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Post by sammiesam on Oct 2, 2008 15:44:54 GMT -5
Alright so, Probably on the weekend I am going to move Fred my betta, my swordtail and two yoyo loaches into their new 20g home. So I was just wondering what I should get to add to the tank. I am getting another yoyo loach for sure, cause those guys need another one so that the big guy stops picking on the little one so much But i want to get something for the swordtail since he is alone and really, he shouldn't be alone. I don't want more swordtails however because I don't want to deal with babies as I don't have the time space or money, so I want something that will go great in the community tank and mcspiff will take a liking to. So at first I was thinking maybe some platys since they look alot like swordtails and they might school together. But I was also thinking about marbled hatchet fish, which I am started to decide against since I have learned that they are crazy jumpers or 'flying fish' and I don't think I could handle a fish jumping out of my tank again! That's how angus died  So another idea suggested by Bill was cardinal tetras, which are really pretty too. But really I'm not sure what I want yet so I was hoping to get some fun ideas from you guys  |
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Post by Carl on Oct 2, 2008 16:26:05 GMT -5
As you mentioned, the Platties as well as the many varieties of Mollies would be a good match! Other thoughts are the many varieties of Gourami such as the Sunset Dwarf Gourami, see photo below:  Many Tetras such as the Red Minor, black phantom, and similar. I am also partial to many of the Rainbow Fish such as the Boesmani Rainbow, although these may not be a good fit for your size aquarium (the Celebese would work)  Celebes Rainbow:  Carl |
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Post by murdock6701 on Oct 2, 2008 16:27:15 GMT -5
Platys are very nice community fish and gentle and colorful, although I would suggest another sword or 2 - sworsda are a bit more aggressive then platys and when bored tend to chase and tail bite - yours is a male right? if so I would get another male or 2 unless you want to raise fry.....I shy away from the tetras, sorry, personal preference - avoid mixing them w/ live bearers in general.....they tend to get ich when conditions aren't prefect in my tanks - platys and swords are a lot more tolerant of water conditions and temperatures - hope this helps and good luck!
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Post by sammiesam on Oct 2, 2008 17:08:06 GMT -5
I thought with swords, if you have males and no females the males will fight too much???
i'm also trying to stay away from mollies if I can help it, I love them to death but I've never been able to keep one longer than a year -_- they're finicky for me
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Post by sammiesam on Oct 2, 2008 17:09:21 GMT -5
Oh, with Gourami, I thought these guys were agressive?
I'm looking more peaceful fish which is why I was looking at other livebearers but gourami species are pretty fish!
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Post by jonv on Oct 2, 2008 18:19:13 GMT -5
Misinformation must have been given out to you about Gourami. Gourami in general, encompasses a large group of different species and grow to different sizes, and similar to African cichlids, some have different personalities. Not all the Gourami are, in fact I'd go so far to say that most aren't. Dwarf Gourami have been noted to be rather aggressive at times and Blue or Giant Gourami, due to sheer size I think also tend to get aggressive. I keep an assortment of Gourami in with my Africans and for the most part, they all get along quite fine.
I have 3 Spots, Opaline's, Lavendars, and Gold Gourami's. I also have a pair of Snakeskins in my juvenile tank as well. Very pleased with these types.
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Post by Carl on Oct 2, 2008 19:11:52 GMT -5
I agree with Jon's points as to the Gouramis.
I have and still have many Gouramis. The Sunset I pasted a picture of is quite mild in temperament, and althugh this is a generalization, I have found the majority of Gourmais to ahave a temperament similar to a Ram Cichlid or a Betta (they are in the same family of fish as Bettas).
I right now have a Dwarf Gourami in with some Mollies, Platties, Tetras, Swords, Otos and a Ram Cichlid.
Carl
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Post by sammiesam on Oct 2, 2008 19:22:17 GMT -5
hmmm
i like that rainbow fish you posted a picture of, it's a lil cutie. Now there's more to decide between!!!!
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Post by eve on Oct 3, 2008 2:58:26 GMT -5
ahem, a betta and a gourami are a no no they will go at each other, not a good match as for other fish you might wonna try danios rasboras tetras like silver tip tetras, they're really kinda cute short finned serpae tetras definitely bosmani rainbows, are gorgeous you could definitely add another sword male platies are nice as well there are many fish to choose from |
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Post by murdock6701 on Oct 3, 2008 12:34:26 GMT -5
one quick note, while swords are generally a mild fish, they will chase and nip if bored and with all the finnage on a betta I would be a bit concerned unless you gave him, the sword, someone to play w/....excellent responses by everyone - give ya all a karma! personally, I would go w/ the platys - they are a very non-aggressive gentle, friendly community fish (poop a lot thought) - LOL
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Post by jonv on Oct 3, 2008 12:48:01 GMT -5
You know John, this brings me back into late last year this time to early this year. For whatever reason, I never could seem to build up my glo-fish population up to a true schooling level, simply because no matter how many new ones I'd add, the older ones just seemed to not accept newer arrivals and ended up either killing them or stressing them to death. I had five glo-fish in my 20 and they ended up getting transferred to the 100 when I shut down the 20. Every time I tried to boost it up to 8-10 total of them, all the newer ones just ended up dying. By the second time I tried this, to rule out just getting bad or sick fish, I started watching them, and that group just never seemed to tolerate any new additions to the current group. You wouldn't think this would happen in a large tank, but from the times I had to watch them, I saw the existing group always chase off the newer ones and never allow them to be in the "group" Whoever said glo-fish were peaceful types never had the group I had LOL. Maybe this was one of those cases like the Goldfish thread where they decided to act or be like cichlids since those were also tank mates. I ended up deciding to let the aggressive glo-fish get a taste of their own medicine by grouping them with the Arowana I had at the time. Now I have no more glo-fish  |
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Post by jonv on Oct 3, 2008 12:51:02 GMT -5
This also might be a bit off base, but IF you want to keep a solo species only, for a 20 gallon tank, I've got to say that Tiger barbs are extremely hardy, do good in groups, have some nice colors and would be ok in a 20. They aren't good community types though. They nip and stress others out, but should you want to just have a group for the 20 and willing to keep just that species only, consider Tiger barbs.
