20 gal high stock

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0live

128 mb tempura
Mar 14, 2008
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area code 401
Good afternoon! I wanted to run my stocking idea by the group and get any feedback you may have to offer.

My original idea was to do an south american tank, but then when I got the tank (which was given to me by a friend who didn't want to spend money on it any more after the filter died) I found that it had 3 harlequin rasboras and an angel fish that was getting too big. I was able to bring the angel to the LFS and get store credit. Left with the rasboras I started to think about what would go well with them. I'm thinking I'll get more rasboras to make them a school.

20 gal Stock Idea:

12 Harlequin Rasboras
12-20 Bee shrimp
Badis


I've never kept Badis before, but from what I've read, they can do well in well planted tanks. I've kept shrimp before but not usually in tanks with fish unless they were larger species of shrimp. I am planing on planting the tank once I get my hands on some eco-complete and finish building my lighting setup. Do you think I can do scarlet badis, or do I need to stick with badis badis? Should I cut that Rasbora school down and add something else?
 
I'm not overly familiar with badis, but I think there may be some aggression issues at some point if you have a mated pair. That said, I think they're largely benthic, so there shouldn't be much "territory" overlap.

I think the harleys would appreciate a longer tank, but they should otherwise be okay. The badis may hunt/eat shrimplets.

If, during further research, you find that badis isn't the answer for you, consider looking at something like a panda garra, or a pair of rams. The garra look cool, but I don't know much about them, and the rams (Bolivian, Electric Blue, German Blue, Golden, whatever species) are largely benthic, and *will* hunt shrimplets, although they'll pretty much leave the adults and larger juvies alone.
 
Yes, they do. Mine will eat any of the small shrimplets, but once the RCS get to be about half an inch or so in size, they mostly leave them alone.
 
Okay.. so if the harleys want a longer tank, should I see if the LFS will buy them and start over?

Honestly, I love rams, but I was thinking Asian species here.
 
Harleys would appreciate a longer tank, but I'd imagine a 20 H is still sufficiently large enough for them. Like many active fish, sufficient is good, more is better.

Hmm. Asian species. I think the panda garra is, and if the badis turn out to be something you decide against, that's an option for you to consider.
 
I don't know that I'd want the garra. I think I need some kind of centerpiece like gourami.. but I like the idea of the badis... If I can get my shrimp colony going well before I add it as I'm pretty sure it will pick off the shrimplets, though not as much as rams would.. I remember when I got my bolivian, my 29g was shrimpless in less than a week.

maybe gold barbs? I could halve my rasboras and have 1/2 doz gold or cherry barbs..
 
Sure. Cherries are a pretty docile group of barbs, typically.
 
The bottom line? Within reason, what will make *you* happy, while not being unfair to your fish? There are so many species, even with limiting to Asian species, to choose from. Microrasboras, barbs, and danios are all viable options, and even with those broad headings, you have dozens of options. Rummynose rasboras (sawbwa resplendens, in case you have them under a different name locally) instead of the harlequins, possibly?

Generally, I think you can select tank mates for badis the same way you would for a ram, because badis and rams have some behavioral similarities.
 
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