What Fish?

[PrairieSunflower]

With my luck lately... I think before I know it I will be seeking out new fish.  I currently have 3 older female guppies, 2 female platies (having major platy issues, I have two threads about that somewhere), and 3 neons whom I expect to come down with NTD in the near future.
 
 
Once my fish are gone I plan to restock with something different... I thought I knew what I wanted but I'm not sure.  I'd like some fish suggestions that would work for my tank.
 
-My tank is 20 gallons (3 feet long not that high).
-I don't use CO2, I have it planted with two kinds of anubias (5 plants), java fern (5 plants), and moss balls (5 or 6).  I also have 2 rocks and an arched piece of bogwood.  I use dorset pea gravel.
-My inhabitants they need to get along with are assassin snails and 5 amano shrimp... I want to keep those!
 
 
I do NOT want.... guppies, mollys, platies, endlers, neon tetras.
 
Ideally, I am planning to only have between 2-6 fish depending on the species.... I'd like to have a lightly populated tank.
 
 
I really need to do a lot of reading between now and the time I end up getting new fish, whenever that is...
 
My thoughts for some time have been honey gourami... they are small, I don't have to get many and they look fascinating.  Question.. do they eat snails or shrimp?  I can't find  a definite answer on that online.  Also, I was thinking an all female group of maybe 2-3... but can't see online mention of how that works... just advice not to get all males or to have a male and multiple females.
 
Then I was in the fish shop and saw Dwarf gourami live for the first time ever and they are rather stunning!  I know very little about them... I read that they can be more aggressive to tank mates and while I don't plan on having tank mates other than snails and shrimps.... I would somewhat like the possibility to exist anyway.  And... I got the impression that they may also eat shrimp... which wouldn't be good.
 
I also like killifish but there seem to be so many sorts that I don't know where to start reading.  They'd also need to be a variety available in the UK.
 
Panda cories are so freaking adorable... but I think I remember reading somewhere that they need to have a sand bottom... I hate sand and don't plan on changing that.
 
 
So... could you help me out with your thoughts on those or suggestions on something else please.  I'd like to focus my reading a bit.  Also... I am not sure that getting any sort of tetra would be a good idea seeing as my tank has suffered with my neons and NTD... I don't know how long that would hang around and am afraid that if I got any other tetra that they'd catch NTD from my tank.

 

[the_lock_man]

Honey Gourami and a shoal of CPDs

 

[DrRob]

Chocolate gouramis, lovely fish. With some otos.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

One of the guys at Maidenhead (the only one that seems to give good advice) told me the water in our area isn't good for otos and even they can't keep them alive for more than a couple of months.
 
I've never seen chocolate gourami, I will need to google those.

I had forgotten about celestial pearl danios, that is a good idea.

 

[DerpPH]

One of the guys at Maidenhead (the only one that seems to give good advice) told me the water in our area isn't good for otos and even they can't keep them alive for more than a couple of months.
 
I've never seen chocolate gourami, I will need to google those.

I had forgotten about celestial pearl danios, that is a good idea.

 
 
Choco gourami will need a very acidic pH.
 
 
CPDs are a good idea, if it is a species only tank.
 
try rocket killies or some larger killies.
 
or maybe apistos

 

[PrairieSunflower]

My tank pH is 7.4.

 

[the_lock_man]

Apistos might work, but you would only want a pair - I'm assuming your tank is 20 Imperial Gallons, rather than US?

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Um... I'm not sure what kind of gallons... I used a website to calculate the volume... it actually comes to 24.3 gallons but I round it down due to having things in there.  I shall check the website I used and see if it specifies what kind of gallon.

Ok.... 22.4 gallons (got that slightly wrong before)... and I don't know what kind of gallons but it is equivalent to 85 litres.

Ok... I went to the online conversion website and it says that would be US gallons

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I am still thinking about honey gourami.  I only read about ratios of male to female and not once read a suggestion of maybe an all female tank... would that work?
 
But really like the suggestion of celestial pearl danios now... equally.  I've been reading and I seem to be finding contradictory information on them.  I've found no mention of them eating shrimp or snails so that is good.  But talk on the aggression is a bit confusing.  Half the places I've been reading don't mention it at all... then the other half says that males can be very aggressive to each other and that they will do anything from harass each other to death until one is left, or be constantly in tatters from fighting.  Is this true?  Also, if so... what sort of ratio is good?  Maybe 1 male and how many females?  And what about breeding?  I can't seem to make heads nor tails over whether what I am reading is suggesting they breed easily or not.  I don't want to breed fish.  I want a set number and that is it (if possible).