Cories, Cherry Barbs & Dwarf Gourami?

[daizeUK]

I just want a second opinion on a stocking plan I'm considering for the future!

90 litres, 2ft tank, pH 8.2, hard water 300mg/L CaCO3, temp 25 degC

6 sterbai cories
6 cherry barbs
1 flame (dwarf) gourami
2-3 male platies (possibly)

 

[attibones]

Seems too small for cherry barbs, in my opinion. These are very active fish. I think the corydoras and the gourami would work, though.

 

[daizeUK]

Oh drat.  I've been trying to find shoaling fish that will work in hard water, and 2ft is the biggest tank I can do.

 

[the_lock_man]

I would disagree with attibones, they aren't as nippy as zebra danios, for example. I have a shoal of them in my 100l. And I haven't killed any yet.
 
Unless you already have the sterbai, you could go with panda cories, being a little smaller, you would have room for 3/4 platies, I would say.

 

[daizeUK]

Thanks TLM.   I'm leaning towards sterbai because pandas prefer a lower temperature, I didn't think they'd go well with the gourami.

 

[TallTree01]

I disagree. Cherry barbs would be fine in 90 liters IMAO

 

[attibones]

I feel that a larger tank is necessary because of their activity levels. It's not necessarily a question of their size or if thy are nippy, but these guys are racers. It also appears to me that the males and females prefer to establish separate territories within the tank. Males get he left half and my females get the right. Perhaps mine in particular are quite feisty, but I wouldn't put them in anything shorter than a four foot tank.

 

[daizeUK]

Thanks attibones.  I happened to visit a new fish store today and they had a planted display tank (about 3 ft) with cherry barbs and cardinal tetras.  The barbs looked bigger than I expected tbh.  They were also kind of hanging around not doing very much!  I guess fish will move faster if you give them a tank big enough to do it.
 
I asked if the cherry barbs ever schooled together and the shop assistant said no they didn't, unlike the cardinals.  Maybe I'm hoping in vain for a hard water schooling fish!
 
I also checked out the dwarf gouramis in the same shop and I was surprised that they only sold them in pairs and recommended keeping them in groups.  I thought a single dwarf gourami would be okay as they tend to be aggressive amongst their own kind?

 

[the_lock_man]

I feel that a larger tank is necessary because of their activity levels. It's not necessarily a question of their size or if thy are nippy, but these guys are racers. It also appears to me that the males and females prefer to establish separate territories within the tank. Males get he left half and my females get the right. Perhaps mine in particular are quite feisty, but I wouldn't put them in anything shorter than a four foot tank.

 
Sorry, when I said nippy, I meant racy, not that they are biters, that's my error. They aren't, IME, racers in the way that zebra danios are, or WCMMs. And mine do not have separate territories, they all mix well all over the tank.
 
 

Thanks attibones.  I happened to visit a new fish store today and they had a planted display tank (about 3 ft) with cherry barbs and cardinal tetras.  The barbs looked bigger than I expected tbh.  They were also kind of hanging around not doing very much!  I guess fish will move faster if you give them a tank big enough to do it.
 
I asked if the cherry barbs ever schooled together and the shop assistant said no they didn't, unlike the cardinals.  Maybe I'm hoping in vain for a hard water schooling fish!
 
I also checked out the dwarf gouramis in the same shop and I was surprised that they only sold them in pairs and recommended keeping them in groups.  I thought a single dwarf gourami would be okay as they tend to be aggressive amongst their own kind?

 
Very few species will stay together in the tank the whole time, they will school when they feel threatened. Mine school together when my 5yo runs past pretending to be a fire engine.
 
Regarding the DGs, again, I have a single DG.

 

[daizeUK]

Haha well that's not a problem, I have two boisterous boys who will no doubt have my fish schooling upon demand! 
 
I wonder why the shops prefer to sell gourami in pairs.  I will ask them next time I visit.
I also spied red honey gourami for the first time and they look very nice too!  Are they basically the same as dwarf gourami or is there anything different I should know about them?

 

[DreamertK]

Technically honey gourami are a different subspecies from dwarf gourami, but sometimes it's confusing with some vibrant red dwarf gouramis.
 
I'm not sure if those fish would tolerate such an alkaline PH though.