Stocking a 23 gallon

[Finney]

Hi,
I’ve had my 23 gallon tank set up and cycled for 2 months now. So far, my stock is:

3 male guppies
1 male platy
2 julii cories
2 blue rams (they spawn every few weeks)

Since I’ve been able to keep my rams healthy, I think my water quality and maintenance is pretty good. For some reason, the nitrate is always zero in my tank (but it is cycled).

I’m trying to decide what other fish to put in the tank. I would love to try something like a single discus or angelfish, but I think my tank is too small and that might be pushing my limited fishkeeping experience. The tank has some live plants and driftwood. I would ideally like to have a nice centerpiece fish or two. Here are some ideas I have:

1 male powder blue dwarf gourami (I’ve heard they can be mean though) OR
1 pearl gourami
4 dwarf neon rainbows (1 male, 3 females) OR
5 rummynose tetras (I hear they are hard to acclimatize?)

Any thoughts on combining some of the above fish with my current tank inhabitants? I think I’m leaning towards the dwarf neon rainbows if I can find any. Thanks.

 

[Pure]

Wile the tank may be large enough, you are right in the assumption a discus or angel would not be a good mix. The discus likes hotter water temps then most of your fish can handle, and are just not a good idea for a community setup, unless you choose the tank mates carefully around the discus.

The angel will destroy your guppys, and platie. Otherwise would work.

From what you give as a want, my personal choice is going to be the rummy nose.

Yes a little bit of attention needs to be paid to them when you first get them. After buying them one of the most important things you can do is get home ASAP. This is with any fish, but more so for Rummys. Once home a slow drip acclimation is best IME to ensure they make it through the first night. Once you make it that far you will greatly increase your chances of them living if you feed them frozen baby brine shrimp for the next couple of weeks. Slowly working them over to flake or what ever food you use.

IME starvation is one of the leading reasons for the demise of new rummy nose in any tank. It takes a wile for them to adjust and settle down enough to start trying anything other than frozen foods. I've regretfully gone through about 40 of them learning this stuff.

 

[GeraldTheMouse]

You could add a few more corys, as they to be in groups. I think you might be able to have a dwarf gourami in that tank.

 

[VirgoWolf]

I'd definitly get at least 1 more Cory. I also have to agree with Pure on the rummynose suggestion if you think you can be diligent with them in the beginning. They are a GEORGIOUS fish and they are different and would stand out well against the plants/driftwood and would be AWESOME with guppies, so much color and beauty!

Or cut the rummys and add more guppies/platties, they aren't schooling fish, but you don't really have much room for a large school of anything else, so I'd personally go with something like moonlight or dwarf gourami with maybe a couple more platties or guppies.

 

[Finney]

Thanks for the advice. I'll have to see what looks healthy at the LFS today.

If I do get one more cory, does it have to be a julii? Or would, say a panda cory, be happy with the 2 juliis? Also, my LFS had these dark gold colored cories last time, I'm not sure of the name. Has anybody seen a cory like that? I don't want to get it if it's dyed (I don't think it was, but I've never seen one like it before).

 

[Lotus]

Cories really don't do as well with a mixed school. I would recommend another Julii or two.