Midground/foreground plant suggestions

This is my 80-100l planted aquarium. I initially wanted it to have a Dutch look but I am happy with the heavily planted look it has now. Its been 2 months since I setup this tank and I am still confused about what to have as a mid/ front ground plant. I initially wanted to have a carpet of pogostemon helferI but the plant is difficult to come by. I am open to any suggestions which can get me a very dense look.
The tank recently had a green water outbreak and is recovering right now so the pic might be a bit hazy.

 

Crypts. They’ll melt, but they’ll come back. You could also do a carpet of dwarf sag. I like that look as well.

 

I already have crypts on the right side. They are coming back rn. I have dwarf sag in other tank and I don't really like them much. They grow too fast for me and I have lost a lot of good plants because of the sag overtaking and overgrowing the tank.

 

If you want that dense, heavily planted look; ranunculus inundatus, hydrocotyle triparta, or staurogen repens. They all can get very dense. All three would actually look pretty good with the ranunculus as a back edge, H. Triparta as a rolled shrub wall, and staurogen in front of that.

 

If you want that dense, heavily planted look; ranunculus inundatus, hydrocotyle triparta, or staurogen repens. They all can get very dense. All three would actually look pretty good with the ranunculus as a back edge, H. Triparta as a rolled shrub wall, and staurogen in front of that.

That actually sounds nice. About the ranunculus, how big does it get? Does it become tall or leggy?

Also does anybody have any experience with hygrophila araguaia? I would like to know how it grows as a mid- ground plant.

 

Some Staurogyne Repens would look great in the foreground. I added some to my tank a couple weeks back or so and am considering adding more for additional coverage. You could probably place some close to your mid-ground plants to sort of "frame" them nicely. The choice is yours however. You could also maybe get a red tiger lotus plant. They produce beautiful red lilypad leaves. Interestingly enough, on mine, the leaves were growing quickly but stayed relatively small. I left my tank lights off for a couple days over the past Thanksgiving holiday and the leaves doubled in size when I got back. I have since moved it to the middle-center of my tank to be a showpiece. They tend to grow taller with less light but stay lower if lighting is bright enough. They can also be trimmed if they get too big.

 

That actually sounds nice. About the ranunculus, how big does it get? Does it become tall or leggy?

Might get to around 5" height in a low light setting. 2-3" height in high light


I have found that H. araguaia needs higher light for good color and to stay close to the substrate. It can certainly grow lower light it just tends to turn more green and get very leggy.

 

Some Staurogyne Repens would look great in the foreground. I added some to my tank a couple weeks back or so and am considering adding more for additional coverage. You could probably place some close to your mid-ground plants to sort of "frame" them nicely. The choice is yours however. You could also maybe get a red tiger lotus plant. They produce beautiful red lilypad leaves. Interestingly enough, on mine, the leaves were growing quickly but stayed relatively small. I left my tank lights off for a couple days over the past Thanksgiving holiday and the leaves doubled in size when I got back. I have since moved it to the middle-center of my tank to be a showpiece. They tend to grow taller with less light but stay lower if lighting is bright enough. They can also be trimmed if they get too big.

I have tiger lotus in other tank and it has gotten tall so I was really thinking about an alternative. But if they stay small in High light I can work with it since my light is placed at the front of the tank where there are no plants rn. I have had a very bad experience with s. repens before. I do have s. repens Porto velho in my other tank and it is growing extremely well so I might give the usual s. Repens another go.

Might get to around 5" height in a low light setting. 2-3" height in high light
View attachment 640678
I have found that H. araguaia needs higher light for good color and to stay close to the substrate. It can certainly grow lower light it just tends to turn more green and get very leggy.

I have total of 5 planted aquarium and I tend not to repeat the plants in 2 tanks. The only new carpeting plants I am yet to give a go are the two you mentioned. I will still give them a try and see if it works for me. If you know about any other unique plants please let me know as well.

Btw. Does anybody have any experience with hygrophila balsamica as mid-front ground plant? I have seen the pictures and it kind of gives a pogostemon helferI vibe. Will it work as a substitute? Also will rotala macrandra minI work as a mid ground?

I haven't dosed the tank in a while cause of the green water issue. And the water is still pretty green. But I do have medium-High light specially at the front of the tank and co2 as well. The plants look beat up rn cause if the lack of light and dosing but I will be resuming dosing once the tank gets a bit clearer so I am open to experiments.