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Post by Carl on Oct 3, 2008 13:02:03 GMT -5
ahem, a betta and a gourami are a no no they will go at each other, not a good match as for other fish you might wonna try danios rasboras tetras like silver tip tetras, they're really kinda cute short finned serpae tetras definitely bosmani rainbows, are gorgeous you could definitely add another sword male platies are nice as well there are many fish to choose from Good catch Eve, I was not paying attention to the point that Sam was going to move Fred (the Betta) into this tank. Although I have successfully kept Betas with Gouramis in tanks of this size, this is something I would agree that should not be recommended or if attempted, done with caution. Carl |
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Post by sammiesam on Oct 3, 2008 13:21:07 GMT -5
I wasn't planning on gouramis anyways I'm still leaning towards some platys or cardinal tetras, or maybe harlequin rasboras, or maybe some of those rainbows if i can find them |
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Post by demfish on Oct 3, 2008 14:14:22 GMT -5
Oh boy I get to watch and see what you get. Then you can let me know if they work with your Betta or not. If you don't mind, that is? I like those rainbows too, great looking fish!
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Post by murdock6701 on Oct 3, 2008 16:34:46 GMT -5
correct me if I'm wrong here but aren't rasboros and tetras in the same family? or genus or species? just wondering, not that it makes a whole lot of difference on this post - they would all be good I have just found that live bearers get along w/ live bearers and there is less friction sometimes than mixing live bearers and egg layers.....keeping in mind Sam is trying to establish a peaceful community tank.....w/ all breeds you are going to find the exception, just trying to eliminate the chance of her betta, which is obviously the choice fish at this point, of being harassed
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Post by Carl on Oct 3, 2008 16:45:35 GMT -5
correct me if I'm wrong here but aren't rasboros and tetras in the same family? or genus or species? just wondering, not that it makes a whole lot of difference on this post - they would all be good I have just found that live bearers get along w/ live bearers and there is less friction sometimes than mixing live bearers and egg layers.....keeping in mind Sam is trying to establish a peaceful community tank.....w/ all breeds you are going to find the exception, just trying to eliminate the chance of her betta, which is obviously the choice fish at this point, of being harassed No, the Rasboras belongs to the Cyprinid family which includes carp and the more closely related barbs. Tetras are Charicins which includes Pacus, Piranhua.  I think Rasboras are a good choice with Livebearers and Rainbows  Carl |
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Post by eve on Oct 3, 2008 16:46:29 GMT -5
ahem, a betta and a gourami are a no no they will go at each other, not a good match as for other fish you might wonna try danios rasboras tetras like silver tip tetras, they're really kinda cute short finned serpae tetras definitely bosmani rainbows, are gorgeous you could definitely add another sword male platies are nice as well there are many fish to choose from Good catch Eve, I was not paying attention to the point that Sam was going to move Fred (the Betta) into this tank. Although I have successfully kept Betas with Gouramis in tanks of this size, this is something I would agree that should not be recommended or if attempted, done with caution. Carl that's something i learned the hard way i did once a stocking recommendation, and completely missed that this person had already a very aggressive fish in her/his tank which basically would have been able to rip at least one of the species apart since then, i make sure to read the post carefully, if said person has already a plan on adding other fish, and if so, which one/s and always go from there like i always also say, "just because it worked for me, doesn't mean it will work for you" i had species together which are a NONO worked for me, but would have never worked for others for several reasons |
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Post by eve on Oct 3, 2008 16:49:34 GMT -5
correct me if I'm wrong here but aren't rasboros and tetras in the same family? or genus or species? just wondering, not that it makes a whole lot of difference on this post - they would all be good I have just found that live bearers get along w/ live bearers and there is less friction sometimes than mixing live bearers and egg layers.....keeping in mind Sam is trying to establish a peaceful community tank.....w/ all breeds you are going to find the exception, just trying to eliminate the chance of her betta, which is obviously the choice fish at this point, of being harassed No, the Rasboras belongs to the Cyprinid family which includes carp and the more closely related barbs. Tetras are Charicins which includes Pacus, Piranhua. I think Rasboras are a good choice with Livebearers and Rainbows Carl lol, you beat me to it yes, everybody is trying to find the exception it's the same thing, we both love our platies, and haven't had any bad experiences with them however, even there are the exceptions 1 male betta 1 male sword 6 cardinal tetras 6 rummy nose tetras 6 harlequin rasboras 4 otos |
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Post by murdock6701 on Oct 3, 2008 17:13:13 GMT -5
thanks Eve, am smiling a big happy smile ans laughing at the platy comment - there is such a large diversity in compatibility! still take the platy over anything else except for the poop! LOL!
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