Help with 20g long stocking?

Would it be possible to have a betta sorority with 5 female bettas and 6 Pygmy/dwarf cories in a 20g long? The tank will be heavily planted and at the place where I get the bettas, they will already be living in the same tank prior to me buying them. I will also have another divided 20g tank to divide into 4 just in case anything happens. Will the tank be overstocked like this? Should I get a 30g for this to work? Thanks in advance!

 

I'm not sure about overstocking, but I did have a betta sorority in a 15 gal, so in my mind, it should work.

 

I'm not sure about overstocking, but I did have a betta sorority in a 15 gal, so in my mind, it should work.

How did it work out? How many bettas did you have? Do you have a photo so that I can see how heavily planted it has to be? Thanks.

 

I really think all of the individual bettas were just amazing, there was soo little aggression. I had anywhere from 3-5 bettas at a time, and it wasn't very planted. I'd definitely go with a more planted tank, just to keep any aggression to a minimum.

 

My current stocking plans:
The tank will be a 20g long. Is 6 female bettas, 6 dwarf/Pygmy cories and 6 embers overstocking the tank? If yes, will 6 female bettas and 6 dwarf/ Pygmy cories work instead?

Note: I have spare tanks for bettas/cories/
embers in case anything goes wrong.

What are the best types of cories for a 20g long?

 

I keep my 2 adult and 3 baby bronze cories in my 10g and my one peppered cory in my 30g (the babies will go into that tank once they get bigger.) You can really go with any cories but I'd stay away from the bigger varieties like peppers. Pandas, dwarfs, and even bronzes should be okay in my opinion. As long as there is enough substrate for them to move around on, they should be okay.

 

Pygmy cory’s are really cute and stay well… Pygmy

 

I don't know about the cories, but Embers and bettas were what I had.

 

Thanks for your replies!

I don't know about the cories, but Embers and bettas were what I had.

Thanks! Do you think aquaadisor is reliable? I checked and it says that my stock level is at 59%.

 

I have not used a stocking calculator but I can imagine it would be fine. Other people seem to use it.

 

Hi, so I’m planning a 20gallon tank betta sorority with 5 bettas, 10 ember tetras and 6 Pygmy cories. I’m getting the bettas from the sorority tank of my LFS. I have a few questions to ask. Firstly, is this overstocking the tank? If no, is it possible to add more bettas/ember tetras/cories to the tank? Even if it’s not overstocked, do you recommend me get a bigger tank? If yes, then what can my stocking be? Secondly, how heavily plated do it need to be? I know it has to be heavily planted, but how heavily? Any pictures for reference? Thirdly, in what sequence do I add in the fish?
Fourthly, how long do I have to leave the filter in my already cycled tank to have enough beneficial bacterial? Lastly, how do I plant plants in sand? Like do I leave them in the tiny little pots they came with or do I take them out to them to plant them? How do I use root tabs for the plants? Do I put them in the sand like how I do it with aquarium soil?

Thanks in advance and sorry for so many questions!

 

My main advice is if you don't like stress, avoid the sorority altogether.

 

My main advice is if you don't like stress, avoid the sorority altogether.

I’m know that there will be fighting and maybe even deaths. I am ready for stress. If anything goes wrong, I have separate tanks just in case anything happens.

 

imo - skip the tetras - too many fish in 1 tank, the cory cats will serve as distraction enough

and I mean that in regards to territories


I have a community tank , 38 gallon ( I ran 2 ten gallon sorierities for about a year) with bettas, black tetras and cory cats - I under stock because they need room to retreat and free swim

the tetras need space and bettas will be stressed for being in a community shared tank - JMO


you will need plants/decor to break line of sight

and yes, moving decor does change territories - I just moved a huge piece of drift wood and the betta ho claimed it has altered his territory in tank.

