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!

 

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.

I think I will do that. How many honeys can I have if I replace the neons with them?

Also, just read up on peacock grudgeons, they need frozen or live food which I don’t have access to so I can’t have them…

 

I think I will do that. How many honeys can I have if I replace the neons with them?

Also, just read up on peacock grudgeons, they need frozen or live food which I don’t have access to so I can’t have them…

They don't need frozen or live food. I kept them for years being fed on pellets. Maybe if you got them wild-caught, they would.

I would say 3 honey gouramis.

 

They don't need frozen or live food. I kept them for years being fed on pellets. Maybe if you got them wild-caught, they would.

I would say 3 honey gouramis.

So will this stocking work:
10ember tetra
3 honey gouramis/8 neons(if u can’t find honeys)
10 amano shrimp
8-10 panda cories
2 peacock grudgeons/1 betta(if I can’t find peacock grudgeons)

 

No betta. They would likely attack the other fish, other wise this looks fine to me.

 

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.

Actually, more bio-load will result in more nitrates no matter how much filtration you have.

 

Okay so stocking:
10ember tetra
3 honey gouramis/8 neons(if can’t find honeys)
10 amano shrimp
8-10 panda cories
2 peacock grudgeons

Will any of the fish eat the shrimp?
Feeding my betta that I have right now thrice daily is unhealthy and I should only feed once every 2 days?

 

It's pretty easy to counteract bio-load. It's unhealthy to feed your fish every single day. I would recommend feeding only 3-4 times a week.

Three times a day? Yeah way too much.

Also to answer your other question, the amano shrimp will be fine. The species you have selected will not eat them.

 

Three times a day? Yeah way too much.

Also to answer your other question, the amano shrimp will be fine. The species you have selected will not eat them.

When I fed once or twice a day it was too skinny…

 

How do you know it was too skinny? Did it look frail?
What type of food and how much per feeding?

Are you using betta-specific pellets or the larger generic pellets? I would also recommend varying the diet, try intentionally getting mosquito larvae in a bucket of water outside and feeding those to your fish.

 

How do you know it was too skinny? Did it look frail?
What type of food and how much per feeding?

No like when I looked from above I could see an obvious difference between the place with skull and without skull. A member on another forum told me that that part was supposed to be less skinny.
I fed 3 pellets for one feeding and 2 pellets each time for 2&3 feedings.

what member said:

What my betta looked like:

Are you using betta-specific pellets or the larger generic pellets? I would also recommend varying the diet, try intentionally getting mosquito larvae in a bucket of water outside and feeding those to your fish.

Not sure about the pellets. They have 64% crude protein and are around 1.5mm in size. Mosquito breeding is illegal in my country and I also feed him dried brine shrimp.

 

Actually, more bio-load will result in more nitrates no matter how much filtration you have.

Yeah, I guess I’ve forgotten that not everyone has a jungle of Val’s in every one of their tanks! Yeah, in the normal case, I think 10 seems more fitting.

 

I might not be able to get peacock grudgeons so any other fish I can consider in place of them in case I really can’t get them?

 

There may be some peaceful dwarf cichlid options, but I wouldn't know if they are available to you or not. Do you know what types of fish are available at your LFS?

 

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

Is this a 20 long or 20 high - for a 20 high the only cory you can reasonably consider are pygmy (there are three species but the pygmy pygmy have the most interesting behavior). Drop the embers to 10 and the male guppies to 3 and you are set though I would get blue or red cherry over amano.

Okay so stocking:
10ember tetra
3 honey gouramis/8 neons(if can’t find honeys)
10 amano shrimp
8-10 panda cories
2 peacock grudgeons

Will any of the fish eat the shrimp?

Way too many fishes - drop the gouramis or the peacock; also reduce the panda to 7 or 8 (though in all honestly pygmy cory are more fun).

 

Way too many fishes - drop the gouramis or the peacock; also reduce the panda to 7 or 8 (though in all honestly pygmy cory are more fun).

Disagree. Also, pygmy cories instead of pandas makes little sense- pygmies are a mid-dwelling cory, you'll have the bottom be empty and the mid-top full.

 

Disagree. Also, pygmy cories instead of pandas makes little sense- pygmies are a mid-dwelling cory, you'll have the bottom be empty and the mid-top full.

do you own or have you owned pygmy cories? I have several schools. Yes they swim mid level but they spend most of their time on the substrate.

 

do you own or have you owned pygmy cories? I have several schools. Yes they swim mid level but they spend most of their time on the substrate.

Yes, I have.

 

Way too many fishes - drop the gouramis or the peacock; also reduce the panda to 7 or 8 (though in all honestly pygmy cory are more fun).

I’ve been thinking of Pygmy cories at first too. I’ll get the one I find first. Just for your info, this is a 20g long. I think I will drop the peacock. Can’t seem to find where to buy them. Can I get 4 honey gouramis? If no, can I get more embers?
Stocking:
10 ember tetra
3 honey gouramis
10 amano shrimp
8 panda cories

 

I think that is fine but I would go with cherry shrimps (instead of amano) of your favorite colour (red,blue,yellow,...). The reason is that amano shrimp can't breed in freshwater but cherry can. Also cherry can be a bit fragile so i would add them last after the tank has mature a bit.
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You might be able to have more than 10 ember but two things to note first embers (and neon) are pretty stationary and do not have a lot of activity. If you want a fish that is more active you could consider kubotai rasbora - these are smallish green fish with blue stripe - they are about 3/4 the size of an ember. As for 10 vs 20 - i would start with 10 and see how things work and then maybe 60 days later re-evaluate.

 

I think that is fine but I would go with cherry shrimps (instead of amano) of your favorite colour (red,blue,yellow,...). The reason is that amano shrimp can't breed in freshwater but cherry can. Also cherry can be a bit fragile so i would add them last after the tank has mature a bit.
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You might be able to have more than 10 ember but two things to note first embers (and neon) are pretty stationary and do not have a lot of activity. If you want a fish that is more active you could consider kubotai rasbora - these are smallish green fish with blue stripe - they are about 3/4 the size of an ember. As for 10 vs 20 - i would start with 10 and see how things work and then maybe 60 days later re-evaluate.

Sorry, I meant cherry shrimp at first. I try and see if I can find where to buy that kind of rasbora. I thought embers where active fish. Any other small fish that is active that you recommend?

 

The tank isn't really large enough to support an active schooling tetra like rummynose; a lot o folks like galaxy rasbora. Rosy barbs are also an option but they will likely eat the shrimp.

 

Can I get harlequin rasboras as the galaxy rasbora sold in my area are $2 each not including shipping fee… I’ve always wanted them too.
Stocking:
15 harlequin rasbora
4 honey gouramis
20 amano shrimp
8 panda cories

 

Can I get harlequin rasboras as the galaxy rasbora sold in my area are $2 each not including shipping fee… I’ve always wanted them too.
Stocking:
15 harlequin rasbora
4 honey gouramis
20 amano shrimp
8 panda cories

I think that's OK.