# What is a good fish for a planted nano tank?



## Ray1214 (Aug 6, 2003)

So far I have a pretty good sized list but looking for more:
1. Sparkling gournamis...Stay within 1/2 inch
2. Hephastus Cories...Stay within 1/2 inch.
3. Honey Gournamis (Dwarf)...found only two stores that can order them in Atlanta, they are a type of sparkling gournamis but instead of silver they are honey golden...stay within 1/2 inch.
4. African Dwarf Leaf Fish...stay within 3/4-1 inch.
5. African somekind of dwarf catfish...looks like a minature raphael but stay within 1/2-1 inch. I have only found them once.
6. White cloud minnows....includes gold ones...stay within 1 inch...
7. Neon tetras...kinda on the larger side...stay within 1 to 1 1/2 inch.
8. Chocolate Gournamis....little harder to feed, they need frozen or live, no flake...stay within 2 inches.
9. Bettas...largest nano fish in my opinion....
10. Shell dweller cichlids..I have two in a pico tank...stay so far over a year under 1 inch...don't remember the actual name...

Any other suggestions?

Ray


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## Remus (Jul 14, 2004)

Hello Ray,

nice list you posted here. The link below will lead you to a site that is dedicated to fish for planted nanos. It is in german, but the fish are given with a picture and their scientific names. Also, lengths are in centimetres (one inch = 2.5 cm)

http://www.gantschnigg.net/minibecken/mini_2.html


See you


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## Ibn (Nov 19, 2003)

Most of the fish on this list are neon size and larger. The size quoted aren't really correct (e.g. sparkling and honey dwarfs will easily top 1/2").

If you can find them, take a look at mosquito rasboras (Boraras brigittae) since they are within the range that you're looking at and also offer decent coloration. Same applies for green neons (not the common one).


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## GraFFix (Feb 21, 2005)

Some Endlers would be great too.

http://www.petfish.net/endlers.htm

http://www.aquaworldaquarium.com/Endler's_Livebearer.html


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## Aphyosemion (Oct 15, 2004)

If you have a very small nano tank (I am thinking pico tank), your list should look more like this:
Common guppies
Neon tetras
Cardinal tetras
White Cloud Minnows
Kuhli Loaches
Any small cories
Harlequin rasboras
Small tetras under 1"


Ghost shrimp
Amano shrimp
Cherry shrimp
Green Shrimp
etc...

I'm sure there are more, but that is right off the top of my head. Also, to me a nano tank is one that is smaller than 10 gallons and a pico tank is one that is 2 gallons or less. The fish and shrimp I listed work great in pico tanks, but you could go a little larger for something closer to 10 gallons.
-Aphyosemion


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## TommyBoy (Jan 7, 2005)

*from my experience with nano-/pico-tank fish species*

1) all my tanks are under 6 gal. most are 1 gal or less. my general rules of thumb, I guess, could be said to be:
1a) species or "community"? 1st decide based upon size & personality/temperament of fish
1b) maintainable water quality/water conditions/tank set up/plant mix (at approx. 50/50) trump size/number formulae.
1c) for "community" tanks... no more than 2-4 types of "big enough to see" living creatures (fish, snails, shrimp) in tanks 2.5 gal or less. no more than 5-7 in 5+ gal tanks.

2) concur with recommendation on mosquito rasbora. generally many of the "nano" (VERY small/1" or less) rasbora seem to do well so long as you tend the water & pick the right tankmates. two other families that I've found ideal as the show fish: anabantoids (bettas, smaller gourami, badis/dario, day's paradise fish), and killies (Nothobranchius, Aphyosemion & soon Rivulus).

3) by size/termperament:
3a) small size fish: 
- most VERY small rasobora (mosquito, exclamation point, neons, dwarf/pygmy, etc.). NOT cross-band/emeralds though. they really like to suddenly dart long distances and can't in small tanks. keep in groups of 7, 12, or more. be careful since most of these fish require gentile tankmakes. small gourami (choco's, pygmy and honey/C chuna) seem to me to be too agressive for all of them when the gourami are breeding. I am looking to set up a licorice gourami nano rasbora tank. I'll let ya know how that one goes.
- any dwarf corys  (hasborus, hastus, pygmeaus, etc.). keep in groups of 3, 5, 7, or 10.
- scarlet badis (aka dario dario ...). 1 M:2-3 F. or 3-5 M:0 F. never keep only 2 M. tank will need lots of landmarks, clear demarcations (like "hedge" of tall plants) & "caves" / hiding places (e.g., under anubias nana leafs) for the M. 
- bumblebee goby. 1 per 5 gal (or less). never keep only 2 M. 

