Smallest schooling Fish? freshwater

G

gmaddox

AC Members
Apr 20, 2006
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Hey anybody know a couple of the smallest schoolers I coulld get for a temp
75-85 degrees. They must be safe with wather loaches.

I have 29 G tank so I wanted to keep them small in a bigger number for room to school. I want to give my weather loaches some entertaiment. (somethin else to watch for me too.)
 
Pygmy cories? They behave much differenty than the full size cories, truly school, and are more mid-water fish. Stay just under an inch, and the loaches should be fine with them. Otherwise, rummy nose tetras, or harlequins. I'd go with just one species, though, since in a 29, you won't really be able to maintain 2 independent schools, especially if the fish are close to the same size!
 
Actually, weather loaches are cool water fish and do better in lower temperature water. I believe 64-74* is the optimal range for them. They are often kept with goldfish, which is why I got them for my goldfish tank.

FWIW I've read of weather loaches attacking smaller fish. IME they will bite at my goldfish to get at the food during feeding time. They don't do any damage, but the goldfish are a lot bigger than they are.

I'd excercise caution about keeping them with much smaller fish. Personally, I wouldn't.

Anyone else?


Roan
 
The smallest freshwater fish is the pygmy goby (Pandaka pygmaea). males are mature at 9 mm .. that's pretty small. i believe a group of them would tend to shoal.
 
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I think a school of raspboras would look real nice. I'm thinking of getting one too.

As for dojo's and small fish, my loaches are 6" now, and have been housed with young gold barbs, and cherry barbs, both of which were about 1", and I never saw any problems. They all happily share the shrimp and algae pellets that I toss in for the loaches.
 
Mybe don't get anything too small with the weather loaches, but as long as whatever you get is an inch or larger it should be fine. I've kept one weather loach (and still do) with peppered and sterba cories which were probably less than an inch when I got them, and they were never bothered.

Weather loaches are naturally a cool water species, but most now are captive bred and many are brought up at tropical temperatures. Mine is in a room temp tank (72F) but does fine in summer when the temp has got to about 79/80F.

You don't need to get something tiny - you could keep quite a large school of neons in a 29G (15-20). If you want something impressive that will school well (they always stay close to each other, whereas neons will tend to be more 'independent' once settled) get about 15-20 (or more) harlequins. They get to about 1.5 inches and tend to stay in the middle zone, so the loaches shouldn't bother them.
 
Neon Tetras are great and easy to find. Growing between 1-1.5 inches.
 
Pygmy rasboras are not rare, but quite delicate and are among the few fish I have kept requiring special water conditions. They would never survive with weather loaches, but thet are very small.
 
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