 

I have tiger lotus in other tank and it has gotten tall so I was really thinking about an alternative. But if they stay small in High light I can work with it since my light is placed at the front of the tank where there are no plants rn. I have had a very bad experience with s. repens before. I do have s. repens Porto velho in my other tank and it is growing extremely well so I might give the usual s. Repens another go.



I have total of 5 planted aquarium and I tend not to repeat the plants in 2 tanks. The only new carpeting plants I am yet to give a go are the two you mentioned. I will still give them a try and see if it works for me. If you know about any other unique plants please let me know as well.

Btw. Does anybody have any experience with hygrophila balsamica as mid-front ground plant? I have seen the pictures and it kind of gives a pogostemon helferI vibe. Will it work as a substitute? Also will rotala macrandra minI work as a mid ground?

I haven't dosed the tank in a while cause of the green water issue. And the water is still pretty green. But I do have medium-High light specially at the front of the tank and co2 as well. The plants look beat up rn cause if the lack of light and dosing but I will be resuming dosing once the tank gets a bit clearer so I am open to experiments.

I was curious about H. balsamica as well but got scared out of it after reading about its emersed growth releasing toxins into the water that kill fish. Seems like transition could be difficult if it comes with emersed growth. H. Odora is very similar but with thicker foliage if you want to check that out. Another option that's a bit more common but still very nice would be H. pinnatifida. Gets good color and can be convinced to stay short in higher light and frequent trimming.
Have you played with any of the more uncommon crypts for carpets? I'm sure you've tried or considered parva but there's also hobbit, and axelrodi.
Macrandra minI should work great for modground and will love high light and CO2. You'll have to stay on your ferts though, no skipping with that plant.
One thing I do know very well is unique plants (always on my mind) you tell me specifics of what you are looking for with them and I can start listing options.

 

What about different Anubias species? you could attach a singular rhizome to a rock or piece of driftwood. Or you can take several rhizomes and attach to the same thing for a more bushy look. You could even just let the rhizome stay above the substrate. Just don't bury the rhizome. I did just that with my Anubias nanas and it looks beautiful all bunched up. You could have a bushy Anubias carpet. They don't require high light and there's so many varieties to choose from. Really easy to care for too.

 

I do have pinnatifida on the mid center of the tank.(I am sorry for the unclear pic) Since I got the emersed grown they were pretty tall and are still transitioning. The cutting I put in other tanks however are growing pretty short with orange underleaf. So I am worried about the pinnatifida getting shorter when I get the dosing in order. Should I just move them in the front?
Thanks for the balsamica tip. I had no idea and I do not wana risk any of my fishes. I will try the other two options if I can find them somewhere. My lfs usually has plants that are more popular and easy. So getting high tech plants are pretty rare but they do sometime get something like that. Getting most of these rare plants online is also a task where I live so I have to grab the opportunity whenever I have one. I may get them in tissue culture but most of my tissue culture plants fail miserably. Is there a trick to keep them alive??
As far as the plant type goes, I am not looking for anything that looks like grass. Plants with unique leaf structure and different colours are always welcome. I do want to have a dense vegetation so something that will give that look as well. The plants that stay relatively small or medium and do not block my stem plants at the back
Do other types of pogostemon like stellatus and all can be converted to mid- front??
This is my current plant list in the tank
Rotala rotundifolia with pink top
alternanthera reineckii
Rotala walichi
Ludwigia inclinata var Cuba
Ambulia as background
Pinnatifida, ludwigia palustris in mid center
Crypt wenditI green and brown and Monte Carlo on the front right.
Lobelia cardinalis on left front side.
I did have a crypt flamingo but it was a tissue culture and it slowly died when the green water took over.
My first choice would always be pogostemon helferI but it is too difficult and expensive to find. So something that looks like it would be a priority.

What about different Anubias species? you could attach a singular rhizome to a rock or piece of driftwood. Or you can take several rhizomes and attach to the same thing for a more bushy look. You could even just let the rhizome stay above the substrate. Just don't bury the rhizome. I did just that with my Anubias nanas and it looks beautiful all bunched up. You could have a bushy Anubias carpet. They don't require high light and there's so many varieties to choose from. Really easy to care for too.

I already have anubias in other tanks. I was thinking about buce. But since I am not planning to put any hardscape I wasn't sure how to go about it. I do need it to have a bushy look so I am not sure how to attach it to something. Also is there any other way to attach these plants to rocks or wood? Cause the glue burned a lot of the roots off my anubias plant before.