I have chasing, but no real attacks

I have a male in my tank, so technically it's harem - but minimal drama

have a backup plan because sometimes you will have a betta rejected by others. I've had 2 that just did nto fit and had to be in a solo tank.

if you buy same color, fin type, less chance of a reject

my elephant ear females used to swim side by side, no aggression and my burgundy ( dark red) bettas always got along

so as those fish died, I replaced them with same - easier to be added to an established tank.

good luck!
'I’m know that there will be fighting and maybe even deaths. I am ready for stress. If anything goes wrong, I have separate tanks just in case anything happens.'

it's like when you adopt a dog, there's a honeymoon period

it's when the fish hit sexual maturity/adult size that you'll see issues , 1st month or 2 will be smooth

add them all at same time, same size, much easier

 

imo - skip the tetras - too many fish in 1 tank, the cory cats will serve as distraction enough

and I mean that in regards to territories

Without the ember tetras, will I be able to do this in a 15g tank instead? If not, can I get more cories like maybe 10 instead of 6?

 

Hi, so I’m planning a 20gallon tank betta sorority with 5 bettas, 10 ember tetras and 6 Pygmy cories. I’m getting the bettas from the sorority tank of my LFS. I have a few questions to ask. Firstly, is this overstocking the tank? If no, is it possible to add more bettas/ember tetras/cories to the tank? Even if it’s not overstocked, do you recommend me get a bigger tank? If yes, then what can my stocking be? Secondly, how heavily plated do it need to be? I know it has to be heavily planted, but how heavily? Any pictures for reference? Thirdly, in what sequence do I add in the fish?
Fourthly, how long do I have to leave the filter in my already cycled tank to have enough beneficial bacterial? Lastly, how do I plant plants in sand? Like do I leave them in the tiny little pots they came with or do I take them out to them to plant them? How do I use root tabs for the plants? Do I put them in the sand like how I do it with aquarium soil?

Thanks in advance and sorry for so many questions!

Make sure to go with a 20g Long for the sorority. It will give you an additional 6 inches I think. Its 13 x 13 x 30. I wouldn’t stock either that many embers or that many cories. Maybe 8 tetras and 4 cories. The 20g long will work for the 5 girls but I wouldn’t do more than that.

As far as planting it’s about breaking their line of sight and having hiding places for them. Make sure to have some decorations they can hide under or behind like a bridge, coconut shell, cave etc. You can create height with those and block line of sight by buying java ferns and anubias and super glue gel them onto the decorations. That will give a good break.

You will want to add the tetras and pygmies first I think and when ready add all 5 girls at once. If you find one starts bullying after awhile you can give it a timeout by floating it upside the tank for 30 minutes, then release it and see how it does. Doing this several times usually helps that.

Put your filter in the old tank for a week, then add the fish slowly, maybe the tetras one week, the cories the second and the bettas the 3rd. Make sure to test ammonia, nitrites and nitrates before adding the next set of fish.

Plants. It depends on the type. Most potted plants are semi-aquatic so list the types you’re referring to but no you’re not supposed to leave them in the pots. Depending on the plant you can buy plant anchors/weights and they’ll root in the sand. Stem plants are good and don’t require root tabs. I usually don’t use root tabs, stick with low-medium light plants and fertilizer the water column with flourish, nitrogen and liquid “carbon”.

I’ll attach a few photos of my decorations to show you what I mean by putting the plants on the decorations and blocking line of sight.
Here are some ideas, this is a new tank so the stem plants haven’t grown much yet. At the moment I don’t have a sorority but I’ve had them in the past. I currently have a male so have to leave him alone.

In this pic you can see there are multiple places to hide beside and under. This is important in a betta sorority. You can also change things around, move decorations and plants in this setup if you find there is much territory debate. I never had a female kill another. Usually they establish their territories and dominance and will co-habitate ok after that.



This bridge is superglued to types of ferns, Java and Water ferns.
In front to the left is a crypt wendtii green and the reddish one is a stem plant called Alternanthera Reineckii And christmas moss. In the back is a tall anubias super glued to a rock.



