Rummy nose have had the best schooling behavior for me. Everyone else does their own thing once they get comfortable, my rummy nose still stick together very well and they contrast very well in a planted tank.
Deciding on schooling fish
Hey everyone,
So as soon as I get my aquascaping redone I am going to be adding some more fish. I already have a few guppies and a pair of blue rams that are doing great ( even though they stay in plants unless eating) I am rescaping so I can see more of them. Right now my whole floor is covered with anubias (stuff spread like crazy), little bit of java fern and some crypts so they just stay on the bottom and i never see them. So needless to say I want to add a schooling fish. I have had neons and cardinals before and they never really did much even when I upped my cardinal school to about 20 (different tank). They just stayed hidden in my tall plants. So I want a fish that will be out front and stay in nice school preferably (as long as they don't hide I am good). So I went and checked out my local LFS and they had a few I don't know much about: Lemon tetras, black and ruby barbs, harlequin rasboras and bleeding heart tetras. Just so you know I will be adding 6-8 juli corys and either a pearl gourami or 1 Angelfish (probably gourami as i know the angel would be happier paired). I can easily get more fish from much better LFS this weekend so if you have suggestions let me know. So here are tank specs
36 gallon bowfront
Completely cycled for over a year, I keep my water pristine for my rams
PH 7.5 (local bred rams so they are fine)
Even though I have high ph I have soft water due to water softener(we have well water)
white sand substrate
Plants: java fern, anubias, crypts, corkscrew val, 1.8 WPG
TIA
So as soon as I get my aquascaping redone I am going to be adding some more fish. I already have a few guppies and a pair of blue rams that are doing great ( even though they stay in plants unless eating) I am rescaping so I can see more of them. Right now my whole floor is covered with anubias (stuff spread like crazy), little bit of java fern and some crypts so they just stay on the bottom and i never see them. So needless to say I want to add a schooling fish. I have had neons and cardinals before and they never really did much even when I upped my cardinal school to about 20 (different tank). They just stayed hidden in my tall plants. So I want a fish that will be out front and stay in nice school preferably (as long as they don't hide I am good). So I went and checked out my local LFS and they had a few I don't know much about: Lemon tetras, black and ruby barbs, harlequin rasboras and bleeding heart tetras. Just so you know I will be adding 6-8 juli corys and either a pearl gourami or 1 Angelfish (probably gourami as i know the angel would be happier paired). I can easily get more fish from much better LFS this weekend so if you have suggestions let me know. So here are tank specs
36 gallon bowfront
Completely cycled for over a year, I keep my water pristine for my rams
PH 7.5 (local bred rams so they are fine)
Even though I have high ph I have soft water due to water softener(we have well water)
white sand substrate
Plants: java fern, anubias, crypts, corkscrew val, 1.8 WPG
TIA
1 - 20 of 22 Posts
That's funny you mention rummynose. I think they are so cute with that little striped tail. I almost got them instead of cardinals last time but my daughter wanted the blue fish so I went with cardinals and regretted it. I mean they didn't hide all the time they just seem to hang out in the tall plants A LOT :icon_conf . So I was kind of worried rummynose would do the same thing. Even though I guess that could be said for any fish. Thanks for your input now I have 1 more to think about. Keep it coming.Rummy nose have had the best schooling behavior for me. Everyone else does their own thing once they get comfortable, my rummy nose still stick together very well and they contrast very well in a planted tank.
A lot of people will argue between rummynose tetras and bloodfin tetras for their tight-schooling behavior. IME bloodfins school tighter, although marginally.
I don't really care for bloodfins (just never called out to me) I will take a second look at rummynose though.A lot of people will argue between rummynose tetras and bloodfin tetras for their tight-schooling behavior. IME bloodfins school tighter, although marginally.
Anybody have experience with lemon tetras, bleeding hearts, harleys or black and ruby barbs (especially if they are nippy) I was just looking at my old LFS website, that I will be near this weekend and they had a gold neon tetra. I have never seen nor heard of them. Are the GM? Or just another color morph? The neons did better than cardinals I was just tired of the blue and red. Also a gold tetra? So any thoughts
There are black neon tetras, which are also very nice, but rummys are tighter schoolers. I have both, although my rummys are very shy and hide in the back of some driftwood a lot.
I have bleeding heart tetras, they form a loose school. I believe they are referred to as a shoaling species. They are one of my favorites.
I have schools of bleeding heart, red eye, phantom and cardinal tetras.
The bleeding heart tetras are 3" long and 1.5" tall and my largest tetra by far. They really make a statement.
None of my fish are aggressive toward each other.
I have schools of bleeding heart, red eye, phantom and cardinal tetras.