 

Your pinnatifida will want to stay shorter naturally in the higher light but will ultimately still get tall if you don't trim it too often. Just change where you trim; instead of the tops, trim the runners to encourage upward growth.
I wish I had some recommendations for you as far as good websites but I wouldn't even know how to look in India.
Its unusual that tissue cultures are not doing well for you. I can't say that I have ever had an issue with them... maybe it has to do with the shipping method or distance?
I will have to put on my thinking cap for a plant that's similar to downoi, its foliage is definitely unique. Is it the ruffles or the small archs that draws you to it?
Very nice plant list, I can see why you wouldn't want to cover up the stems.
For rhizome plants like anubias you can use thread to tie them off instead of glue, or just wedge them in. Alternatively, in spite of what people think, you can actually, "plant" them. You push the roots under and wiggle it up a little bit until the rhizome is above the substrate and they will still grow.
While I think about more mid to foreground alternatives to downoi, I would say that you are missing out on a lot of amazing crypts if you consider wendtiI as having tried them (it's a nice plant, but there are crypts for every position of the tank with all kinds of crazy foliage)

Sorry for the rushed response, wrapping things up at work.

I have attached some pictures of H. Pinnatifida grown in various manners to give you an idea of where it may be headed for you.

 

I already have anubias in other tanks. I was thinking about buce. But since I am not planning to put any hardscape I wasn't sure how to go about it. I do need it to have a bushy look so I am not sure how to attach it to something. Also is there any other way to attach these plants to rocks or wood? Cause the glue burned a lot of the roots off my anubias plant before.

You can use some thread and just tie the rhizome to a rock or piece of driftwood. Just don't tie it so tight as to damage the roots/rhizome. Otherwise, it's a viable option. I know there's some superglue out there that's supposed to be safe for aquariums. You could try Seachem Flourish glue. They state that it can be used underwater also. It looks like buce plants are also rhizome-based so you should be able to apply the same technique(s) to them as well. If you don't wish to do that either, you could simply add a weight to the rhizome in the form of a rock. Just gently put it over the rhizome/roots and wait for the roots to take hold of whatever rock or wood surface you're trying to attach it to. Additionally, if you have any holes or crevices in driftwood, you could tuck the roots/rhizome into it and wait for it to take hold that way too.

 

Your pinnatifida will want to stay shorter naturally in the higher light but will ultimately still get tall if you don't trim it too often. Just change where you trim; instead of the tops, trim the runners to encourage upward growth.
I wish I had some recommendations for you as far as good websites but I wouldn't even know how to look in India.
Its unusual that tissue cultures are not doing well for you. I can't say that I have ever had an issue with them... maybe it has to do with the shipping method or distance?
I will have to put on my thinking cap for a plant that's similar to downoi, its foliage is definitely unique. Is it the ruffles or the small archs that draws you to it?
Very nice plant list, I can see why you wouldn't want to cover up the stems.
For rhizome plants like anubias you can use thread to tie them off instead of glue, or just wedge them in. Alternatively, in spite of what people think, you can actually, "plant" them. You push the roots under and wiggle it up a little bit until the rhizome is above the substrate and they will still grow.
While I think about more mid to foreground alternatives to downoi, I would say that you are missing out on a lot of amazing crypts if you consider wendtiI as having tried them (it's a nice plant, but there are crypts for every position of the tank with all kinds of crazy foliage)

Sorry for the rushed response, wrapping things up at work.

I have attached some pictures of H. Pinnatifida grown in various manners to give you an idea of where it may be headed for you.View attachment 640715View attachment 640717View attachment 640716

Ohh, definitely the ruffles on downoi!!;
I love crypts but most of the other crypts are available in tc and I have already had bad experience with the crypt flamingo. I would still give them another go for difficult plants like downoi but they are simply rare to come by. I was considering parva for carpet but I read that it grows extremely slow and will take over a year to form proper carpet? Nevertheless, if you do know some crypts that will work as mid or front and will not block the view, please do share.
That is a huge bunch of pinnatifida you have there. They look really pretty.I am quite surprised to see pinnatifida growing soo tall even in a high light setup. I hope mine does the same. I would hate to move it now.

I am not really planning to use Rocks or driftwood in the setup but I would plant them directly in the soil . I have planted my anubias glabra in the soil and it is doing really well.
I have lowkey decided to have buce in the tank instead of anubias. But can I really plant it in the soil like I did with the anubias??

