About Tom Lee Expertise Experience of keeping everything from common Goldfish through to Tatia Reticulata all the to Tetradoan Suvatti. I'm good with Catfish, Goldfish, Puffers and small shoaling fish. Plus I'm based in the UK so any British questioners stop here.
Experience I've kept lots of different species. Livebearers, Bettas, Puffers, Catfish, Axolotals etc
I've lost fish to TB, ich etc. I've thought sod this for a laugh, this is a stupid hobby but I've ploughed on and I've gained loads of experience along the way.
Expert: Tom Lee Date: 5/15/2008 Subject: Compatibility
Question I am not sure if you are familiar with these fish but can't hurt to try right lol.
Tank size is not an issue I would like to know if these fish are compatible and if not what would you replace them with.
Already have and plan to move to the new tank when I figure up the gallon size needed:
5 Female platies
4 Dwarf Gouramis (2 pairs)
3 Male Guppies (May move if necessary)
Want to know if these any of these are compatible with the above:
Bosemani Rainbow
Kuhli loaches
Oto Cats
Ghost Shrimp
Zebra Danios
Gold Barbs
Cherry Barbs
Tiger barbs
Thank you for your time
Answer Hi Sonn,
The Bosemani Rainbows work well with anything else peaceful. Particularly mollies, platies etc. I'm not sure if they're fin nippers but I doubt they are.
Kuhli Loaches need to be kept in a group of six and given plenty of hiding places. Many people buy them, put them in a tank and then never see them again so a shoal is essential as single specimens tend to hide constantly. They depend highly on 'scouts' to make sure the area is safe. They should work well with all of your fish providing it doesn't get too boisterous.
Oto cats are brilliant little fish. They are usually peaceful and go well with rams etc. However keep them well fed, algae isn't enough and needs to be supplemented by wafers. They have been known to attack other fish when starved however, I'd say this was a rare occurrence that was probably borne out of sheer desperation. Keep in a group, like you would with Corydoras.
Ghost Shrimp tend to prefer cooler water like White Cloud Mountain Minnows. However you should get away with it. However, smaller Ghost Shrimps can become prey for some Locariids so be careful should you ever come to choosing a plec for the tank.
Zebra danios are reputedly fin nippers. They are top level swimmers and become boisterous. Technically they qualify as a coldwater fish and I'm worried that they will begin to pick on the Guppies. I'd give them a miss. They're good fish but compared to some of the stuff on this list they aren't all that to be honest.
Gold barbs are peaceful fish but stuff their faces at feeding time so if you do go for them make sure your other fish are receiving enough food. The bigger the group the better, females tend to be worse for being greedy.
Cherry Barbs are an excellent addition to the community set-up. They are extremely peaceful and become the kind of fish that everyone feels a bit sorry for. They enjoy each others company but a shoal isn't a massive necessity. Single specimens generally do as well as groups. Males are bright red whilst females are duller and fatter. They are pretty much extinct in the wild so it would be a good breeding project.
Tiger barbs -- the more the better. Single specimens will rip a guppy to shreads in minutes. Not out of aggression but boredom. Keep at least 6 to lower aggression towards other fish. They may be a little boisterous for the peaceful community that you are currently running.
