Stocking suggestions?

[Jupiter]

Ended up finding a pretty good deal on Kijiji...a 26 gal setup with everything included for $50.

Not really sure what to include though, since I've never had a tank this big...

I DEFINITELY want kuhli loaches! I've been wanting them for the longest time, they're sooo cute...I'll be getting about 6 or so of those, but I think there should be room for some more fish.

Any recommendations? I know for sure that I don't want any livebearers...

I was thinking of scarlet badis OR dwarf puffers...I've been wanting dwarf puffers for a long time because they're adorable too, and I have a TON of pond snails for them to eat. Plus, Petsmart has them in stock occasionally...

Scarlet Badis are adorable...if I have them only, I don't think the Kuhli loaches would bother them, would they?
Only problem is that they're not available here...unless I can get the LFS to order them for me.


I don't think either of them would be compatiable with bettas, would they? Puffers seem to be too aggressive...and I have a feeling that the badis would be picked on by the betta or eaten...

Other than that, I'm not really sure...any other suggestions would be appreciated.

[LittleBettaFish]

Scarlet badis tend to be pretty shy. I had one in a sort of medium planted 3.5 gallon tank and a I barely ever saw it. I always thought it had jumped out. Also they really prefer live foods. I fed mine blackworms, grindals, MWs, freshly hatched BBS and white worms.

Pretty fish, but I think there are better options for a 26 gallon tank. Also badis while tiny are brightly coloured and actually quite similar in build to a betta, so I have a feeling a betta would attack one. They would do best in a species only tank as mine was out-competed by clown killifish when it came to food.

My kuhli loach was always very peaceful. One thing it absolutely loved, was a leaf litter I put in. It spent all its time snuffling through the litter eating up the scraps of food. I had some very small and delicate fish in with it and the kuhli loach never bothered them.

If you like scarlet badis, have you thought about a small group of sparkling gouramis? Mine were actually quite aggressive and really held their own against the bigger fish. Once they had settled in they would take small pellets and flake although they did prefer live/frozen foods.

I kept mine in with some bigger species of killifish and the only issue I ran into was my sparkling gouramis eating my killifish eggs.

[Jupiter]

I don't like sparkling gouramis, but thanks for the suggestion. I like Pearl Gouramis, but not enough that I'd want to add one...gouramis are nice, they just don't tickle my fancy much anymore.

I'll have to ask my LFS to see if they're willing/able to order either of them for me. I'm more set on the puffers as I've wanted them since I was young, and I don't think they would bother the kuhlis...I've been looking around and they generally seem to get along. But if anyone has experience with keeping the two of them together, I'd like to hear about it.