More fish for my tank.

[Lymore]

I have read that guppies and bettas can be mixed if given enough room, and enough plants. I was wondering if anyone had experience mixing them? Would a tank around 29 gal be enough room? Or is this just a bad idea?

Or I could add a dwarf gourami instead...

I also heard of people adding both.

I currently have 6 guppies, 2 cories, 1 oto, 2 neon tetras, 2 ghost shrimp, and an ADF.

I just got a bigger tank, and have been exploring my options. What else could I do? My new tank is a flatback hex, something in the neighborhood of 30 gal.

I know I should get more tetras, otos and cories so they have their buddies. But, after that, what could I do?

 

[Aries]

I am wanting to experiment with my 5 male gups with a betta, havn't done it yet since I am waiting for the tank to cycle on through. But when I do this little experiment I could PM you back (wont be for awhile, probablly a month a least, though)

Dwarf gourami would be fine. They like buddies :] and their very docile and slow at everything they do, unlike your tetras and guppies. Mine I had always hung around the middle of the tank, and with what you have in there now I wouldn't see any problem with space since the cories, oto and shrimp hang near the bottom. The gups and tetras take to the middle and top and the ADF just does his/her own thing, mostly hanging out in plants and dark hiding spots.

You could always do a different type of tetra's or small catfish's/ mollies or platys too.

 

[Lymore]

Yea, I was wondering about mollies and platies, but I've heard that mollies like to eat up the plants

I was wondering how many dwarfs I could get, some say only one, others say depend on tank size, and decorations, never saying what size or how much decorations is enough.

 

[Aries]

hmm.. Well I got a pair of sunset drawfs and they liked eachothers company alot. Always with eachother. I wouldn't go with just one, buts that my personal opinion. I am basing that opinion off of the fact that they are always grouped together in the petstore, and grouped before the pet store. So I would say group them because thats the way they have been raised and how they will feel most comfortable. I would say always go with an even number, so they can pair up if they would like, like mine did.

With decorations, that all depends on how the fish in your tank currently are responding. Do they have their seperate hiding spots? Is there enough hiding spots for the fish already living in there, do they seem comfortable and not stressed. My drawfs LOVED a hiding place, something open at the top that they can just drift on down into. My angels also liked that too.

Its all about play and experiment really, you could gain as much knowledge off this fourms as possible, but like every living creature each fish has their own individuality, so if they feel stressed, add a new hiding place. They could just be picky. lol.

Easiest way to find out if your drawfs well feel comfortable, is to buy them and stick them in the tank. Only time will really tell.

 

[Lymore]

They only sell males at the store near me, so would that be a problem, or would they be man buds?

The only ones in my tank that really have a spot that is "theirs" is the ADF, he hides under the driftwood all the way to the left, and the baby guppies, they like one particular plant. Everybody else just goes where ever whenever.

 

[Aries]

Sounds like your tank would be just fine with some drawfs :] is your tank planted or just plastics? If its planted and the plants are young I would consider purchasing some silk plants for coverage for the time being. Silk looks real and soft on fishy bodies :] Although my pelco likes to eat them..... He seems fine still lol.

I had males, and they were just fine. I wouldn't worry about it. If you buying from the LFS watch the tank and see who stays together all the time. If your buying via net it's just a chance you'll have to take that they might not like eachother well, but drawfs are very docile. They would just part ways and stick to themselves. They never bother anything or anyone. Just poke their little "arms" on the glass and watch the world outside of their tank intently.

 

[Lymore]

Its planted, but they are plants from my 10 gal, so they are small for my new tank. I plan on getting some larger plants.

 

[Aries]

Well then thats the only thing I would really worry about is coverage. Other than that, I'd say your set to go!

 

[Lymore]

Woo, I'm so glad, dwarf gouramis are so pretty.

So other tetras and livebearers would be good with them too? Just want to make sure my fishies would be happy.

 

[Aries]

yup that would be fine :]

 

[Lymore]

Thanks!

 

[Aries]

anytime