Looking For Compatable ''wow'' Fish.

[fishytag]

I have a 57l tank with 6 cardinals and 4 cherry barbs, i am going to get 2 small cat fish, But i was looking a stand alone wow fish. Was thinking about an angel but was worried about it posible growth size. Also liked the idea of a simamese but was worried about fin nipping from the cardinals. Silver dollors looked nice today in the Lfs and was told they were compatable, but i thought i check with you guys first.
Anyone got any ideas or advice

cheers

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Personally I'd say a betta, but I am partial to them .

 

[arobinson1984]

Hi,

definately not silver dollars, if your lfs told you they were compatible then I wouldn't trust anything they say.

Silver dollars grow LARGE and require a substantially larger tank and they will also eat small fish that they can fit in thier mouth.

Depending on your water PH level you would probably get away with a pair of apistogramme cacatuoides.


Andy

 

[ZoddyZod]

I used to have a dwarf neon gourami (Colisa lalia) in my tank.....incredibly colourful fish and should be ok in a 57L. However, they are prone to a bacterial infection that affects many in the trade. Watch the specimens at the LFS closely, if they are sluggish and sitting on the bottom then avoid, these are possible signs of the infection.

 

[jacko32]

Hi,

definately not silver dollars, if your lfs told you they were compatible then I wouldn't trust anything they say.

Silver dollars grow LARGE and require a substantially larger tank and they will also eat small fish that they can fit in thier mouth.

Depending on your water PH level you would probably get away with a pair of apistogramme cacatuoides.


Andy

you really need a minimum tank size of 25 UK gallons for most apistogramma the best apisto for that size would be a borelli but not a pair just 1 male you could also look at nanochromis transvestitus or laetacara dorsigera there is always mikrogeophagus ramirezi but these are a little more fussy about the temp than the others and prefer it higher so probably wont fit in with your barbs

 

[fishytag]

Definitly food for thought.

I would never buy something on an Lfs advice although it is tempting! the silver doller looked amazing , but after posting here i checked them out online and they are definitly not compatable you are right "leader of the fishes".

unfortunately i live too far from any other lfs and will have to make do with the one that has already give bad advice.

I am swaying towards a Betta but those dwarf gourami look nice too.

thanks for the suggestions, time and advice.

 

[waterdrop]

ah well, was staring at this thread for a while before realizing I just couldn't think of any new suggestions, I must need to just quit work for the day, sigh. I think you are on the right path with either a betta (OM47 and others have good tips on using them in a community, I don't know, perhaps should be a female, the betta people will know) or a Dwarf gourami. Dwarf gouramis, if you can get a nice male/female pair (or one male, 2 female trio) and have them live (there's some disease particular to the species that's been hitting them but its a hit or miss thing, so if you don't happen to get it right when you take them hom then its basically no problem from then on) are a great contrast to the tetras, cherry barbs and corys (if you had them.) They are larger-bodied, move more slowly and gracefully and the male of course has that stunning red/blue stripe thing going. The only downside is that being gouramis you've got to allow for a little individual personality difference that's unpredictable (but you get that with bettas too, by the way) and if your male as a result happens to be a bit nippy, he might nip at some other things in your tank or give one of his females a hard time, hard to predict. But I wouldn't let that scare you off as there's every chance of a perfectly docile and nice behaving one.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[fishytag]

quick question-

Ive read that the virus affecting Dwarf gouramis is in about 25% of the poulation, is there any chance it could spread to my other fish if i bought an infected one?

 

[Corleone]

quick question-

Ive read that the virus affecting Dwarf gouramis is in about 25% of the poulation, is there any chance it could spread to my other fish if i bought an infected one?

My understanding of dwarf gourami disease is that it's pretty contained. Only other anabantoids are likely to be vulnerable to it, and even a lot of those are resistant or immune. It's only really something I'd worry about if you're adding another dwarf gourami to a tank with healthy ones already in it.

Not all fish farms have infected stock, either, so the 25% factor can be a bit misleading - it's all or nothing in my experience, if your LFS has a supplier prone to infections, any dwarf gourami from them is suspect and I wouldn't take the risk. If not, then you're pretty close to safe, at least from the virus. Only way to find out is to take the chance, unfortunately.

As for being stuck with the LFS that gave bad advice, don't sweat it since you've got a solid source for information. My store of choice gives awful advice, but I go there for fish, not advice, and they have good fish. The whole business model sort of punishes them for giving too much solid advice - if they don't move fish, they eat more than they cost, and no matter how good things have gotten over the years, most people who come in and buy a new tank will leave the hobby within a year anyway, so stores wring them for what they can in that time.

 

[waterdrop]

Agree, my understanding is that the dwarf gourami disease is quite specific to those particular fish. WD