Stocking Advice Desperately Needed - Tetras, Gobies, Cories

[BeckyCats]

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.

 
So, let me tell you what happened yesterday. Before I left work, I checked this site to see anyone had offered any advice on the bloodfins. Not yet. I decided to go for it because all of the sources seemed to suggest that if kept in decent numbers, they confined their nipping to themselves. I figured I could update this in a few months and share my experience so that anyone in the future who is looking for info on bloodfins, would have one more source of experience to read. (I personally get my information from multiple sources: Seriously Fish, Animal-world, this forum, other forums or sites that come up in an internet search on the species I look for. I weed through what seems less reliable and compile the information as best as I can.) I also got a pearl gourami. Only 1 store out of 6 I went to had them at all. Apparently they aren't very popular right now. At any rate, I only got one because they suspect they all might be male (too young to know for sure). Then, I came home, acclimated the fish, added them to the tank, put the kids to bed, and checked this site again where I read Byron's advice above. OH NOOOO!!!!!! I MESSED UP!!!!!
 
Byron, what would you do at this point? Should I scoop out the bloodfins and return them to the store? Oh brother. This is why I am so hesitant to get fish. Because as soon as I do, it is invariably the wrong choice no matter how much research I do first.

 
[edit to correct spelling error]

 

[Byron]

If the gourami stays, definitely remove the bloodfins.  My earlier comments on the bloodfins had the gobies in mind too, as my research (I am not that familiar with this group of fish) suggests they are rather timid and quiet and this sort of fish is often a target by nippers.
 
However, the gourami also poses some issues, especially the water flow.  Gobies need currents, gourami exactly the opposite.  Anabantids occur in swamps, still ponds, and very quiet streams.  I am attaching a photo from SF of a pair, but when juveniles it can be difficult to determine gender.  This is a species I would definitely recommend in a small group, one male and 2-3 females, or 2 males and 4 females.  A 55g is 4 feet in length and plenty of space.  I might even have a third male, and five females.  In a tank with lots of floating plants, this could be stunning.  If you decide on the group, I would get them now if you can decipher gender, or return the one until you find a tank that you can select from.  Gourami are territorial and like cichlids, once introduced the space is theirs and newcomers may not be welcomed later.
 
But again, gourami will not work well with gobies...one of your smaller tanks would make a lovely goby setup.
 
Byron.

 

[BeckyCats]

Hmm. Well, maybe I should bring the gourami back since it is the odd man out so to speak with its need for minimal water current.

The gobies are out and about this morning despite the population boom. The bloodfins are alternately exploring and schooling. When they school, the flames join them. There is a lot of activity. A lot. "Writhing" is the word that comes to mind. I'm not sure about this. Everyone is on the bottom of the tank. Bloodfins are supposed to swim in the top and middle, I thought. Maybe once the plants get taller.

I hate to return anyone. It seems so traumatic for them. But I really don't think another tank is possible at this point. My 10 gallon is housing my son's Betta and that's the only other tank I have. I was originally thinking that I might be able to compromise on the flow issue by putting a pre-filter sponge on the filter intake tube. My hope was that both the gobies and the gouramis would be happy that way. Maybe if I got a 10 gallon for the gobies, my husband wouldn't freak out too much. Then I could just keep the gourami and go back for the others and hope they are female. The store manager said I could return some if they end up being all male.

Do you think being scooped up and returned to the store will harm the fish too much? I don't know what else to do.
 
[edit to delete accidental double-posting]

 

[Byron]

Do you think being scooped up and returned to the store will harm the fish too much? I don't know what else to do.
 

 
This is a relative issue.  Obviously, being netted bagged is stressful for any fish.  But when I had to face this once, I returned the fish the same day so it didn't get settled in before another jolt.  And one has to think long-term...just what is going to happen in a few weeks when these fish are "settled" and their inherent behaviours kick in?  You may then be faced with a real problem, if for example the gourami or a goby or whomever ends up getting nipped.
 
I research any fish before acquiring it, and over the course of 20 years I have been able to determine inherent traits of many genera.  But even so, I can get surprised.  Having a fish room with seven or more tanks running does allow me some options should a species become problematic in the intended tank, but even so I have still had issues.  Sometimes soon, but usually down the road after returning the fish is not an option.
 
I had a group of Emperor Tetras and Rainbow Emperor Tetras, and after several weeks they turned into incredible bullies.  In a 5-foot tank, I had some 90 fish huddled on the far right in about 1 foot of length, with three male Emperors patrolling the remainder of the tank and driving back any fish that dared to approach.  And they nipped them.  I moved those Emperors into three different tanks, and finally had to get rid of them (I gave them to an aquarist with a 55g tank just for them).  Even with several tank options, I could not find a home where these fish could co-exist peacefully.  But just imagine the stress on the 90 fish if I had let this go on; they would have succumbed to disease, and likely many would have died.
 
