# Shoaling/Schooling Fish



## Rikis (Apr 15, 2010)

Hello everyone, I would like to add to my community tank a set of schooling fish. I have a 29 gallon tank and currently, it has the following fish:

1 Platy (Male)
1 Swordtail (Male, so no interbreeding)
1 Angelfish
1 Bolivian Ram
1 Powder Blue Dwarf Gourami (He turned out to be aggresive, having killed my pearl gourami, but leaves every other fish alone)
2 False Flying Foxes (currently, they're about an inch big)

So I want a schooling fish, hoping to get about 5 or so. The dilemma being that they have to be big enough to not be eaten by the Angelfish (so neon tetras are out) and small enough to fit in a 29 gallon tank. I've looked into Black Skirt Tetras but I'm hoping for something with color. Any suggestions?

Also, I've reached the limit of both my LFS and would like recommendations on some online fish stores. The one that google most often points out is Live Aquaria, anyone have any experience with their fish (good or bad)?

And one last thing, I'm currently using a Marineland 350B Penguin Filter (it has a tube going into the tank, is placed in the back above, and it spits the water back out on top over two different biowheels), but I'd like to add an internal filter as well, if anyone can point me to a good brand/type I'd highly appreciate it.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

You can get a canister filter.That will help with the stocking issue.I have a Magnum 360 on my 29,lol.Its overkill but i have sensitive fish so its worth it to me.If you like the look of neons,get glolight,they are a little bigger,and instead of blue and red they are orange and black,and i find them very hardy.I also had some with my angel,and they did fine.


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## Martini2108 (Jul 23, 2010)

You could go with some red serpae tetra's. They are fast, hardy, and I think have better coloration than most other tetra's. I have 3 (had 5 lost 2 to illness) in a 20G then moved em to my 36G for distract my cichlids. Haven't seen one get caught yet and there are plenty of spaces for them to hide. Also angel's are schooling fish up until they try mating then they will get aggressive, they are a little territorial to fish around their size but that's about it. GL


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Angels pose no threat to Neons/Cardinal tetras. I have 3 Angels and about 30 Neon/Cardinals and no issues. They get along just fine. I would say you're getting close to your stock limit, since you already have fish that get a little large for a 29g. 4-5 Cardinals would be as far as I would go if I had to have more fish. They are small enough to have less of an impact to your bio-filter.


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## mfgann (Oct 21, 2010)

Hmm.. Zebra danios or glofish (which are zebra danios with the genetic modification to make them florescent in blacklight)? Those are a blur, zipping along in my 30G. They do not bother the Betta, so I would think they would not nip at the angel either. I always liked cherry barbs.. more docile, less nippy than most barbs. A _long_ time ago I remember having a tank with an angel and some cardinals.. I was a kid, but I think they did fine.

Schoolers will USUALLY be fast enough that an angel won't bother, unless he/she is a mean SOB. I think your bigger worry should be what schoolers will nip the angel. Lots of schoolers are real nippy. Keep that in mind and ask about it when considering a species.

Good luck!


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## Rikis (Apr 15, 2010)

Thank you everyone for your suggestions, even if they aren't pointing to a single species, I welcome the fact that I have a varied selection. Maybe I am running into my stocking limit, it just doesn't look like it (the tank seems empty at times) so I didn't consider that. Regardless, the schooling fish was my planned last addition to the tank.

I know that people have had luck with Neons and Angelfish. My only hesitation is that everytime I read about it, the Angelfish were juveniles and added at the same time. My Angelfish is fully grown, albeit the most docile of my current fish. The ram doesn't seem to like the Angelfish coming into his corner, but the Angelfish will just ignore the ram or peacefully and slowly swim to the other side.

When I had a Needlenose Gar (before adding the small fish), I did find that the Angelfish would eat a feeder guppie that wandered too close to its mouth, but he wouldn't actively hunt or chase them.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

Bloodfin tetras and H rasboras are awesome schoolers, neons and cardinals will too but I got 60 of them and they dont pack as tight as the 20 or so bloodfins do.

if the angel isnt actively chasing down a fry fish then that angel is very submissive.

my theory, you already got way too many fish for that small tank, I keep a pair of angels in a 29, nothing more nothing less. the ram is territorial and will inflict damage on the angel, they are both cichlids first and foremost.


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