Still cycling my 60l tank (4weeks so far and will probably need a couple more weeks too!) but Im starting to think about fishies...
I have a pea gravel base with anubias, java (fern and moss) and some dwarf hairgrass plus a couple of pieces of bogwood.
Id like something for the bottom, a nice little shoal and a couple of more prominent fish. What do you recommend???

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SUMMER...JUST SAY NO!

I love my furkids.
dogs-Adam, Hannah, Heidi.
cats-Banjo, Bess, Eric, Tootsie, Blossom, Gracie.
Syrian Hamster-Inigo Montoya.
Rats-Ezri, Audrid, Emony.
Corn Snake- Kiora.
Kenyan Sand Boa- Kushti.

RIP- Winter, Autumn, Leela, Spring, Gandalf, Summer,Jet, Pip, Moo, Lilac, Wild Thing, Patrick, Frisbee, Echo.

i would go for a few corydoras for your bottom feeders or kuli loach... a pair of dwarf grouramis are really good for smaller tanks as are guppies and platys! i would go for a few danios or marbled hatchet fish for the top strata! please let me know what you think and please feel free to pm me about any fishy questions as i will be glad to help!

Thanks! (anymore suggestions welcome!!)
I was actually thinking of a pair of dwarf gourami but Im not sure about the rest. Originally thought of Oto's but have been informed that they dont do well in a new tank.
What type of Cory's would stay small enough and how many would you need to keep them happy??
Hadnt thought about Danios though, was concentrating more on tetras and barbs, etc. *off to research*

__________________
SUMMER...JUST SAY NO!

I love my furkids.
dogs-Adam, Hannah, Heidi.
cats-Banjo, Bess, Eric, Tootsie, Blossom, Gracie.
Syrian Hamster-Inigo Montoya.
Rats-Ezri, Audrid, Emony.
Corn Snake- Kiora.
Kenyan Sand Boa- Kushti.

RIP- Winter, Autumn, Leela, Spring, Gandalf, Summer,Jet, Pip, Moo, Lilac, Wild Thing, Patrick, Frisbee, Echo.

Just to add to the above, I'd prefer to see Hatchetfish in a 3ft tank as a minimum. Honey gouramis (Trichogaster chuna) are a hardier alternative to Dwarf gouramis (Colisa lalia). The latter are highly prone to bacterial infections due to poor quality stock and many can succumb to a condition known as Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus (DGIV).

Almost all Corydoras reach the same size, which is normally about 5cm/2". The exception applies to Dwarf Corydoras (Corydoras pygmaeus) which normally only reach about 1.5"/4cm. Corydoras are naturally gregarious, and can often be found in the wild congregating in their thousands. Therefore, it is advisable to keep these catfish in a group no smaller than four individuals.

small fish are obviously the way to go here. a small shoal of small danios or tetras would look pretty nice in there. as would some smaller livebearers such as platies or guppies.
and s suggsted, for the bottom a small group of corydoras would be nice, though you would need a fair few of them, as they are a social fish and like their own kind.

i would advise against dwarf gourami, as they are really difficult to keep alive these days due to heightened disease vulnerability in the stock. as Chilly said, with the threat of DGI in the stock, its rarely worth it. if you must, go for the closely related honies instead.

Hi,

It's great when you can actually start thinking about fish. Mine is fairly new so I know how you feel.
We have a brilliant little shop a few miles away (wouldnt touch the local one.).
They recommended spotted blue eyes among a few others, said they would be quite hardy, better perhaps than some of the tetra's. I pop in once a fortnight so have gradually increased my shoal. I planned to get bottom feeders etc but these little things cover most of the tank and it's great watching the males perform so I reckon I will be sticking with them.

Hope your tank doesnt take too long and good luck with fish

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