33 gallon long stocking suggestions

[temp-933451]

Hi, I’m going to set up a 33 gallon long (48x13x13 inch) aquarium and would like some suggestions for either a single fish or pair of fish. I don't like small community fish so I will not be adding any to the tank. I would prefer if the fish are at least 4 inches when fully grown and are compatible with plants. I'm in the US so no dwarf snakeheads unfortunately
Pairs I've thought about:

Wild betta antuta or patoti
Gold three-spot gourami

I like how a red tail shark looks, but I think it might be too active for a 33 gallon long? I've also read that a red wolf fish and snakeskin gourami can be kept in a 48x12x12 inch aquarium, but an 8+ inch fish seems a little excessive for a tank that size, but i'm no expert.

Feedback on the fish i've mentioned and other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[duanes]

To me a 33 gal tank,os onnly enough space for fish that don't exceed 3 inches.
For me one or a pair of the wild type bettas would be perfect.

Or a pair of the larger killifish such as gularis

A small Asian cichlid I find interesting is Etropus canarensus, that did well in a 48¨tank.

 

[bkfamus]

Hi, I’m going to set up a 33 gallon long (48x13x13 inch) aquarium and would like some suggestions for either a single fish or pair of fish. I don't like small community fish so I will not be adding any to the tank. I would prefer if the fish are at least 4 inches when fully grown and are compatible with plants. I'm in the US so no dwarf snakeheads unfortunately
Pairs I've thought about:

Wild betta antuta or patoti
Gold three-spot gourami

I like how a red tail shark looks, but I think it might be too active for a 33 gallon long? I've also read that a red wolf fish and snakeskin gourami can be kept in a 48x12x12 inch aquarium, but an 8+ inch fish seems a little excessive for a tank that size, but i'm no expert.

Feedback on the fish i've mentioned and other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

+2 for the Wild Betta choice...

Others you could consider:

• Ivanacara bimaculata (Nationwide Aquatics, Shoreline Aquatics)
• Any Apistogramma (Wet Spot, Aquatic Clarity sell pairs)
• Most Laetacara (L. dorsigera are nice and Aquatic Clarity may still have wilds)
• Cleithracara maronii (Wet Spot)
• Maybe a compatible pair of Amatitlania nanolutea (Wet Spot)

 

[temp-933451]

Thank you both for the feedback and suggestions. I’ll probably be going with a pair of wild bettas then, but I’ll have to decide which type. Thankfully there’s a lfs in town that specializes in bettas and routinely gets wild bettas so they’ll be easy to get. I’ll probably go with whatever they have available first, but we’ll see.

 

[HUKIT]

Thank you both for the feedback and suggestions. I’ll probably be going with a pair of wild bettas then, but I’ll have to decide which type. Thankfully there’s a lfs in town that specializes in bettas and routinely gets wild bettas so they’ll be easy to get. I’ll probably go with whatever they have available first, but we’ll see.

Be sure to post pictures when you’re done. I’ve always loved the 33g long footprint.

 

[temp-933451]

Be sure to post pictures when you’re done. I’ve always loved the 33g long footprint.

Will do, although it might take a while since I have to tear down my current 20g long and wait for new plants to arrive .

 

[temp-933451]

Be sure to post pictures when you’re done. I’ve always loved the 33g long footprint.

Not exactly what I had in my mind, but here it is. I want to fill the middle back section with more hygrophila when it grows. I bought golden wonder killifish instead as my lfs is having trouble getting betta patoti. I have been eyeing dwarf pike cichlids and might swap out the golden wonder killifish, but I’ll see what I do in the future.

 

[Omrit]

Dwarf pikes are cool but so are kilifish.

Are you wanting to keep the tank single species? You can add small loaches, cory cats, tetras, and certain barbs with most anything to fill out the space a bit.

I think a redtail shark is fine for a 33 gallon long. I have never seen an 8 inch redtail shark. They get 4 inches then slowly grow to 5 or 6 inches after that in my experience.

Rainbow wolf fish are fine too, but would need to be kept alone in this size tank. Despite being fairly large they are inactive. It is a fun fish though, my wolf is definitely the favorite fish I own.

*rainbow wolf is the same as red wolf(Erythrinus erythrinus)

 

[temp-933451]

Dwarf pikes are cool but so are kilifish.

Are you wanting to keep the tank single species? You can add small loaches, cory cats, tetras, and certain barbs with most anything to fill out the space a bit.

I think a redtail shark is fine for a 33 gallon long. I have never seen an 8 inch redtail shark. They get 4 inches then slowly grow to 5 or 6 inches after that in my experience.

Rainbow wolf fish are fine too, but would need to be kept alone in this size tank. Despite being fairly large they are inactive. It is a fun fish though, my wolf is definitely the favorite fish I own.

*rainbow wolf is the same as red wolf(Erythrinus erythrinus)

I’d prefer to have a species only tank. I plan on keeping predatory fish in this aquarium so smaller fish may get eaten once the killifish are full grown or if I get a pair of betta patoti/dwarf pike cichlids. I don’t have my sights on a red tail shark or wolf fish anymore, but thank you for the feedback.