What To Put With Black Widow Tetras?

To give myself something more pleasant to think about - rather than my plummeting pH levels and lack of cycling  - I've been thinking what to add (when it's finally cycled, of course!) to my 60L biOrb.  At the moment I have three Black Widows.  Should I add another two to hopefully discourage them from picking on the other fish? 

My current wish-list is to add 8-10 glowlight tetras and eventually a dwarf gourami.  The community creator doesn't show this as being a problem but I'd welcome any advice from you experts     Also, are there no shrimp at all that would survive the Black Widows?  I did have my eye on the cherry shrimps, but now know that is a definite no-no.

Thanks!

Liz

Hi Liz,
I kept twelve black widows in my old tank with no problems at all, so it's a possibility that adding a few more would reduce their aggression. Do you have a few plants? If not, getting some would give any picked-on fish a way to hide.
With regards to the gourami, your tank isn't very big and I don't know if a fully grown dwarf gourami would have enough room. Have you thought about getting a couple of pygmy (sparkling) gouramis instead? I've always thought they're beautiful and they stay very small.
I can't help you with the shrimp I'm afraid :/
Good luck!

Gouramis have long pectoral fins that are very tempting to any potential fin nippers, Experience with Black widows seems to vary, some find them very peaceful, some not.
Pygmy gouramis are known as very delicate fish, quite difficult and timid. I think they would need a well-planted tank with plenty of places to hide away. Single male dwarf gouramis are notoriously unpredictable and can become tank terrorists.
I doubt if there are many "centrepiece"  fish that would be comfortable in this type of tank.
Personally, I would stick to shoals of small fish. They often look much better than you might expect, if they are in a shoal, better than a few of this and one or two of that.  Other tetras would go well.

I like the look of the ember tetras Colin.  If I got some of those AND some glowlight tetras would they shoal together do you think?  It would have been nice to have something blue (that's why I'd thought of the dwarf gourami) but I'm coming round to the idea of smaller fish in greater numbers - especially with the tank i've got (just have to convince the other half, lol).

Are there any small blue-ish fish that would be suitable?  I had originally wanted some cardinal tetras but not sure now....

At least choosing fish is a nice "problem" 

Liz

Hi Digs

I'm no expert and probably of no help at all, but I did have a dwarf blue gourami, who was BEAUTIFUL, but you notice I said "did have". Unfortunately, they are prone to a disease, which sadly, my lovely Flockhart, as he was called, succumbed to. I wouldn't have another dwarf gourami because of this reason. It is very upsetting when everything is perfectly fine in your tank and you lose a fish because of a weakness outside of your control.
I haven't looked back through your posts I'm afraid to see what size your tank is or what your water conditions are like, but if you are specifically looking for blue fish, (they are my favourite too ) then maybe blue neon tetras would be ok. They are on the fish profiler, so have a look. I was originally going to have them when I first got my tank, (then I went off on another tangent )
I have seen them in a shop here and they were really lovely.
Like I say, check and see what you think of them and if they are ok for your set-up.
Good luck

By blue neons, do you mean blue tetra? They are really lovely, unfortunately my tank isn't long enough for them.
I'm thinking of ember tetra for my 40cm cube tank. I'm planning to have lots of plants so should look nice.
How's the cycling going? I'm on day seven but am away from home so not able to test for next few days.

Oh dear, yes I'll take a look.
As well as ember tetra I fancy cpd, (lol autocorrect thinks I mean cod, not sure tank is big enough!) or cherry barbs, then again there's green neons. Also considering a shoal of cory.
Not all of these of course.

Ps
Having trouble with this site, not sure if it will let me post, anyone else??

lol autocorrect thinks I mean cod, not sure tank is big enough!
 

I can do you a good line in cod

Also considering a shoal of cory.

What do you mean??? Only considering a shoal of Cories

Ps
Having trouble with this site, not sure if it will let me post, anyone else??

It has behaved so far with me today, but it has had it's moments in the past

Resa,

What do you mean??? Only considering a shoal of Cories -

Lol, what I mean is after my tank is cycled, I've bought my initial fish, it's had a bit of time to mature, and my bank balance has recovered from buying tank, stand, substrate, plants, testing kit, de chlorinatior, ammonia, Then I WILL be be buying a shoal of cories, species as yet undecided.

Liz,
Shame about the blue tetra, how about green neons? Or any of the other fish I mentioned for my tank?
(Obviously as a newbie too, I have no idea on their compatibility with the current occupants)

Ps
Having trouble with this site, not sure if it will let me post, anyone else??

I had trouble yesterday, too.... but there was no sun to blame! I'm going to blame the unremitting grey drizzle instead.

Hey Steve....impressed or what! Look at all the quoty things I did there.

Wow Resa..... very impressive! It's only taken a year and a half.