Going to be too crowded?

[cbk.o4]

Hi all. Im completely new to fishkeeping hobby, but i am eager to get involved.

Ive had a few lil tanks when i was a kid but i never really took care of them, just a kid i guess. I have always wanted a huge aquarium in my house when i get older, and there is no better time than now to start learning how to take care of it you know what i mean.

So i started doing alot of research and came across alot of information i had no clue about, i.e. cycling, and how to guage how large a heater u need, things like that. One thing i have seen alot is people say that you should first decide what kind of fish u want then start thinking about tank sizes and go from there, so i did just that.

I was originally thinking about gettin a lil 10 gallon, but ive seen the stickies and read on many sites that the bigger the tank the more leeway (sp?) you have with pH and all that. So now i am thinkin at least a 20 or 25, maybe a 30 if i can really find some space in here..(heck finding space for a 20 is gonna be a project in itself). But anyways to my main question. I have decided what kind of fish i want to go in my tank, i was wondering if these would be ok in the same tank, and if they will be happy in the size tank i get.

The fish are:

2 Blue Gourami (i read somewhere that combining the different colors of that species makes them pretty aggressive)

3 Belted Brabs (i have seen it say to keep them in a decent size group to keep them calmer)

2 Glass Catfish

2-3 Black Ruby Barbs (again says be kept in schools of three or more, but i figured the other barbs would make up for the rest of the school...or was i wrong??)

and then eventually

1 Otto

also maybe a snail or something like that.

So is that too much for a 20g+ tank? Also do any of you know if those fish dont coexist with each other very well...? Any tips or secrets for keeping those fish happy i.e. live plants, or special food, or hiding spots..anything like that.

Im pretty much a sponge at this point, im willing to learn anything and everything i can about this. Criticism is welcome but please make it constructive (i know im a n00b, but im trying here)

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Big Vine]

First off, welcome to MFT!

So i started doing alot of research and came across alot of information i had no clue about

Well you seem to be headed on the right track!

Given your debate about what tank size to start with, I'm just gonna assume that you're going with a 20 gal. tank when I give you my recommendations.

The fish are:

2 Blue Gourami (i read somewhere that combining the different colors of that species makes them pretty aggressive)

Based on my experience with various mixes of opalines and/or golds, I've discovered that any combination results in a fair amount of aggression in a 20 gallon tank. Some of my gouramies died from fighting and stress, and the rest were taken back to the LFS. End of story.

However, you might have better luck. If I were to have gouramies in anything equal to a 20 gal. (or smaller), then I would probably stick to just one individual gourami.

3 Belted Brabs (i have seen it say to keep them in a decent size group to keep them calmer)

I agree, and for that reason I would keep them in a group of 5 or more.

2 Glass Catfish

Someone with firsthand experience with these will need to chime in and say for certain, but based on my research and everything I've been led to believe about this fish tells me that they are not suitable for a beginner, so I would avoid them...especially in a semi-aggressive tank (which yours would be with the barbs in it...even in spite of the 'fish profile' you linked to that says they're not as nippy as 'true' tiger barbs).

2-3 Black Ruby Barbs[/URL] (again says be kept in schools of three or more, but i figured the other barbs would make up for the rest of the school...or was i wrong??)

I'm inclined to think that they oughta be kept in a group of 5 or more, just for the sake of having their own school, although they may school just fine with the "belted barbs" you referred to earlier.

I don't have firsthand experience with barbs, although I do know that the varieties of tiger barb (original tiger, albino, and green) will school together. However, I've kept tetras in schools, and I've found that the different species of tetras do not necessarily school all that well together. Whether or not that matters terribly much is another story...

Can anyone else comment on that?

As for your idea of adding an otto later on...good thinking. It should work just fine once the tank is established.

Im pretty much a sponge at this point, im willing to learn anything and everything i can about this.

Excellent! So am I, and so should everyone who's serious about this hobby! There is lots more that can be said about setting up a tank---way too much to include all in one post. You're definitely headed in the right direction though, so nice work!

Hopefully you'll get some helpful feedback on your planned fish choices from some of the other folks on here, because I'm certainly still learning a lot about the hobby too, and I'd be interested to see what everyone else thinks about your stocking plans.

