Looking for schooling fish suggestions

4344 Views 30 Replies 18 Participants Last post by Discusdude7, May 7, 2014

AquaAurora

Discussion Starter · May 1, 2014

I'm looking for a small schooling fish to round out my 20g long planted tank, as I think i needs more activity. I'm leaning towards spotted blue eyes (gertrudes) but hear they can be shy and out competed for food. I thought about trying zebra danio, but had read they can be fin nippers or aggressive towards other top dweller fish (betta needs to come up for air), and that their constant dart-y swimming nature may stress bettas.
I'm having a hard time finding something that says appropriately small (under 2"), schools, is not too timid it could get starved out for food (by beta taking it) or too aggressive and hurt/stress the betta.
Any suggestions or first hand accounts of keeping zebrea danio or spotted blue eyes with betta would be appreciated.
Please don't suggestion neon/cadnal or other extremely simular/common tetra, I refuse to keep those fish after seeing my niece keep them (long story.. short version: lack of care, over breeding, and mutations)

Here are the stats:
Tank: 20g long (30x12x12)
temp: 77-78F
pH: 7.5
gh: 160
kh:70
ammonia and nitrtie: 0
nitrate: 10
Fish: 4 otos (may add 2 more), 1 delta tale male betta
Substrate: sand
well planted + floaters

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1 - 20 of 31 Posts

adamprice271

· #2 · May 1, 2014

Marble Hatchetfish, forktail rainbowfish, celebes half beaks, silver halfbeaks, bloodfin tetras, Threadfin rainbow, Harlequin rasbora.... Any of those strike your fancy?

Grah the great

· #3 · May 1, 2014

Halfbeaks probably get a little bigger than he wants, but the others sound fine.

Duck5003

· #4 · May 1, 2014 (Edited)

blue eyes are striking. A friend of mine with a 30 breeder has a school of 20 neons, 10 embers, and 4 or so blue eyes? They do fine for him and with all the other fish. He also has a female betta in this tank and i forget what kind of pleco.

I recently have been keeping one of my dumbo hmpk in with danio tinwini and they all get along great. tinwini are one of my all time favorite small schoolers, they are beautiful fish and love to flare and show off for each other. They also look great in a green dominant tank.

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In2wishin

· #5 · May 1, 2014

I am a big fan of white clouds, especially the smaller Vietnamese White Clouds. School nicely, hold their own but not aggressive.

Duck5003

· #6 · May 1, 2014

In2wishin said:
I am a big fan of white clouds, especially the smaller Vietnamese White Clouds. School nicely, hold their own but not aggressive.

+1 white clouds fit the bill as far as non aggressive and not voracious eaters. I have them in with my osphros. They are a lot of fun to watch flare and court also.

thelub

· #7 · May 1, 2014

Rumynose are great for schooling and aren't tooo active. Gertrudes rainbows and featherfin rainbows are cool too.

AquaAurora

Discussion Starter · #8 · May 2, 2014

Thank you everyone for the suggestions! I'll read into each fish over the next day or two as I have free time^^
Still open to hear more options/testimonials too

AquaAurora

Discussion Starter · #9 · May 2, 2014

Ok so I've done some looking up on the fish listed, some don't fit my original criteria (size mostly), or aren't quite what I'm looking for appearance wise. Other's aren't very compatible with my water/tank conditions (temp, pH) which is a shame because i love the look of the rummynose.. but my water is too alkaline and hard.
Soo looks like I'm down to blue eyed gertrudes and danio tinwini, my problem is I cannot find any US sellers of either species, only Europe, Asia, and Australia :c
edit: my lfs don't have squat for variety in stock, 0% chance they'd ever have these

Duck5003

· #10 · May 2, 2014

I can help you with both

PM coming

AquaAurora

Discussion Starter · #11 · May 2, 2014

Duck5003 said:
I can help you with both PM coming

Omg seriously!? you're too awesome

Grah the great

· #12 · May 2, 2014

ASIAN rummynose might interest you, if you like the tetra. The males are blue with the orange nose, and like hard water.

AquaAurora

Discussion Starter · #13 · May 2, 2014

I just realized... I mis-read water hardness on fish information sites as ppm rather than dKH 'doh' >.< Would explain why I thought soooo many fish needed such freaking soft water.

In2wishin

· #14 · May 2, 2014

AquaAurora said:
I just realized... I mis-read water hardness on fish information sites as ppm rather than dKH 'doh' >.< Would explain why I thought soooo many fish needed such freaking soft water.

I want to again push the white clouds (assuming you like the look). My water is very hard and they do extremely well. The celestial pearl danios do well in my harder water too but they can be a bit shy.

AquaAurora

Discussion Starter · #15 · May 2, 2014

Stats about white clouds show they are more cool water fish so not compatible with my tank

SueD

· #16 · May 3, 2014

Take a look at black neon tetra and kerri blue tetra

In2wishin

· #17 · May 3, 2014

AquaAurora said:
Stats about white clouds show they are more cool water fish so not compatible with my tank

I keep mine at 76° in my community tank with black neons and a dwarf gourami and they do great (as always YMMV). The only fish that have lived longer than these have been my Glowlight Rasboras (Trigonopoma pauciperforatum). The cherry spot rasbora (Rasbora rubrodorsalis) is another very pretty fish in a school.

Krispyplants

· #18 · May 3, 2014 (Edited)

Or you can be like me and have some celestial pearl danios. :wink: Mines are still juveniles though.

AGUILAR3

· #19 · May 3, 2014

I have a 20h with 7 cardinal tetras. What would be a nice colorful hardy fish that stays under 1" and are compatible with cardinals?

My son wants either Ember tetras, mosquito or spotted dwarf rasboras. Thoughts or suggestions?

Slippryrock

· #20 · May 4, 2014

1. Black diamond neon tetras. These are probably a tighter schooling fish than even rasboras.

2. Harlequin rasboras

3. Fire green tetras. great fish, not a great schooler

4. Rummy nose tetra. great schooler but very sensitive.

5. CPD's Celestial pearl danio. awesome beautiful little fish but will stay in hiding most of the time.

6. Rainbow werneri. probably not good with a betta though.

7. Columbian tetras.

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