stocking musings - 55 gal planted

[norcalg]

Hello,
I have a heavily planted 55g tank, no CO2 and my character fish, Gary the Gourami, just died. I'm trying to decide what to do now, either replace him with another gourami or take the two female gouramis back to the LFS and begin with a new type of fish.

My current stocking:
7 praecox rainbows
3 marbled cories
3 schwartzi cories
1 clown pleco
3 amano shrimp
6 albino cherry barbs
2 oto cats
2 F dwarf gouramis

I'm interested in apistogramma cacatouides, angel fish, congo tetras, tiger barbs, or maybe boesmani rainbows. I'm willing to take back the gouramis and maybe the cherry barbs but want to keep everybody else. The amanos are pretty good-sized (1.25 to 2+ inches).

Any of my thoughts a horrible idea? I know, I know, the tiger barbs are probably the worst plan but I really like them.

Thank you!
~norcalg

 

[marchmaxima]

I'm sorry to hear Gary's passing, norcalg. I'm a Gourami fan, so I'll push you back down the Gourami path.

Ever considered a pearl gourami? I would love to have one as my signature fish in a tank one day.

 

[JustOneMore20]

If the Amanos were safe with the Dwarf Gouramis I suggest you get another male or take the females back and get some Honey Gouramis. My thoughts are that anything larger (Angels, Boesemanis, Pearl Gouramis, maybe even Apistos) would eat the shrimp. Apistos may be safe with 1 1/2" shrimp, since they only get about 2" themselves. You could get a trio of those.

You don't really have room for another school IMO, so its best to stick to centerpiece type fish.

 

[norcalg]

I'm sorry to hear Gary's passing, norcalg. I'm a Gourami fan, so I'll push you back down the Gourami path.

Ever considered a pearl gourami? I would love to have one as my signature fish in a tank one day.

Thank you. If I decide to continue with the gouramies, I'll get another dwarf blue male to go with the females. I loved watching their spawning and courtship rituals.

 

[norcalg]

If the Amanos were safe with the Dwarf Gouramis I suggest you get another male or take the females back and get some Honey Gouramis. My thoughts are that anything larger (Angels, Boesemanis, Pearl Gouramis, maybe even Apistos) would eat the shrimp. Apistos may be safe with 1 1/2" shrimp, since they only get about 2" themselves. You could get a trio of those.

You don't really have room for another school IMO, so its best to stick to centerpiece type fish.

Why honeys instead of the dwarf blue? The Amanos haven't proven to be the hardiest so I may just wait a few weeks and see if they're still around. I'm starting a 10g planted that will have shrimp in it so they could also be moved over there. The Amanos were fine with the Dwarf Blue, it was the rainbows that snacked on one (already dead, I think, the others have been accounted for)! Maybe I'll add a trio of apistos and a couple more cherry barbs...

Thank you,

 

[JustOneMore20]

Honeys are more peaceful than Dwarves, so that is why I recommended them instead. But if you wanted to keep the females and just get some apistos, that would be fine as well, since the gouramis stay near the top. Or take the female gouramis back and get apistos. I guess it would be a little crazy to replace gouramis with more gouramis huh.


I hear ya on the Amanos. I think I am down to 1 out of 5. I've had a couple jump out (about a 1.5" gap in the back uncovered) and a couple died in a co2 mishap....so yeah, they don't last long for me.

 

[pitt420dude]

Go with more gouramis, or perhaps a paradise fish. I love the look of them.

 

[eah]

I'll second the suggestion for a pearl gourami. They are strikingly beautiful fish - don't be fooled by their condition in the store, once they get settled in your tank they are dazzling.