A similar thing happened several years ago with another species in the bloodfin genus, Aphyocharax paraguayensis (which is now scientifically considered the same species as A. nattereri).  You just wouldn't believe the ferocity of this tiny fish.  Bullies incorporated.  Twice I acquired a group of this species, and both times they could only be maintained alone in their own tank.  Absolutely nothing was safe from their attacks.
 
Byron.

 

[BeckyCats]

That's good to know. I wasn't sure which would be worse for them. I'm going to call the store to see how they prefer I bring them back.

 

[BeckyCats]

Well, that was something I hope to never have to do again. Catching 10 fast, wiggly bloodfins is quite a challenge. I got them eventually but not without catching the wrong fish a few times and pulling up a few plants and getting water everywhere. Now that I'm back from the store, I checked on the remaining fish. They have their color back but they are still hanging at the bottom of the tank. After their ordeal with the dreaded net-fish, I'm sure it will take a day or two to feel safe again.

 

[Byron]

Well, that was something I hope to never have to do again. Catching 10 fast, wiggly bloodfins is quite a challenge. I got them eventually but not without catching the wrong fish a few times and pulling up a few plants and getting water everywhere. Now that I'm back from the store, I checked on the remaining fish. They have their color back but they are still hanging at the bottom of the tank. After their ordeal with the dreaded net-fish, I'm sure it will take a day or two to feel safe again.

 
They will probably soon settle down, though they might remain a bit skittish for a few days.  I moved the fish from my 115g into the newly-aquascaped 70g a few weeks ago, and it took several days.  But the end result is worth it, in both our situations.

 

[BeckyCats]

I hope the gourami settles in. It is still in hiding. I did not get the other 3 that they had. I was thinking I should leave everyone alone for a bit before I go adding to the population. Although I'm wondering if that's the right decision considering your observation that they might tolerate each other better if they're all there from the start. If I did keep a group of them, would it likely make them more territorial towards the other species or less so do you think?

 

[Byron]

I hope the gourami settles in. It is still in hiding. I did not get the other 3 that they had. I was thinking I should leave everyone alone for a bit before I go adding to the population. Although I'm wondering if that's the right decision considering your observation that they might tolerate each other better if they're all there from the start. If I did keep a group of them, would it likely make them more territorial towards the other species or less so do you think?

 
Adding females is not likely to cause trouble, it would be a rival male.  The territorial issue is primarily the species, among themselves.  Though one cannot predict what an individual fish may do.  But this is one of the more peaceful gourami, and certainly beautiful.  When one has the space, as here, a small group can be well worth it.

 

[BeckyCats]

They can't tell me whether they are male or female because they are too small. They are willing to take back extra males if needed though. Think I should go for it?

The bloodfins showed me that I don't like large numbers of fish in one tank, so I think the gouramis would be good for me.

 

[Byron]

They can't tell me whether they are male or female because they are too small. They are willing to take back extra males if needed though. Think I should go for it?

The bloodfins showed me that I don't like large numbers of fish in one tank, so I think the gouramis would be good for me.

 
If it were me, and provided the fish in the store appear OK, I would get a group of 3-6.  I would try to discern gender primarily from the length of the dorsal (in the photo I attached earlier you can see the difference) though I am not sure how soon this might be obvious, nor do I know the age of the fish.  Two males and three or four females Is what I would aim for.
 
Now you've got me thinking about this species, which I haven't had for many years...

 

[BeckyCats]

They only have 4 in the store. In fact, I couldn't find them in any other store near me. Everyone offers to special order them but no one can guarantee which gender will come in. Maybe I'll take my chances. I've done more research on them and watched some videos and I like them. Thank you so much for your help! I really appreciate it.

 

[Byron]

They only have 4 in the store. In fact, I couldn't find them in any other store near me. Everyone offers to special order them but no one can guarantee which gender will come in. Maybe I'll take my chances. I've done more research on them and watched some videos and I like them. Thank you so much for your help! I really appreciate it.

 
You're most welcome.  And yes, I would get the four...you may luck out.

 

[BeckyCats]

Went back and picked up the other pearl gouramis. As it turns out, they actually had 4 additional (one had jumped into the tank next door, so I didn't see it the other day), so I now have all 5. I think only 1 is male but I'm  not sure. Since I am now stocked, I will take the rest of my comments to my journal thread.
 
Thank you everyone for your input and advice!