This picture is a large fake drift wood piece with again, java fern and water ferns as well as java moss.



Lastly a coconut shell with christmas moss I just bought. More Alternanthera Reineckii, a bacopa stem plant and a crypt and another tall anubias.

 

Maybe 8 tetras and 4 cories.

I thought cories have to be in groups of at least 6?

 

This is my stocking plan. Is this overstocking?
10 ember tetras
5-10 male guppies
10 neon tetras
10 glo tetra
10 shrimp
Thanks!

 

This is my stocking plan. Is this overstocking?
10 ember tetras
5-10 male guppies
10 neon tetras
10 glo tetra
10 shrimp
Thanks!

I think that’s overstocked. A lot of fish in the middle of the water column. I would go with one of the tetras only and up whichever of those to 12-15. You could add a group of bottom dwellers too. So the stocking would be 12-15 tetra, 4-5 guppies, 10 shrimp, and 6 bottom dwellers. If you did the embers you could probably do like 20 of them.

 

Can I do:
10 ember tetra
5 neon tetra/glo tetra
5 guppies
10 shrimp
6 Bottom dweller
What bottom dweller do you recommend? I am not sure what to choose. Also, what do they eat.

 

Can I do:
10 ember tetra
5 neon tetra/glo tetra
5 guppies
10 shrimp
6 Bottom dweller
What bottom dweller do you recommend? I am not sure what to choose. Also, what do they eat.

corys are good bottom dwellers who eat sinking pellets and any leftover food your fish may miss. pygmy cories (up to 1.2 inches) are a little smaller than other cory groups (up to 1-2.5 inches).

 

I wouldn’t do guppies unless you’re absolutely positive you can get all male or all female. Even with all female you’ll likely have fry. Your tank is also still a bit overstocked and if I had to pick any fish to scratch it’d be the guppies as they are large waste producers and can quickly over run a tank.

 

I wouldn’t do guppies unless your absolutely positive you can get all male or all female. Even with all female you’ll likely have fry. Your tank is also still a bit overstocked and if I had to pick any fish to scratch it’d be the guppies as they are large waste producers and can quickly over run a tank.

I am sure I can get just male.


My stocking:
10 ember tetra
5 glo tetra
5 male guppies
10 amano shrimp
6 pygmy cories
BTW what do pygmy cories eat?

 

Corry fish aren’t picky eaters. They’ll usally eat anything soft they can fit in their mouths. Uneaten food, wafers, frozen/live food, blanched veggies like zucchini or cucumber, ect.

Your stocking level is at 90% right now, whereas the reccomemded is 81% since it gives you some room for error. That being said, up your weekly water changes to 50%, or twice a week 25% and you should be okay.

 

I am sure I can get just male.


My stocking:
10 ember tetra
5 glo tetra
5 male guppies
10 amano shrimp
6 pygmy cories
BTW what do pygmy cories eat?

I think it would be better to do just 10 ember tetras and skip the glo tetras. Schooling fish thrive more in one large group than multiple smaller ones.
I wouldn't do pygmy corys because pretty much all of the dwarf/pygmy variants swim in the middle level of the tank, at least a bit. With the ember and glo tetras, plus the pygmy corys, it would all be quite crowded. You could do panda corys instead. They stay a bit smaller than most corys and they generally stay at the bottom of the tank.

 

Then how about this?
My stocking:
20 ember tetra
6 male guppies
10 amano shrimp
6 panda cories

 

Your stocking level is almost 100%. Any small mistakes can very easily lead to a disaster in a tank this heavily stocked. Stick to a smaller group of tetras, 10 like Kristen said.

 

Then:
10 ember tetra
6 male guppies
10 amano shrimp
6 panda cories

Is this fine now?

 

Yes, you should be fine.

 

Just for reference: I started a 29 gal tank with a similar fish population to what you are planning. It had 26 "nano" fish. I was a struggle to keep the nitrates below 20 even with feeding small amounts once daily and doing 50% weekly water changes. I eventually planted a lot of emergent plants which , in time, reduced nitrates to about 5ppm prior to my weekly water change. I now need to add fertilizer...

