Fish suggestions from those that have been thru a few!

[Bradders]

Hi All,

My Oase ScaperLine 100 (250L) needs some new fish. I currently have 8 Phantom Tetra which i love, but they like to hide a lot (until dinner time and they are all over me like a rash) so was looking for fish that are tough, visible, great personality and 2-3 inches in size.

My tank is well planted, 200 days mature, water is hard, and pH is 7.5 to 6.5 based on where the CO2 is.

What would people recommend as great / bold fish to add in an amount of 8-12. I would rather hear from your personal experiences than trust the sales driven store owner.

Cheers,
Brad

 

[LMuhlen]

Do you have preference for more exotic fishes, or are the bread and butter ones acceptable?

Tricogaster leeri are interesting fishes, but suffer from being too common. Other tricogasters and dwarf gouramis are in the same category. I added them to may tank recently and I like their behavior, they are very curious, constantly interacting with the environment, and using their antena-fins to probe everything.

If you want larger tetras, you can look for congo tetras and diamond tetras. Congos are more agitated and probably won't be hiding away, preferring to swim in open waters. I've bought diamonds, but they are still in quarantine and I can't comment on their behavior.

I'm sure there are nice barbus in this size range, although I don't have personal experience with them.

There is also a multitude of melanotaenias that could meet your requirements. My brief experience with them is that, although they aren't shy, they don't have a remarkable personality. They shoal around.

 

[Bradders]

Tricogaster leeri are interesting fishes, but suffer from being too common. Other tricogasters and dwarf gouramis are in the same category. I added them to may tank recently and I like their behavior, they are very curious, constantly interacting with the environment, and using their antena-fins to probe everything.

I have been eyeing up Perl Gourami, and as I have not kept them before they are almost completely new for me! I don’t mind common - I just want interesting. And these could be a showpiece.

If you want larger tetras, you can look for congo tetras and diamond tetras.

Now, I have definitely been eyeing up the Congo Tetras. Something draws me to them. However, I have read they need at least a 120CM tank and 6 of them. My tank is only 100cm and heavily planted. I I am not sure that I should have them as a result.