New Tank Stocking Ideas?

[gourami4eva]

Hello,
 
I am in the process of setting up a second tank which will be 125litres (around 33.5 gallons) and I was looking for some stocking suggestions.
 
With this tank though I want to approach it slightly differently to my others in that I would like to have several larger fish rather than loads of smaller ones like the other tank I currently have.
 
I was hoping to have around five decent sized really colourful fish and am looking for some suggestions.  My other tank has livebearers, rainbows and a few other types so I would rather stay away from these fish as I am really after something bigger more along the size of a dwarf gourami. 
 
I would have five dwarf gouramis if I could and if they weren't going to die of iridovirus but that's not really an option but it gives you an idea of what I'm after. 
 
Any suggestions are really welcome and please, just throw some thoughts out.
 
Stats are as follows:
 
W80 x D35 x H50cm
125 Litres, 33 U.S Gallons
Ph 7.8
Hardwater around 15 DH
Calcium Carbonate 260ppm
Gravel base and fairly well planted with artificial plants and bogwood

 

[Munroco]

I've been thinking about getting a few of these guys for a 3ft long I have spare atm.
 
http/www.borstein.info/profiles/west_africa/pseudocrennicholsii.html
 
 
 
 

 

[gourami4eva]

I've been thinking about getting a few of these guys for a 3ft long I have spare atm.
 
http/www.borstein.info/profiles/west_africa/pseudocrennicholsii.html
 
Yeah they look pretty good but I don't think I could have more than a pair in my tank so would need some others too
 
 

 

[gmc1]

neon red dwarfs look fantastic under a good light.good size too

 

[Munroco]

There are a few types in that family, they are pretty peaceful and interesting. Saying that I decided against them and got 8 little German blue Rams instead.

 

[CSnyder00]

You could do Rams, but they would eventually space out and want to take over a section, or the entire tank for themselves. Have you found anything yet?

 

[daizeUK]

He has hard water and high pH so I don't think rams would work.
If it were me I'd do tiger barbs, I think they do fairly well in hard water.

 

[gourami4eva]

neon red dwarfs look fantastic under a good light.good size too

 
I love those Gouramis but I'd prob only be able to have one male and the females are a bit too bland for my liking.  Also I'm worried about this Iridovirus as I don't want to get some and then they die again a few months later.  Presumably all LFS's  in the UK get their fish from Asia or do places like MaidenheadAquatics have their own breeding farms?
 

There are a few types in that family, they are pretty peaceful and interesting. Saying that I decided against them and got 8 little German blue Rams instead.

 
I love GBR's and this is more the size I'm talking about but don't think they'd work well with my water parameters.
 

He has hard water and high pH so I don't think rams would work.
If it were me I'd do tiger barbs, I think they do fairly well in hard water.

 
 
Tiger Barbs are also pretty cool but how many could I have and what else could I have with them?  I would like a couple of different species in my tank.
 
I guess secretly I'm a bit of a marine fan but don't really want to go down that road so am looking for equally interesting freshwater fish but it's proving a bit difficult. 
 
The reason I'm looking for five larger fish is that I'm trying to make it simpler for me if I have to replace any fish.  If I have shoals of neon rainbows and stuff, if I lose one or two then I have to go out and replace them so that the groups don't get too small.  That way I'll be making frequent trips to my LFS which is quite a schlep away. 
 
In an ideal world I'd have several different dwarf gourami's and they'd all get on but I realise that can't happen.

 

[daizeUK]

Obviously tiger barbs and gouramis wouldn't go well together.  Tiger barbs and cherry barbs are a common combination, or livebearers, but it sounds like you're more interested in specimen fish than shoals.
 
I'm just throwing names out there but perhaps you could look into Orange Chromides and Empire Gudgeons, they are larger fish that do well in hard water, unfortunately I know nothing else about them so I can't comment on any other aspect of suitability.

 

[gmc1]

Check out panda garra.very cool fish.