Asian Biotope and questions

[JustOneMore20]

Well I'm planning a new 38g tank for my mean gourami and I've been trying to get ideas on tankmates. I started thinking about doing an Asian biotope.

The tank is 36 inches long, by the way.

Here are my ideas on fish:

*Harlequin rasboras (small but fast...maybe the gourami would be too lazy to chase them all the time)
*Polka dot loaches (are they ok in this size tank?)
*Opaline/3 spot gourami

And that's all I have. Any other ideas on fish? Some cherry barbs maybe? I'd be afraid the gourami would go after them...although he doesn't seem to bother the ones in my 29g.

I will plant the tank and use pool filter sand as my substrate. I'd like to use Asian plants...maybe some Hygro polysperma, wisteria, and crypts. It will be medium light (~2wpg) and low tech.

Any other ideas?

Thanks in advance

[bosk1]

My experience with gouramis is that they generally only go after other gouramis. You probably read my post in your other thread regarding know my tank history. But as far as the other fish, none of the gouramis ever bother any of them, and I have never really heard of gouramis being overly aggressive toward other nonrelated fish unless the tank was too small to allow the gourami sufficient territory (or if the other fish were bite sized for the gourami). So I think any of the choices you mentioned should be fine. I've heard of gouramis living just fine with cherry barbs. I haven't heard specifically about rasboras, but I cannot imagine it would be a problem.

[crazyred]

Mine is fine with my cherry barbs, my harlies, and my variatus platies, but she is a sweet fish.....huge too, right at 5 inches

[JustOneMore20]

Great...I think I'll go with the Asian biotope. Do ya'll think the polka dot loaches would work? I think they get about 3 inches. I just have to find them for a decent price.

[bosk1]

Can't say for absolute certain, but I can't imagine there would be a problem. All of my clown loaches were (and still are) smaller than my opaline, and they don't get messed with at all.

[JustOneMore20]

Alright, thanks. I kinda wondered if the loaches would be ok size wise...I guess they will though. 3 inches isn't too big. They'd be the only bottom fish...unless I find some Siamese Algae eaters.

Too bad plecos aren't Asian...I'd love to have one of the smaller exotic types. Maybe I could sneak one in there.

[crazyred]

There is one Asian pleco I've heard of....Garra pingi pingi, but it's sounds terribly messy, it's diet is mostly wood and it gets pretty big, so I don't know that you would want it. Here a linky: http://www.azgardens.com/algae_eating_fish.php

fourth fish down

[shawmutt]

Zebra danios, Badis Badis, and Kuhlii loaches are in my SE asian tank.

[JustOneMore20]

I've never heard of Badis Badis. I checked it out and it seems like a cool fish.

I have never seen Kuhlis at the LFS in my area...to be honest, they kinda freak me out though. They look too much like worms.

I've had danios before...they don't really interest me that much.

I'm gonna go with:

1 opaline gourami
10 Harlequins
3-5 Polka dot loaches
few Siamese algae eaters...or a cute pleco (even though it won't be Asian)

I'm gonna try to keep the stocking level low...even though I have a hard time.

I have lots of Corkscrew Vals in my 10g (which I'm gonna redo) so they can go to the Asian tank. I'll probably get some Hygro polysperma (anyone know where I could order some?), and some crypts and java fern.

[maxwell1295]

I have Honey Gouramis, Cherry Barbs, Kuhli Loaches, and a Hillstream Loach.