Nice to have you on board.
Big Vine

 

[S-kate]

Welcome to the tank!

I'm not familiar with the barbs you're talking about but I know many are semi agressive, so are blue gouramis. For your first tank you may want to consider some more peaceful fish. Also just keep in mind the inch of fish per gallon rule and you should be fine, as long as the fish are compatable. I think for the fish you want your looking at about at least 25 gallons. Good luck!!!*BOUNCINGS

 

[cbk.o4]

Thanks for the feedback so far. Ive been lookin around a lil more and i think instead of those 2 Blue Gourami, i might go with 1 Diamond Gourami, and scratch the glass catfish, just to give the other fish more room (those werent really a top choice lol they just looked pretty cool).

 

[echoofformless]

The blue gourami that I have, Ralph Kramden, has lived in both my ten and now in the twenty gallon tank that has replaced it.

He's a bit of a bully, but that's really the extent of his aggressiveness. Think of him as sort of a mafia don: he takes what he wants at feeding time, he stakes out his territory, he swims where he wants, and the other fish know darn well to keep from his bad side. But that's about it really. He doesn't viciously attack or kill anyone; maybe just a quick warning nip here and there.

All of the tank's residents (rasboras, barbs, loaches, zebras and a female betta) do just fine with him. In fact, I like to think he keeps everything in a good "balance of power" sort of a condition. I've even seen him defending the female betta from the barbs who try to take her food away at feeding time.

Of course, all fish are different (especially the higher evolved types like labyrinth fish) so you may get a gourami who is entirely timid or even a total creep. Either way, do consider the blue gourami...they're a good hardy fish and very nice to have around.

 

[geekrockgirl85]

here is a picture of ralph kramden playing bodyguard for his little betta girlfriend:

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I think a pearl (diamond... but I've never heard them called diamonds before) gourami would do well in there with barbs. If I were you, I'd get a pearl gourami, 4-5 belted barbs, 2-3 black ruby barbs, and an otto once the tank has been established for it. You might want to think about some bottom feeders like cories or small loaches (ie kuhli loaches or yoyos), because it looks like you'll have an empty bottom otherwise. You should have room for a school of 3 of whichever you like, and either would get along with the other fish.

PS Geekrock and Echo... I think Ralph might be a girl... see how his dorsal fin is rounded and not pointy? Then again he might just be too small for it to have grown out enough to be pointy...

 

[FishGeek]

I say: 1 Pearl Gourami, 5 Belted Barbs, 4 Cories, 3 Black Ruby Barbs, and 2 Ottos. But reccomend getting a 30G cause you are getting a Gourami.

Also I agree with Caps on Ralph.

 

[Big Vine]

PS Geekrock and Echo... I think Ralph might be a girl... see how his dorsal fin is rounded and not pointy? Then again he might just be too small for it to have grown out enough to be pointy...

I agree as well.
Big Vine

 

[cbk.o4]

do u think a male betta and a pearl gourami would fight and be aggressive toward each other? i like the long flowing fins of the male betta and kinda want a fish along those lines in the tank..but idk if the gourami and it would fight all the time, since they are both pretty territorial. (sp?)

 

[geekrockgirl85]

lol i didn't know that the blue females had the same coloring as the males... i thought all female gouramis were duller. ralph is pretty old... i think at least three years by now, so i don't think it's possible that he hasn't grown enough to have the pointy fin. i guess we'll have to change "his" name to alice kramden...

even though the boy insists that every blue gourami looks like jackie gleason.

and i would advise against the male betta and the gourami... they don't tend to get along. however, as mentioned before, we've had luck with the females. we've kept them with the blue gourami, a neon dwarf gourami, a honey gourami, and a paradise fish (however i wouldn't reccommend this unless you know and trust the temperament of both fish) without incident.

 

[cbk.o4]

i think i might just go with one pearl guorami, 4 belted barbs, and 4 black ruby barbs, then just add more later if everything goes ok. (prolly add a couple yoyo after a bit)

now to find a nice bow front tank. this should be fun.

 

[KyleBradley]

I'm selling my 20-gallon hex..with the custom hex stand with storage. Where do you live?

 

[cbk.o4]

...indiana. and u live in massachusetts.