29 Gallon Tank What type of fish to add???

[PurpleFish]

I have 8 CPDs and 5 peppered cory cats in the tank so far. It has sand and two big mother pot size Anubias with hiding spots in rock-like decorations. Everyone is healthy and thriving. I'm wanting to put something else in there, something larger and showy (I think I have a lot of female CPDs). I was thinking about dwarf gourami? But have heard rumors of lots of health issues in them. What ideas do y'all have? I've only being doing tanks for just under two years, so still feel like a newbie. (The other tank at home is shrimp and cardinal tetras with everyone doing very well)

 

[Jguy]

I have always avoided DGs due to those health issues. If you get one, make sure it is from a very reputable breeder (as opposed to a Petco/Petsmart DG). If you want something similar though, I'd
suggest Trichogaster labiosa (Thick-lipped gourami, basically a larger honey gourami).

 

[A201]

Why not go with a group of Rosy Barbs. They will grow about an inch bigger than your CPD's and are very active, colorful Barbs. They also do better in cooler water, as do the CPD's.

 

[Mudminnow]

Why not go with a group of Rosy Barbs. They will grow about an inch bigger than your CPD's and are very active, colorful Barbs. They also do better in cooler water, as do the CPD's.

Hi A201. I've kept CPDs, and they stayed very small (like an inch or less). I've not kept Rosy Barbs, but are you sure they only get about 2 inches? Seriously Fish says they can range from about 2.5" to 4" depending on the strain.

I was thinking about dwarf gourami? But have heard rumors of lots of health issues in them. What ideas do y'all have?

I'm with Jguy on this one, but not just because of their potential health issues. My dwarf gouramis always ended up getting aggressive. CPDs are so peaceful, I doubt it would end well.

I kept my CPDs with sparkling gouramis, and that worked out well. I'd imagine honey gouramis could also be a good choice..

 

[A201]

2.5 inches would be the average. A 4 incher would be a whopper.
I keep 8 Rosy's in my 120 gal. & 6 Rosy's in a six gallon Betta tank.
All are about 1.5 inches long & are a little over a year old.

 

[PurpleFish]

Ok, dwarf gouramis are out!

In looking up rosy barbs, I found cherry barbs... Are they the same thing or different?

 

[Jguy]

Ok, dwarf gouramis are out!

In looking up rosy barbs, I found cherry barbs... Are they the same thing or different?

They are different. Cherry barbs stay a little smaller and (IME) are a little less boisterous.

 

[PurpleFish]

Well, I'm thinking to go with the rosy barbs as I'm excited to get a little bit larger fish. With the 8 CPDs and 5 peppered corys, how many do you think I can get? I see one website sells them in packs of 10! That seems like a lot. Another sells males only in groups of 6. What do y'all think?
Ok, I'm indecisive right now - don't worry I'll make sure I don't make a spontaneous purchase... What about congo tetras?

 

[A201]

Six males would be a good number. Maybe add a couple of females later to keep the males colored up.

 

[PurpleFish]

Ok, six males and add females later. Sounds good. Will let this sink in for a bit and be sure of my choice.

Looks like congos will be too big for my tank - should have researched that more before posting.

 

[PurpleFish]

I did a bunch of research and finally decided on veiltail cherry barbs. They look bigger than they are their long tails. I just put in an order for six of them, mixed sexes. I came across them when researching the rosy barbs and fell in love with their look ❤️ Plus, my cpds are so timid that a less boisterous fish seemed a good idea

Thanks for all your advice, it really helped me narrow down the possibilities so I didn’t get bogged down in researching fish I couldn’t have!

 

[PurpleFish]

Barbs have arrived! I'll try to post pics asap.

Three hours later and they are acclimated and in the tank. They are exploring and looking beautiful!