33G stocking question

[roweb_13]

Hey, I have had fish for just over a year now, but I still consider myself to be a newbie to the fish world. I have a 33 gallon tank, with 2 Opaline Gouramis, 2 Clown Loaches, 1 Rainbow Shark, 1 pleco, and 1 yo-yo [The other 2 didn't make it ] Anyways, Is there a possibility of adding some small barbs, or even more gouramis?

Thanks for the help

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I'd say the bottom of the tank is over-full once some of those guys grow up a bit. I would therefore say no on cherry barbs since they stick to the bottom levels a lot (and I think golden barbs are the same way - not sure though). I wouldn't think you've got room for a whole school of tiger barbs... sorry, at the moment can't think of any more barbs. Maybe a school of dwarf neon rainbows, they stay at around 2" or so. I think there is probably room for 5-6 of them, and they stick up at the top and are very similar to barbs but prettier (IMO) and not nippy at all.

Gouramis tend to be hard to put together - they're related to bettas so they don't really like each other that much. If your two are fine together, I would leave them alone - a new one might be bullied.

 

[FalseBandit15]

Hello Row,

I have some similar issues. I have 2 loaches, 1 caramel pleco, 3 otos, and 2 catfish sharks hanging out in my 30g tank, so i needed to get more fish towards the top of the tank. So I bought 4 serpea tetra's, and two gold barbs ( i had barbs 4 but 2 died when i had a very quick moving ich problem :'( ). The barbs will go and eat where ever they can get food but will hang out in the middle of the tank when not eating. They dont go to the top at all.

But the serpea's and the barbs are both nippy fish, so they get along with each other (for the most part lol). But dont expect them to hang out at the top. The one thing my girlfriend and myself have noticed is that these fish mimic other fish. Where they hide, where they swim and stuff. Beacuse some days they are out and having a good time, and other days they are hidding with my loachs as soon as someone passes the tank.

So I hope that helps you out a lil. Good luck, don't forget the pics!!