, aside from the activity level of each species also remember to consider the level in the tank that a species will tend to remain at, so you don't end up with all the fish in the lower half or third, and nothing above.

Corydoras and dwarf cichlids are generally fine, but not if you want to successfuly raise cichlid fry; but otherwise, most work. The cichlid male will definitely be in charge, and the tank will be "his" space, but aside from spawning, this usually only means a bit of push and shove at feeding time since these cichlids eat from the substrate and the cories will be chomping from the same pellet/disk/tab. My male Bolivian Ram (Mikrogeophagus altispinosus) lived very amicably with some 50-60 wild caught Corydoras in a 5-foot tank for nine years and none of the cories were harmed.
 
Hmmm okay... so maybe a blend of the two different ideas since it seems barbs might end up crowding the bottom portion of the tank when they explore.

-1 Honey Gourami male (top/mid level)
-14 Lemon Tetra OR 14 Cardinal Tetra (mid/top level)
- 10 Bleeding Heart Tetra or Red Phantom Tetra (mid level)
-1 BN Pleco
-14 cory cats I already own (pepper/bronze) (bottom level)
-1 fire red apistogramma (male) (bottom level)

Would the above work and not be overstocked? Or causing any other issues?
 
Hmmm okay... so maybe a blend of the two different ideas since it seems barbs might end up crowding the bottom portion of the tank when they explore.

-1 Honey Gourami male (top/mid level)
-14 Lemon Tetra OR 14 Cardinal Tetra (mid/top level)
- 10 Bleeding Heart Tetra or Red Phantom Tetra (mid level)
-1 BN Pleco
-14 cory cats I already own (pepper/bronze) (bottom level)
-1 fire red apistogramma (male) (bottom level)

Would the above work and not be overstocked? Or causing any other issues?

Do not combine cichlids and gourami, they are too much alike in territory/temperament.

Lemon Tetra are top half of the tank. Cardinal are lower half. Bleedingheart sort of mid level, but this is not a small tetra and I would not put them in less than a 4-foot length. Red Phantom are lower half.
 
Thanks for the tip on gourami, I saw a honey gourami at the shop and thought it was really a nice looking fish but definitely don't want to place it where there could be a problem.

I'll have to keep researching tetras. At least my corys are in the tank now so I don't need to worry about maintaining the fishless cycle, so I have time to figure it out. =)
 
I am now considering white skirt tetras instead of bleeding heart, would they fit in my tank? How many would be suitable?

Also would an african dwarf frog be an okay addition at some point?
 
African drawf frogs should not be kept with fish
 
I am now considering white skirt tetras instead of bleeding heart, would they fit in my tank? How many would be suitable?

Also would an african dwarf frog be an okay addition at some point?

The frog, no, as already mentioned but I confirm that.

The White Skirt Tetra is a colour variety of the Black Skirt Tetra, so it is the same species, Gymnocorymbus ternetzi. I mention this because being the same species they have the same temperament, etc, and that can be a problem with this species. This species may fin nip other fish. This can be sometimes prevented by having a larger group, and obviously not including any sedate fish or fish with longish fins in the tank.

So assuming you do not have gourami or cichlids, and just the other shoaling fish in post #48, a group of say 9-12 would likely work here. To be honest, this would not be my choice. The Bleeding Hearts were a better fit.
 
Okay thank you both! So glad I can post here and ask these questions after going to the LFS. I know asking the same questions there might result in getting a bunch of misinformation.
 
No problem:) we're here to help
 
In your previous post, you mentioned about the Bleeding Heart Tetras.
If you are afraid of Bleeding Heart Tetras size which are quite big, you can consider the Rosy Tetras which are smaller.

These two species look quite similar but I prefer the Rosy Tetras which have white tip on their fins.. They are more beautiful.

Or if you prefer slimmer Tetras, you can go for Glowlight Tetras, Black Neon Tetras, Rummynose Tetras(very active), etc.. They have smaller bodies than the Rosy Tetras, Lemon Tetras, Red Phantom Tetras, etc.

But after keeping both wide body and slim body Tetras, I find that I prefer the wide body type.
 
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Would Diamond Tetras or Candy Cane tetras be okay? And not be fin nippers?
 
Okay, doing more research as usual and learning about new types of fish. Below is my new potential stocking list. Would this work? I was researching top dwellers and am fascinated with the killifish. I know they are semi-aggressive from my reading but it seems my planned tank mates might be okay, an article I read stated this: "Rams or other dwarf cichlids, larger tetras, Banjo Catfish, Otocinclus, and most Corydoras Catfish are suitable tankmates to Golden Wonder Killifish. "

Is the Diamond Tetra large enough to not be subject to any aggression from the killifish? I would also be removing the second schooling group I originally had on my list... so wondering if I could increase the Diamond Tetras to a school of 10, which in theory might further reduce them nipping fins of any tank mates and just give them more space in that middle portion of the tank.

Tank dimensions: 38 gal, 36in long, 12.5 in wide, 20 in tall

Stocking List:
- 3 golden wonder killifish (1 male, 2 female) (top level)​
- 7 or 10 Diamond Tetra (mid level) <-- Articles I read on this species mentioned in a group of 6+ fin nipping should be restricted to within the school of diamonds, is this true?​
-1 BN Pleco​
-14 cory cats I already own (pepper/bronze) (bottom level)​
-1 fire red apistogramma (male) (bottom level)​
 
Okay, doing more research as usual and learning about new types of fish. Below is my new potential stocking list. Would this work? I was researching top dwellers and am fascinated with the killifish. I know they are semi-aggressive from my reading but it seems my planned tank mates might be okay, an article I read stated this: "Rams or other dwarf cichlids, larger tetras, Banjo Catfish, Otocinclus, and most Corydoras Catfish are suitable tankmates to Golden Wonder Killifish. "

I have no experience with this killifish species, and there is not a lot of probabnly-reliable data I could find. But I would just note that the fish mentioned in this citation are primarily lower-level inhabitants, and the killifish seems to be more upper level. There may be other members that can offer guidance.

As for Diamond Tetra (Moenkhausia pittieri) I have had these twice, and my last group of eleven became a tank of over 60 when fry from numerous spawnings kept surviving. Very prolific. I had this species in with hatchetfish for quite some time, with no issues, so I do not consider it a nipper, but it does need a good group. It is very active, and needs room to swim about. The males are an incredibly beautiful fish the way they sparkle under subdued tank lighting (floating plants are a must).
 
Thanks! So it seems that stocking could have some potential to be successful it sounds like? I am going to keep researching the killifish more, and hopefully another member here might reply that has experience.

It will be some time before I add any other fish to my tank, I just have the cories right now. I want to get more plants in there and floating plants before adding upper level fish. At the moment there wouldn't be too many good hiding spots/shelter for the upper level guys.

Another question that hopefully someone here knows about... can Electric Blue Acara be kept in a community tank like the one I have? I just came across this species in my research and was shocked to repeatedly see it listed as being able to keep one in a 30 gallon tank and that it could be successful with tetras and corys. So of course now I am curious if this fish could be successful in my tank setup/stocking I am describing.
 

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