Tight schooling tetras that can go with my acara

[Acara19]

Just looking for something that looks nice, schools tight, is big enough to not get eaten, and can handle a high pH.
The acara is one of Jeff rapps' esmeraldas gold acara, she's about 4 inches long and the tank is 29 gallons.

 

[Becca]

I feel like you'd need a longer tank to encourage that kind of behavior in any larger tetra. A 29 gallon is pretty small for a 4" Acara.

Also, why is the pH high (what do you mean by "high")?

 

[Acara19]

pH is high just because that's how my tap water comes out, and maybe instead of tetras I could go with some sort of barb? Maybe tiger barbs?

 

[chriscoli]

how high? are we talking "DC tap water" high, or "Texas liquid-rock" high?

 

[Acara19]

7.5-7.6, high iron and pretty hard, sorry forgot i didn't put it in the original post

 

[CichlidAddict]

7.5 pH is not that hard and most domesticated tetra can tolerate. All tight schooling tetra are small fish: bloodfin, rummynose, bloodfin, neon and cardinal. Large deep body tetra do not school and males engage more in territorial fight with age.

 

[stany]

I agree with CichlidAddict. You may want to look at pencil fish. My Beckfordi group of 8 school sometimes in small groups, sometimes together and will occupy the top of the tank away from trouble.