What to mix with neon tetras in new tank

[gar1948]

Hi---
Setting up a 29 gal tank. I'm looking for ideas on keeping a few large fish with a school of about a dozen neons. I would like about 3 or 4 medium to large fish with the neons. Any suggestions.
Thanks

 

[Zagz]

Most larger fish will eat neons. Angels in particular love to snack on neons. Not sure if any larger fish will be accepting of neons. What are you thinking of in size? 29 gals limits how big the fish can be.

 

[gar1948]

I might just go with a few large fish. I know 29 gal limits max size of the fish. Thought silver dollars or a few angels and forget the neons.

 

[mike47517]

what about gouramis

 

[fort384]

I personally love neons - may favorite tropical fish. I have several lamp eye and serpae tetras mixed with my 13 neons. They do fine together. Not huge fish, but several times the size of my biggest neons.

 

[Zagz]

I would not recommend more than one gourami, they get aggressive to their own. A pair of angels less the neons would be nice.

 

[gar1948]

Thanks for all your ideas. Think I'll go with a few angels. What can I put with them that won't get harassed.

 

[ScottS]

How about a large school of Neons and small school of larger full bodied tetras like Bleeding Heart Tetras or Blue Flame Tetras?

I'm thinking of doing Cardinals and Blue Flames once my tank is cleared of ich and cycled again.

 

[mike47517]

u can put neons with angels as long as you buy the angel when its small and grow it up w/the neons

 

[gar1948]

Angels purchased small won't bother neons when they get big?

 

[bs6749]

It depends on the individual fish as far as eating neons goes. I put 40 neons into my 100g community tank with large discus and most of the discus went after them and got a couple at first. One of the discus in particular liked to chase them but he gave up after the 3rd day of them in the tank. They did snag quite a few of them eventually but lost interest after a short period of time. Must be they don't taste that great.

Also, I had 15 angels that I grew out in a 29g tank. I sold some of them and I transferred the rest over to my 100g community tank with the neons still in there. They have not once ever displayed any interest in eating the neons and several of the angels have a body size large than the perimeter around a baseball. They did grow up with 5 brilliant rasboras in the same tank and eventually they grew larger than the rasboras. I think growing up with the fish has a good chance of success at keeping the two together when one gets much larger than the other.

Don't get me wrong though, angels will go after neons if they see them as a food source. The key is to make it so they aren't viewed as food.