Centerpiece fish idea

[pbkuhn123]

I am currently looking for a centerpiece fish for my 36 gallon tank. Looking for ideas. Here is what is currently in it although I eventually plan to move a few tetras to one of my other tanks in case you think I am overstocked. However, water params are good and I can move a few fish as needed as I run several tanks and could set up another.

9 Buenos Aires Tetra (plan to move half of them)
5 yellow teta glo-fish
2 Sunburst platys
1 Angel veil ram
1 Gold nugget pleco

Water params remain constant at:
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20-30
30% - 40% Weekly water changes

 

[Penguin]

I am currently looking for a centerpiece fish for my 36 gallon tank. Looking for ideas. Here is what is currently in it although I eventually plan to move a few tetras to one of my other tanks in case you think I am overstocked. However, water params are good and I can move a few fish as needed as I run several tanks and could set up another.

9 Buenos Aires Tetra (plan to move half of them)
5 yellow teta glo-fish
2 Sunburst platys
1 Angel veil ram
1 Gold nugget pleco

Water params remain constant at:
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20-30
30% - 40% Weekly water changes

maybe a german blue ram as a center piece would look nice or maybe a neon blue dwarf gourami the neon blue dwarf gourami is what we have and he is very active and comes to see us when we walk by the front of the tank

 

[Pseudomugil]

Moonlight gourami. They're really pretty.

 

[Coursair]

I am currently looking for a centerpiece fish for my 36 gallon tank. Looking for ideas. Here is what is currently in it although I eventually plan to move a few tetras to one of my other tanks in case you think I am overstocked. However, water params are good and I can move a few fish as needed as I run several tanks and could set up another.



9 Buenos Aires Tetra (plan to move half of them)

5 yellow teta glo-fish

2 Sunburst platys

1 Angel veil ram

1 Gold nugget pleco



Water params remain constant at:

Ammonia 0

Nitrite 0

Nitrate 20-30

30% - 40% Weekly water changes

Buenos Aires Tetras can be very nippy. A smaller group is liable to attack your other fish. Bigger groups are more peaceful and tend to chase each other.




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[Coursair]

maybe a german blue ram as a center piece would look nice or maybe a neon blue dwarf gourami the neon blue dwarf gourami is what we have and he is very active and comes to see us when we walk by the front of the tank

OP has one Ram. Adding a second, may or may not work.


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[Coursair]

I would not mix any Gourami with Buenos Aires Tetras as they are fin nippers and aggressive eaters.


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[pbkuhn123]

I would not mix any Gourami with Buenos Aires Tetras as they are fin nippers and aggressive eaters.


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I actually had dwarf gouramis with the Buenos Aires and they never bothered them. My dwarfs died due to some parasite issue, but they never had their fins nipped at all.

 

[pbkuhn123]

OP has one Ram. Adding a second, may or may not work.


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You have a point, I actually used to have two angel rams and the one still living just tortured the other one until one day he just died. The one remaining is a little touchy acting, but doesn't bother the fish in there now. But another ram might not work.

 

[Penguin]

I actually had dwarf gouramis with the Buenos Aires and they never bothered them. My dwarfs died due to some parasite issue, but they never had their fins nipped at all.

I have a neon blue dwarf gourami and i see no aggression with the tiger barbs they never nip at the gourami even when the gourami wanders into their territory so i think they should be fine with the Buenos Aires tetras.

 

[pbkuhn123]

Buenos Aires Tetras can be very nippy. A smaller group is liable to attack your other fish. Bigger groups are more peaceful and tend to chase each other.




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Good point, my water params seem good and I don't think one more fish would change much, so I could probably leave all the Buenos Aires in there. They all do get along well. Any thoughts on a smiling mouth cichlid in a tank like mine? Most information says they are peaceful, but I don't know much about them.

 

[pbkuhn123]

I have a neon blue dwarf gourami and i see no aggression with the tiger barbs they never nip at the gourami even when the gourami wanders into their territory so i think they should be fine with the Buenos Aires tetras.

I think so too. Looked up a little but about "Red Breast Smiling Cichlids" Any knowledge of those? Most say they don't get big, wonder how they would work in a tank like mine?

 

[Penguin]

I think so too. Looked up a little but about "Red Breast Smiling Cichlids" Any knowledge of those? Most say they don't get big, wonder how they would work in a tank like mine?

Most cichlids should do fine in a tank big enough where there is plenty of planted areas and rocks for hiding and soft substrate such as sand because some if not all cichlids like digging and rearranging your substrate to their liking. Also some cichlids don't do well so I would recommend researching their behaviors when mixed with other cichlids and other community fish, but from what i see you have been doing quite a bit of research! But the general rule is if the other fish is smaller than an inch then that slower moving fish will become a nice live dinner for them also check their specific care sheets on liveaquaria.com because they are usually correct and haven't steered me wrong yet.

 

[Big Ben]

Apisto cichlids are great centerpiece fish (dwarf cichlid). There are many attractive and peaceful options within this species. Here's an apistogramma cacatuoides triple red male I had years ago.

 

[Penguin]

Apisto cichlids are great centerpiece fish (dwarf cichlid). Be sure to get the the ttriple red variety. Here's a male I had years ago.

very nice apisto ben is he aggressive? we have one firemouth cichlid and one juvenile golden malawi cichlid that is maybe the size of a baby minnow they both are very peaceful and swim together at the bottom level of my tank and also the middle too not really top swimmers

 

[Big Ben]

The firemouth and malawi would beat an apisto up if it wanted to once they outgrew the apisto. They are not aggressive unless breeding they will protect their eggs like most cichlids. They don't grow larger then 3 1/2 inches (males) females much smaller and less color. Great for community fish, can hold their own verse similar sized fish but don't go looking for fights.

 

[Penguin]

The firemouth and malawi would beat an apisto up if it wanted to once they outgrew the apisto. They are not aggressive unless breeding they will protect their eggs like most cichlids. They don't grow larger then 3 1/2 inches (males) females much smaller and less color. Great for community fish, can hold their own verse similar sized fish but don't go looking for fights.

The only thing we are looking for now is some shell dwellers and a GBR or an Electric blue acara for a center piece. Do you have any preferences to GBRs or Electric blues? Another nice looking one is an Electric Lab but these are very hard to find here in New Jersey

 

[Coursair]

Apisto cichlids are great centerpiece fish (dwarf cichlid). There are many attractive and peaceful options within this species. Here's an apistogramma cacatuoides triple red male I had years ago.

An Apisto and a Ram may fight as well. They like the same type of territories.


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[Penguin]

An Apisto and a Ram may fight as well. They like the same type of territories.


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I like the rams if i had to pick just one

 

[pbkuhn123]

Apisto cichlids are great centerpiece fish (dwarf cichlid). There are many attractive and peaceful options within this species. Here's an apistogramma cacatuoides triple red male I had years ago.

Very pretty fish! Might look into this species!

 

[pbkuhn123]

Most cichlids should do fine in a tank big enough where there is plenty of planted areas and rocks for hiding and soft substrate such as sand because some if not all cichlids like digging and rearranging your substrate to their liking. Also some cichlids don't do well so I would recommend researching their behaviors when mixed with other cichlids and other community fish, but from what i see you have been doing quite a bit of research! But the general rule is if the other fish is smaller than an inch then that slower moving fish will become a nice live dinner for them also check their specific care sheets on liveaquaria.com because they are usually correct and haven't steered me wrong yet.

Well the particular tank I am referring to uses a fine gravel, almost like course sand, but still gravel. All my other tanks use sand, but I went different on this one, wonder if a cichlid would do well in that. LOVE Live Aquaria by the way!