Surface dwellers?

**BirdOfPray** · 06-28-2009, 09:29 PM

I keep thinking I've decided what I want in my currently cycling tank, and then I go visit a different fish store or talk to someone else and wind up having to start researching all over again. Today is one of those days. :) I dropped by a LFS I hadn't seen before, and wound up chatting with one of the employees a bit. He thought my tank sounded a bit small for the marbled hatchetfish I was planning to fill out the surface level. I asked him if he had any other ideas, and he suggested I look into killies.

I'm working on my research, but would love to hear any suggestions on what type -- if any -- might work well for me to get me looking in the right direction instead of randomly like I am now. The tank is a 30-gallon hex, with each of the sides being 10" long and the distance between sides being 18". My plan as of a few hours ago was 6-8 pygmy corys, 1 dwarf cichlid (blue ram or cockatoo), a school of neon tetras, and the hatchetfish. Still planning on the corys and dwarf cichlid for sure, and either the neons or another small schooling fish for the mid levels. Tank is tightly covered because I had planned for hatchets. I'm also trying to get a few live plants to grow, and plan to add a nice piece of driftwood when I find one I like.

Hope that's enough information to go on, and I really appreciate any thoughts or suggestions y'all might have.

**Jacko** · 06-28-2009, 09:32 PM

IME, marble hatchets aren't as much a surface dweller as the silver ones, when I see them they're usually midway between mid and top level.

I think you could get a half dozen clown killies (rocket-tails), they're great surface dwellers and can be kept in groups without the fighting you'd see with panchax or some of the other killies.

**jaysee** · 07-23-2009, 04:21 PM

Neons stay on the bottom. Cardinals are upper level swimmers.

**red eyes** · 07-30-2009, 05:46 PM

Originally Posted by jaysee

Neons stay on the bottom. Cardinals are upper level swimmers.

my neons hardly go the the bottom and never ever find sinking wafers.

**FishFrend** · 07-31-2009, 11:47 AM

I kept a group of 5 marble hatchets in a 20 gallon for several years. They are one of my favorite fish. They always stayed at the surface in their group. They are definately one of my favorite fish. I think you would be very happy with them in your 30 gallon. The only "issue" is that I always needed to me mindful of not leaving the top open. They are quite the jumpers! Good luck!