picked out fish :)

[baggins22]

hey everybody,

so i think i made my list of fish i want for my 12G. i did some research and all these fish should be ok together, but i wanted to check here

1 otto
4 neon tetra
1 blue gourami
2 blue rams

(thats it so far, i dont konw if i can fit any more in)

[baggins22]

any other opinions about kind of fish i should get will be much appreciated

[Raskolnikov]

I definately wouldn't get anything else.

[Kasakato]

You are fully stocked at that.

[baggins22]

will they all get along?

[Harlock]

I would pass on the blue gourami. A 12 gallon really isn't big enough. Now, a wdarf gourami might be okay in that. Honestly though, As colorful as rams are, I'd pass on the gourami altogether. That's just personal preference. Also, neons really prefer a school of six or more. Plus, an otocinculus may not have much to eat in a new tank and may starve to death. The rams are kind of on the bubble. I know some folks keep them in 10 gallons, but that is usually a pair and maybe a couple of cories. I wouldn't put them in anything less than a 20 long myself, but I am really careful about providing swimming room. Honestly, a 12 gallon isn't too much bigger than a 10 and smaller fish would be better in my opinion. Guppies, neons, lemon tetras, pygmy cories... those sorts of things.

[benedictj]

To add to what Harlock said, if you do choose to go with Otos, you'd probably be better off getting two. Like neons, they function best with company of their own kind. (Since it's been suggested that you nix the gourami, you can squeeze it in there no problem).

All that said, too, you might be best off choosing between a). The Rams and otos alone or b). Neons or some similar fish in a larger school than 4 plus the otos.

[baggins22]

thanks for all the replies.

with what everybody has said im not going to get the blue gourami , but some guppies instead. i think that should be enough room and have everybody get along..i think

also wanted to know about some ghost shrimp instead of the otto for algea control, how many of those can if fit?and i hear they can jump out pretty easy.

P.S what should i do with the guppy fry, i know they reproduce real quick, but my tank will be full as it is.

[jparnell]

having just been through guppy fry ... and finally having gotten rid of the guppies as a result... unless you have something that will eat the fry, or are ready to raise them, or want to euthanize the ones you're going to have... Are you really sure you want to go there? I had two females and a male. I was getting two batches of 20 healthy fry EVERY MONTH. I was giving them away just to get rid of them. And lfs won't usually take them til they're about an inch long, which is about 5-6 months... roughly. And once a female is pregnant, she can produce offspring for up to 6 months afterwards, from that one conception. So if I were you.... either get all males, or get all females and hope none of them are pregnant when you get them.

If I had known all this before I was convinced to get them, I wouldn't have. But that's just me. :)

[Analog Saint]

important points to keep in mind:
gouramis and cichlids are territorial (most likely will result in conflict). livebearers will continue to reproduce, whether there's room or not. They can easily overwhelm a tank with their fecundity. Schooling fish should be kept with a decent shoal, otherwise they may nip at each other, at other fish, or just not flourish like they would normally.

I'd reccomend:
1) 2-3 ottos and a pair of blue rams
2) blue gourami and 6 neon tetras
3) (livebearers OR tetras) and small cories

with any of those, you can keep other small things like shrimp and snails- they really don't impact the bioload very much.

[WinterWind]

A compilation I would personally choose for a 12 gallon would be:

-6 neon tetras
-4 pgmy cory cats
-maybe 1 or two dwarf gouramies but that might be overstocking

[redbucket]

if you do get rams, get bolivians. a little less colorful, but hardy.

[mooman]

I second the Bolivian Ram comment. I personally think the guppies would ruin the aesthetics of the tank, but as far as the too many fry question, I would think that the Rams and tetras would take care of that issue (yummy, yummy, yummy, I got babies in my tummy) :p