Is a planted aquarium necessary for Bolivian rams?

[NoodleCats]

Id start with the cardinals first.
Then the kuhlis.
Then the rams.

Decide if the rams are good enough to make the tank feel complete, and if not then add the gourami.

Few reasons.

1) kuhlis are shy so if added first you may not actually see them for awhile and that may be boring while waiting to add the rest. Cardinals give you something more active up top to enjoy while you wait.

2) kuhlis need a more mature setup rather than freshly cycled, so waiting a little bit longer for them would be good, but same time I'd add the kuhlis before the ram just to err on the side of caution in case the ram is territorial on the bottom level, if added before, the ram may feel the kuhlis are invading his space, rather than him joining their space.

 

[JoBroCo]

Does it matter what kuhli loach like the Black or silver kuhli loach. From what I read in terms of length they are similar but are there any differences I would need to know about.

 

[fishorama]

They are 2 (or more) different species of pangio, kuhli is actually just 1 kind of striped but everyone calls them all that. I've had both striped & black. I had the striped semicinctas for several years then added some black oblongas. The striped were more mellow & people interactive, the black were more active but more people shy. They all get along but know they're different. Each species would like several of the same to hang out with. I like to have at least 6 of schooling/shoaling species, more is better.

 

[JoBroCo]

Okay I was making sure since when I looked them Up I saw at least 2 different type of kuhlis and was wondering If there was any difference other than color. Im get striped kuhlis since They seem to be more common.

 

[fishorama]

I by far preferred my striped pangios! They are prettier & more mellow IME + IMO. Get at least 8 if you can & like Noodle said let the tank age for a while.

Ya know, I might say cardinal tetras can be a bit delicate at first. Ask questions like how long have you had them? Have many died since then? Then study them very hard, as you should any fish you're considering buying. Look for even 1 or 2 tiny white dots on fins or bodies, like salt. Red gills are not good. But especially with cards & neons, study the blue line & less, the red line. You DO NOT want tetras with a whitish area that interrupts or "bends" their blue stripe (or less often the red). This is a sign of the incurable "neon tetra disease". You don't want that & other tetras can get it but less often.

If you have a savvy fish friend, have them go to the shop with you even before you're ready for fish to train your eye for healthy fish. Sick fish will be a huge bummer for your first 1s especially. Also look for split or frayed fins (could be minor), any red or white splotches, lumps, etc. on bodies (BAD!). Red gills aren't too good either, although pinkish can be "normal" for some fish). Learn how to look before you buy. This is a very important skill to master! It's much better to wait if any of the fish you want look questionable, you really truly want healthy 1s!