unclenedsfishfactory.com

Hi Uncle Ned, and others!

In the next few weeks I plan on taking a trip to Ned's. I'm looking to add a nice schooling fish to my 55 gallon tank, and/or possibly something different to make the tank 'pop' a little more.

Problem is, most of the schooling fish I see are the same old usual suspects. Many just silver in color or only having color on their fin tips. I'm trying to find something different/colorful if possible.

Hoping to gather some suggestions, and maybe an idea of what you guys might have available that might be interesting? Hoping to get between 6-10 fish that school at least a little bit.

Also was wondering if I could add some Apistos or other interesting but relatively easy going cichlid to this mix? Some of the pics I have seen of these fish have blown me away.

Current tank mates would include 2 German Blue Rams, 1 Festivum, 1 Keyhole, 7 Otos, and 2 Pearl Gouramies.

Thanks!

watch out for the festivum
they get a pretty cranky and quite large when they get older

schooling fish
i d k
cardinals
rummy nose
bleeding hearts
rainbowfish
dwarf rainbowfish
rasboras

Thanks! Good to know about the Festivum. I had thought that he was similar in nature to Rams and Keyholes.

Hoping to bump up to a 120 gallon come early summer. At the moment, he's pretty small and docile. But I'll def be aware of this now.

Do you think I could add either a pair of Apistos for some additional color, or a pair of Angels to this set up?

certainly

just watch out for the festivum as it matures

if you do go with the 120 g you might get away with it

Sounds great thanks!

Lots of nice barbs would work - rosy, odessa, panda, etc are all really nicely colored and far from "silver".
I love filamentrous barbs and congo tetras as well but they may also be to silvery.

I've seen many sweet tetras at Ned's - Emperors, etc, including many that I've not seen anywhere else in this state (and I order fish for one of the other stores in Mass !) - lots of them would fill the bill.

threadfin rainbows would also offer lots of "pop" without getting too big. Bosmani rainbows would add huge color (especially if Ned has the Rosario strain again) but may get a bit bigger than you are looking for. I've kept praecox (the "dwarf" rainbow) with angels - the look great together - but I don't know if the color is what you are looking for (turquoise body, red or yellow fins)/

Roseline sharks (torpedo barbs, etc) would also look nice.

For really tight, uniform, all-swimming-in-the-same-direction schooling, it's hard to beat rummynose tetras, but they may be too close to the "little silver fish" coloration for your taste.