Restocking my tank

[FishFinatic77]

So, the time has come to restock one of my tanks which has been going for years now. Of my original schools, only 2 Harlequin Rasboras remain, and my clown Pleco. Now comes the fun part of figuring out how to restock! The tank is a 20g high with plenty of live plants. So I was thinking, since I really love the Harlequins, I would increase their school to 10 or 12 (which would probably drop back down to 8 or 10 sometime in the near future, as the remaining Rasboras are quite old), and then add a centerpiece fish. For the centerpiece fish I was thinking either a Honey Gourami (which I've had before and loved, although they are kind of small for a centerpiece) or a Dwarf Gourami. So the final stock would look like this:

10-12 Harlequin Rasboras
1 Honey Gourami or Dwarf Gourami
1 Clown Pleco

Does this look appropriate? And which Gourami would you all recommend?

 

[Sgooosh]

So, the time has come to restock one of my tanks which has been going for years now. Of my original schools, only 2 Harlequin Rasboras remain, and my clown Pleco. Now comes the fun part of figuring out how to restock! The tank is a 20g high with plenty of live plants. So I was thinking, since I really love the Harlequins, I would increase their school to 10 or 12 (which would probably drop back down to 8 or 10 sometime in the near future, as the remaining Rasboras are quite old), and then add a centerpiece fish. For the centerpiece fish I was thinking either a Honey Gourami (which I've had before and loved, although they are kind of small for a centerpiece) or a Dwarf Gourami. So the final stock would look like this:

10-12 Harlequin Rasboras
1 Honey Gourami or Dwarf Gourami
1 Clown Pleco

Does this look appropriate? And which Gourami would you all recommend?

Harlequin rasboras get pretty big, so I would find something that would still make the tank slightly understocked, but also seem special.

a pair of honey gourami would be nice since they have different colors that contrast with the rasboras.

dwarves would be a problem because of the genetic issues.

 

[FishFinatic77]

Harlequin rasboras get pretty big, so I would find something that would still make the tank slightly understocked, but also seem special.

Well, I can see what my LFS has, but I do really love the Harlequins.

dwarves would be a problem because of the genetic issues.

Do you mean the Iridovirus? My LFS generally stocks really healthy, locally bred fish, so I don't think that would really be a problem. But I can call them tomorrow and ask how they handle potential infections.

 

[Sgooosh]

Well, I can see what my LFS has, but I do really love the Harlequins.


Do you mean the Iridovirus? My LFS generally stocks really healthy, locally bred fish, so I don't think that would really be a problem. But I can call them tomorrow and ask how they handle potential infections.

Boraras look like smaller harlequins (Boraras maculatus). but I'm really not a master at stocking, so I would consult someone else. I tend to understock a lot since I don't have a plan in mind when I start my tank

If you are sure of non-inbred fish, go for it! I think colonies that are a few generations from wild-caught should have less of this problem.
if you're looking for a somewhat similar look, go for Honey gouramis. the common ones you find are plain, but wild-type, half-red, full red, and sometimes even blue for wild types look interesting and fun.

 

[FishFinatic77]

Boraras look like smaller harlequins (Boraras maculatus). but I'm really not a master at stocking, so I would consult someone else. I tend to understock a lot since I don't have a plan in mind when I start my tank

If you are sure of non-inbred fish, go for it! I think colonies that are a few generations from wild-caught should have less of this problem.
if you're looking for a somewhat similar look, go for Honey gouramis. the common ones you find are plain, but wild-type, half-red, full red, and sometimes even blue for wild types look interesting and fun.

Thank you very much for your help! So, I checked with my LFS, and I asked if they have the Boraras, but they didn't. They didn't really have any other, smaller fish that I felt would suit the tank, so I ended up getting a school of Harlequins like I'd originally planned.

I also checked where they get the Dwarf gouramis from, and they are local. I asked specifically about the iridovirus too, and if they've had any issues with that, and they said no.
I still hadn't quite decided whether I wanted a dwarf gourami or a honey gourami by the time I got to the store, but I saw they had a beautiful female powder blue dwarf gourami there, and I couldn't resist bringing her home. She looks great so far, is very active and seems healthy, so fingers crossed she stays that way.

 

[Sgooosh]

Thank you very much for your help! So, I checked with my LFS, and I asked if they have the Boraras, but they didn't. They didn't really have any other, smaller fish that I felt would suit the tank, so I ended up getting a school of Harlequins like I'd originally planned.

I also checked where they get the Dwarf gouramis from, and they are local. I asked specifically about the iridovirus too, and if they've had any issues with that, and they said no.
I still hadn't quite decided whether I wanted a dwarf gourami or a honey gourami by the time I got to the store, but I saw they had a beautiful female powder blue dwarf gourami there, and I couldn't resist bringing her home. She looks great so far, is very active and seems healthy, so fingers crossed she stays that way.

nice, any photos? keep an eye on the tank when adding new fish, because it could cause a mini cycle!
I hope your new gourami is healthy! locally bred and not mass-bred fish will carry way less disaeses as well

 

[FishFinatic77]

nice, any photos? keep an eye on the tank when adding new fish, because it could cause a mini cycle!
I hope your new gourami is healthy! locally bred and not mass-bred fish will carry way less disaeses as well

No photos yet, I didn't want to stress out the new inhabitants with my phone. But I'm going to take some soon, now that they're all settled, so I'll be sure to post them!
The Gourami is doing great! She seems to be in perfect health, and has a great appetite (I swear the only thing on her mind is food, lol). She's been gaining confidence too, and swims up to the glass to greet me, which is adorable.

 

[FishFinatic77]

I've been meaning to post these for ages now, but something else kept getting in the way. Anyway, here are the new additions, which are all doing great. The gourami has grown quite a bit since she got here. She has a really funny personality too.
(Also, ignore the algae. These were taken just before I cleaned the tank.)