Shoaling Species

[hensonc4098]

I've always assumed pristellas/xrays to be a bit nippy - is that wrong? Also, what sort of area do they swim in?

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

X-Rays are very adaptable fish, one of a few South American tetra species that will do well even in hard alkaline water. I'm not aware of them being nippy at all, but I have not kept them (although ironically they were considered when I was getting my first tank ready, without having read how they would have been ok in our "liquid rock). They are associated with the lower tank levels, but these levels we think of for fish come much more into play in deeper tanks, I've seen them in shops roaming everywhere except the very water surface.

Red Eye Tetras are another SA possibility, although I'm not sure if <3-foot would cramp their style, there are fish I think of as being far more active than X-Rays or Penguins (that almost swim in an elongated stairway motion [dart horizontally then drop down a little]).

 

[hensonc4098]

Interesting. I've always compared them in body shape appearance to the likes of serpaes and therefore assumed they would nip. I may look into a small shoal of either them or rummies.
We have red eyes in one of the other tanks and they just sit in the same place constantly...

 

[SamLovesCorys]

Rummynoses are awesome, very active and tight shoaling

 

[FishBlast]

I've voted for the galaxy rasboras and sparklings because that's what I'm also planning on getting for my 150L tank.

 

[Ruskull]

Interesting. I've always compared them in body shape appearance to the likes of serpaes and therefore assumed they would nip. I may look into a small shoal of either them or rummies.
We have red eyes in one of the other tanks and they just sit in the same place constantly...

I always thought the X-Rays have the same overall body shape as my Lemon Tetras, who are sometimes fun to watch playing football with the bottom feeder pellets........they aren't nippy to any fish in the tank but they did start to bully a lone Albino Cory I have in the tank temporarily. They didn't nip at him but they did steal his food!

 

[james_fish]

From personal experience one of the genuinely best shoaling fish would be the Buenos Aires Tetra's. Absolutely brilliant, well worth researching.

James.

 

[MBOU]

Trouble is the Buenos Aires will get too big like the congo tetras. Other than that, they are lovely fish.

As for Xrays being nippy, body shape has nothing to do with their personality so doesnt matter if they are similar shape to the vicious serpaes. Xrays are generally not nippy, they certainly arent aggressive. I'd possibly advise people not to keep them in a small tank with guppies but 180L or whatever it was and planted would be ideal for them. Lemons are a little more nippy but not *too* bad and serpaes are just horrible.

I would assume they would shoal near the bottom to middle of the tank, similar area to the Cherry Barbs. Id just be careful about having too many different species of shoaling fish. Less species and higher numbers = happier and well balanced tank.

I like things like a pair of honey gouramis and a pair/trio of apistogrammas rather than another shoal of tetras because i like the aspect of looking at a tank and seeing different species behaving differently.... tetras are all very much alike.

 

[Ruskull]

My Lemon Tetras aren't aggressive at all. If anything the Von Rio Flame Tetras chase them sometimes, albeit rarely. My father has Serpaes, also known as Red Minor Tetras and his aren't aggresive at all either. If anything his Black Skirts rule over his Serpaes so go figure. I still wouldn't add any Serpaes or Tiger Barbs to a tank where you're concerned about nipping becoming a problem. That's just my opinion based on my personal experience with these fish mentioned. Always remeber that fish personalities vary to some degree in any species.

 

[hensonc4098]

I'll just stick with the plan I said in an earlier post then for now with the cherry barbs, thread fins, sparkling gouramis and emperors. Then I'll see how everything's sitting and maybe up the shoals slightly, or I may contemplate adding a couple of badis. From what I've read so far they are very peaceful and they're not even regarded as dwarf cichlids. They're apparently more closely related to beta species...

 

[hensonc4098]

Also, would all of these species be ok with a fair amount of flow? I'm planning on sticking a tetratec ex1200 in there. I'm guessing the tetras will be pretty happy, but the gouramis?

 

[Ruskull]

Most Gourami species prefer less flow as they are from stagnant water in the wild which has little or no flow at all. I have a huge amount of flow & I control it with a flow regulator and spray bar.

 

[hensonc4098]

I'll see how things turn out. As yet, the guy I was supposed to be getting the tank off of has suddenly gone quiet and not replied to texts or emails in the last 3 or 4 days... Seems a bit suspicious. I've started looking again on gumtree for a similar tank as I think this one could well fall through.

 

[hensonc4098]

Got the tank at long last and was in having a look in MA for the first time today - their CPDs are so much cheaper that I'm reconsidering them! Also I fell in love with the cardinals there, so the cherries may be replaced... Shame on me I know, but they're loooovely.

They also had a massive selection of dwarf cichlids in which was cool It's quite a new branch in coatbridge, dunno if anyone else has been to it?

 

[panda_cory]

Definatly get the sparkling gouramis I hope to get some soon!