Rasbora School Size

[Fairybolt]

Hello all, this is a quick question. I have a newly cycled (via sponge filter from a friend) 55 gallon aquarium. I dropped the filter in today and went to my local Petco to get some fish. Our local one is actually pretty good, and my usual haunt is a good 45 minutes away. The idea was to simply get a handful of fish to keep the bacteria fed.

Anyway, my plan was to get 6 Harlequin Rasboras to start with. I eventually am planning a school of 20 to 25 of these guys, but today I could only get 4. That is what I want to ask about. Will 4 Harlies be okay for just over a week together? I can't make the trek out to the LFS this weekend (**** wedding) and who knows if Petco will get in anymore (the people working there were unsure). We have a PetsMart in town too, but it's a fishy mass grave every time I go in there.

What do you all recommend?

 

[Coyne]

They'll be fine. The larger the school the better, but its not like they're going to die just because you have 4 instead of 6 (or more).

 

[PerfectDepth]

They'll be just fine. I started my school of harlequins the same way.

4 is actually a better number to start with in a new 55 gallon, just to stay on the safe side. You'll have a better chance of having an instant cycle with your seeded sponge. I recommend feeding very little for the first couple of weeks, too.

 

[Fairybolt]

Much appreciated guys!