SkyCrystal

Hey everyone! As most of you already know (and are probalby getting annoyed by), I've been working on my stocking, and I thought for SURE that I had it finalized. Lol... there's never anything definite with me. I was looking at some pictures of Rainbow fish and thought they were pretty awesome. I didn't do much research on them though... all I really know is that they get pretty big. Are there any types that stay on the small side? And are they going to work out with:

6 Cherry Barbs
6 Cories
3 Zebra Danios
3 Leopard Danios (Danios could be taken out)
3 Kuhli Loaches
1 Dwarf Gourami
1 Angelfish
1 BN Pleco
1 Killifish... not sure what type yet

I already have the Angelfish, DG, 2 of the 6 Cherry barbs, and 3 of the 6 Cories. I know that's overstocked according to the 1" per 1 gallon rule, but that's not always accurate. I also have filters that could handle up to 125 gallons. All that REALLY limits me is swimming space. A lot of the fish I've chosen stay kind of small. I'd like something that gets a little bigger besides the Angelfish and pleco. Oh, and do Rainbow fish have any particular requirements? Are they hardy?

-SkyCrystal

capekate

As far as rainbows go, they would get along with your list of fish stock.
They are pretty hardy and some can get quite large up to 5-6 inches. There are also species of rainbows that are smaller too like the threadfin that get to about two inches. There are many to choose from, color, body shape and size.
They are great community fish and get along with everyone... I've had mine with many different fish and never saw any aggression towards others. They seem to be pretty playful and love to chase each other playing tag all day long. They are aggressive eaters and will try to dominate the food supply once it hits the water, leaving little for others or those less shy and timid.
If you do some research an check out photos of the different species, Im sure you will find some that you will just have to have!

Steen16

Dwarf neon rainbows are great and stay small

SkyCrystal

Ok, cool! I'll definitely start checking out the different types of Rainbowfish. Thanks so much!

-SkyCrystal

Butters

I dunno about the killifish thing... I think they are better suited to a species only tank. But the dwarf neon rainbows are really cool! A school of 6 would look great.

Steen16

Yea dwarf neon rainbows would be a great adition but im not sure how much that woud cost you in usa, in nz it cost $22nz dollars for a pair.

GouramiGirl1221

The threadfins are great. My roomie has a couple males in our ten gallon and they're very cute. Even though they get 2", they're really skinny so they probably don't have a very large bioload.

SkyCrystal

Why's that? From what I've read, I thought one would be OK. Is there something I should know?

Would a school of 4 dwarf neon rainbows (Or if they turn out to be to expensive, then I'll substitute for Threadfins) be to small a school? I want to leave enough swimming space for all the fish, but I also want to add as many as possible.

-SkyCrystal

GouramiGirl1221

My roommate has done some pretty extensive research on the rainbows, and practically all sources say a minimum of 6 for a school.

EDIT: I'm pretty curious about the killifish too...I've only done some minor research, but I'd read that they were only aggressive between their species. I read that one killifish did really well in a peaceful community aquarium. Please correct me if I'm wrong though...like I said, I haven't done a ton of research.

Butters

Well, from what I have read, its kind of a hit miss thing like bettas in community tanks. Some work and others are just to aggresive to keep with anything. You could try it, but I would definetly have a back up plan if I were you.

SkyCrystal

Oh OK... so it's not that severe a risk. I took a risk by keeping a Dwarf Gourami and Angelfish together, and they seem fine so far. I have a back-up plan for when I get the Killifish. If things go wrong, I can just take it back to the LFS. They're wonderful about taking back fish. Thanks! And for the Rainbowfish: I think I'm going to go ahead and see if I can get 6 of either Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish, or Threadfins depending on my budget and how much they cost (And how soon Christmas comes along! ).

Thanks everybody! Once again, you've been a great help.

-SkyCrystal

Steen16

I had four dwarf neons in a 10g and they were fine, until one died(unknown causes) then they got skittish. So in my experience any where between 4-6 would be a good school.

MissMTS

I have dwarf neon rainbows and they are great little fish. I highly recommend them Just make sure that you have a 1 male to 2 female ratio at least. If you get a school of 6, get 2 males and 4 females.

I would highly advise against putting a killifish in a community tank. I just tried it with my orange australe, and it was a disaster. It killed my guppies, stressed out my dwarf gourami, and chewed off my tetra's tails. Now he is back in his 2.5 gallon tank by himself. Honestly, I think they are great in small tanks because it really shows off their great colors. They are such tiny fish, that they often get lost in a large community tank.

SkyCrystal

Oh, OK. So scratch the Killifish... don't want to take any chances. My dad really likes bigger fish, and the biggest fish in my tank right now is Ross (DG who's about 2"). Are there some other fish sort of like Killfishes that would work better? I REALLY like the way Peal Gouramis look, but I highly doubt one would work out. There might be some issues with Ross and/or June (My Angelfish who's getting very comfortable and fun to watch). I'd probably have to scratch off some other fish from the list as well. And don't they grow up to 6" or something'? Maybe I'll get 4 Neon Rainbows, and just 2 Leopard Danios to make room for another 6" fish (Not necessarily a Pearl Gourami, but that would be nice if there wasn't going to be any issues).

GouramiGirl1221

From my research the pearls only get about 4"...it could vary some though. If they're kept with overly aggressive fish, they tend to become reclusive, lose color, and not eat, so I would assume an angel wouldn't be the best tank mate (That's not personal experience...book research only). Don't I remember you saying that your LFS was good about taking fish back that don't work out in your tank though? If that's the case, you may be able to try one. I agree, they are beautiful.

MissMTS

Your angel will grow to be 6 inches. If I were you, I would forget about the danios. It really isn't fair to keep a single pair of schooling fish. You should have 4-6 at least. Depending on your pH, you could try adding a pair of German Blue Rams or Bolivian Rams. They get about 3 inches but they are gorgeous fish. They are pretty fragile though (the GBRs more than the Bolivians). They work well with angels. You could also add another angelfish and have a pair. I know you said in another post that you like variety in your tank, so you could try a different kind (color) of angel. Just some ideas

SkyCrystal

Thanks MissMTS and GouramiGirl! Maybe when I'm a little more experienced with fish I'll go for the Rams, but right now I'm trying to stay away from extremely fragile fish. My brother has Leopard and Zebra Danios in is tank, so I guess I can just enjoy his and leave them out of my tank. I like the idea of an Angel pair though... but wouldn't they get aggressive towards the other fish? Would that be safe in my tank? Maybe I'm not understanding. Did you mean a breeding pair, or just another fish of the same gender? It's hard to tell at such a small size, but I believe June the Angelfish is a girl. It all depends on the Pearl Gourami. Maybe I'll try that first (because it's more likely to fail... I think), and then if that doesn't work out, the pair of Angels. Is that a good idea?

SkyCrystal

Does anybody know the answer?