[jellopuddinpop]

Hi Everyone!

I’m looking for the last species to fill out my tank, and I’m struggling to find something that I like. It’s a 125G tank, that currently houses 10 Boesemani Rainbows, 9 Turquoise Rainbows, and 7 Denison Barbs. The Denisons stay mostly at the bottom, and the ‘bows are mostly in the middle. I would really like to find a fish for the upper third of the tank, but everything I can find is either so small that it will get lost, or is a jumper.

A few species I was looking at:

Pearl Gourami
These get reasonably sized, and don’t jump, but I’ve read that they can be aggressive with other Pearls. For a fish that maxes out at 4”, I would want to get at least 5 or 6. Will they work out in a group that large, or am I asking for trouble?

Congo Tetra
I love the way these look, and I know that I can get a small school and they’ll be fine with each other. My concern is that they’re not necessarily a top water fish. I would hate to get a school of 6-8 of them, and just have them hang with the ‘bows, in a crowded area of the tank.

African Butterfly Fish
LOVE the way this little dude looks, but I’m pretty sure they’re jumpers.

Black Neon Tetra
OK, so these are little, but I could get a school of like 30. My concern, will they stay near the top? Every time I've seen them they are in the top third of the water column, but I can't find anywhere that confirms this is normal.

Before anyone asks, I don’t want to get a lid or screen covering. My hands are in my tank almost every day, and there is a 100% that the lid or screen won’t make it back onto the tank eventually.

Thank you!

 

[*Ci*]

I have a school of both Honey Gouramis and black Neons and they stay near the upper section of my 24” high tank, though not all of the time. They will go to the bottom to forage for food. I’m not sure that any fish is guaranteed to stay up at the top all the time...The gouramis will build bubble nests in floating plants and they like to hang out underneath, ecen when not breeding.
No jumpers in my open tank, so far.

 

[Aaronious]

Pearl Gouramis will stay near the top. Unless you have floating plants they will be pretty unhappy and more than likely sulk back in the upper corners.

I looked into the African Butterfly, but it is definitely a jumper from my research. Also, aggressive.

I don't know about those tetras, but my Serpae Tetras stay at the bottom of my tank. So double check those tetras!

I have Danios, Pearl and Golden in my 75 community. They populate the upper sections almost all the time. They shoot down to chase one another from time to time but in a large enough school they will only pay attention and mess with one another. I have about 10 of each and they don't even mess with the other type of danio. But, I did see one checking out my brand new Albino Rainbow Shark. I think because they are the same color, it was one of the Golden Danio checking it out and they are about the same size for now. But once more comfortable the Shark let it know they aren't the same. That was yesterday, so we'll see how they are when I get home.

So if you can find some danios you like, that my suggestion. oh, I haven't have any issues with them jumping.

 

[jellopuddinpop]

Pearl Gouramis will stay near the top. Unless you have floating plants they will be pretty unhappy and more than likely sulk back in the upper corners.

I looked into the African Butterfly, but it is definitely a jumper from my research. Also, aggressive.

I don't know about those tetras, but my Serpae Tetras stay at the bottom of my tank. So double check those tetras!

I have Danios, Pearl and Golden in my 75 community. They populate the upper sections almost all the time. They shoot down to chase one another from time to time but in a large enough school they will only pay attention and mess with one another. I have about 10 of each and they don't even mess with the other type of danio. But, I did see one checking out my brand new Albino Rainbow Shark. I think because they are the same color, it was one of the Golden Danio checking it out and they are about the same size for now. But once more comfortable the Shark let it know they aren't the same. That was yesterday, so we'll see how they are when I get home.

So if you can find some danios you like, that my suggestion. oh, I haven't have any issues with them jumping.

Thank you for the advice. I hadn't thought about the need for floating plants with Gouramis, but it makes sense.

My only problem with Danios is that they're sooooo small. The ones I had never schooled together like tetras, so they pretty much got lost in this huge tank.

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

dwarf neon rainbows like the top portion of the tank, and a good amount of them would be a pretty school/ shoal. They would compliment your other rainbows nicely .

 

[jellopuddinpop]

dwarf neon rainbows like the top portion of the tank, and a good amount of them would be a pretty school/ shoal. They would compliment your other rainbows nicely .

Would there be a risk of them shoaling with the other rainbows though? If not, Im digging this idea.

I just remembered, we have a resident rainbow expert. I'll just do a little chant here, and he'll appear like a genie lol...

@Greggz would Praecox rainbows keep to the higher parts of the water column, or would they just mix themselves with my Boesemani and Turquoise? While I'm thinking of Rainbows, how about Madagascar Rainbows? I had them once before, and I seem to remember them sticking to the surface.

 

[Aaronious]

Thank you for the advice. I hadn't thought about the need for floating plants with Gouramis, but it makes sense.

My only problem with Danios is that they're sooooo small. The ones I had never schooled together like tetras, so they pretty much got lost in this huge tank.

That's why you get a lot. Check out Giant Danios. I think they get to 3 or 4 inches.

 

[codyadams81]

what about marbled hatchet fish they stay at the top and are nice looking

 

[Asteroid]

what about marbled hatchet fish they stay at the top and are nice looking

Problem with hatchets is that they'll end up on the floor in an open-top tank.

 

[jellopuddinpop]

Problem with hatchets is that they'll end up on the floor in an open-top tank.

This is the only reason I didn't want them. A school of 15-20 marbled hatchets is super cool, but I know they would end up on the floor.

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

Would there be a risk of them shoaling with the other rainbows though? If not, Im digging this idea.

Now that I’m not sure, Greggz would probably know better. I know that my rainbows like to swim around with my rummynose, but they still remain at the top portion within the vicinity of the tetras