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I have a 29-gal aquarium with a Cory, a Plecostomus, and Gouramies (a baby pearl, gold, opaline, and a baby honey), and 3 mystery snails. I would like to add more fish, maybe some that preferred to swim at either mid or lower level – my Gouramies gather near the top and the rest of the tank seems empty. What other kind of fish can I add to my tank to make it look “fuller”? Maybe a schooling type… I do not know. Does anybody have any ideas?

To be honest, you need to focus on other fish first. If that pleco is a common plec, then it will reach around 18 inches, much too big for your tank. Also, you should move both your opaline and gold gouramis before adding other fish, as they both reach about six inches, and *can* become aggressive.
After that, you should add more cories. They are best kept in groups of at least six of the same species, so I'd add at least five more of the ones you already own. I'm not trying to make you look bad or inexperienced, I just want you to know what I think is right. The fish that you have will either outgrow your tank, or die.

Once you've done that (or not), I recommend adding a school of tetras for the middle level of your tank. Most kinds are peaceful (some nip fins), and will easily fit in your tank. Also, they frequent the middle of the water, and are often quite beautiful fish.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

i have 3 Gouramies in with guppies & one Male Betta
it's a 20 Long tank.
The guppies scavange the bottom and get what the Gouramis miss, plus they're cute. they don't really school which is good bcuz then there's fish all over the tank. The Betta goes all over and when he's resting he goes behind the filter to hide.

I agree that you need to move -- or at the very least, keep an eye on -- the gouramis. Pearls are fairly peaceful, but the other two have a reputation for being aggressive, so don't be surprised if they start fighting and/or picking on the pearl.

I recently added a gold gourami to my 29 with a pearl, 2 platys, 7 glo-lites and 2 rams. The gold constantly harassed the entire tank until I took him back about 3 wks later.

I have 2 blue dwarf gouramis in with half a dozen red rasboras and a dwarf pleco. thinkin about some dwarf chain loaches too

hmm i think you should get rid of the opaline and depending on what kind of plec it is, you should either get rid of it or trade it in for a small species. then i would get more corys and maybe some small schooling fish if you want, or a couple of mid-sized fish, like maybe some swordtails or barbs of some kind? or maybe a ram?

edit: oh i read it too fast and i didnt see that you have a gold AND opaline... I think you should lose the both the gold and opaline gouramis and maybe get another more peaceful gourami such as a moonlight or maybe another pearl. I would say a dwarf gourami would be nice, but I dont think it would get along with the honey. perhaps if they had enough space.

Last edited by devon7 at 27-Nov-2004 13:53

you can add more fish now but when the gouramis grow to adulthood your tank will be overstocked.

I keep angels with dwarf gouramis and they get along great.

I'll second some of the replies above in moving or getting rid of that pleco while he is small. Here are a couple of shots of one I rescued from a friends tank (14 inches and still growing !)

http://www.peggydunn.com/photos/pleco1.jpg

http://www.peggydunn.com/photos/pleco2.jpg

http://www.peggydunn.com/photos/pleco3.jpg



Last edited by PeaceB2U at 28-Nov-2004 14:49

I beleive the tank will be overstocked, as the opaline and gold gourami's can get larger than people relise.
If you have to add fish I suggest nothing which grows bigger than 7.5cm and anything smaller than 3cm as the gouramis may take them as a food item.

[font color="#000080"]I reckon you should remove one of the gouramis, if not both of them. And then add other smaller fish like a pair of blue or bolivian Rams, or if you really want gouramis get 1 or 2 dwarf gouramis. Dwarf gouramis are more peaceful, grow alot smaller and generally have better colours.

As Books said you should add more cories (same species), 7 is considered to be a good number for cory schools.

Also find out what type of pleco you have, if it's a BN (bristle-nose catfish) it will be fine, But if it's a Common pleco you'll have to remove it.

gotta agree on all of the earlier stuff. those gouramis are just going to get too big and mean. i used to have a female blue that was friendly at first, then turned into a real terror as she got bigger. I'd say get rid of the blue and gold and get a mate for your pearl and definately add to that cory group with at least a few more. If you want a small school that's up to you, but no matter what it's best to give up that pleco young and healthy rather than get all attached and mourn his early death in a small tank.

The pottery that growls!