CindyJ

Hi everybody! I have a 20 gal tank. 2 blue dwarf & 1 dwarf red gouramis, 1 pleco, and 3 tiny neon tetras.

The fish stores around here will sell me anything without asking any questions, so i've come to you all for some help. Everybody was so nice in welcoming me and answering my questions about the gemstones last night so i'm back again.

I would like to find just a couple more fish to add to the tank. My son and I (well mainly me, he just wants more fish) would love to have some top swimmers, middle and bottom swimmers. So what would be compatible with what I already have? Oh and my six year old really loves the brightly colored fish!!!

From what I understand I shouldn't get anymore gouramis. They are so beautiful I would love to have just one more red one. I'm assuming the ones I have are probably all males. They all get along so well! I don't want to get to many. That's hard for my six year old to understand and when you go to a pet store and there are tons of fish in each tank.

Thanks so much!

susitna-flower

I sure hope we can help!
First. The stocking rule is 1" adult size fish per gallon of tank. - This means when you choose your baby fish, you have to reasearch how big they will get when they are full grown, and count up all the grown up inches........It makes for a sparce tank to begin with, but healthier for years to come!

Second, what kind of pleco do you have? If it a common, they don't fit in a 20 gallon tank. You should have a minimum of a 55 gallon tank. If it IS a common I would suggest taking it back to the store and trying to trade it for either a Bristlenose Pleco (bottom feeder, algae eater) or as part trade on 3 Dwarf panda corys (bottom feeder, eats all dropped food other fish miss) The corys have a super personality that your son would enjoy. The dwarf corys are a little more frail in my experience, but corys also need 3 or more and your tank isn't big enough with the other fish you have to accomodate the regular size fish.

The thing about Dwarf Gouramis is that you need 2 female and 1 male.....This cuts down on fighting. If you have this mix already I would keep them just the way they are and add more neons.

Neon tetras should be kept in schools of about 9-10, or more. Since your tank is only a 20 gallon, you may have to limit this, 7 would probably work.

This would take care of the top, middle, and bottom, as you want. I wouldn't try to get more gouramis or other kinds of fish until you get the neons up to a normal size school. They will be much happier.

CindyJ

I think he is probably a common pleco. I will try to do that. If they won't take him back can I keep him till he's a certian length in this tank till I have to get a bigger one?

The Executioner

You must watch out for common pleco, because if they don't get enough nutrients or when they grow big enough they will start to suck the sides of your fishes, such as goldfish. Just return/exchange him as soon as possible for a bristlenose or a rubbernose pleco, they are much better in my opinion.