Harlequin rasboras vs black neon tetras

[Emil]

I have been establishing a 20 gallon community aquarium since August. At the moment I've got three amano shrimp and 1 male platy, William Robert. In about a month after I go to a wedding out of town, I plan to finish stocking the tank. I will be getting 6 corydoras trilineatus last, but am still debating which fish to get for the upper regions of the aquarium, rasboras or black neon tetras.

I like looking at the aquarium and feeling a sense of peace by watching all the fish get along. I really love black neon tetras but have read many conflicting stories about their behavior; some people say they are not quite peaceful. I like the rasboras, too, but don't find them quite as pretty. Any ideas? BTW, I am disabled and at home all the time, so I keep the aquarium very clean and keep up with the water changes and vacuuming weekly. I also have a bubble wand which creates some upper current (I turn it off at night when the fish go to sleep). My water parameters are as they should be.

I thank you in advance and thank all who have advised me in the past.

Regards,
Emil

[pl*co]

I have not kept Black Neons, but I do have a half dozen Rasboras in a tank with Platy's, Swordtails. Rasboras are nice schooling fish and definately peaceful.

[YoFishboy]

Really hard to go wrong with the Harlequin Rasboras. They are hardy, and their color intensifies when fed quality foods and provided with good lighting. Rasboras in general will suit your needs well.

[ergo sum]

I would vote for the Harlequin rasboras. They have always been a favorite of mine.

In my experience they are hardy little guys.

[fishcatch22]

yeah. hariles are awesome, but they aren't very smart. all they do all day is zip back and forth, and IME they don't learn the hand equals food process. black neons are a little smarter, and sometimes behave interesting behaviors.

[Squawkbert]

I keep 5 BNs and really like them. They shoal nicely get along w/ the other stuff in my tank (see sig), they "hold their own" w/o getting surly. My only nippers are the Serpaes and they aren't too bad. My Gourami sometimes chases others away from anything he thinks may be edible but he doesn't do any damage (except to the Cabombas now & then).

[jgulecas]

Rasboras are great, but I question the classification of them as a "hardy" fish. I have found them to be very sensitive, at least during the acclimation process. Once they are fully acclimated, they are fine and should last a long time.

Has anyone ever met a "smart" cyprinid? Barbs, danios, rasboras; none have impressed me as bright.

[Aquaken]

Cichlids are smart, rams and apistos can go in a community.

[Hound]

I'd go with the harlequins myself. I have one or two that is a little aggressive towards the others, but it looks more like they are just establishing a pecking order of sorts. Of note I have found that my harlequins do recognize that when I open the hood I may be dropping food in. Last week I reached my fingers in to pull out a floating leaf and had 3 of them swim up and hit my fingers. Good thing they don't have teeth.

[fishcatch22]

Has anyone ever met a "smart" cyprinid? Barbs, danios, rasboras; none have impressed me as bright.goldfish are actually pretty smart.

[monkey_toes]

goldfish are actually pretty smart.
Only in comparison to fish sticks.

[fishcatch22]

Only in comparison to fish sticks.no, they are fairly smart.... you can train them, they recognize their owners from other people, they have social heiarchies... compared to other cyprinids, they're geniuses.

[monkey_toes]

I like black neons, but mine never schooled in my old 29 gallon. I had 8 in there. When I upgraded to a 125 and added 12 more, then they started to school more. I don't know if it's the bigger space, having more schoolmates, or if they feel intimidated by the angels and festivums.

[monkey_toes]

no, they are fairly smart.... you can train them, they recognize their owners from other people, they have social heiarchies... compared to other cyprinids, they're geniuses.

I've never really kept other cyprinids, except a few loach species (which I thought seemed reasonably smart). The goldies I kept when I was a kid always seemed borderline retarded, doing things like:
• Getting stuck every day behind the filter intake because they were too fat to fit between the tube and the glass.
• Trying to eat bubbles on the surface of the water, despite being well-fed twice a day.
• Repeatedly trying to eat the thermometer stuck to the OUTSIDE of the glass.

[fishcatch22]

I've never really kept other cyprinids, except a few loach species (which I thought seemed reasonably smart). The goldies I kept when I was a kid always seemed borderline retarded, doing things like:
• Getting stuck every day behind the filter intake because they were too fat to fit between the tube and the glass.
• Trying to eat bubbles on the surface of the water, despite being well-fed twice a day.
• Repeatedly trying to eat the thermometer stuck to the OUTSIDE of the glass.didn't say they were the smartest fish in the world, just that they weren't as brainless as most cyprinids.

also, loaches are cypriniformes, but not true cyprinids.

[SmallFishi]

I have a school of Harlequin Rasbora they are very fun to watch, very peaceful keep to the mid-top of the tank and are always busy.