Do These Fish Sound Like They Would Be Happy Together?

kmaisch

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I am just about to get some new fish... this is what I will end up with (after taking 2 schooling fish back that i shouldnt have bought originally).

The tank size is 13 gallon (50 litres) and I have very good filtration.

6 x Neon Tetras
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2 x Guppies
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1 x Siamese Fighter
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1 x Dwarf Gourami
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1 x Bristlenose Catfish
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And maybe 1 more bottom feeder - something different, perhaps a khuli loach? Or would I be getting too many fish then?
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Thats a bit over stocking. The dwarf and the neons would be great, though. Both the kulies and the bristle need a larger tank. The fighter fish would be better off alone, and will kill the gourami. Or the gourami willl kill the fighter fish, it depeneds on which one is stronger.
 
i already have the BN Plec (have had him for a while)... so i wont get the Khuli.

So the fighter and the gourami definately won't go well together? :(
 
You would have too many fish, and they are not all compatible. The betta will not do well with the dwarf gourami or guppies (they are too bright and long-finned). The neon tetras are also iffy, though I have kept them together in the past, but the neon tetras can nip bettas, especially if they feel stressed. The Catfish will get too big for your small tank, and produce too much waste.

Try this rather, especially if you want a lot of fish for little space.

4 corydoras pygmaeus, or corydora habrosus (pygmy corydora species. They look great in a shoal)
3 small platies (two females, one male). Be prepared for fry, or you could nix the male and you'd only have fry for about 5 months or so.
6 rasbora brigitae (the most awesome little schooling fish. About 1/2-3/4 inch in size. Very small, very good, but hard to find. They are also hardy and rather long-lived. There are also other small rasbora species. Among them is the harlequin, an underated species.)

With this combination, you have fish in all levels in the tank, you have some color, and they won't kill each other.

Another possible combination
4 pygmy corydoras
1 dwarf gourami (to be added last, as they need a mature tank)
6 glowlight tetras (a very pretty and underated fish)

Or if you'd like to try a sort of all fish from one region, try this:

4 pygmy corydoras
2 trios of Endler's livebearers (2 female, 1 male. Endler's are smaller than guppies, and more unusual. You will have fry with this combination, but a joy to watch nevertheless. I have heard of people keeping all males, but I have never done this with livebearers, and have always done either a trio or added more females).

Again, you have fish in all levels of the tank. And like the previous combination, these fish have all proven, based on my experience, to be a little more hardy. The weakest fish in the group is the gourami, but if added at the end, they make awesome fish.

If your heart is set on a betta, you can try this combination, which is more unusual.

4 pygmy corydoras
2 male betta imbellis (this is a different species, take a walk on the wild side. They are less colorful, but are awesome fish)
6 of a rasbora species, should be small. They live with bettas in the paddies and waters of Thailand. I have found that they are a great fish with them and unless the bettas are complete monsters, they will leave the rasboras alone, especially the imbellis species.

Hope this helps a little bit. Keep us posted with what you decide to put. Have you cycled the tank yet? Please read the pinned articles on fishless cycling. If you choose to cycle with fish, remember to add very, very slowly, and be prepared to do at the very least weekly 25% water changes. Have tests kits available for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates to monitor the cycling process, and good luck. Feel free to ask any questions. :)
 
I'd stay away from the betta. I have 3, and even though they're supposed to be compatable with corys, they still chase and stress them out.
I think you'd be best off returning the BN, getting the dwarf, and some nice tetras and some corys.
But, if you're like me, and just cannot return a fish once you've bought it....prepair to buy a bigger tank. I don't know how long it takes for BNs to reach their full size, but I reckon' you have atleast 6 months.
Then you can upgrade, keep your BN, and be happy.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone.

What about this instead:

6 x Tetras
2 x Dwarf Gourami
1 x BN Plec (plan to upgrade to a bigger tank in a year or so)
 
That last combination sounds great :thumbs:

Another thing people forgot to mention is that guppies do not really go well with siamese fighters either due to the tail and the tendency of the betta to think its another betta.

SO....to add to what you have listed.....how about 2 male guppies (so you won't have problems with fry).....
 
yeah, i guess if i do not go the fighter then i can get the guppies as well. The extra colour will improve the tank I think.

I can always get rid of the BN plec, but i'd like to have some sort of catfish - and prefer the plec to the cory's.
 
Have you cycled the tank yet?

