Honey Gourami, Khuli Loach, Neon Tetra?

[bglennon]

Hello,
 
So I posted a few weeks back asking for advice to stock a new tank. I have now purchased a new tank and it is the 100 litre Aqua One UFO-550 corner tank.
 
I've put this into aqadvisor (as best I can because it doesn't really accommodate for corner tanks) and this seems to fit. Just checking what you guys think because you're advice was really good before.
 
I was thinking:
 
 - 2-3 honey gourami
 - 8-10 neon tetra
 - 5 khuli loaches
 
I don't have a sand substrate but it's really small gravel which is smooth on the edges. I will add some driftwood and a few plants. Not heavily planted but a reasonable number.
 
Does this seem like a good mix?
 
I will also add a couple of zebra snails. I now they get a bad press but I have a couple in my 25 litre tank and I think they are fantastic to watch and keep the tank very clean.
 
Cheers,

 

[Byron]

I see no issues as far as the numbers and species.  The Honey Gourami would be nice in a trio rather than two, and one male and two female a good mix.  The small smooth gravel may be OK for the loaches, I would have to see and feel this before being more definite; they do like to bury themselves and sand is preferable.
 
Byron.

 

[NickAu]

The more hiding places you have for the Kuhlis the more comfortable they feel and the more they come out into the open,
In my opinion 25% of the bottom of your tank should be covered with live plants leaf litter and bits of bog wood and a nice cave for them to hide in.
 
Something like this.
View My Video
 
Your Gouramis will also love a planted tank and I bet the tetras will also.

 

[TallTree01]

That looks a fine tank. All the species are peaceful as it gets really. Best of luck with your aquarium! 
Don't be alarmed if you don't see the loaches very often. I've had mine a couple years and I still only see them snaking around once or twice a day.

 

[fluttermoth]

OP; no-one has asked you the hardness of your water. All the fish you've listed are soft water; if yours is hard, you might have to think again.

Of course, if your water is soft, you're fine with those choices. Personally, I would recommend you change your substrate from gravel to sand (it's easier to do it now, before you stock!), as the kuhlis really would prefer it.

 

[NickAu]

 
Don't be alarmed if you don't see the loaches very often. I've had mine a couple years and I still only see them snaking around once or twice a day.

Mine are starting to learn if they want fresh blood worm of brine shrimp before my Betta and now Corys get it all they need to swim up to the surface fast, I only feed at the front of the tank and my loaches know this now as you see in the clip, If you feed at the same time everyday and only feed in 1 spot in no time you will find your loaches  waiting for you to feed them, I can actually put a my hand in the tank palm up with a loach wafer in it and some of my loaches are starting to swim onto my hand to eat, This still blows me away that the little guys trust me so much.
 
I actually play with my betta, I put a finger in the tank and move it around and she chases it and flares at it. Gouramis are a lot like Bettas and you can easily teach them cool stuff.

 

[Jeremy180]

 

 
Don't be alarmed if you don't see the loaches very often. I've had mine a couple years and I still only see them snaking around once or twice a day.

Mine are starting to learn if they want fresh blood worm of brine shrimp before my Betta and now Corys get it all they need to swim up to the surface fast, I only feed at the front of the tank and my loaches know this now as you see in the clip, If you feed at the same time everyday and only feed in 1 spot in no time you will find your loaches  waiting for you to feed them, I can actually put a my hand in the tank palm up with a loach wafer in it and some of my loaches are starting to swim onto my hand to eat, This still blows me away that the little guys trust me so much.
 
I actually play with my betta, I put a finger in the tank and move it around and she chases it and flares at it. Gouramis are a lot like Bettas and you can easily teach them cool stuff.
 

A bit off topic but I've read doing anything to encourage exercise is supposed to help improve a Betta's lifespan, I imagine the same would apply to other fish as well.