The bleeding heart tetras are 3" long and 1.5" tall and my largest tetra by far. They really make a statement.
None of my fish are aggressive toward each other.
I too like tightly schooling fish and just got some Harlequin Rasboras last week. So far I really like them. They do tend to stay close and they have an interesting way of swimming with sort of a "scissor-kick" motion with their tail fins.
Haven't had any of the others so I really can't compare.
I get weirded out by the red heads of the rummy-noses. Something about the redness makes them look sick or injured to me...
Haven't had any of the others so I really can't compare.
I get weirded out by the red heads of the rummy-noses. Something about the redness makes them look sick or injured to me...
Thanks. I think I have ruled out rummy nose, I have read they do the same as my cardinals. So that leaves rasboras (I am leaning towards as everything I have read suggest they school well and don't hide) I really like the bleeding hearts but I think they may be too big for my 36 gallon with a school and the other fish I want. I am still interested in lemon tetras, but am worried they wont color up with my higher Ph (also worried about that with the rasboras) Any thoughts?
I just got twelve ember tetras and they are a pretty cool fish. They stay pretty tight and are coloring up nice after just a day.
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I like embers too but from what I read they like the water cooler than 80. It's the lowest I can go for my rams. :-(
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My roommate had pristella tetras in his discus tank and they stayed in a pretty tight school, although they aren't the greatest fish to look at IMO.
If you mean don't school tightly I have never seen that. Every time I've kept rummies they stayed in tight schools long-term as opposed to cardinals that after a month or so just kinda scatter and hang around.Thanks. I think I have ruled out rummy nose, I have read they do the same as my cardinals. So that leaves rasboras (I am leaning towards as everything I have read suggest they school well and don't hide) I really like the bleeding hearts but I think they may be too big for my 36 gallon with a school and the other fish I want. I am still interested in lemon tetras, but am worried they wont color up with my higher Ph (also worried about that with the rasboras) Any thoughts?
My personal favorite, slightly larger tetra are candy cane tetras. Tbh, I can't comment on their schooling, but I can say that I think they look super awesome!
Aside from that, rams and cardinals are a classic combo, I think rummy nose would look cool as well. I think I prefer the less common though, because emperor tetras look sick too
Really, I don't think you will be going wrong with anything.
Aside from that, rams and cardinals are a classic combo, I think rummy nose would look cool as well. I think I prefer the less common though, because emperor tetras look sick too
Really, I don't think you will be going wrong with anything.
I meant that they hide. If they stay in a school but hidden in my tall plants to me they aren't worth having. I like fish I can watch. As am reading my post I truly don't want you to think I am being rude. I just wanted to explainIf you mean don't school tightly I have never seen that. Every time I've kept rummies they stayed in tight schools long-term as opposed to cardinals that after a month or so just kinda scatter and hang around.
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I have never seen candy cane tetras in person but if I was looking at right picture than they kinda look like bleeding hearts. I like the bleeding hearts I just don't know if a good school would fit in my small 36 gallon with all the other fish I want. Are they the same size?My personal favorite, slightly larger tetra are candy cane tetras. Tbh, I can't comment on their schooling, but I can say that I think they look super awesome!
Aside from that, rams and cardinals are a classic combo, I think rummy nose would look cool as well. I think I prefer the less common though, because emperor tetras look sick too
Really, I don't think you will be going wrong with anything.
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I was looking at a Portland lfs bc it's cheap shipping to here(WA) and they have a yellow phantom tetra that looks pretty cool. Anyone have experience or seen them in person, I know pics usually don't do some fish justice. I want to learn more about them and I think also they harlequin and emporor are still in the running. I have read empires will do fine in 80, and I really like them.
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I have yellow phantoms and both species of emperor tetras. None of them are very tight schooling fish. Loose shoalers at best. The yellow phantoms color up very nice as do the emperor's. The emperor's do get a bit territorial of each other sometimes, but nothing out of hand.
Have you considered the rummynose rasbora (Sawbwa resplendens)? They are a really pretty blue color with the red nose. I have had them and they are similar to other rasboras in that they are neither aggressive nor shy. http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/sawbwa-resplendens/Thanks. I think I have ruled out rummy nose, I have read they do the same as my cardinals. So that leaves rasboras (I am leaning towards as everything I have read suggest they school well and don't hide) I really like the bleeding hearts but I think they may be too big for my 36 gallon with a school and the other fish I want. I am still interested in lemon tetras, but am worried they wont color up with my higher Ph (also worried about that with the rasboras) Any thoughts?
That is a really cool fish. I have never seen or heard of them. I will definitely be asking my LFS about them. Thanks.
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