Yep I originally set my tank up 2 weeks before I got any fish. I then added a Peppered Cory, BN Plec and Glass Catfish (before I found this forum). I then added the tetras. I have been doing 30% water changes about every week. I only have a ph testing kit and it is always around 7ph - 7.2ph (more basic than acidic). Is it very important to check the other levels? The tap water here is quite clean ( I do treat it still of course).

Anyway, I will be taking the glass catfish back (because its a schooling fish and I dont want to get any more), and also the BN Plec back (because it seems to pic on the Cory and everyone is right - it is very messy for this tank). I will then get another Peppered Cory.

So then I will have:

6 x Testras (already established)
2 x Peppered Cory's (1 already established)
2 x Dwarf Gourami
2 x Males Guppies

Although I like the 'attitude' of the BN Plec, I think he needs a bigger tank :( The Cory's I find fairly boring - but maybe it is just at the moment because it is being picked on by the Plec. Once I get rid of the Plec the Peppered Cory might spark up a bit...

Cheers,
Kim
 
Personally i would get more than 2male guppys, if you just get the 2 the chances are that one is going to be more dominant over the other and with no middle fish between the 2, it could harrass the weaker/less domimnant male non-stop- i would get at least 3-5male guppys as the larger the group, the more the agression is spread out and the less chances of having one single male constantly picked on.
 
Personally i would get more than 2male guppys, if you just get the 2 the chances are that one is going to be more dominant over the other and with no middle fish between the 2, it could harrass the weaker/less domimnant male non-stop- i would get at least 3-5male guppys as the larger the group, the more the agression is spread out and the less chances of having one single male constantly picked on.

I would also increase the corydora size to at least four. They prefer to be in groups. That's why I recommended the pygmy corydoras. They are ideal for smaller tanks.
 
3 cory's, 3 guppies, 6 tetras, 2 dwarf gourami. Would that be too many for a 12 gallon tank?
 
3 cory's, 3 guppies, 6 tetras, 2 dwarf gourami. Would that be too many for a 12 gallon tank?

Well, it's bit overstocked... But, if you do water change every week, then the answer is no. Why not lose the 2nd gourami and get 4 corys instead? Although I really doubt that two males will kill each other, with only one gourami, you can pretty much guarantee a peaceful community tank.

BTW, in large aquariums, you can keep male bettas with guppies. I've done it many times in a 55 gallon.
 
Have you cycled the tank yet?

Yep I originally set my tank up 2 weeks before I got any fish. I then added a Peppered Cory, BN Plec and Glass Catfish (before I found this forum). I then added the tetras. I have been doing 30% water changes about every week. I only have a ph testing kit and it is always around 7ph - 7.2ph (more basic than acidic). Is it very important to check the other levels? The tap water here is quite clean ( I do treat it still of course).

Anyway, I will be taking the glass catfish back (because its a schooling fish and I dont want to get any more), and also the BN Plec back (because it seems to pic on the Cory and everyone is right - it is very messy for this tank). I will then get another Peppered Cory.

So then I will have:

6 x Testras (already established)
2 x Peppered Cory's (1 already established)
2 x Dwarf Gourami
2 x Males Guppies

Although I like the 'attitude' of the BN Plec, I think he needs a bigger tank :( The Cory's I find fairly boring - but maybe it is just at the moment because it is being picked on by the Plec. Once I get rid of the Plec the Peppered Cory might spark up a bit...

Cheers,
Kim

PH is the least of your worries, "everything else" is what is really important. you may be running into some problems pretty quick. find the pinned topics about cycling a tank...and do not add anything else to this.. a bristle nose plec makes a big enough mess for that tank by him self at this point..let alone everything else in there.
 
[post edited with updated info]

ah, thanks again for the replies people. i actually went to the fish shop yesterday morning (prior to reading these last few replies) and got 2 dwarf gourami's. I also returned the BN Plec and the Glass Catfish.

Now I just have the 6 Tetras, 2 Gourami's and 1 Cory. I will get another Cory sometime soon - and I dont think I will get any Guppies for a while - the tank looks quite nice as is.

With the 2 Gourami's though - I was told they would be happy in a pair rather than by themselves. I've noticed, however, that they seem to flare up their fins when they go near each other, and nudge towards each other (acting a little aggressive). Is this just playful male/male behavior, or are they likely to continue to fight each other? Maybe I would have been better to only get 1. Or would three be better?

I don't know if I can take 1 back as the fish shop has already taken fish back from me and I don't think they like doing it. I could get a third one though - but I'd hate to do that and find that they all pick on each other.

Heres a pic of one of the Gourami's. Very nice looking fish.

gourami.jpg


Cheers,
Kim
 

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