 

[NickAu]

 
A bit off topic but I've read doing anything to encourage exercise is supposed to help improve a Betta's lifespan,

Some people use mirrors so the betta can flare at its reflection for this very reason, Me I  just finger wrestle with mine also doing it this way your Betta is not afraid of you when you need to stick your hand in the tank, I am also teaching my Betta to swim into a small cup, once she knows this trick it will be easier to catch her if I ever need to cup her for some reason.

 

[bglennon]

Cheers guys. I think I'm gonna go ahead with this then.
 
Just a couple of questions. I wanted the neon tetra to shoal. Is there a better shoaling fish I could have? Also, I've not had a tank this size before so I'm unsure about introducing the fish. I'd assume it would be the tetra first but would I do all 10 at once or say 3/4 at a time?

 

[Jeremy180]

Well, there are several shoaling fish that are "better in one aspect or another than neons, depending on what you're looking for, but I'd rather have your ph before recommending any, as many require lower ph water, although there are some that prefer higher ph.
 
EDIT: if you don't have a test kit, you can often get this information from your water supplier.

 

[bglennon]

Hi,
 
The water in my current tank is 7.5 pH. I'm looking for fish that spend a lot of time together as a shoal. I've read online that neon's don't shoal all that often but not sure if this is true?

 

[Byron]

Do you know the GH of your source water?  This you should be able to ascertain from the water authority, probably on their website.  The GH (general hardness) is the more important parameter (than pH) because the minerals (mainly calcium, also magnesium) that make water harder are removed by the fish's kidneys from the water that is continually entering the fish via osmosis, and this calcium can block the kidneys.  The pH is less of an issue, provided it is stable, though extremes must be avoided (the 7.5 is not "extreme" here).
 
Shoaling fish need a group for various reasons, but the fact is that many of them will not "shoal" in the sense of swimming around in a school or group.  Though they usually quickly close ranks if they perceive danger or are stressed.  Some shoaling fish are fairly inactive, neons being one such species, so they tend to sort of hang out together.  In aquaria, such fish often separate and go their own way to some extent.  The larger the tank, the less this occurs; i.e., in very large tanks they tend to stay closer together.
 
Having said that, there are a few species that tend to remain together much more, regardless.  The rummy nose tetra is one, and this fish also likes to swim lengthwise in the aquarium too, in a group almost always.  Some of the rasbora are similar in retaining the shoal, though less active swimmers.  Hatchetfish tend to remain together, but these too are not active swimmers.  Pencilfish are fairly good shoalers, also rather quiet when it comes to activity.  Some of these will be more fussy over parameters.
 
You asked about numbers when introducing shoaling fish.  It is always better to introduce the entire group together.  With some species, this can avoid serious hierarchy battles and bullying, which is not going to be much of an issue with the fish we are discussing (except the gourami).  But aside from this, all fish will settle in quicker and better the more there are; safety in numbers to the fish, and they tend to explore their new environment more in a group than they do individually.  So definitely add all of the tetra species you choose at the same time, i.e., all the neons together, then all the "x" together, or whatever.
 
Byron.

 

[TallTree01]

I found neon tetras to be very loose shoalers unless they were under stress. If you want a tighter more actively shoaling fish I can reccomend harlequin rasboras and rummynose tetras. I have a group of rummies at the moment and it's seldom you see them scattered around the tank and not in a organised array of red and white.

 

[bglennon]

I've looked at the rummynose and I like the look of them. 
 
So could I replace them on a like-for-like basis with the neons? And by that I mean 10 neons = 10 rummynose?
 
And the GH in the current 25 litre fluctuates but is usually in the 6-8 region

 

[Byron]

I've looked at the rummynose and I like the look of them. 
 
So could I replace them on a like-for-like basis with the neons? And by that I mean 10 neons = 10 rummynose?
 
And the GH in the current 25 litre fluctuates but is usually in the 6-8 region

 
I will assume the measurement unit for the GH is dGH, so you're in the soft/moderately hard region which should be fine.
 
Rummynose are best in larger groups than some other tetras, and I would say here to go with 12.  Remember that this species will remain in the lower 1/3 of the aquarium.  The Honey Gourami (if they are still in the thinking) are upper level fish, so this balances nicely.