Recommend me some schooling fish

[Jacob the tank keeper]

I would say keep the Congo's because it is YOUR tank and YOUR hobby as far as I'm concerned if someone tells me they dont like a fish I keep and I do like it, well it's too bad for them. Maybe also once you remove the bettas try adding just the cories or just the bristlenose and see how your tank copes with that. I know i was just saying you should do what you like but you should also do what'd right for the fish and what will keep the happy and healthy.

Yea but right now I think I do have to say congos aren't that pretty, I have albino ones which are pretty much all white. I'm probably gonna end up with my angels, some rummynoses, and the bottom dwellers

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

That's still quite a lot of fish, you'll be doing a heck load of water changes! I personally love Congos and Emporer tetras, they're stunning to my eye and would choose them over cardinals and rummy nose any day...but to echo above, this is your tank and you've got to love the fish youre keeping, not settle for something else to please others. I have Cherry Barbs that many people think are boring and rainbow fish that stay ugly until they start maturing....I don't care, I love them!

 

[BigJfish12]

Yes ok if you are going to that I would still recommend doing the following:
3 angelfish instead of 4
20-24 rummynose
2 albino bristlenose instead of 4
10 bronze cories instead of 12
If the stocking I have suggested to @Jacob the tank keeper isnt acceptable please correct me.

 

[GaryE]

It's nothing personal - these answers are technical. Who you are and want you want doesn't change stocking, and it is never the "amount" of fish to a serious fishkeeper, but the number of living individuals. You'll figure out how you want to proceed.

You'll probably ignore the suggestions anyway and get what you want. That's reality.

Never keep 3 angels, as one will die. Even numbers. It spreads the aggression if a pair forms.

Beyond that, talk about taking fish back to the store. Many stores will take them back for free so they can sell them twice.

As far as what others like and what you like - secretly, they don't care. They don't even think about it when the tank is out of sight. You do. Maybe they know they can anger or annoy you, and enjoy that. But it's your tank and you take care of it.

There is nothing uglier than a glo-fish. Unless it's two glo-fish.

 

[Jacob the tank keeper]

Thanks everyone, we do own the shop lol so it wouldn't be a problem. I probably will get rid of my congos for something else, probably rummy noses, if I wanted I could get like 50 of those in this tank. I'm not dead set on cories, although I would totally love some, the bristlenoses are more important to me as they're going to be given from my friend who's moving abroad. Here's a pic of the tank right now, probably overstocked. I just took whatever fish and is slowly working on catching them back.

I got some juvie swords and tiger lotus at the back that I'm hoping will soon grow tall to fill the back, I've also ordered some java ferns (big and windolov) and some anubias coin leaf. Work in progress! The middle part and the front (sand parts) I'll fill with d. sag, I made a barrier under the sub of glass to prevent them from shooting runners to the other parts of the tank.

 

[BigJfish12]

Looks very nice

 

[Byron]

Linear fish such as rummynose are not advisable with angelfish. Other tank mates should be more disk-shaped as they are less likely to be eaten. And angelfish will grow. You do realize that they will get to six inches in body length, with an 8-inch vertical fin span?

For cories, increase don't decrease. This fish is always going to be more settled the more there are, and in this tank you could have 15-20 or more. Even with the angelfish.

On the Congo, these are indeed beautiful, but not the albino so that is understandable.

 

[powerdyne6]

I keep 10 Penguin Tetras, 10 Blue Tetras and 10 Yoyo Loaches in a 4 foot 75 gallon

When they are all out swimming about it looks pretty full as the Tetras mostly stick to the middle and top half of the tank.

The Yoyo’s obviously are at the bottom but will come up and swim around near the top as well.

The Yoyo’s are probably 6 months old so will grow a lot bigger. The Penguins are about year old or maybe a little more (with the exception of 1 who is probably about 2 to 2.5 years old)

The Blue Tetras are about 6 to 8 months old

 

[Jacob the tank keeper]

Linear fish such as rummynose are not advisable with angelfish. Other tank mates should be more disk-shaped as they are less likely to be eaten. And angelfish will grow. You do realize that they will get to six inches in body length, with an 8-inch vertical fin span?