 

I am not really planning to use Rocks or driftwood in the setup but I would plant them directly in the soil . I have planted my anubias glabra in the soil and it is doing really well.
I have lowkey decided to have buce in the tank instead of anubias. But can I really plant it in the soil like I did with the anubias??

You definitely can, but it's much harder due to how small the rhizome is. That rhizome must stay above the substrate. Actually, that was one of the ideas I thought might suit your need for a ruffled plant. You could take some plastic or stainless steel mesh and attach a few of the larger ruffle leaved buces to it. Something like Titan, Godzilla, or one of the larger Catherinae.
Outside of that, I'm having a hard time finding anything anywhere near the look of downoi that stays small.
Tonina sp. Belem could probably be trained to stay small and looks nice but is not ruffled.
Cryptocoryne axelrodI stays pretty small and looks nice.
Cryptocoryne nuriI looks amazing but again, no ruffles.
Most of the ruffled leaved crypts get long leaves.
All of the Aponogetons and crinums get waaaaay too large.
Based on your other stems I feel like you'd really like Proserpinaca palustris. But its more a mid ground plant than foreground.
I wonder if there are some pogostemons that I don't know about that would work?
Lindernia and true rotala indica (Ammania sp. Bonsai) make for some nice border plants.

 

You definitely can, but it's much harder due to how small the rhizome is. That rhizome must stay above the substrate. Actually, that was one of the ideas I thought might suit your need for a ruffled plant. You could take some plastic or stainless steel mesh and attach a few of the larger ruffle leaved buces to it. Something like Titan, Godzilla, or one of the larger Catherinae.
Outside of that, I'm having a hard time finding anything anywhere near the look of downoi that stays small.
Tonina sp. Belem could probably be trained to stay small and looks nice but is not ruffled.
Cryptocoryne axelrodI stays pretty small and looks nice.
Cryptocoryne nuriI looks amazing but again, no ruffles.
Most of the ruffled leaved crypts get long leaves.
All of the Aponogetons and crinums get waaaaay too large.
Based on your other stems I feel like you'd really like Proserpinaca palustris. But its more a mid ground plant than foreground.
I wonder if there are some pogostemons that I don't know about that would work?
Lindernia and true rotala indica (Ammania sp. Bonsai) make for some nice border plants.

I really liked the look of Godzilla. I may give it a go. The balem sounds like a nice addition for a mid corner. I will have to search for all the crypt u listed though. Maybe a bit difficult to find here

 

I really liked the look of Godzilla. I may give it a go. The balem sounds like a nice addition for a mid corner. I will have to search for all the crypt u listed though. Maybe a bit difficult to find here

Crazy that the crypts are harder to find than here; they don't have nearly as far to travel! I mean, the original specimens had to travel literally to the other side of the world to get to the U.S, but you are basically right next door to many of their native waters.

 

The native species are the hardest to find in aquarium shops here. Most of the shops stock easy, fast growing plants that are also cheap. People don't believe in spending a lot in this hobby as well. There are very few people who are actually good at planted tanks or this hobby in general and are able to keep the fishes alive and provide a decent environment for them. Most just want something easy and painless and they just give up as soon as it demands a bit more attention. I have never seen the High demanding plants that are suppose to be native to India in stores. Same goes for fishes. The concept of quarantine or acclimation is non existent in the shops. The fishes are stored and shipped in poor quality and most die pretty soon as a result of it.
In my personal experience, I had to wait for 2 years to get stone catfish that is native to India. I saw scarlet badis for the first time in my life in a shop just few days ago. And as far as pea puffers go, I was told that they are impossible to come by. I guess it's mainly because the better price they get in the international market.
But then again, I live in a city and even though the plants and fishes are tagged as native, they are found on the other side of the country. So that could be a reason as well.

Search - Fins N Flora
This is the only site I trust when I buy plants online and these are the only crypts they have available rn. It is still better than my lfs that only gets wenditI once in a while. Do you see any plants that may work?

 

The native species are the hardest to find in aquarium shops here. Most of the shops stock easy, fast growing plants that are also cheap. People don't believe in spending a lot in this hobby as well. There are very few people who are actually good at planted tanks or this hobby in general and are able to keep the fishes alive and provide a decent environment for them. Most just want something easy and painless and they just give up as soon as it demands a bit more attention. I have never seen the High demanding plants that are suppose to be native to India in stores. Same goes for fishes. The concept of quarantine or acclimation is non existent in the shops. The fishes are stored and shipped in poor quality and most die pretty soon as a result of it.
In my personal experience, I had to wait for 2 years to get stone catfish that is native to India. I saw scarlet badis for the first time in my life in a shop just few days ago. And as far as pea puffers go, I was told that they are impossible to come by. I guess it's mainly because the better price they get in the international market.
But then again, I live in a city and even though the plants and fishes are tagged as native, they are found on the other side of the country. So that could be a reason as well.

