Yet another Stocking Help thread :)

[xawen]

Having a bit of a hard time deciding on the final residents of my 54 gallon corner tank.

My water is fairly soft with a pH of 7.6. The tank temp is 76-77.

Right now I have:

1 bristlenose pleco
8 orange laser corys
2 oto cats
2 gold gourami
6 black skirt tetras
​

At some point later, I am thinking about getting a pair of bolivian rams. But for the moment, I'd really like to find one or two larger fish to fill the mid-top area of the tank. The biggest worry I have is the otos. They do a great job of keeping any algae off my plants, and they are by far my wife's favorites. I need to stay away from anything that will eat them .

Can anyone suggest a 4-5 incher (either single or pair) that won't be bothered by the gourami (1 is kind of pushy) and won't eat the otos? I keep getting side tracked onto bottom dwelling fish, but the corys keep the bottom plenty active already

 

[absolutangel04]

Assuming you keep up with water changes and have consistnely good water parameters, maybe a paradise fish? But if your gourami is bossy, that might not work out. But it could be an option maybe.
Just a note, watch your skirts and gouramis, those species do not always do well together as they mature.
Would you be open to a school of smaller fish to occupy the higher parts of the tank, or do you for sure want it to be 1-2 larger fish?

 

[xawen]

I saw the large gourami go after a tetra once. The tetra and three of his buddies kicked the gourami's butt and he hasn't tried it again. He mainly worries about keeping the other gourami out of his space and trying to fight off the corys for their food (lost cause).

I could definitely go with some smaller schoolers, but I'd rather go a little larger if I could find something that would work.

I saw paradise fish at my LFS (they are really cool looking), but the profiles I read said they like much cooler water than I have...like unheated, even a pond.

 

[PHP]

Personally, I don't think you could add a pair with the current stock you have.

I would just up the school of otos or Black Skirts

 

[siva]

Rams wouldn't be my favorite to add to a tank with gouramis and skirt tetras, but that doesn't mean it can't work. A pair of rams with the other bottom dwellers might not be the best idea. I would go with one, or multiple of the same sex. You'll also want to be sure your rams are getting enough to eat, since the skirts are very aggresive feeders that can easily outcompete them for food.

It's hard to think of anything that will mix well with a territorial gold gourami. They can be pretty nasty. You may just want to avoid any other centerpeice fish that would swim at their level, and go with some schoolers instead.

 

[absolutangel04]

I agree with siva. It sounds like the gourami and skirts have reached a truce, so thats good, but if you add another territorial fish into the mix the truce may not hold. But, if you want to try it, I agree it would be good to avoid a pair.

If you are open to the idea of another school, there are some awesome, colorful options though that could really make a great addition to your tank. Cardinal tetras, black neons, and kerri blue tetras are all lovely and peaceful. There are also rummy nose tetras, penguin tetras, and bentosi tetras.

 

[xawen]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

One thing I keep forgetting when I look at the tank is that the gourami can get to be 5-6". I think I will go look for a small school to add a bit more color. I know they can be fin nippers, but I've looked at serpae tetras before. Maybe time to revisit that idea...

 

[absolutangel04]

Why not go with a small, colorful tetra that isn't a fin nipper? Its not like serpaes are the only red tetras out there.