My point is that you will need to keep a close eye on the water parameters, but your stocking looks totally doable to me.

 

Then:
10 ember tetra
6 male guppies
10 amano shrimp
6 panda cories

Is this fine now?

I agree, this sounds perfect, I would even say 14 ember tetras would be fine. They are some of the smallest tetras around.

 

Just for reference: I started a 29 gal tank with a similar fish population to what you are planning. It had 26 "nano" fish. I was a struggle to keep the nitrates below 20 even with feeding small amounts once daily and doing 50% weekly water changes. I eventually planted a lot of emergent plants which , in time, reduced nitrates to about 5ppm prior to my weekly water change. I now need to add fertilizer...

My point is that you will need to keep a close eye on the water parameters, but your stocking looks totally doable to me.

Maybe because that your tetras are bigger in size. Embers are tiny. I might not even add the panda cories as I’m not sure where to find them. Anyways, thanks for the reminder!

I agree, this sounds perfect, I would even say 14 ember tetras would be fine. They are some of the smallest tetras around.

I will start with the guppies and 10 tetras. Then add shrimp. Them panda cories if I can find them. I might do fish in cycle. If parameters are manageable then I’ll get more embers.



Just asking, if I don’t get panda cories, can I get 4 more embers and 2 more guppies(male)?

 

Maybe because that your tetras are bigger in size. Embers are tiny. I might not even add the panda cories as I’m not sure where to find them. Anyways, thanks for the reminder!

I will start with the guppies and 10 tetras. Then add shrimp. Them panda cories if I can find them. I might do fish in cycle. If parameters are manageable then I’ll get more embers.



Just asking, if I don’t get panda cories, can I get 4 more embers and 2 more guppies(male)?

Both of those fish take up different water space than the cories, and it’s not really matter of amount of fish (As you can add as much filtration as you need to counter act their bio-load) but more so the space they take up.

 

Is this a 20 gallon high or long? Dimensions?

Btw, there is no 'percentage' of stocking level. If that number is coming from some stocking calculator, those are a decent tool but not to be taken as gospel.

 

Is this a 20 gallon high or long? Dimensions?

Planning on a 20g long. The usual dimensions for 20 long.

 

OK, with the plan you currently have I would suggest adding 2-4 more cories to the school. You'd also have room for small bottom dwelling centerpiece type fish like a pair of peacock gudgeons, which imo would go really well in this tank.

And yeah you do have room for more ember tetras. I'm not sure how the interaction between those and the guppies will go though as they are larger and quite boisterous fish compared to the tiny ember tetras.....

 

OK, with the plan you currently have I would suggest adding 2-4 more cories to the school. You'd also have room for small bottom dwelling centerpiece type fish like a pair of peacock gudgeons, which imo would go really well in this tank.

And yeah you do have room for more ember tetras. I'm not sure how the interaction between those and the guppies will go though as they are larger and quite boisterous fish compared to the tiny ember tetras.....

Peacock grudgeons looks cool. I’ll try and see if I can find them. Are they easy to care for? Any other centerpiece fish do you think will look cool? I might get a betta as centerpiece fish that lives in a tank with neons in my LFS if I can’t find any other centerpiece fish suitable.

How about I replace guppies with neons?
So:
10ember tetra
8 neon tetras
10 amano shrimp
8-10 panda cories
2 peacock grudgeons/1 betta

 

I think that would be fine. It's a lot of schooling fish, personally I would go a different route like some honey gouramis or a dwarf gourami, but that would work IMO.

 

I think that would be fine. It's a lot of schooling fish, personally I would go a different route like some honey gouramis or a dwarf gourami, but that would work IMO.

So you mean those as Centerpiece fish or replace one of the tetras?

 

Replace the school of neons, I mean. Neons these days are a pretty genetically weak fish and a lot of them will die of various issues.