20 gallon stocking questions

[Kennay500]

I have a standard 20 gallon with 10 corys, 4 platies, 2 ottos, and 4 black skirt tetras which im planning on returning due to everything ive read on they need more than a 20 gallon and i dont want to stress or keep them in a place they wouldnt want to be. Is my tank stock fine and would i be able to add anything after i return the tetras? Water is perfect, no amonia no nitrite or nitrates, also heavily planted. sicce shark adv 400 as filter

 

[SinisterCichlids]

Is this a standard 20 gallon or a 20 gallon long ? A standard is 24 x 12 x 16. (The long is 30 x 12 x 12 just for reference) Once that's answered I would love to help you come up with some ideas for restocking! Tell me what fish you like as well !

 

[Kennay500]

Is this a standard 20 gallon or a 20 gallon long ? A standard is 24 x 12 x 16. (The long is 30 x 12 x 12 just for reference) Once that's answered I would love to help you come up with some ideas for restocking! Tell me what fish you like as well !

I have a standard 24 x 12 x 16 im planning on keeping the other fish just would rather have the tetras get the care they truly need i should have researched before getting them

 

[Noroomforshoe]

What type of cories do you have? Do you have mixed sex platies or all one sex?

 

[ProudPapa]

. . . Water is perfect, no amonia no nitrite or nitrates, also heavily planted. sicce shark adv 400 as filter

Welcome to the forum. Is this a new tank? I'm asking because tanks typically have some nitrates, unless they're lightly stocked and heavily planted.

 

[Kennay500]

I have a standard 24 x 12 x 16 im planning on keeping the other fish just would rather have the tetras get the care they truly need i should have researched before getting the

What type of cories do you have? Do you have mixed sex platies or all one sex?

i have 2 striped cory 3 bronze 4 bandit and 1 panda. im pretty sure the 4platys i think are all female i think, due to them all being really big, and 3 of the four tetras are female. And i know corys are suppose to have 5+ of same species but all my corys school and arnt shy besides the 3 striped corys

Welcome to the forum. Is this a new tank? I'm asking because tanks typically have some nitrates, unless they're lightly stocked and heavily planted.

Yes its a new tank i set it up around january 10th id say

Is this a standard 20 gallon or a 20 gallon long ? A standard is 24 x 12 x 16. (The long is 30 x 12 x 12 just for reference) Once that's answered I would love to help you come up with some ideas for restocking! Tell me what fish you like as well !

I really like any community fish not opposed to any
I dont know if im replying correctly im new to this site

 

[ProudPapa]

Yes its a new tank i set it up around january 10th id say

The no nitrates made me think it was very new, and hadn't cycled yet, but if it's been going that long that shouldn't be the case.

Are the platys mixed sexes, or all male? If they're mixed you will likely become overstocked in the 20 gallon tank without adding more fish.

 

[Kennay500]

The no nitrates made me think it was very new, and hadn't cycled yet, but if it's been going that long that shouldn't be the case.

Are the platys mixed sexes, or all male? If they're mixed you will likely become overstocked in the 20 gallon tank without adding more fish.

Is that something that should be concerning the no nitrates? and im pretty sure theyre females they are a pretty decent size.

 

[ProudPapa]

Is that something that should be concerning the no nitrates? and im pretty sure theyre females they are a pretty decent size.

In a cycled tank, which means one that has healthy colonies of bacteria to convert ammonia to nitrites and then nitrates, it's unusual to not have nitrates, since there typically isn't anything in the tank to take up nitrates except live plants, and it takes quite a few live plants to consume all the nitrates produced by a moderately stocked tank.

If you have female platys there's a good chance they're bred. If that's the case you will likely need to make a plan for what to do with the offspring.

 

[Kennay500]

My tank is pretty heavily planted, i will post a picture after work. Ive had the platys before i had the 20 gallon so i know they wont have any

In a cycled tank, which means one that has healthy colonies of bacteria to convert ammonia to nitrites and then nitrates, it's unusual to not have nitrates, since there typically isn't anything in the tank to take up nitrates except live plants, and it takes quite a few live plants to consume all the nitrates produced by a moderately stocked tank.

If you have female platys there's a good chance they're bred. If that's the case you will likely need to make a plan for what to do with the offspring.

My tank is pretty heavily planted, i will post a picture after work. Ive had the platys before i had the 20 gallon so i know they wont have any