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First proper scape

So having spent a bit of time researching again what fish to go for and taking into account;
- The probability of them allowing my cherry shrimp to reproduce in some form and not hunting them too much (appreciate all fish will eat shrimplets given the chance but selecting fish less likely to)
- Max size (I like scale - so max 2 inches per fish)
- Colour
- Comparison to the Espei Rasbora I have already (colour, shape, etc)
- And probably in that order

I'm now thinking;
- Pencilfish - never kept them, look great but having looked at videos on You Tube and seeing the males harassing each other, I think I'm going to rule those out. I want a tranquil tank and some of the videos I've seen show the opposite (unless someone can convince me otherwise)
- Cardinals - colours are obviously right up there but very similar to the Espei in terms of shape, size and to a degree colour (the reddish colour in the Espei once they settle, grow and colour up). Still a possibility but I'm moving away from them
- Danios - similar shape to the Rasbora but not the most colourful, although that could be interesting in itself as they are different. Very active, so should give the Espei some confidence. Leopard would probably be my first choice. Celestrial are lovely but pricy by comparison and I'm not sure I'd see them much?
- Chocolate gourami - nice fish but I think won't be too hardy so I'm ruling them out
- White cloud mountain minnows - kept them years ago, cheap, active, swim near the surface from what I can remember so different to the Espei. I always liked the standard colour which again would be different to the Espei. I think these could be a favourite right now unless someone can see something I'm missing?

And regardless I think I'm going to get 20 more Espei (so 40 total) to bolster their numbers

Cheers
 
Hi all,
Pencilfish - never kept them, look great but having looked at videos on You Tube and seeing the males harassing each other, I think I'm going to rule those out. I want a tranquil tank and some of the videos I've seen show the opposite (unless someone can convince me otherwise)
It depends a bit on the species.

Out of the ones I've kept <"Nannostomus eques"> are pretty calm, <"N. beckfordi"> are a bit livelier and <"N. marginatus"> males fight, but only for small territories and they don't do much damage to one another. I think <"N. mortenthaleri"> are a bit more aggressive again, but I haven't kept them, (or N. rubrocaudatus, which I believe are similar in nature).

Have a look at TomC's web pages for a <"bit more information">.

cheers Darrel
 
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Very active, so should give the Espei some confidence
Maybe yes, maybe no ... danios can be too active for some species and intimidate - partially through the sheer level of activity, partially through constant reaction/investigation of the more subdued species
Danios are extraordinary rapid (and possibly intimidating) eaters

Adding an additional 20 Espei is an excellent idea, if they remain shy consider adding a group of 12-15 harlequin rasboras (they will likely integrate into the shoal but are generally more outgoing)
Then gradually introduce other species and observe fish response

Sundadanio species? these remain smaller and while less boldly coloured than cardinals, have extraordinary iridescence (gold glitter effect) - they may appear rather dull and plain in shops
Full color only seems to come with maturity
 
And a couple of pics
 

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Looking nice! Great growth.and colour.

Could you trim the red and tuck trimmings into the back of that mound so its more background and less sprouting out the top, if you know what i mean?
K

Thanks. That's the plan. Just not got round to it yet. A job for one evening this week
 
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