Clowns with Boraras brigittae/maculatus/etc. ???

[-clown-]

Hello!

As I got exellent help the last time I asked u guys a question, I turn to u again!

First question:
I will get six really small clowns. I also want a large school (30-50) of a very small yellow/orange/red southeastasian fish. I got hooked on the tiny Boraras (brigittae/maculatus/urophthalmoides/micros/merah). They are so qute!

If I have a large school of the Boraras and get the really small clowns, do u think they will get along and get used to each other as the clowns grow, or is it a very bad idea?

Can u recommend some other small yellow/orange/red-ish southeastasian (school)fish?

Second question:
Exept fort the sig clowns and the large school of small fish I also want a group of 3-5 fishes that fit this description:
- no schoolfish (do not know the rigth word)
- 8-12 cm (3-5 inch)
- Ph 6-7, 26-30 C, no salt
- easy to breed
- from southeast asia
- orange/yellow/red-ish

I have thought of the Thick Lipped Gourami. Would they get on well with the clowns? Can u recommend some other fish that fits the description?

Looking forward to read your answers! [/list]

[Emma Turner]

Hi -clown-,

Clown loaches prefer quite a flow in the aquarium, whereas many of the 'micro rasboras' prefer much calmer water (many come from still ponds and swamps in nature) so I wouldn't advise on keeping them together. They'd be a better choice for a smaller aquarium housing kuhli loaches, for example.

Other suggestions would be some of the barb and danio species that do well in faster moving water. The glowlight danio (Danio choprae) is a beautiful little orangey coloured shoaling fish that comes from Myanmar. There are a huge choice of colourful barbs such as the Cherry barb (Puntius titteya), Red Oscellated barb (Puntius rhombocellatus), Black ruby barb (Puntius nigrofasciatus), and the Khavli barb (Puntius sahyadriensis) for example. Also worth considering are celebes rainbowfish (Marosatherina ladigesi), and the trusty Harlequin rasbora (Trigonostigma heteromorpha).

Hope this gives you a few ideas,

Emma