Fish compatibility

[mattski]

Ok, so i've got a 50 litre tank which i'm looking to stock. I've done a bit of reading around the place, and i think this is what i am looking at. Tell me if it would be ok.

In order of introduction

4-6 Zebra Danios
2 Cherry Barbs
2 Otos
1 Honey Gourami.

Too many fish once fully stocked?

Also, are there any problems with putting two sets of schooling fish in such a tank? Say 6 Zebra Danios, 6 Cardinal Tetras, 2 Otos??

 

[jflowers]

The ZD's prefer lots of swimming space, so closer to 20gallons would be better (you currently have slightly over 10 imp gallons). Barbs prefer to be in bigger groups or they get nippy, and oto's should only go in mature tanks. Honey gourami is a good choice, don't be tempted by dwarf gourami as they are more delicate annd can get terratorial.

As long as the tank is cycled correctly (see pinned topics), I would add the barbs and then the gourami, then wait a couple of months for the oto's. Smaller tetras would make a nice schooling fish, cardinals should be ok.

Jon

 

[Shaydensmom]

You should maybee think about putting some Ghost-Shrimps in there, they are small and cute, are absolute Bottom-Feeders, so they go for uneaten food that drops to the ground, they eat on dead snails or other dead things *gg*, also they love Algea wich builds up sometimes anyway a little!
My Betta is carnivorus, but he leaves the Ghost-Shrimpies alone!

 

[mattski]

So how many cherry barbs should i be looking to add? From my reading, they apparently do fine in pairs, which i thought might allow me to add some other schooling fish. I do have some plants which seem to be doing fine, and provide cover. I'm hesitant on the cardinals because of their susceptibility to disease, so I'm now probably leaning towards Penguin tetras as schooling fish.

Shrimp do sound interesting, but i'll probably stick with fish at the moment.

 

[alexkay]

I've just had to get rid of my penguin tetra they became very nippy towards guppies I had a school of 6 they even bullied 1 of their own & I ended up with only 5. i would be careful with them, even though everyone says they are supposed to be communial fish. Alex

 

[fishman 1]

I must agree with the info on the penguin tetras.
They can be pure evil towards each other aswell as other fish.
I have also found the same problem with the columbian tetra too.

There are quite afew tetras which go as "general" community fish but they are not always as they first seem.

 

[alexkay]

Ive had problems with the black widows aswell, with the penguins & the widows they seemed to bounce of each other & got for a mass attack. They even got my siamese fighter & that was the last straw straight back to fish shop they went the whole lot of them (11 in total) I liked my siamese fighter too much to let them kill her aswell. Unsure if anyone else has had problems with both Widows & penguins together but its worth watching............. Hope all these problems with fish dont put you off.

 

[mattski]

it actually has put me off tetras for now! hehe

so what schooling fish are hardy, communal, and also suitable for around 10 Gal tank? i've read that even if you have a few cherry barbs, they won't actually school together, which is something i am interested in.

cheers