Beginner community — 80L

Why this setup works

This is the community tank many experienced keepers wish they had started with. Three species, none of them difficult, and each occupying a different part of the water column. The corydoras work the substrate in a tight group, the cherry barbs cruise the midwater, and the honey gourami claims the upper third without crowding anything out.

Eight corydoras is the right number for an 80L — six is the stated minimum, but corydoras are more active and more settled in larger groups. Choose bronze cory or albino cory to start; both are captive-bred in large numbers and far harder than wild-caught variants. They will eat anything that sinks, including leftovers the other fish miss, which keeps the substrate cleaner than it would otherwise be.

Cherry barbs have a reputation for being borderline boring, and that reputation is unfair. A school of six in a planted tank, with a male in full colour, is genuinely striking. They are also one of the few barb species that will not nip fins, which matters if you ever add a longer-finned fish later.

The honey gourami is a better choice than the dwarf gourami for this size of tank and this level of experience. It is less susceptible to the iridovirus that kills dwarf gouramis in bulk and it is calmer about sharing space. One male is plenty; two males in 80L will establish a boundary you cannot see and defend it constantly.

Plants are optional but strongly recommended — java fern on wood, some vallisneria in the background, and a few floating plants to break the surface light. The corydoras will benefit from leaf litter on the substrate if you can get it. Temperature 24–26°C, pH 6.8–7.4.