A new tank: 33g long. Glowlights, black neons, something else?

Leopardess

Leopardess

Everything's eventual.
Aug 13, 2003
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Okay, so hubby bought me this 33g long tank that I spied at the fish store the other day. It's got really cool dimensions (48" by 13" by 12" - I think) and I've wanted a tank that shape for quite awhile. Of course, I agreed to take down four 10g tanks if I could get this one. That's fine.

Now, for the fish. It will be a planted tank with a lot of open space and will have one school of one type of fish. The fish must be small. I have glowlights in the 55g and have always liked them. They're hardy, easy to find, rather attractive, stay very small, and school well. I'm leaning towards a school of, say, 20 of them in the new tank.

However, I have also considered black neons - which I have not had. Does anyone have anything to offer about these fish? I'm not convinced I like them (in appearance) as much as the glowlights but I'm open.

The only thing I won't consider are neons/cardinals. I've had them and don't want more.

I've also considered things like pygmy rasboras (but they're hard to find).

Does anyone have any small schoolish fish that they really enjoy? I am interested in personal experience. Anyone have silvertip tetras? They look nice - though they get a bit larger.
 
If it's a planted tank and you want to add some colors...perhaps a school of 10 or so Lemon Tetras! they're pretty and very mellow/docile & get along with just about eberything.

As to a centerpiece fish(S)...

Perhaps a pair of Dwarf Gouramis!
 
Thanks tetra. I'm actually not going to have a centerpiece tank. The fish in this one will be more to add to the aquascape. I've got so many tanks that are more busy that I just one one very simple one, probably with an iwagumi style layout.

I probably should have mentioned, also, that I am not sure about using fish that are more rounded in shape. Because of the long dimensions of this tank, I'm thinking a sleeker fish may look nicer.

I've heard a lot of good things about lemon tetas. A friend of mine swears they school better than any other fish he's had.

Maybe pencilfish...hm...
 
can't go wrong with a pair or blue rams.
 
Hehe while I do like rams, I'm looking for one group of schooling fish:) There are so many, I'm having a hard time deciding! I can research all I want, but I want some personal experience (for instance, I hear those lemon tetras school very well - but they may be too round-bodied for this tank). I've had, or have, scissortails, all sorts of rainbows, hatchets, harlequins, neons, glowlights, white fins, congos, others I am forgetting.

Unless someone can convince me that they just adore their black neons, or some other small schooling fish, I'm leaning toward the glowlights.
 
I have 10 of the porkchop rasboras
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Trigonostigma_hengeli.php

They are small (1-1/4 inch when grown) and lively. I have had them for almost 2 months. They occasionally go off on their own but MOST of the time they are still schooling together, back and forth, back and forth, in a group across my 50 gallon long, so that the tank looks so bare everywhere else. There isn’t even anything else in there to “make” them school. Just a dwarf gourami and he’s more scared of them, even though he’s so much bigger. There will be more fish in the tank eventually, but that’s all so far.

Espe’s are a bit nicer, more red and an eensy bit bigger, but I really, really like mine.
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Trigonostigma_espei.php
 
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