Trio123

I am starting a 65 gallon tall tank. I cycled the tank with a two cory cats, dwarf gourami, gold gourami, and a pearl gourami (he is so pretty ). But unfortunately the dwarf is a bit down (dont know what's wrong with him) but I think he's gonna make it. So here is what I plan on having when Im finish stocking the tank. In the order I plan to introduce them: the three gourami's, two cory cats, African Knife, 5 Congo Tetra's, an otto cat, a snail, a clown pleco or a farlowella cat, a 1/2 black angel, and maybe a large Singapore shrimp that the African hopefully wont think is a for him . Any one have any advise? Thanks

ps the tank has two 70 Aqua Clear filters on either side and a bubbler.

swords3711

Sounds good
You might need to get some algae wafers though-cories, otos, and plecos.
THey are all algae like eaters so they will be competing for food

jack11

it is recommended not to keep angels with gouramis so maybe scrap the angel, also maybe add a few cory's because they show more personality in a group of 5+

Trio123

Cool thanks, out of curiousity do they attack eachother? Angels and gourami's that is?

jack11

I'm not really sure, just where ever you read about the two its always "with caution" or "not compatible"

Trio123

Ok thanks! I will probably just add a few cory's like your said. I was also thinking about a little school of Rasbora's (sp?) but I think thier size is a little small and they might be easy targets for the knife and the gourami's. What do you think?

Back to fighting with my bubbler's, stupid air hoses are so hard to hide! grrr

Blub

Trio123

Whoa the hatchets and knifes are flying in this thread . I am looking at an African Knife (avg. 8in) as stated earlier. I was planning on not getting the otto's if I got the rasbora's (because Im following one inch of fish per gallon rule, with some extra inches thrown in for the AK). I know alot of fish are happy in schools of 6-30, with live plants, not crammed into fish stores, not shipped across the country, and alot happier back in thier native lake/stream/puddle whatever I have had otto cats in ever community tank I've had so far and they have been fine with 1-3. That's my experience. I was just wondering if anyone had any experience with AK's and knew what they would/wouldn't usually attack. The Rasbora's are probably bite size, bad idea. The otto cats maybe too for that matter. Thanks for your advise!

Trio123

Well Hatchet maybe your are right that they really need to be in groups of 6 or more. I didnt get any otto's (or anything else yet) but one of my Cory's died . His tail fin looked like maybe it had been nipped but who knows if it was pre or post mortem and I havent seen the two gourami's take any interest in the cory's at all. All my tests (nitrite, ammonia, and pH) are good, the only other thing I could think of is contaminates as I did used fake plants from Michaels (but I rinsed them and took out the metal wire) and regular old string... I was going to put more spotted cory's in, I was waiting for the LFS I work at to get some more, I thought they would be fine till then poor Zip.

Blub

Trio123

Ya, hopefully Zap will be ok until I find some more spotted cory's. Im also gonna take that string out just incase he ate that and it killed him.

travie

I'm not sure if someone else mentioned this, but I would recommend more than one oto. Everything that I've read on them says that they are a schooling catfish. They are great algae eaters when happy and hungry.

angelfish220

I would scrape the otto and the loach and get a big school (6) of the cory cats

Trio123

think that is the plan at this point angelfish. gold gourami (if he stops attacking everybody at feeding time, fish is driving me nuts), pearl gourami, dwarf gourami, 6 cory cats, 6-8 congo tetras, and the African Knife. May still do a farlowella cat, they look so neat. Thanks for the advise.

Blub

angelfish220

When you say "gold" is this a honey or a strain of 3 spot? honey gouramis will stay pretty small but "gold" three spot will get 5-6 inches.

Trio123

yep it's a gold three spot but he just went back to the store because he was tearing up my dwarf gourami's tail and constantly chasing the pearl. I didnt know he was a semi-aggressive gourami when I bought him, they are much happier without him.

And Hatchet you realize I was just addressing angelfish220 as angelfish not saying I was going to put in an angel, right?

Blub

Trio123

Warf died But everyone else looks healthy. Trying to get a community that will work and be hardy. So pearl gourami, 6 cory cats, and the African Knife for sure right now.

Two questions: Anyone know if False Spotted Cory's (figured out they were false) and Leopard (I think) Cory's get along? Its hard to find more false spotted cory's. I plan on getting them in the next week or so. Second question, for my last fish addition I am debating between 4 Scissortailed Rasboras, 5 Congo's, or a Green Severum (seems they are more peaceful than I thought), any opinions or info?

Blub

angelfish220

Congos are gourgous but how many inches do you have left? they get pretty big and need a school

Trio123

pearl gourami (6 in.), 6 cory cats (12 in.), and the African Knife (12 in.) for sure right now. 30 inches so far. Congo get to 4 inches, a school of five would be 25 (I throw extra inches in). It is a 65 gallon tank.

angelfish220

Sound like it will be an awesome tank! I always throw in extra inches for my own tanks because I want to be sure the fish are comfortable. round here though I write the real number and they can do with it as they please.

Trio123

ah well based on average sizes the total would really be like 45 (cory's I have average 1.5 and the Knife averages 8 with two inches thrown in for width)

That would be the total with five Congo's

Blub

Trio123

the peppered cory (I had the wrong identification for him) gets to 2.6 to 2.8 inches. The total is 56 then. Thanks for the compliment angelfish220.

Blub

Trio123

US inches

angelfish220

we need to use the same measuring system!! This is getting confusing.

Blub