20 gal long, with panda cories

quyllur

Hi there,

I have a 20 gallon long tank which currently houses 4 panda cories and 2 ghost shrimp. If I can find more Pandas in my area I will definitely be adding 2 or 3 more to help them be comfortable. Also will probably add more shrimp cause I think they're kind of cool looking.

My city water site says that my water is soft, (< 10ppm CaCO3)
PH is around 6.4-6.6 (both in tank and from tap)

Tank is cycled, consistently with no discernible ammonia, nitrites, and around 5 ppm nitrates thanks to the plants I've got in there.

I have sand substrate, live plants, diy rock caves, an HOB filter with adjustable flow and a sponge filter, temp stays around 76-78.

Now to the question, given 6-7 panda cories and a few shrimp, I would like to add a school of 6-8 neon tetras and then a gourami. I'm thinking that I have the option of either Honey or Dwarf. First off, would a Gourami likely be comfortable in my tank, would it bully my pandas or shrimp? And which would you recommend for someone looking for a peaceful community, and as a first time Gourami owner?

tf1265

In my experience, male dwarf gouramis aren't especially "peaceful." I don't know about the females, and I haven't tried repeatedly as I had such a bad experience when I did, but I did have 2 and both of them bullied the other fish (mostly the platies, not the bottom feeders) until I got rid of them.

I'm not sure about the Honey either. So I guess I was only very slightly helpful :)

Neons sound like a great idea for your tank conditions though, I'd get a large school of those, how bright and lovely that will look!

Byron

Honey Gourami are the best choice for community tanks that are not "large." You can read more in our profile (click the shaded name) but this species should not be trouble with the other fish. Th larger gourami species are a different story.

The Dwarf Gourami is fraught with problems health-wise, as is explained in our profile of that species, and not as good a choice in your situation.

Byron.