25 gallon stocking challenge!

[inuudo]

I am just starting to set up a 25 gallon tank. I thought I knew what I wanted in it but am now second guessing myself. I'd love to hear what you would put in this tank, given the following restrictions.

Filtration:
- Aquaclear 50 with extra Fluval biomass
- not yet started cycling (so have a few weeks to sort out the stocking)

Heater:
Fluval 100 watt

pH:
- naturally low (6.8 out of the tap); my other tanks are in the low to mid 7s because of the addition of coral to the filter
- this tank tests at roughly 7.0 after one day

These things are already in the tank and will be staying (I'm willing to add more of any/all of this and to consider other additions. I know I will need some caves/tunnels):
- white sand substrate
- live plants
- bogwood
- river rocks

These are fish I already have in other tanks and would prefer not to have in this one:
- male betta
- neon tetras
- guppies
- angel fish
- harlequin rasboras
- skunk corydoras
- otocinclus
- bristlenose pleco (actually, I wouldn't mind another one of these!)
- apple snails
- nerite snails

These are the fish that I am most interested in right now:
- betta sorority
- loaches (which ones?)
- dwarf gourami

[Azurescriber]

Is it long, or tall?

Sorority might work if you do have lots of plants and hiding places, and nothing else goes in the tank.

Only one DG in that tank.

Many people like kuhli loaches, but I often hear that they are never seen.

A DG would be good with just about any slower kind of fish. Cherry barb school, maybe.

[inuudo]

It's roughly L30xD13xH16.

[Shootemz]

A dg would be cool, a flame one, a school of 10 or so corries prob bronzes and another school of some sort of tetras.

[inuudo]

What kind of tetras would you put in? Do you think rummynose would work?

[fishmommie]

++ to what everyone has said so far.
Serpae tetras are really colorful, not too big and would do great in a school of anywhere from 6 -12. The bigger the better.
I have some with my DW gourami and they get on fine.
Cherry barbs would be pretty too.
Or you could go with the DW and a big school of rummys. cool fish

[steeler1]

Rummy Noses would do great! A nice school of 12 would look real sharp. Here's a couple of pictures to help out:

[Lady Hobbs]

Actually, a tank full of rummynose would be nice with some pygmgy corys.

If, in your other tank, you have neons with larger fish, I would move them over into this tank. Neons are not happy with fish much larger than they are.

[jrbirdman92]

+1 to the rummynose tetras. Some cherry barbs would look cool too.

[ameliaaahx]

Since you are interested in loaches, what about Dwarf Chains? They're not cheap but 6 would be very cute with 12 Rummies (I also like Black Neons, and try Red Phantoms or Rosy Tetras for something which looks kinda like Serpaes but with a better disposition), and a pretty DG.

I've not seen them for sale around here but there are other cool dwarf or pygmy loaches that would work. I would not recommend Kuhlies. I just sold mine, had them in my tank for almost a year and the most I saw was the occasional nose poking out of a cave. Even when they do come out they don't do much... Not like most fish do a lot but these guys do even less.