Suggest a lower level schooling/shoaling fish.

[Glenn407]

In my 55 right now I have mainly about a dozen Harlequin rasboras and a few other tank mates that as of now are solos, one thankfully is a remaining Serpea. Obviously the Harlequins steal the show with their upper mid level grouping. I would like to add another clutch of some other fish that will coexist and as importantly exhibit the same behavior lower in the tank, say the bottom 1/3. Ideally I would like them to be as pleased with being in full view as the Harlequins are and not hiders in vegetation. I understand there are supposedly differences between what one would describe as schooling vs shoaling. Not sure what camp Harlequins are in or even if it matters with what I am after.
Although in my perfect world I'd love the Neons, Cardinals and Rummy,,,let's just forget them.

 

[connorlindeman]

In my 55 right now I have mainly about a dozen Harlequin rasboras and a few other tank mates that as of now are solos, one thankfully is a remaining Serpea. Obviously the Harlequins steal the show with their upper mid level grouping. I would like to add another clutch of some other fish that will coexist and as importantly exhibit the same behavior lower in the tank, say the bottom 1/3. Ideally I would like them to be as pleased with being in full view as the Harlequins are and not hiders in vegetation. I understand there are supposedly differences between what one would describe as schooling vs shoaling. Not sure what camp Harlequins are in or even if it matters with what I am after.
Although in my perfect world I'd love the Neons, Cardinals and Rummy,,,let's just forget them.

10-12 corys?

 

[Oblio]

10-12 corys?

Yes!, assuming the water params are correct.

 

[Glenn407]

10-12 corys?

Thank you. I've never had the best of luck keeping them fed it seems, even with tablets. They also tend to hide and cling to the gravel. I'm thinking more along the lines of something that swims in the open like the Harlequins but tends to prefer a lower level. Or maybe I'm overlooking something. Will another schooling/shoaling species just assume a different level in the tank?

 

[connorlindeman]

Thank you. I've never had the best of luck keeping them fed it seems, even with tablets. They also tend to hide and cling to the gravel. I'm thinking more along the lines of something that swims in the open like the Harlequins but tends to prefer a lower level. Or maybe I'm overlooking something. Will another schooling/shoaling species just assume a different level in the tank?

Gravel is not the greatest for corys. They prefer sand. I feed mine fluvel bugbites microgranules.

No, I believe that they will just swim at the same level.

Could you please provide your water parameters?

 

[Oblio]

Thank you. I've never had the best of luck keeping them fed it seems, even with tablets. They also tend to hide and cling to the gravel. I'm thinking more along the lines of something that swims in the open like the Harlequins but tends to prefer a lower level. Or maybe I'm overlooking something. Will another schooling/shoaling species just assume a different level in the tank?

I have albino C. Aneaus (Bronze) and C. Paleatus (Peppered) and they are pretty active. I feed them carnivore tablets but I first feed the Tetras with flakes or sinking pellets (Bugbites) to distract them on one end drop the tablets on the opposite end. Between the pellets that the Tetras miss and the tablets they are well fed. Did you have a large enough shoal for them to feel safe and move about?

 

[Back in the fold]

Corydoras keepers really should culture Grindal worms or white worms. I think they would probably go ape for them. Feeding problem solved.

 

[Glenn407]

Gravel is not the greatest for corys. They prefer sand. I feed mine fluvel bugbites microgranules.

No, I believe that they will just swim at the same level.

Could you please provide your water parameters?

I do have gravel. I do not have detailed parameters other than the fact that it would be on the somewhat hard side. It's tasteless and odorless well water on a softener but in the tank I only add water from the hard side during water changes, not the softened side. Whatever fish I have introduced have done well in the water aside from platy's. For some reason they never lasted.

 

[connorlindeman]

I do have gravel. I do not have detailed parameters other than the fact that it would be on the somewhat hard side. It's tasteless and odorless well water on a softener but in the tank I only add water from the hard side during water changes, not the softened side. Whatever fish I have introduced have done well in the water aside from platy's. For some reason they never lasted.

You should get exact parameter. I cant recommend a fish unless I know what they are.

 

[connorlindeman]

Platys likely didnt last because they are a hardwater fish and Neons are softwater.

 

[AquaBarb]

Rummy noses sound a perfect fit here

 

[Glenn407]

Rummy noses sound a perfect fit here

I know they like hanging near the bottom.

 

[Byron]

Concerning the water, the softener may be a problem. Many use common salt (sodium chloride) to replace the calcium/magnesium salts that contribute to GH and the salt is even worse for freshwater fish. See if you can find data on how the softener works. And if you can bypass it with untreated well water. But you need toknow the GH, KH and pH of the well water on its own (pre-softener). A local fish store might do these tests, but make sure you get the number and the unit of measurement; vague subjective terms like "fairly hard" mean nothing really without the number.

Corydoras need sand, so I would not recommend them unless the substrate can be changed. Many shoaling fish that remain in the lower half of the aquarium are sedate fish, not active swimmers...rummynose is one exception but there are not many.

Keep a close eye on the lone Serpae Tetra. This is also a shoaling fish, but it is aggressive, prone to fin nip when not kept in groups of 12-15 minimum. Sometimes a lone remaining fish will become very aggressive out of frustration, sometimes quite the opposite.

 

[I Like Rare Fish]

Bumblebee Catfish?

 

[Glenn407]

Concerning the water, the softener may be a problem. Many use common salt (sodium chloride) to replace the calcium/magnesium salts that contribute to GH and the salt is even worse for freshwater fish. See if you can find data on how the softener works. And if you can bypass it with untreated well water. But you need toknow the GH, KH and pH of the well water on its own (pre-softener). A local fish store might do these tests, but make sure you get the number and the unit of measurement; vague subjective terms like "fairly hard" mean nothing really without the number.

Corydoras need sand, so I would not recommend them unless the substrate can be changed. Many shoaling fish that remain in the lower half of the aquarium are sedate fish, not active swimmers...rummynose is one exception but there are not many.

Keep a close eye on the lone Serpae Tetra. This is also a shoaling fish, but it is aggressive, prone to fin nip when not kept in groups of 12-15 minimum. Sometimes a lone remaining fish will become very aggressive out of frustration, sometimes quite the opposite.

Helpful and thanks. I will bring a sample in one day. I am not using softened water in the tank. I long ago piped in a separate faucet on the incoming line to the water softener for both the aquarium and the few plants I water. I think that lone Serpae is not long for this world. I did not have enough of them and from the looks of things they went after each other instead of any other fish. No other fish showed signs of tail nipping aside from the Serpaes. I don't really mind a lower tank species that's sedate, I'm more interested in one that does not prefer hiding in the weeds. One thing I like about the Harlequins is that they seem to fancy themselves being on full display 24/7