Search - Fins N Flora
This is the only site I trust when I buy plants online and these are the only crypts they have available rn. It is still better than my lfs that only gets wenditI once in a while. Do you see any plants that may work?

I'll take a look at that site on my lunch break.
Too bad about fish keeping culture there but maybe there will be a revolution in it eventually. I wouldn't say that the hobby is huge here but I would venture a guess that it is quite a bit more popular than in the past. (Or at least the knowledge has improved)
There are quite a number of plants native to the U.S available for us but very few native fish. Not much appreciation for our native shiners, darters, and pygmy sunfish. Though it is not unheard of to find them.
For us, at least in my area, the cities are the places that have more shops. I have to drive an hour or 2 for the really good shops. I would say that my town is not by any means the most rural but compared to what little I know about Mumbai; it is extremely rural.
The hour or 2 thing might be an exaggeration I guess. I tend to be very picky and do most of my shopping online. We have some exceptional websites available here.

 

Well there are like 4 shops near me but they rarely have nano fishes. Most just stock sharks, goldfish, livebearers, gouramis, barbs, angels etc. Buying fish online isn't an option here since the shipping companies do not handle the package well.
I have to drive 20 mins to get to a 5-story shop where they have a floor dedicated to planted fishes. But since it's the only premium shop in area they get sold out in a few days after stocking. So it's like I have to grab the chance when I have one. I can get things delivered from another premium shop on the other side of the city but it gets expensive comparative. But I must say, most aquarium fishes and plants are a lot cheaper here. I am seeing Agassiz's corydoras in the shop from last 3-4 months just cause they are priced Rs. 750/ pair. ($10 ish). I can get about 2 dozen kulhis or 18 rasboras, bronz, peppered cories or a dozen panda Cories for the same. So even if they manage to sell fishes online here, they have to keep the costs reasonable.

 

Well there are like 4 shops near me but they rarely have nano fishes. Most just stock sharks, goldfish, livebearers, gouramis, barbs, angels etc. Buying fish online isn't an option here since the shipping companies do not handle the package well.
I have to drive 20 mins to get to a 5-story shop where they have a floor dedicated to planted fishes. But since it's the only premium shop in area they get sold out in a few days after stocking. So it's like I have to grab the chance when I have one. I can get things delivered from another premium shop on the other side of the city but it gets expensive comparative. But I must say, most aquarium fishes and plants are a lot cheaper here. I am seeing Agassiz's corydoras in the shop from last 3-4 months just cause they are priced Rs. 750/ pair. ($10 ish). I can get about 2 dozen kulhis or 18 rasboras, bronz, peppered cories or a dozen panda Cories for the same. So even if they manage to sell fishes online here, they have to keep the costs reasonable.

Wow, the fish prices seem pretty amazing. I want to build up a school of 20-30 danio choprea and it looks like it is going to cost me $5 a fish. Not a cheap stocking by any means.
Based on that website's options, I'd say the A.R. minI is your best bet but it's probably not as unique as you were hoping for and its certainly nothing like downoi. The cardamine lyrata interests me. Could look very nice as a sort of green wave along the substrate if frequently trimmed (very frequently). I have no experience with it though.

 

Wow, the fish prices seem pretty amazing. I want to build up a school of 20-30 danio choprea and it looks like it is going to cost me $5 a fish. Not a cheap stocking by any means.
Based on that website's options, I'd say the A.R. minI is your best bet but it's probably not as unique as you were hoping for and its certainly nothing like downoi. The cardamine lyrata interests me. Could look very nice as a sort of green wave along the substrate if frequently trimmed (very frequently). I have no experience with it though.

I already have a row of ar+ar minI in the tank . I have lyrata in other tank and I find it difficult to grow. I don't particularly like that plant. I was thinking about nymphonoid sp. taiwan at the back but I guess it's too late now.
Do you happen to have any experience with scarlet badis?

