newbie 20g

I recently set up a 20g tank, and am going to begin adding fish. I would like to add the following fish, and would appreciate any feedback on their compatibility and potential overcrowding issues.

2 Angels
2 Bala Sharks (or 1 Red-finned shark)
1 betta
2 Julii Corys
1 small Plecco
2 Dwarf Gouramis
6 Neon Tetras

I realize that all of these together would overcrowd the tank, so I'm looking for combos that might work well. My wife really wants a Betta and a Shark, while I'd love to have Angels. If possible I'd like to build around those 3 types.

I've heard conflicting stories about keeping Angels, Bettas and Gouramis together. If it is possible, is it preferable to keep a male or female Betta?

Can a Red-Finned shark fit well into this community?

Thanks!

Dozey

I can't speak about all the fish but here's what I have...
The sharks require an minimum of a 55 gallon tank. And there's no such thing as a small pleco. They grow up to 18".

Lucy

Hi newbie 20g welcome to Fish Lore

Bettas don't normally make good community fish. If you'd like to have one, I hope you consider getting him or her a heated filter cycled tank of it's own.
Here's some info about betta care:
Welcome and Betta Care Guide - Please Read First!!!

Lucy

While it's true common plecos can grow up to 18" there are other plecos to choose from.
Here's a good source of information on plecos:

http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/index.php

platy ben

i would say a definitite no to the 2 bala sharks, they , as dozey said, need atleast 55G preferably 60G or more.
Betta fish just dont work in a community either .

Working around what you have said i would say.

1 dwarf gourami
4-6 neon tetras
3-4 juli corys
and if you want to push it i guess you could fit 1 angel in there.

jdhef

Angels prefer taller tanks due to their shape. So if you have a 20 long an angelfish is probably a bad choice. If you have a 20 high, you might be able to fit him in, but you'd probably have to nix the cories. Also, I'm not sure if angel fish and neon tetra's get along.

Lucy

I'm pretty sure an adult angel will eat neons.
An alternative would be cardinals, they're a little bigger than neons.

You could do 1 angel (If it's a tall tank) and a school of cardinals.

Mike19

He maybe refering to the BristleNose Catfish like the pleco although reach 5 inches in size.

GouramiGirl1221

I'd advise against 2 dwarf gouramis in a 20 gallon. Normally you can only find males, which love to fight if they don't have enough space to get away from each other, and 20 gal simply isn't enough room for that. I'm not positive, but a gourami and an angel together probably isn't a good idea either.

That said, you want to be shooting for 1" of adult fish per gallon as a guideline for stocking your tank.

If your tank is tall, you could try:
1 angelfish = 6 inches
6 cardinal tetras = 12 inches
That's 18 inches there, so that would be pretty well stocked.

If your tank is long, you may want to try:
1 dwarf gourami = 2 inches
6 neon tetras = 9 inches
1 bristlenose pleco = 5 inches
3 julii cories = 6 inches
That's 22 inches, which is a touch overstocked, but completely manageable. I think this option sounds the prettiest. It'll have activity at all levels and will be well balanced.

If your wife really wants a betta, petsmart will probably run their 5 gal tank kits on sale after x-mas, so it wouldn't be too costly to get that going as well. Best of luck.

newbie 20g

Thanks for all the great tips! I guess the betta and the bala sharks are out

Would a combination of a Red Parrot, an Angel (or a dwarf gourami if angel's are out), a couple of Cories, and a few Tetras work?

Mike19

you can still get a dwarf gourami (single one) although what the above post was saying was if you have two of them it may bring out some aggression issues as they are very territorial. just keep in mind that tetras and cories are school fish.

GouramiGirl1221

An angel will work IF you have a 20 gal tall tank. If you have a long tank, then it will be too short for a full grown angel, so a gourami would be a better option. If you're not crazy about the dwarfs, pearls are gorgeous and very peaceful. They get to be 4 inches full grown and would also work in a 20 gal. A red parrot will get much too large...I'm not actually sure what their adult size is, but I know they get way too big for a 20 gal tank. Cories and tetras would work. I'd stick with 2" species, something like a red eye, rummynose, cardinal, bleeding heard, etc. If you've got a tall tank for an angel, they will eat anything smaller. Anything larger will overstock you.

If you could let us know weather your tank is long or tall we could give you some more definite answers on stocking.

pinkfloydpuffer

I think a red parrot would get way too large for a 20g. (That's the hybrid cichlid, right?)

Mike19

that is correct PFP, like you didn't know that jk, im not a big fan of the hybrids

size wise it its around 8-10inches (Adult)
some say 20g min for young and min 55gal for adult.


the link below has some useful information

http://www.geocities.com/parrotcichlid/setup.html

newbie 20g

My tank is 24" long and 16" tall.

GouramiGirl1221

I'll let an angel expert give you an opinion on if those dimensions are suitable for an angel. I doubt it, because if I remember correctly, they can get 10 inches tall when they're full grown. Like I said though, I'm not the angel expert. Gouramis are more my area lol. Best of luck to you!

pinkfloydpuffer

I'm not really a big fan of cichlids in general...

Mike19

I thought you were cool PFP !!!, why don't you like cichlids is it their peaceful charm and lack of aggression lol.

Note to people who don't know much about cichlids, they are not very peaceful and most are aggressive, the above is just sarcasm don't rush to buy a few of these fish for your community tank .

Mike

pinkfloydpuffer

Ouch!
They just don't appeal to me... I like the 'personable' fish, like bettas and most particularly the puffers. Cichlids just seem too... similar... I guess, I like the uniqueness that each puffer has. And they're not as cute or friendly as puffers. Sorry

Mike19

Don't be sorry, your still cool , i might be joining the puffer family if its ok with you. I may have a 180g tank and don't know what to do with it (stocking wise)

Sorry to the thread creator if i have diluted your thread.

pinkfloydpuffer

Haha, I don't have supreme command over who can own a puffer. Although I would like to be able to save them from ignorant people...
But anyways... if I had a 180g, wow, there are so many puffer possibilities in there...