New Tank Loads Of Qs - Please - Update At End Of Msg

Hi all, I have been keeping fish for a few years but have decided to up my game, just a bit. Until recently I had a Fluval 125ltr. I'd had it for over 10 years and kept a variety of safe community fish in it. It was planted but not well and I didn't feed the plants etc. Well this sprung a leak when a seal burst and I decided to upgrade.
I am now the proud owner of a Aqua Vogue 245 - details below -
Make: Aqua One | Model: AquaVogue | Litres: 245
Aquarium Depth: 45.0cm | Width: 120.0cm | Height: 55.0cm

I took delivery, from Lynwood aquatics on 21/5/20. I put in standard gravel but also 4 shallow plastic take away boxes filled with tetra complete substrate and planted a few plants into these boxes at the back and a few smaller plants directly into the gravel at the front. I left it a while then slowly added the fish that had survived the leak and been kept in two much smaller tanks. I did this over a three week period.
The survivors are a mixed bunch as follows.
4 black neon tetra
1 Platy, I think    
3 Five striped barbs (very peaceful ones)
1 as yet unidentified but small and calm, if lonely
1 bristle nosed pleco (I have 2 but the 2nd one is bigger and disruptive e.g. digging up the substrate and plants so he's stayed in the small tank for now at least)
1 horseface loach (i think, very small bottom feeder) I now think it is a dwarf loach
1 Honey Gourami, mits a Gold apparently
1 Opaline Gourami.
Some of these were clearly stressed in their small tank and are now much calmer but I worry about the ones that are singles or in a small group. They have plenty of space and I want to add more. I'd like to have a couple of showy fish and I'm thinking of a couple of Angel Fish.

So now for the Qs please.
1. Do you think Angel Fish a good idea
2. If so can I add them soon or should I wait longer.
3. Should I make up the numbers of the little ones first e.g a few more tetra and Mollys.

n.b. I have been testing the water regularly and all has been good, the odd spoke you expect with a new tank but settled quickly. I have had my brown alga bloom but this now gone, probably speeded as I reduced the lighting time to 4 hours white 2 hours red.
My PH however hovers near 8. I've looked into this and a) it always has been b) I suspect my local shop is similar as that is the PH of the tap water c) I have read a few places that chemical treatment for PH is to be avoided d) I've also read stable is better than lowering and letting it rise and it is stable
I do use liquid plant fertiliser too.

Wow you lot are great, thank you for the welcomes and the info. I can see I'm going to be obliged to take out a proper subscription.
I've amended my fist list as pretty sure I have a lone platy not a molly and I got one of the Gourami wrong but I'm not sure it changes much. I also now think my loach might be a dwarf as it is very small and peaceful and doesnt dig.
Quite disappointed that Angel Fish and Gouramis are  not compatible, not least as the decision to get angels came from a family vote. Still no rush nor harm done.
It turns out my water hardness is Calcium carbonate(CaCO3): 258 ppm which I believe means it is hard even if it's not right at the end of the spectrum,
I also found this info on the Thames Eater site if it helps further.
Degrees Clarke:18 -Degrees German(DH):14 - Degrees French:26

Hi @Woodsie  and welcome to the forum. 

Thanks for the information and pictures of your tank. 

I agree with @Sue  about getting the information on your water supply, and having plenty of room for shoals of fish.

When we have more information about your water we can make some suggestions for new fish.

Welcome to the forum, thanks for sharing the pictures and it looks like you got some bits to get on with. I look forward to see the progress 

I didn't see the photos when I replied, but I agree with Hampalong, the gouramis are both variants of 3 spot (gold & opaline). In this case, angels would not be a good choice.

That photo isn't a horse face loach as you realise. It doesn't look quite right for a dwarf chain loach (Ambastaia sidthimunki) either, though as there is only one and it's a shoaling species, it will probably be quite stressed.


With your hardness, angelfish are not a good choice, even without the gouramis as they are soft water fish.

But what would work is one of the species or rainbowfish - there are a couple of soft water species though most are hard water fish.
Have a look at the fish on this site http://rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au/Melano.htm You won't find all the species of rainbowfish in shops but it will give you an idea of possibilities. Some of the larger species will need a longer tnak that yours but many will be suitable. Make sure they are hard water rainbowfish!

The loach could just be a stressed dwarf chain loach. They are normally black and white but they do go grey and white when stressed or when two males are vying for dominance. The patterning is right, it's the colour that's raised a query in my mind

Hi, Just a,little update in case anyone's interested. I got a few more of a my solo fish, once you'd help me identify them That is except for the one I'd wrongly suggested was a horse faced loach and some one , Sue I think said it might be a (very pale) dwarf chain loach. I've finally identified it as a south american darter aka darter characin which seems to part of the tera family although it behaves otherwise. Its a cool little fish that, as it name suggests darts about the bottom of the tank as is very inquisitive. I can't now find any more though, I went back to Maidenhead A' where I got it. They remembered having them in but did not know if they'd get them again. I shall keep an eye out. Interestignl;y it does not appear in this fporums fish finder.If you're interested yo can read about it here thouygh https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/features/how-to-keep-darter-characins/

Thanks for the update, @Woodsie - very interesting, and glad you're enjoying having the fish.