# 20 gallon, wants pretty stuff



## CVV1 (Oct 7, 2005)

Name easy plants, pretty fish (i want ALOT of fish, so little ones) I know Guppies,Platies, maybe corydoras, Ghost Shrimp. What more can I put? A german blue ram maybe?


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## SBDTHUR (Jun 15, 2007)

Barb's are really pretty to look at, but there not exactly friendly.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Endler's livebearers, they'll as pretty as guppies and slightly smaller, so you can have a lot.


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## bomb- (Jan 30, 2007)

My signature has some nice suggestions. I'd say get a Headstander or a Kuhli Loach!


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## anasfire23 (Jan 19, 2005)

I'm an advocate for Tetras, they school nicely, look really attractive under lights and are reasonably easy to look after . They are small enough so you can keep a few of them but it's best to watch stocking levels. Try to stay away from the larger tetras like Serpae's, black phantoms and cochu's, I've personally had problems with them being aggressive on more than one occasion. I reccommend these tetras; neon or cardinal tetras, harlequin rasboras, black neon's and glow light tetras. I'm looking into getting a large school of glow lights in the next week or so myself to finish off my tank.


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## CVV1 (Oct 7, 2005)

okay I have 2 head and tail light tetrashow about:

5 H+T light tetras
5 platies
3-4 Neon tetras

To me that sounds like alot, but I would like a Dwarf gourami or two, Thanks for the help! Just sound out because I enjoy schooling fish.


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

that should be fine, but you still might want to get 3 or 4 cories to keep the bottom of your tank spotless. i only have a few harlequins, since i plan on breeding them, and they are such striking tetras! neons and glo-lites also look really nice if you have a school of them.


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## CVV1 (Oct 7, 2005)

How about a couple Dwarf gouramis? Or is that too much? Oh^^^ and I noticed u have 25 guppies.... Would I be able to get quite a few more tetras?


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

well its not like i tried to get 25. i started with 4 and got to 25 within like 3 months. they all manage pretty well but their growth is stunted due to the lack of space =(. i wouldnt see a problem with getting a few more tetras since they like to school and the species you have already are pretty small.


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## CVV1 (Oct 7, 2005)

K new stock how about

5 Platys
5 HT light Tetras
10 neon tetras
2 Dwarf Gouramis
Handful of Snails and Ghost Shrimp
2 Corydoras


Sounds like alot, just tell me, and if anyone can, make the above list work for a 20 gallon.


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

if youre going to get gouramis, then limit your platys. maybe 2 or 3 platys rather than 5 and gouramis can get aggressive the older they get, so you might just want to keep 1. you should also keep your cories with a group but since its a 20g, add one more. Maybe like this:

2 Platys
5 HT light tetras
10 Neon Tetras
1 Dwarf Gourami
3 Cories

i havent kept snails yet, but im sure they dont do anything drastic so you could put a good 4 or 5 in there.


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## CVV1 (Oct 7, 2005)

I already have 3 platys from my 10 gallon, but I'll go with your stock ^^^ sounds awesome. I got my tank and supplies today! Came out around $115 (thanks mom and dad!)


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

nice, good luck!


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## Dr_House (Aug 15, 2006)

An important factor in considering your levels of stocking is not only space, but your filter's ability to keep up with the waste created by your fish. What type of filtration will you be running on this tank?


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## CVV1 (Oct 7, 2005)

Dr_House said:


> An important factor in considering your levels of stocking is not only space, but your filter's ability to keep up with the waste created by your fish. What type of filtration will you be running on this tank?


30 gallon tetra whisper filter


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## Dr_House (Aug 15, 2006)

I'll keep my comments about whisper filters to myself. :lol: You should be fine with the stocking list you're looking at. However, I would add 1 more platy and make sure you have 1 male and 2 females. This will help ensure compatability.


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## Guest (Jun 26, 2007)

It will also insure some baby platies. :lol:


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## CVV1 (Oct 7, 2005)

Dr_House said:


> I'll keep my comments about whisper filters to myself. :lol: You should be fine with the stocking list you're looking at. However, I would add 1 more platy and make sure you have 1 male and 2 females. This will help ensure compatability.


Ya I know it isnt the greatest, I'll probably buy a better one in a while. Can anyone suggest me a good filter? I also moved all my fish into the new tank, they seem happy and are moving around alot. One of my male platies is chasing around the female. I'm expecting a pregnancy soon :lol:


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

its not that you should be expecting pregnancy, you _will_ be expecting pregnancy soon


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

So thats over 20 fish in a 20 gallon tank. Isn't that overstocking? I am new so I am just asking.


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

well yes, but tetras school and do better when they are schooling, definitely more active. his choices are small, other than the platys but still, they are pretty small, so its not that bad of overstocking. my 20g for example, is overstocked, but they love each others company and are always moving. besides, what guppy tank doesnt look good?


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## CVV1 (Oct 7, 2005)

I think im just gunna keep the gourami out of the list.


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## Pac-Man (Mar 18, 2005)

Have you bought the tank yet? If not, I would try to get a 20g Long if you want to keep several schools of tetras or other schooling fish. This would give you more leeway in stocking (added Surface area and more lateral room for the tetras) It would also be a better footprint for any other bottom feeders that you might want to put in there.


