need a couple more fish...

[AgilityIG]

Everyone has settled well into the new 50 gallon tank. Right now, the residents are:

1 Dwarf Gourami (male)
6 Black Sail Cory Cats (unknown sexes)
6 Boesemani Rainbows (3 female and 2 male - I think!)
The LFS has ordered six Emerald Green Cory Cats for me.

I am wondering if I am stocked or if I can get a couple more fish? I was thinking of adding more Boesemani Rainbows, but I really like the personality of my Gourami. I also considered a small school of Tiger Barbs.

I just wanted to get some thoughts as I don't want to get any incompatible fish. My Gourami pretty much ignores the other fish (he interacts more with me than the other fish). The CCs totally hang together (am hoping the Emerald Greens will school with the Black Sails). The rainbows will school a bit with the CCs but don't school as much with each other as the CCs do.

 

[BeavisMom62]

AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor
I hope we are allowed to post links on this forum. I didn't check the rules. But this is a pretty helpful little tool. Of course common sense and research is best, but it does give you some ideas about whether or not your tank is overstocked.

I dont know if I would go with the tiger barbs though. They need a pretty large school to offset their nippy behaviour. I would LOVE to have tiger barbs, but they won't get along with the fish I already have. Good luck with the corys. I love pandas, but I've gone through at least a dozen in my attempt to have a nice school of them and now Im down to four! I just dont seem to have luck with them.
I've got a 65 gal with 4 angels, a rainbow shark, two male DG's, a raphael cat and two apple snails. I wanted to put the corys in there, but the NA in that tank hovers around 20 because that tank is a little overstocked and they seem to be sensitive to it. Some people say that you can't keep male DG's together and others say its ok. I don't have any trouble with my two, I guess because the tank is large enough. I'm considering getting one more. I like their personality too.

 

[logansmomma1228]

+1 on the tiger barbs needing a large school. You need about 8 to 10 of them at least if you dont want any problems. Also don't go by the Aq Advisor exactly, I recommend checking this thread out: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/aqadvisor-how-legit-129476.html . I use it as a loose guide and then come back here and double check with it.

You should have enough room for a couple more fish, seeing as the cories are on the bottom and the others (i think) are more middle to top swimmers. I would get a mate for your gourami maybe!

 

[AgilityIG]

ok... no Tiger Barbs then - that's ok. I really do like my gourami. I would be that he would like a girlfriend, but not really sure how to sex them... I thought they were all males at the LFS...

Here's another thought - maybe not a good one - what about a "regular" gourami as opposed to a dwarf? Would he pick on my little guy too much?

 

[logansmomma1228]

hmmm... i don't know anything about that one. you could research their compatiability and see. I have read that gouramis are territorial? If that is the case then maybe you would want to get two females. I am not sure on a whole lot about gouramis but I do know that a lot of fish need 2:1 female to male ratio. Don't quote me on that though, I am not a gourami expert. lol

 

[BeavisMom62]

I'm not a gourami expert either, but I wouldn't go with a "regular" gourami.
logansmomma, I too had read that about the DGs. Well, actually, I did a ton of research one day and came up with about 70% of the sites I read said they are a fine community fish, about 20% said they should be ok but to watch them and about 10% said absolutely NOT to keep them with other DGs. The forum I belonged to at the time was in the 10%. So, I originally had 3 DG's (going by what the LFS told me. Yeah. I know!) in one tank. Then, the forum said, SEPARATE THEM! THEY WILL KILL EACH OTHER! So, I did, which was a real pain because of the way my tanks were set up. Then, when I got my 65 gal, I thought I would take a chance and keep them together because of the size of the tank and since then, I haven't had a problem. Im actually considering getting one more. Those powder blue ones? Beautiful fish.

I agree, logansmomma, it is a useful "tool", but not a bible. As I said, common sense and research is best, but it helpful, esp for beginners. Oh, and in that other thread you mentioned that the AQAdvisor doesn't have redwag platys, but it does have "platys". I've got two redwags and a micky mouse, they are pretty little fish. I like them.

 

[AgilityIG]

Well, maybe I will try to get another dwarf and add a couple fish to my Bosemani Rainbow school. Thanks for all the input!