jlp3rd

i just got a 20 gal. (traditional) tank kit, and I ‘m new to the fish world. I have narrowed my selection of fish to the following: Are these good combinations for a community and or is this to many fish?

4-6 tetra (good hardy school, for these will be the first ones i put in the tank)
1 German Blue Ram
1 Dwarf Gourami
3-4 Rainbow (which species is the smallest?)
3-4 Corys or Otos (once tank is established) and which species is the smallest cory?

is this also a good combo of top, mid, and bottom feeders?

thanks for the help in advance!!

Butters

I would go with 6 tetras definatly. I would drop the dwarf gourami if I were you, I just had mine die for no apparent reason, most likely that irodvirus thing, I would just stick with the blue ram. You could probably get 4 otos, and either 4 cories OR 4 rainbows. You could either get celebes, threadfin, or neon rainbows because those stay pretty small.

agabr123

i'd go with

9 tetras
2 german blue rams (1 male 1 female)
5 otos OR 6 cories

even though the tetras generally get to be closer to 2 inches, they really only have about 1 inch of bio load so with all of these fish you'd be pretty fully stocked IMO

to answer your cory question, pygmy cories are the smallest at around 1-1.5 inches in length

for the tetras, personally i really like the rummynose but you could also go with neons, cardinals, glolight, black skirt, white skirt, or lemon. however, if you want something a bit hardier i'd go with zebra danios, very similar to tetras in that they still need a 6 fish school and don't get longer than 2 inches.

jlp3rd

if I went with 6 tetra or dwarf neon rainbows couldn't i get the dwarf gourami in (up to 2 in adult)?

is their any reason why you omitted the rainbows all together? Are these top or mid dwellers, and are they an active fish?

one of my main goals is to have a good harmonious combo of top, mid, and bottom dwellers that are active, colorful(blues,yellows,reds,etc) and fun to look at

sorry guess im sounding a little picky huh =)

thanks again for your help....

Barbrella

Rainbows, even the Dwarf Neon variety, are extremely active and need quite roomy tanks.

Also, their constant flying around is disturbing to many slower or shy fish, like Dwarf Gouramis.
There are smaller Rainbows, like Pseudomugils, but IMO the only one suitable for a community tank is the Furcatus.

6 Tetras and a Dwarf Gourami would be a good start. Cherry barbs are another good choice for a peaceful and lively tank.

I would not combine cichlids with DGs. If you want a Ram, get that instead of the DG.

agabr123

i ommitted them because you would be overstocked, if you wanted to go with the rainbows then you could, but IMO you would need to choose between those and the tetras.

barbrella has you covered on the rest

jlp3rd

thank you again ladies for following up...

ok so if i go with 6 or so Furcatus (Forktail) rainbows, 2 GBR's, and 4-5 cories i should be good to go correct. if so what type of cories do you recommend?

agabr123

sounds good to me

with the cories you can do pretty much any type except for the bronchis (they get up to 3.5 inches). if you went with pygmy cories (only 1 inch) you could easily fit 6-7. for the rest, they get up to 2.5 so you'd be okay with 4-5. my personal favorite are the panda cories, but it really depends on which you like the best

jlp3rd

cool!

And if i happen to have trouble finding the rainbows ill substitute them for the tetras...and if i have to go that route which tetra would you recommend?

agabr123

it depends on what you like really, personally i like celestial pearl danios, harlequin rasboras, lemon tetras, and rummynose tetras. neon and cardinal tetras would be great, but the neons can be more sensitive than the others.

jlp3rd

yea i like the lemons myself, so ill go with those if i have to. those celestial pearl danios are nice looking as well...!! =)

agabr123

lol, yeah there are SO many to choose from

jlp3rd

yes it has turned into a little challenge =)

me being a graphic designer does not help either. we are visual person(right side brained) so if it does not look good and i have to look at it everyday it will drive me crazy... =P

genie

Just an FYI.... German Rams are very sensitive to water parameters. I don't recommend them for beginning fish keeper. In my experience they are also shy fish, so anything zooming around the tank will startle them.

jlp3rd

yea it looks like they will be hard to find in my area anyway so I may have to move to 2 dwarf gourmai's.

what do you recommend for a good mid dweller if I stay with the 8 folktail rainbows or 8 lemon tetra, and the cories?

agabr123

i probably wouldn't put two DGs in your tank, just one. changes are your LFS won't carry females (they aren't nearly as pretty as the males) and you'll end up with two males in a 29 which is definitely asking for trouble. a member here had one of her DGs kill the other in a 55 gallon tank!

bolivian rams are more hardy than the german blues if you can find a pair, otherwise i would go with one pearl gourami or one DG.

jlp3rd

I found the GBR'S- trying to see if my local LFS will order some BR'S for me... what is the main difference between these two besides one being more hardy then the other, and coloring.

are folktail rainbows or celestial pearl danios usually hard to find? havent ask my LFS yet...

agabr123

the bolivians are a bit larger than the german blues, but otherwise they're pretty similar

i've never seen the celestial pearls at my LFS, but there aren't that many good lfs near me you may have more luck depending on where you live, and you can also ask your store if you can pay for them beforehand and have them ordered for you so you dont have to pay shipping

jlp3rd

good advice on the paying before hand...thanks!! yea i have a pretty good one by me. large selection of fresh and salt exotics and common varieties. I really lucked out.

How much larger do they get? Will two be to many if i have 6-8 tetra or celestial pearls or sunset fire platys or forktail rainbow =P and 4-5 julii cories(once tank gets a little more established)....its for a standard 20 gallon

agabr123

no problem

umm, the two bolivians might be a little too large if you plan to have all those other fish, they get to about 4 inches. if you can i'd go with the german blues at only 2-2.5 inches, but IMO the bolivians wouldn't necessarily be problematic, i just prefer to understock rather than overstock

jlp3rd

I think I'll try my luck with the GBR'S. just like that blue to much-and like you I don't want to over stock the tank by to much!!! hopefully they work out...wouldn't mind trying to breed those lil guys eventually...

agabr123

lol, they they're gorgeous fish!