40 Gallon redone

[jm1212]

gouramis are very sensitive to overcrowding. all species of them can get aggressive if they're feeling cramped.

but what you're seeing is a pretty typical pecking order. usually there's one or two that loo nearly flawless, going down to the one that looks pretty rough. with 11 of them, you should be ok.

 

[FishyWarrior]

Yeah i assumed as much about the pecking order. I'm not that familiar with it in fish, is this something they take their time to figure out and mellow out once they're used to each other?

 

[Rbishop]

Tank looks great1

 

[jm1212]

Yeah i assumed as much about the pecking order. I'm not that familiar with it in fish, is this something they take their time to figure out and mellow out once they're used to each other?

once theyre established it should calm down. it will also help when you move them to a much larger tank

 

[FishyWarrior]

once theyre established it should calm down. it will also help when you move them to a much larger tank

Alright good to know, thank you!!

 

[FishyWarrior]

I was at the fish store today and saw a bunch of little red phantom tetras and i really like them a lot. Would they work out with the black skirts?

 

[fishorama]

They might, but I've never kept those together. I like them too...but I'm not a super big fan of black skirts. I think you may be right in limiting your choices with those. We only had 1 from a relocating coworker's tank, big (almost 3 inches), old & slow...but super long lived for a tetra. The guy we got it from had it for ~6 years & we kept it for ~8 more until we, too, had to rehome it before we moved. Not the prettiest of fish IMO, but that's a sturdy tetra!

I'd be tempted to ask if you can "trade" the skirts toward the red phantoms' purchase. I think you'd have a lot fewer issues with stocking. I haven't asked about that in many+ years but it used to be half of retail price for trade ins...way back in the day. Just something to consider...

 

[jm1212]

I was at the fish store today and saw a bunch of little red phantom tetras and i really like them a lot. Would they work out with the black skirts?

red phantoms can be pretty tough little fish too, and actually nippy as well. I wouldn't keep them with gouramis, angels, or other long finned fish.

if you're looking for a peaceful tetra, you're going to want some lemons, glolites, rummynoses, cardinals, neons, diamonds, emperors, black neons, penguins, etc. congos and bleeding hearts are also good choices if you have the space, though i'd argue your tank is really too small for a proper school of 12 of either of those species. both grow to 3"+

there are a couple you should avoid if you want something that will truly be a community fish. they are: serpae, black and red phantoms, buenos aries, black/white/gold/glow skirt tetras, etc. red eyes can be nippy too if they're in a tank that's too small

 

[SnakeIce]

I don't have experience with how black skirts respond to diet changes, but it is worth a trial to see if it helps any. The Sherpae tetras I had were extremely nippy towards everything, if they didn't have enough protein in their diet. If I fed them a high protein food like betta flakes they kept the occasional fin nipping within their own kind. If they lacked that every other fish in the tank was a target.

 

[FishyWarrior]

Hmm, i'm not really sure what i should do. I don't really want to take them back because i like them, but do you guys think that that's the right thing to do?