For cories, increase don't decrease. This fish is always going to be more settled the more there are, and in this tank you could have 15-20 or more. Even with the angelfish.

On the Congo, these are indeed beautiful, but not the albino so that is understandable.

Aren't my angels max sized? The marble one in the middle right and the striped one on the right.

I've seen neons with angels and rummynoses are larger soo... That's where I got that thought from. If not rummynoses, then what?

For the corries, sure, I could increase. What do you think about the 4-6 bristlenoses I'm gonna add?

 

[BigJfish12]

I would say some still have some growing to. The reason rummynoses can't go with angelfish is they often see the smaller linear tetras as prey and the ones you saw with angels were probably raised with the angles hence the reason they don't attack or eat them.

 

[Byron]

Aren't my angels max sized? The marble one in the middle right and the striped one on the right.

I have no way of judging the size from a photo, but I would not think that any of these angels are even close to their expected size.

I've seen neons with angels and rummynoses are larger soo... That's where I got that thought from. If not rummynoses, then what?

That is one of the biggest problems in this hobby...false information from so-called "experts." And when a pair of angels decide to spawn, look out. The tolerated other fish may not be so tolerated then. The disk-shaped tetras such as those in the Hyphessobrycon clade--though certainly not all of them, there are some real fin nippers here--like H. rosaceus, H. sweglesi, or the Black Phantom H. megalopterus. Just avoid linear fish.

For the corries, sure, I could increase. What do you think about the 4-6 bristlenoses I'm gonna add?

This is a major issue with shoaling fish--you must provide what they expect, or as close as you can get. If you want healthy fish. I would be careful with that many Bristlenoses. Males are territorial, and while there seems to be a lot of space here, I would be careful.

 

[Jacob the tank keeper]

I have no way of judging the size from a photo, but I would not think that any of these angels are even close to their expected size.

I'll try using a tape measure. I'm pretty sure these two are adults though.

That is one of the biggest problems in this hobby...false information from so-called "experts." And when a pair of angels decide to spawn, look out. The tolerated other fish may not be so tolerated then. The disk-shaped tetras such as those in the Hyphessobrycon clade--though certainly not all of them, there are some real fin nippers here--like H. rosaceus, H. sweglesi, or the Black Phantom H. megalopterus. Just avoid linear fish.

What are some common fish here? Are Black Palmeris part of this? I have flame tetras but I feel that they might be too small.

This is a major issue with shoaling fish--you must provide what they expect, or as close as you can get. If you want healthy fish. I would be careful with that many Bristlenoses. Males are territorial, and while there seems to be a lot of space here, I would be careful.

4 bristlenoses then? What do you mean about the issue? Is that regarding the cories? Or are bristle noses just issues to fish

 

[Jacob the tank keeper]

Would Cherry barbs be okay tankmates? will they nip?

 

[Byron]

What are some common fish here? Are Black Palmeris part of this? I have flame tetras but I feel that they might be too small.

Not sure what species black palmeris is--there is an Australian fish, but I suspect you may mean the darkened Emperor Tetra, Nematobrycon palmeris. ??

As for cherry barbs, this is a gentler barb but it is longitudinal so I wouldn't.

 

[Jacob the tank keeper]

Not sure what species black palmeris is--there is an Australian fish, but I suspect you may mean the darkened Emperor Tetra, Nematobrycon palmeris. ??

As for cherry barbs, this is a gentler barb but it is longitudinal so I wouldn't.

I think that might be it for Palmeris, they're sold to us as "Black Palmeri" and look the same as what you said. What fish would you recommend then? Fish like lemon tetras are a bit too bland. I was looking forward to something like neons or cardinals, colorful, but not glo tetras... I was thinking of Redbelly tetra but same longitudinal shape although they are a bit larger