Stocking Advice Desperately Needed - Tetras, Gobies, Cories

[BeckyCats]

Hello, I would so very much appreciate hearing the opinions and experience of others regarding the fish species that would work well together in my tank. I am having terrible "FINdecision" issues (ba dum dum! - yeah, I know, don't quit my day job

).
 
I have a 55 gallon fully cycled tank with plants and sand substrate. I have soft water with a pH of ~6.5.
 
I currently have:
5 flame tetras (Hyphessobrycon flammeus) - 2 females, 3 males
2 blue neon goby (stiphodon atropurpureus) - 2 females
4 Bronze cories (Corydoras aeneus) - gender undetermined
2 Peppered cories (Corydoras paleatus) - gender undetermined
 
I plan to get at least 5 more flame tetras as soon as I can find any. I hope to increase the number of females to have more of them than males because they are happier that way.
 
Here are 3 potential stocking scenarios. My numbers may need altering:
10-12 Flame tetras
10-12 Bloodfin tetras
~15 Ember tetras
Existing cories and gobies
 
~24 Flame tetras
~30 Ember tetras
Existing cories and gobies
 
~24 Flame tetras
~15 Bloodfin tetras
Existing cories and gobies
 
I am kind of regretting the cories. As much as I researched before I bought, I obviously didn't do a good enough job because I thought the different species of cories would be okay together, but the Peppered cories prefer each other's company to the aeneus cories. I really can't blame them, because the aeneus cories are insane. Apparently they didn't read the same info I read, because they don't seem to know they are supposed to be bottom dwellers. They swim all over the tank, careening into the flame tetras or each other, whoever happens to be in their path. They don't seem to be aggressive, just in a hurry and if anyone is in the way, well, that's too bad 'cause they're coming through! I'm not talking about the quick dart to the surface for a gulp of air. I'm talking about racing from one side to the other like the Indy 500. It's usually only 2 at at time doing this. Never all 4 at once.
 
Questions:
1. Are the orange Von Rios (without stripes) the same as the Flame Tetras (with stripes), as far as the fish is concerned from a schooling/shoaling perspective? If so, I may just get some of the orange ones because I know of some in a store right now and I'm having trouble finding the ones with stripes. But if they won't consider each other as the same, then I don't want them because I am trying to keep the number of species to a minimum.
 
2. The cories. What should I do about the cories? I suspect that the first piece of advice is going to be for me to get 2 more aeneus and 4 more Peppered so that there will be 6 of each, but I really don't want to do that. I don't want 12 cories. That's a lot of cories. Is it possible they will be okay as-is? I am content to let all of them stay if they will be happy. Should I try to see if the store will let me exchange one species for another? If so, how the heck will I get them out?!?

 
3. Additional species - Bloodfin tetras: I like bloodfin tetras, even though everyone I've talked to seems to find them boring, silver, regular fish-shaped, nothing interesting about them, fish. I happen to think they are very pretty, especially the way they swim together. My concerns are: 1) I've read conflicting info about their aggression and activity levels. Does anyone here have experience with them? 2) They get to be 2", which may be too large to have a big group of them in a 55 gallon. Also, I don't want them bothering my gobies. I adore my gobies. I don't want them spooked or harassed. If the bloodfins are liable to bother or frighten them, I'll have to pass.
 
4. Additional species - Ember tetras: I simply adore these little guys. Potential problems are that they are more difficult to find; a little more expensive, especially considering that more would be needed to make a proper group; they are harder to find (only one store has them in right now and there's only four); they might get eaten or at least be terrified by a group of bloodfins. Also, I read they hang out mostly at the bottom and the bottom of my tank is already full.
 
Miscellaneous stocking thoughts: I really love - LOVE - the way Diamond tetras look, but I have read that they are quite aggressive. All of the long, flowy finned fish seem to be pushy to their tank mates (hmmm... another tank with just diamonds?

). Also, I adore Microdevario Kubotai but I saw one (just one) last night and it was $5.99. Six dollars per fish is just too much when I wanted a group of at least 30. So, I'm thinking they are probably out.

 
Please, please, please weigh in with your advice and experience. I desperately need help here or I may be frozen in indecision forever.  Thank you for any help you can offer.

 

[Akasha72]

the cory behaviour you mention is perfectly normal ... cories like to play, it's part of their cory-dorable charm! My bronzes like to zoom around tickling their whiskers with each other (it looks like they are kissing and it's so sweet) so hearing that yours are displaying similar behaviour isn't anything new. My peppered lot are slightly more sedate - although they wern't when they were young fish. They were never as active as the bronzes though. Mine too live at opposite sides of the tank and always have. 
I'm shocked that you don't find their behaviour enjoyable. They really are lovely little fish. The advice is as you expected - 5 or 6 of each species is the recommended.
 
I'll allow the others to answer your other questions. I've not kept any of the tetra's you mention but I can tell you all tetra's are shoalers and so groups of around 10 of each species is recommended. Any aggression should be kept then within the group 

 

[BeckyCats]

I have not been able to enjoy their behavior because I thought it was a result of some kind of illness or stress (too much filter flow? they don't like their new home? what am I doing wrong?). If this is normal behavior, then I can relax and reevaluate them. The Peppereds are totally chill - more of what I expected, so to see the aeneus zipping around bumping into their tank mates worried me.
 
I thought my son invented "cory-dorable" He said, "I'm not calling them corydoras. I'm calling them cory-dorables!" I should have known it was too cute not to have been thought of already. Those little mustaches are truly adorable.

