Favorite Schooling Fish

[vancouver]

I've recently been having problems with cichlids, so I'm going to go with some nicer fish in my 75g tank. I've only got a few black skirts left from the disease that flew through the tank before, but I want more of those, so I'm probably going to have about 20 black skirts. I also plan on getting penguin tetra (aka hockey stick tetra), and I would like 1 more type of tetra or schooling fish to go with them.

The other fish will be keyhole cichlids, festivum, and maybe a parrot cichlid or 2 (Had them in tank with black skirts and they never touched them).

A larger tetra would be best, so neons probably wont work. I'd like something colorful, not too expensive, and hopefully readily available. Anyone got any ideas? I'm not a fan of harlequins. I thought about red eye tetra but they're not really colorful enough. I'm going blank and I cant think of any other tetras for some reason.

The black skirts and hockey sticks/penguins are definites. As the black skirts are on sale 3 for $2 for the month of April, and I like them!! I'm hopin to catch the penguin on sale at a similar price sometime in the near future.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!!

edit: another thing I forgot to mention were 4 silver dollars.

 

[Wonderboy]

I'd go for more of a variety. instead of 20 black skirts, go for 10 and then 5 of something else and five of another something else.... (just my opinion)

~Wonderboy

ps - sorry I don't have any species suggestions... I've never kept schools of tetras.

 

[dwarfgourami]

I was going to say black phantoms, which can look spectacular, but maybe you feel you've got enough black in there already, what with your black skirts and penguins.
How about the red phantoms? (though said to be more sensitive)
Or, if you've got the room, a medium-sized school of bleeding hearts.

 

[Parin]

I'd go for more of a variety. instead of 20 black skirts, go for 10 and then 5 of something else and five of another something else.... (just my opinion)

~Wonderboy

ps - sorry I don't have any species suggestions... I've never kept schools of tetras.

Well, I think mixing schools looks messy. And will break the whole concept of schooling fish. There's nothing more lovely than a large school of the same fish.

So just goes to show, how opinions differ.

 

[Mad Duff]

In my main tank I have a shoal of 15 Colombian red fin tetras and they range from 1" up to 2" and they look great, the colours are amazing.

And in my corydoras tank I have a shoal of around 20 neon's which does very nice indeed.

 

[Griz]

Rummynose tetras !

 

[vancouver]

I've had columbians before, but they nipped my slower moving fish.. so I don't think I want to try them again.. rummy nose I hate.. I don't know why, but I really dislike them.. and around here I'd expect to pay around $5 for one.

I did think about bleeding hearts, but they're not very colorful still.. The lfs has silver tip tetra on sale 2 for $2... so I might go with those... I was thinking about those last night, and then seeing them on sale today.. thats good luck..

They also have hi fin leopard danios 2 for $2... but I don't like those really


but. but but but but.. A LFS about an hour away has glass bloodfin tetras 2 for $2... I quite like those, but gas g etting there would end up being about $10 ... so I don't know if that's really a good deal.

 

[dthoffsett]

I'm quite partial to Pristella tetras (aka x-ray tetra). They'd be a nice contrast to black fish.

 

[vancouver]

Have had a disaster in that tank. Re doing everything.. Don't know if I will ever add tetras.. I appreciate everyones help though

 

[dwarfgourami]

Have had a disaster in that tank. Re doing everything.. Don't know if I will ever add tetras.. I appreciate everyones help though

Very sorry to hear that. Lots of sympathy!

 

[silver tipped]

Hi,

You mentioned silver tipped tetras as a possible, well my hubby has those. The males were quite pale when he first had them but now after about 3 months they have become a lovely burnt orange colour, very shimmery. The females are paler, a sort of yellow but they contrast well with my Dwarf neon rainbows.

 

[Griz]

... rummy nose I hate.. I don't know why, but I really dislike them.. and around here I'd expect to pay around $5 for one.

Well, I guess you're entitled to your opinion. No matter how misguided it is.

Five dollars! Yikes! Where are you located? I think I paid about half that much. (Canadian dollars)

 

[ajbettle]

i wud reccommend black phantoms but mine are very shy and just hide.............

 

[vancouver]

I don't get how you think my opinion is misguided... rummy nose aren't easy to find around here, and when you do see them, they're around $5 each.

I still haven't gotten around to zapping the tank properly, which is kind of a bummer considering serpae tetras are 3 for $1.99 this weekend.. oh well.

Gotta be sure the tank is safe before I buy anything.

 

[Griz]

I don't get how you think my opinion is misguided... rummy nose aren't easy to find around here, and when you do see them, they're around $5 each.

I was referring to your statement that you hate them. It was meant "toungue in cheek", hence the smiley.