 

I'm afraid I do not have any experience with scarlett badis other than watching videos of them and wishing I could have another tank so that I could give them a try. Another one you could check out that I think would be similar in shape and care would be Elassoma Gilberti
The taiwan lotus is very pretty and has a very vibrant shade of green to it but I got frustrated with it. It grows too fast and gets far to big. Lots and lots of trimming. Ended up giving it to a friend of mine that owns a turtle (it did not last long in there).
If you can find them, I'm still thinking you'd like the hydrocotyle triparta and the ranunculus Inundatus. Especially the ranunculus.

 

That actually sounds nice. About the ranunculus, how big does it get? Does it become tall or leggy?

Also does anybody have any experience with hygrophila araguaia? I would like to know how it grows as a mid- ground plant.

Agree about araguaia, it's a bit harder and needs to adjust to submerged growth (if you buy it at petsmart) so that takes a bit as well for the plant to adjust. But I want to grow it in my 120g.

But for other stem plants as carpets, I use hygro polysperma or rotundifolia or stargrass.

 

The taiwan lotus is very pretty and has a very vibrant shade of green to it but I got frustrated with it. It grows too fast and gets far to big. Lots and lots of trimming.

Just to say, I have this in a slow growing tank (don't know why!) and a fun fact about this plant is that it makes new plants just by floating a single leaf! I accidentally broke off a leaf, but instead of removing it, I left it float and a week later I had roots growing off it! I couldn't believe it. Then I searched about the plant, and yes, that's how you propagate! I will be replanting it elsewhere once it gets enough length to the roots.

 

I'm afraid I do not have any experience with scarlett badis other than watching videos of them and wishing I could have another tank so that I could give them a try. Another one you could check out that I think would be similar in shape and care would be Elassoma Gilberti
The taiwan lotus is very pretty and has a very vibrant shade of green to it but I got frustrated with it. It grows too fast and gets far to big. Lots and lots of trimming. Ended up giving it to a friend of mine that owns a turtle (it did not last long in there).
If you can find them, I'm still thinking you'd like the hydrocotyle triparta and the ranunculus Inundatus. Especially the ranunculus.

I do have tripartita growing in my other tank so I will trim and plant a few and see if I like how it looks in general. I do love the look of ranunculus Inundatus based on the pics. I definitely want to give it a try.
I don't think the sunfish would be available here but I did want to have a dedicated tank for killifish.

 

What type of killies? Annual? I used to keep clown killies and loved them, they were so cute! Also I didn't have personal experience with badis badis, but my friend had scarlet badis in his nano tank. They were very awesome fish, reminded me of tiny cichlids.

 

Are They as aggressive as cichlids? I am planning to house some with few nano rasboras that do not get bigger than an Inch in size.
bluefin notho killifish specifically. But I thought all the killifishes are annual? I also wana have forktail rainbow fish with them. I have a 25g tall that is not planted yet. M think about getting these when I get it set up.

 

Are They as aggressive as cichlids? I am planning to house some with few nano rasboras that do not get bigger than an Inch in size.
bluefin notho killifish specifically. But I thought all the killifishes are annual? I also wana have forktail rainbow fish with them. I have a 25g tall that is not planted yet. M think about getting these when I get it set up.

Not sure about aggression, they are so tiny, I don't think they'd be too bad. I noticed they can swim backwards and they stalk prey (shrimp, snails) like cichiids. Also the shape of them, they look like perch (which they are), but they colors and stripes just remind me of minI cichilds. But also, I love cichilds, so i'm probably just comparing them to something I love.

There's a few types of killifish that are not annual. Clown is one of them. The annual ones are the most colorful IMO. Forktail are very nice too, pretty sure they are not annual? The same friend with the badis had the forktails in another tank too! You two have similar tastes!

 

Not sure about aggression, they are so tiny, I don't think they'd be too bad. I noticed they can swim backwards and they stalk prey (shrimp, snails) like cichiids. Also the shape of them, they look like perch (which they are), but they colors and stripes just remind me of minI cichilds. But also, I love cichilds, so i'm probably just comparing them to something I love.

There's a few types of killifish that are not annual. Clown is one of them. The annual ones are the most colorful IMO. Forktail are very nice too, pretty sure they are not annual? The same friend with the badis had the forktails in another tank too! You two have similar tastes!

Haha, yeah. If you ever get a chance, please do ask your friend about his issues regarding these two and please let me know if you can.

 

Haha, yeah. If you ever get a chance, please do ask your friend about his issues regarding these two and please let me know if you can.

Sorry, I can't ask him anymore, but watching them and being accustomed to cichlids, they are not aggressive, just cooler than regular tiny fish. Does that help? They will hunt shrimp though.