 

[Akasha72]

I was watching my panda cories zooming up and down the glass last night. They were playing chase with my melini cories aswell. It's all normal. I have three 6 week old panda babies and they spend all their time zooming around, up and down the glass and snuffling in the plants. They're just building up their muscles and strength. Cories are incredibly playful so if they are zipping about they are happy. Nothing to worry about at all. Sit back and enjoy them with a happy smile

 

[BeckyCats]

That does make me feel better. MUCH better. One of the aeneus has a broken tail (came from the store that way) and I thought maybe that was a contributing factor. My husband says he thinks they look like they are having fun, especially when they race through the filter flow. Sounds like he was right. And OMG, BABY panda cories?? How cute is that?

 
I did a search on this site for info on bloodfins and I find several references to them being nippy. Uh oh.

 

[Akasha72]

they're not a fish I know anything about (the blood fins) but there are a lot of tetra's that are classed as nippy. I think the best advice would be to keep them in a large shoal if you can and the nippiness should be kept within the group. I've read that advice for barbs several times and barbs are terrible for fin nipping. 
 
What I would say is to keep an eye on the cories fins though. Fin nippers can tend to pick on fish such as cories 

 

[BeckyCats]

The gobies are not the fastest fish either. The flame tetras followed them around staring at them until the cories came. Now the flames are completely occupied with the antics of the cories. That is another great thing about the cories. They do not disturb or frighten my tiny gobies AND they draw off the attention of the flames. The flames are not nippy (so far). They are just very curious.

 

[Akasha72]

not all tetra's are nippy, there's just a few that can be but it's not always the case. I have heard of tetra's that are classed as 'nippy' actually being really well behaved. 
I have purple emperor tetra's (nematobrycon palmeri) and these are classed as 'aggressive and territorial' and since getting them I've read of people who have had to return the to the store because they were so bad but mine are relatively okay. The males do spar and I see the odd torn fin but compared to my angelfish they are fine! 

 

[BeckyCats]

On the way home from work I stopped by the LFS to observe the bloodfins again. They were in with a bunch of mollies who were way pushier than they were. I wonder if they weren't nippy because the mollies were bigger and more assertive, or because they were in a large group (probably 25 or so). I resisted the urge to bring them all home. I value the advice from this community, so I'll wait to hear about others' experiences.

 

[Munroco]

This is a video of my pandas playing in the filter outlet. They swim up the side of the tank into the stream, then get launched out across the surface, then they swim straight back into the stream again. So funny.
 
http/vid435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/Javalad/DSC_0036.mp4

 

[BeckyCats]

Ha ha! That's really cute! When I came home tonight, mine were racing back and forth again and I noticed that they were bumping into each other and into the flames on purpose. It was a gentle bump, almost a rub. The tetras didn't seem overly concerned about it. I wonder what that behavior is all about. As long as everyone is happy, I do find it very interesting.

 

[Akasha72]

it sounds like they are just happy fish Becky, they're just playing and having fun and no-one gets hurt there's no problem

 

[BeckyCats]

So, looks like I'm not getting any input on the bloodfins. I have looked at past posts on this forum and found advice given to others about the Pearl Gourami being peaceful. I may try that. One male and two females was the advice given. The upside of the gouramis over the bloodfins is that my kids would be more likely to be interested in the gouramis since they are larger and more dramatic looking. I really want to have my kids grow up interested in fish.
 
I am thinking that I don't know how I can manage without a few more tanks: one for just diamond tetras; one with bloodfins and gold barbs; one with schools of microdevario kubotai and ember tetras; and one with goldfish. If only I had more space and more money... 

 

[Akasha72]

I grew up with a fish keeping Dad, he still has fish now. When we were kids we were allowed to get involved with the cleaning and feeding (under supervision of course) and as soon as I got the opportunity to have some fish I jumped at the chance. As a kid we had guppies, platies/swordtails, catfish, loaches ... all sorts. The type of fish didn't matter, it was the fact that we had fish and I used to love watching them. I think if you get your kiddies involved they'll take an interest what ever type of fish you have

 

[Byron]

I should be able to toffer some advice to your questions.
 
Starting with Bloodfins, Aphyocharax anisitsi...I would not recommend these in your situation.  All species in this genus are on the nippy side, some much more than others.  This is often brought out when the fish are combined with sedate fish (meaning non-active swimmers) or those with long fins.
 
The goby, Stiphodon atropurpureus, requires some specific environmental features that will have to be kept in mind when considering possible tankmates.  [more here: http/www.seriouslyfish.com/species/stiphodon-atropurpureus/ ].   Water that is slightly cooler than normal tropical temperatures (in the range 22-26C, preferably mid range), and has a stronger current (not meaning rapids, but more water movement than many tropicals appreciate).  These conditions are well suited to panda corys, so you might want to consider them.
 
To the corys...mixing species is never a problem.  The species now classified in the genus Corydoras are all peaceful, none are aggressive by any stretch of the term.  The few that can sometimes get a tad belligerent are the larger species now in Scleromystax.  While levels of activity can vary, what you described would seem to me to be more stress-related and should calm somewhat.  I am assuming these bronze corys are recent, and some corys take weeks to settle in to a change of environment.
 
The varieties of the Flame Tetra are all from the original wild species, Hyphessobrycon flammeus, so yes, they should get along together.
 
Diamond Tetra, Moenkhausia pittieri...I have had this species for many years, and I would not class them as aggressive by any measure.  However, they can be very active, and perhaps this is what "aggressive" was meant to suggest, wherever you saw it.  I would worry it might not like the stronger current though; it is native to Lake Valencia in Venezuela, and occurs in the vegetated parts and in slow-flowing lake tributaries.
 
One thought...you might consider moving the gobies to their own tank (a 20g long would be adequate) where you can provide their requirements better.  This would leave more options for the 55g.
 
Byron.