3b) medium size fish:
- espi harlequin rasbora. I have a LFS that I visit often that has had them in a 3 gal tank for months. that tank was my inspiration for trying mosquito rasbora.
- white clouds. I've raise them from fry in a 1 gal (based on what I'd read up to then), but I don't think I'd put them in anything less than a 5 gal anymore based on my experience. I heard that they are/were originally/can be mountain stream fish so think mountain stream loaches and think of how little fun they may have in a small tank.
- tetra. neon (I have diamond heads), golden phantom, belgian flag all seem to do well in 2.5-5 gal. some tetra species seem to want to swim about; others seem to swtich between dart & hang about. keep in groups of 3, 5, 7, or 10.
- blue-eye rainbow. furcata, gertrudes, & signifers in 5+ gal tanks. keep in groups of 3 (1 M:2 F). water MUST be very high in KH. dissolved baking soda at water changes seems to work well . mine seem to want to breed all the time. now if I can only get the eggs to hatch.
- smaller gourami. choc's, pygmy, honey (the natural/original variety is remarkably beutiful in a tank they like). choc's seem to be A-O-K as a trio (1 M; 2 F). pygmys are NOT; esp'ly once they start to pair up for breeding. for my honey/C chuna, I have just a pair always & I've had the F kill the M and vice verse while getting to know each other before breeding.
- otocinclus. they may be a bit like white clouds. solitary is ok, but don't forget that they like groups. NO "monkey fish" loaches. 2-3 Kuhli Loaches seem to work A-O-K for 2.5-5 gal.

3c) large size fish:
- Killies. I've had really good expriences with N. eggersi, A. australae (Cape Lopez killie), rocket killie, and A. gardneri nigerianum. each time they have made their 1-2.5 gal tank into breeding tanks. My rivulus tank is next.
- Betta splendids, other betta. ...including Day's Paradise Fish.

Both bettas and killies seem like to me to be VERY inquisitive as well as shy or even agressive at times. Sometimes they hide. Sometimes they are more like cats. do not put tail nippers with either of them. Day's Paradise Fish seem, so far, to me to be never aggressive with tankmates, but otherwise much like my killie and betta.

hope that helps.

finally, Ray, I am curiuos how your shell dwellers pico-tank turns out. Please lemme know how it goes. 

I've thought of a Lamp. ocellattus or L. signatus species (or maybe with Tanganika killie) tank at the 1.2-3 gal size. I understand both M & F like to "own" more than 1 shell each. I've also heard they like their tanks to be taller than wide. I was thinking of a tall large vase/glass jar approach. I've not figured out how to build the rock facia yet for the back either. I've also seen L. ocellatus enjoying themselves in swimming upstream against a small power head down by the substrate in a larger tank. not sure how to replicate that in small tank yet.

--TommyBoy


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

I am thinking of a 6 gal jbj nano myself. My plans are to have harlequin rasboras, some shrimp, an otto or two, and some plants.


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## jeff63851 (Oct 17, 2004)

Hey tommy, isn't bumblebee goby a brackish water fish? Wouldn't they need salt?


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## Steven_Chong (Sep 14, 2004)

I tend not to agree with otos in the smaller tanks. Yeah, they're small, and don't really get cramped-- but they really need schools, and tanks under 7g just aren't that great for them in the long haul. That's my experience at least. I feel the same way about cories for the most part-- unless you're devoting like a 5 gal to nothing but a school of 7-9 hastatus/pygmies


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## aurora_skys (Jul 15, 2004)

yes, bumblebee gobies are brackish water fish, despite what your lfs may tell you... they can be kept and bred happily in pairs in 5+ gallons - be prepared to feed live and frozen foods. not exactly a 'nano' tank fish but its possible...


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## Ray1214 (Aug 6, 2003)

*K*

The Honey Sparkler is one that I found in a fish store. It is smaller than a sparkling gournami and I have about 10 in a 10 gal tank (actually my wife does). I don't know the scientific name for them, but they are different that what I see as the Honey Dwarf Gournami, and looks identical to sparklers but instead of a silvery color, they are a golden honey colored. The guy at the fish store keeps 2 of them in a 1 gal Red Sea nano kit.

Also as far as bumblebee gobies go. 

I kept them in freshwater and moved them slowly into brackish, then into full marine. They did not spawn until I went to full marine. This was about 6 years ago, and I still have one left in my reef tank. It has not grown over 1/2 inch in all this time and he eats out of my hand, kinda. My tang, maroon clown, hi-fin banded goby does as well.

Ray


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## Ray1214 (Aug 6, 2003)

The shell dwellers seem alright. they sure are voracious eaters

I was worried about a cat seeing a new treat. He is not allowed in the room with my bettas and pico tanks. 

My pico reef is really doing well as well. I am guessing the water changes help a lot, but I had to add an airstone to get some more flow. I did the old, drill down through the live rock method so you can barely see the airline. 

By the way, I call a tank 1 gallon or smaller pico. I am using those Red Sea 1 Gal kits. I guess they are popular for bettas.

Ray


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## Repz (May 20, 2004)

What about small pl*cos? would they do well in a nano lets say 10 gallons
bristlenoses ect


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