"Alex" wrote in message
...
I've been cycling my fish tank (25 gallon) with three zebra danios for
about
six weeks now and I think it's time to add some new fish so I've got a
couple of questions:
1. Will zebra danios school with other danios species (for instance
leopard)
or I should stick only to zebras. I think it will.
2. I also want to add some barbs later. Will they co-exist with danios
peacefully or not? Any other issues with barbs?
3. What other fish would you recommend?

Thanks.

Alex.



1. in a 25 gallon tank the fish will probably not school, even with their
own kind due to the size restraints and lack of inspiration to group
together. fish like danios and tetras will take as much space as possible
(ie 100 in a 300 gallon tank will be scattered everywhere) so long as they
feel safe. if you put in a predator or something that poses a threat, their
schooling instinct goes to top priority. i heard of a guy who put an angel
in with his tetras (moron) not knowing that the tetras are natural snacks,
and his vaguely formed tetra cloud became a rigid military parade... this
was in a huge tank though.

2. depends on the kind of barb. smaller ones will coexist perfectly well,
others might be more aggressive unless you add a shoal (tiger, green tiger
come to mind.) in a 25 gallon tank you'd be hard put to set up a successful
shoal of tiger barbs AND have space for other fish, so keep new barbs small
and non-aggressive

3. harlequin rasboras are my personal favorite for schooling fish, as
they're really tough and have beautiful copper/black coloration when
healthy. if your tank is small and the temperature is stable you can add
ghost shrimp (whose antics are always hilarious while they simultaneosly
clean your tank), if you have a smooth or sandy substrate you can a small
shoal of corydoras catfish, one dwarf gourami or one male betta, african
butterfly, etc. the possibilities are limitless and of course much wider
than what i suggested. i've had a lot of experience with these fish and they
worked out fine in smaller and larger tanks, so they're all i will endorse.


PS store-bought gouramis and bettas have, for me, been historically very
succeptible to fungal infections.