What fish to get for new tank!

[Jenny32]

Hi,

I have a 90L tank with soft water about 3gh and 3kh in tank (less in tap) and 6.8 ph. I am planning on stocking tank with friendly fish. I am thinking 5-6 harlequin rasbora's, 1 blue dwarf Gourami and maybe a catfish or 2. I want a colorful tank, without the risk of bullying if possible. Can anyone recommend any other fish that would be good tank mates and/or replace the fish I have thought about getting?

Thanks!

 

[Essjay]

Personally, I would avoid any dwarf gourami. Those gouramis bred in the far east are often infected with an incurable disease by the time they reach the shop. Honey gouramis would be a better choice.

I would get more than 6 harlequins. While 6 is the often quoted minimum number for shoaling fish, they do better with more than 6. Harlequins also appreciate cover over their heads, which means floating plants. I have the related Espe's rasboras and when I got them I didn't have any floating plants and they hid in the back corner all the time. Then I read on here about floating plants so I got some. The rasboras started to venture out of their corner but only to the edge of the plants. As the planst covered more and more of the surface, the fish came further and further into the tank.

You don't mention which type of catfish. If you want cories, they need to be in a group of at least 6, with the three dwarf species needing at least 10. They also need sand on the bottom of the tank.
If you want a plec, eg a bristlenose, just one of them.


Any fish from south America or most of Asia would work with these fish. You would just need to check that they are not known for fin nipping, and avoid fish that dash madly round the tank as fin nippers would nip a gourami's fins, and fast swimmers would stress a gourami.




Just to make sure - is the tank cycled?

 

[Jenny32]

Personally, I would avoid any dwarf gourami. Those gouramis bred in the far east are often infected with an incurable disease by the time they reach the shop. Honey gouramis would be a better choice.

I would get more than 6 harlequins. While 6 is the often quoted minimum number for shoaling fish, they do better with more than 6. Harlequins also appreciate cover over their heads, which means floating plants. I have the related Espe's rasboras and when I got them I didn't have any floating plants and they hid in the back corner all the time. Then I read on here about floating plants so I got some. The rasboras started to venture out of their corner but only to the edge of the plants. As the planst covered more and more of the surface, the fish came further and further into the tank.

You don't mention which type of catfish. If you want cories, they need to be in a group of at least 6, with the three dwarf species needing at least 10. They also need sand on the bottom of the tank.
If you want a plec, eg a bristlenose, just one of them.


Any fish from south America or most of Asia would work with these fish. You would just need to check that they are not known for fin nipping, and avoid fish that dash madly round the tank as fin nippers would nip a gourami's fins, and fast swimmers would stress a gourami.




Just to make sure - is the tank cycled?

Thanks for the advice. I'll look to get more Rasboras and floating plant, my only worry is overcrowding. Which I was the reason why I was thinking about dwarf gouramis, but if a honey gouramis is ok for 90L tank then that is even better I think. I don't have sand so maybe need to re-think getting Cory's.

Yes tank cycled - ammonia 0 and nitrite 0. I have put some more ammonia in to triple check and once that has been converted I think I should be ok after a water change.

 

[Essjay]

Honey gouramis are smaller than dwarfs so they are actually a better fit if you are worried about overcrowding

 

[Jenny32]

Honey gouramis are smaller than dwarfs so they are actually a better fit if you are worried about overcrowding

Oh yeah so they are! They do seem pretty good fish to keep. If getting a pair would 2 males work?! Or just a single male be better?

 

[Essjay]

Not 2 males. They may be small and peaceful for gouramis - but they are still gouramis so two males would fight over territory. I have kept honey gouramis as a male/female pair with no problems. Unlike other gourami species, male honeys do not hound a female to death. If they breed the male will chase other fish away from the bubble nest with eggs but mine never harmed the other fish. With other fish in the tank, eggs are unlikely to survive long enough to hatch so over population by honey gouramis won't be a problem.

 

[Jenny32]

Not 2 males. They may be small and peaceful for gouramis - but they are still gouramis so two males would fight over territory. I have kept honey gouramis as a male/female pair with no problems. Unlike other gourami species, male honeys do not hound a female to death. If they breed the male will chase other fish away from the bubble nest with eggs but mine never harmed the other fish. With other fish in the tank, eggs are unlikely to survive long enough to hatch so over population by honey gouramis won't be a problem.

Thanks for the advice, male and female sounds good