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## CVV1 (Oct 7, 2005)

I already got a regular 20 gallon, it's running with all the fish from my 10 gallon in it


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## CVV1 (Oct 7, 2005)

And now I bought 7 guppies! I couldnt find any healthy Neon Tetras. I'll try to get some later this week.


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## judya (Jan 23, 2005)

Also only add fish gradually over a period of several months. You want the cycling bacteria to be able to keep up with the stocking levels. (In other words, cycling is an ongoing process with each new batch of fish added.) (Hmmm, somehow that doesn't make sense - just trust me, and don't add everybody at once.)
Stocking levels are typically figured at 1 inch of fish (not counting the tail) per gallon for the smaller fish like tetras and guppies - and this should be based on adult size, as the fish you buy are frequently only half grown. Figure corydoras at 1-1/2 to 3 inches each, tetras and guppies 1 to 1-1/2 inches, dwarf gouramies 2 to 3 inches. Try to keep your stocking level at about 20 total inches, and remember you may get babies that will add to the overall count.


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## CVV1 (Oct 7, 2005)

Yup... Ill have 20 fish after I get the tetras. Maybe 21, just want a female guppy. I know your supposed to have more males, but what the heck.


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## CVV1 (Oct 7, 2005)

Scratch that. I'll get a female platy cause I already have one, and five tetras.


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## judya (Jan 23, 2005)

Actually more female livebearers (platies, guppies, etc) than males - as the males are always harrassing the females to mate, and more females give the girls a break.


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## FishieNewbie (Jun 27, 2007)

Just got a 20 gallon long ,i have 3harquin rasboras,2 platys,2corys,and a handful of ghost shrimp,theres also 2 dwarf gouramis but they are both males and they are quite aggressive towards each other im going to take them back, i want a few more rasboras and maybe some neons but is there any larger fish i could get for the tank, theres a baby albino angel at my LFS but i know it will outgrow the tank, any suggestiong for something that will grow larger but not outgrow my 20 long??


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## Guest (Jul 7, 2007)

the gallons does not dictate the number of fish, the fish dictate the number of fish


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## Guest (Jul 7, 2007)

i w ould skip out on tetras and get more rasboras for sure. try 2 or 3 more. you could always keep one gourami in your tank as a larger fish. you could maybe get some more cories as well. i can't think of any "larger" fish ATM. sorry


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## musho3210 (Apr 23, 2007)

it seems a bit.... OS and underplanned. Get 10 of one type of tetra or rasboras (small like neons) 4 corydoras, and the livebearers, thats it. Maybe with a better filter you could get 1 dwarf gourami or something.

Try to keep schooling fish in schools, rather than getting many small schools just get one big school.

Remember corydoras are schooling fish as well.

Since its a 20 high with a not so good filter, i wouldnt push the stocking limits. Deffinatly dont follow the inch per gallon rule though.

Stay away from rams, although i love them they wouldnt apreciate the slight os and water quality from the extra fish. Ive found them to be quite sensitive to changing water quality, i had bolivians.

My 20 high had 2 otos, 2 bolivian rams, and 7 danios. I thought it was overstocked/over crowded with that and did 50% water changes weekly and had double filtration, but my nitrates still rose a bit. 11 small fish and over crowded.... compared to 21 small fish and just enough.....


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## CVV1 (Oct 7, 2005)

musho3210 said:


> it seems a bit.... OS and underplanned. Get 10 of one type of tetra or rasboras (small like neons) 4 corydoras, and the livebearers, thats it. Maybe with a better filter you could get 1 dwarf gourami or something.
> 
> Try to keep schooling fish in schools, rather than getting many small schools just get one big school.
> 
> ...


I also have live plants to filter out stuff, I'm going to buy those 6 tetras.


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## musho3210 (Apr 23, 2007)

live plants are great at filtering, but that doesnt change some of the OS fact. What are head and back light tetras, why do you only have two? (reading your siggy)


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## CVV1 (Oct 7, 2005)

musho3210 said:


> live plants are great at filtering, but that doesnt change some of the OS fact. What are head and back light tetras, why do you only have two? (reading your siggy)


http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1580


there ya go


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## musho3210 (Apr 23, 2007)

i see, never heard of them before...

Do you plan on getting more?


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## Guest (Jul 9, 2007)

i find blue rams to be very adaptable to my ph of 8 or higher


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## CVV1 (Oct 7, 2005)

how about

2 HT light tetras

4 Platies

5 Neon Tetras

1 Dwarf Gouami

4 male guppies


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## Guest (Jul 13, 2007)

2 HT tetra..not good


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## Guest (Jul 13, 2007)

You really should keep your tetras in schools...I'd suggest upping the number of H&T light to 5, like the neons.


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## Guest (Jul 13, 2007)

yeah thats what i meantt


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## CVV1 (Oct 7, 2005)

So....should I just leave out the new guppies/platys/gouramis to get more tetras?


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## anasfire23 (Jan 19, 2005)

I don't feel there is anything wrong with a nicely stocked tank if you have to time to keep an eye on the levels, clean it and keep an eye on the compatibility between the fish. Obviously any aggressors should be removed at first sign of causing trouble. It can take a little playing around but most people can make a tank that well stocked work. I, at one point, had a 15g with 24 fish in it with hardly any problems (once I sorted out who went well with who etc). 

Good luck!


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## CVV1 (Oct 7, 2005)

ack....my guppies are dying for some reason. Ill probably just get between 5-10 neons and 3 more head and tail lights


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