Can I add more to this tank ?

Emg

Emg

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Jan 16, 2005
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Northeast Connecticut
emgstanks.blogspot.com
I have a 29 planted with...

2 neon dwarf gourami
2 german blue rams
4 otos
1 female betta, who probably won't stay, she harasses the rams too much (she's a beautiful yellow girl, prettiest girl betta I've seen yet)

There is one penguin 330 bio-wheel filter running on this tank, though I was considering adding a sponge filter in the back behind the plants.

I was thinking I would like to add some type of schooling fish and some cories, but not sure if that would be too much or not. I keep the water at about 80F which the gouramis and the ram prefer, but I think cories like it a bit cooler...is that correct ?

I was thinking of a school of black neon tetra.....

Here's a pic of the tank, I'm still working on it...have to get some more live plants for the right side, the one there is fake. The other side of the tank are all live plants. You can see the male ram watching over a batch of eggs down in the left corner.

I have a pair of 14 week old juvenile blue rams in that fry box there...the female betta floating in that bowl (to keep her off the rams)...and a sick male betta in the hang on cup, poor guy. (He's cured of his illness but very weak. I put him in this tank because the water is so warm, I'm surprised how long he's been hanging on. He gets vitamin loaded black worms twice a day and vitamin drops in his water along with fresh clean water at least twice a day....he's a beautiful DT copper..or WAS :sad: )

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hey EMG, just my opinion here, but i'm starting to think schools of any type of neons in a 29g are a myth. (i have the same tank and my neons won't school for nothin) They need larger tanks, and since schooling is a defense mechanism they'll need something to "scare" them into a school. Consequently a "school" of neons in a 29g means something is scaring or stressing out your fish. I tried the smae thing with neons. Now that they are settled in, they float all over the tank, very disorganized looking.

If I had it to do over, I would go with the often overlooked hatchet fish. They always hug the surface, so they look like they're schooling since they have such specific water column preferences.
 
I agree, neons have never shoaled well for me. You migh want to try something more along the lines of glo-lights or cardinals. They usually shoal better.
 
Thanks much for the comments. I have no experience with neon tetras...never had them so I appreciate the info. I did have long finned danios and didn't enjoy them at all...especially the zebra who spent all his time harassing everyone else. He's the only one I have left...figures...I have him in my "junk" tank...which is what I call the tank I keep the oddballs in. Fish that I have no specific tank setup for...a few female betta, 2 ADFs and a female golden guppie that I didn't really want...

I keep hearing that pygmy cories school together about midrange....but I have never seen these fish in any of the lfs in my area.
 
I've never had a danio experience like yours, emg. My danios were all very peaceful and always were in schools. Zebra danions are one of my favorite fish because they are so peaceful and active.

Anyways, another schooling fish you could get is white cloud minnows. I just got a few yesterday for my ten gallon and they are always schooling together. Very interesting to look at.
 
Out of all the tetras which school the best? My ideas for the SA community sort of revolved around the fact my neons would school so it would be a bit of a let down if I got a lot of independant fish.
 
Good question ps, I was wondering if there might be a tankmate that would "scare" the tetras into a school, but wouldn't actually eat them? Probably wouldn't be very good for the tetras nerves in the long run though.
 
From what I have read with most peoples experience, bala sharks are pretty peaceful and won't usually eat smaller fish. I have a few, along with a school of neons and that still is not enough to make the neons school really well! I usually end up with a group of 8 and a group of 4 :mad2: !!! Then again, balas also get too big for alot of tanks
 
Well, I'll have to ponder for a bit about what I would add to the tank then as far as schooling fish......I'd really like some panda cories, they're great little vacums....I believe if you get enough of them they hang together in a shoal...but probably more near the bottom of the tank...where my rams hang most of the time... :rolleyes:

I picked up some tall plants today and took that fake thing out that was on the right side of the tank behind the big driftwood. I'll wait till the dust settles before I take a pic and post it. I think I'll add some water sprite in the middle when I get a good crop that I can split from what I have in the 5 gallon.

It's coming along.....slow but sure... :D
 
I believe pygmy cories school and they are more mid-water cories and like to rest on plant leaves. I have harlequin rasboras and they school pretty well and are very peaceful. Good luck reorganizing your tank!
 
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