My daughter wants some tropicals and I like them too so I agreeded.
However i have NO knowledge about them at all!!
I did tell her no angel fish, as I did read they need alot of room


so we got 2 neons ( I am now thinking I should of got 3 at least as I read they like to school)
we got a fancy guppy
and we got a platie(sp?)
they all together with a gourami

I got some pics of them:





Is it ok that they live together? so far they all happy and eating and there has been no chasing/agression or fin nipping.

Well the guppies and platies like to occupy mid to upper levels of the tank, as do the neons and these fish should all get on together.

The gourami is more territorial but tends to occupy the lower levels of the tank and likes to have a few rocks/cave to call his own. The gourami shouldn't bother the other fish provided he has his own territory.

Just a note that guppies and platies do not like pH under 7, there are much more sensitive to it than goldfish.

All of the above is only what I have read (I haven't any experience keeping tropcials) and there is plenty of info out there on the web. Good luck and the plants look nice.

Thanks hun!
I got the PH at 7.2 (using the baking soda ratio you worked out so its stable)
the temp is at 79F/aprox 28 C
there is an undergravel fileter ( i know thats not good but all I got now) and plently of air
I dont know if tropicals need ar I know the gourami dont, but incase the others do I figured its better to have it.

Yes I noticed the neons swim all over together and the guppy and platie hang round the middle

the gourami hangs round the bottom poking in the river stones but it does pop up to the surface for air (as its a labarinth (SP?) fish I guess he does this to breathe)

So far they all happy and seem to mingle nicely
the gourami is actually more active and is now coming up to me for food
I think he likes having friends now

when I fed them today all fish went crasy over the food

aw! congrats on the new fishies!
i have kept all of the fish that you have there very nicely in a tropical community tank
i think that the under gravel filter should do for the time being - it is amazing how rarely i have to do water chenges on my tropical tanks - they are no-where near as messy as our beloved goldies!!
i think as lon as you keep up regular water changes, the UGF should be fine for now.
even if you dont en up getting an proper filter, i have mostly air-driven filters on my smaller trop tanks
what size tank is it that you have?
i cant see the pics at the mo (college computer disables photos) but im sure they are gorgeous

How big is the tank? If you can, get a couple more neons.

thanks for the replys

its only 6 gal

I know its ok for the neons and guppie but the gorami worried me
its a kissing one
but up[on research after I rescued it... I found out its a ballon type), therefore its a dwarf! apearently its not the normal kissing gourami

I had been seeking out a new home for it..... I was hapy to rescue it,, it was on deaths door when I got it, didnt swim, didnt eat, could hold it in my hand and it did not even flap!
The poor thing was sooooooooooooooooooooo dead!
I had him a bit now and hes happy
I researched alot and found out its a baloon species so....dont need to move it for now
but I am willing to upgrade the tank if needed.

also..yes Sandy I was planing on getiing more neons tomorw, after reading 2 is not enouch for them to be happy in a school of fish

I am thinking....... another 2 neons, so that will give a total of 4 neons
and a set of glow lites

For a 6 gallon tank i wouldnt get anything more than the two neons. The balloon gourami is still going to grow to 8 inches.

i agree with Sands - i recon you would be fine with all the other fish in there, but perhaps should think about getting tjhe gourami a seperate home?
i have my dwarf male in a 6g to himself and he's get along fine in there. he did have his female withhim until she died

maybe an excuse to get another tank? :

Thanks for all the sugestions.

I have a 10g tank I am using as a QT tank for now but I can move them in there when Im finished using it.

If the gourami is going to get to 8 inches big *faint*, I think the bigger tank is going to be needed! I could split them up so they all have more space between the two tanks. If thats not possible then a 10g set up is real cheap here at the market *wink*, so good excuse to get another LOL.

The fish sure are pretty.I love the color's on that Male Guppy,Stunning. As much as I love my Goldies,I still keep a few tropical tanks.You gotta love them!

OHHH so thats a male guppy?? I have no idea who is a she and who is a he LOL
Thanks!
He actually glows when the kitchen light is on at night, like a yellow and lime green thru the body then the tail just flashes! very pretty!

Your platy is a male, too!
I read that the male guppies are more colorful and fancier than the females.

And I think I see a swordtail..?

Wow! I missed this! You take the best pix! Your new fish are great!!!
You must have one very happy daughter (children)!

Aw - get the two more neons if you are going to be able to move into a 10g soon enough! You are good about your maintenance so go for it!

UGF is a very traditional and good filtration system particulalry for tropis - they can be more difficult with GF but as with anything, the human part is the decisive factor! Here is site I really enjoy for detaile dinfo. on filters, etc. -

www.aquariumpros.com - check out the Articles - lots on UGF for tropis!

I can't wait to see more pix - can you put one of the whole tank?! YEAH!

Ok so its a male swordtail platy?

thanks for the thumbnails on the guppys too, now I can tell them apart




Thanks for the link!
Well its hard to take pics of it but i am going to upgrade them soon to another tank that is larger and will be esier to photograph. I want to do a really colourful tank as my goldie tnks are natural looking. so working out the decor with my daughter is gona be fun..we thinking of dark purple gravel with some white river stones as a contrast and fairly heavily planted...so that the fish's colors will realy stand out.
Trust me Graham I will post pics as soon as its done

Your welcome. The thumbnails goes to all the livebearers. Mollies, swordtails, platies and guppies are the most common livebearers.Your fish is a swordtail.. cool! Swordtail and platies are the same species. They are often labeled wrong. Once I bought a swordtail accidentally. It was in a platy tank. And you know what's weird your fish and my fish are exactly the same color.

Thanks for the info hun
so its not a platy, but a swordtail
wow! my shop has heaps of them all named platy's

and yeah I love the red, just adds some lovely colr to the tank

So far they have now been asking me advice on goldies LOL as they had lionheads mixed with ranchus and orandas mixed with fantails.

I guess they got no idea!

Platy's and Swordtails innerbreed,so it's really easy to sometimes get confused wondering if they're Platy's or Swordtails! Platy's scientific name is Xiphophorus maculatus,where as the Swordtail's called Xiphophorus Hellerii,so it's the same family-just different sub-species.

I think the purple Gravel along with the white rocks will definately look awesome with all of your fish color's,and am also looking forward to the pics.

Thanks
I cant wait to set it up!!