Newbie with 20 g tank, over overwhelmed

HI all,

Today I was gifted a 20 gal tank (24x12x16) plus Tetra Whisper x30 filter.

Now I need to buy the rest, do a fishless cycle but first I need to get started with the 'interior decoration'.
Unfortunately the tank is smaller than I would like, also I started reading up on fish and found conflicting information about fish size and requirement.
So I thought I ask here to see what the experts think.

Idea 1
- one Betta
- one Clown P!eco (I love plecos, so I really would love one)
- maybe in the long run 1-2 dwarf frogs

Idea 2
- 4-5 male guppies
- one Clown pleco
+?

Any other ideas?
I was thinking black sand, big river rocks, driftwood and real plants would be nice.
Any fast swimming fish like Danios I wouldn't want. They make me nervous. Everything should be very peaceful.

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

First welcome.

So for the First Idea. Betta really need to just be in a tank alone.

Just curious why fast swimming fish make you nervous? And although danios can swim fast. Usually a lot of fast swimming is a sign of stress. Both my Zebra Danios and my Neon tetras usually just kinda float around slowly swimming around the tank...

 

Like I said, conflicting info. I read on a Betta web site that Clown plecos or other peaceful small fish could be kept with a Betta.
We have a tank at work and baby giant Danios were introduced. They are very active and zip around a lot. Personally, I think an aquarium should be relaxing to look at and the Danios drive me crazy

 

Newbie with 20 g tank, ver overwhelmed

I think idea 2 is good.

If it were me I'd probably do a school of cories (corydoras catfish) for the bottom area and a school of fish for the upper area, and maybe some shrimp to hide in the plants.

 

I like idea #2. You could probably add something to it but most fish small enough to fit in a 20 gallon high I would consider fast swimming fish. Celestial Pearl Danio's (I know it's a danio but they aren't the same as the others) don't dart around too much. You could do

4-5 Male Guppies
1 Clown Pleco
15 Celestial Pearl Danios

 

Newbie with 20 g tank, ver overwhelmed

If you don't like danios, maybe a small group of male guppies would be more to your liking. Edit: I see that this was one of your proposed ideas already.

You could also have a school of 6 cories that are suitable temperature wise to the other fish that you have.

 

I like idea #2. You could probably add something to it but most fish small enough to fit in a 20 gallon high I would consider fast swimming fish. Celestial Pearl Danio's (I know it's a danio but they aren't the same as the others) don't dart around too much. You could do

4-5 Male Guppies
1 Clown Pleco
15 Celestial Pearl Danios

This is a 20 gal tank. Would that not be very overstocked? I'm newer so curious ...

 

No. CPD's stay very small at less than an inch and in a heavily planted tank you could do 12-15 I would think with 4 or 5 male guppies no problem.

 

No. CPD's stay very small at less than an inch and in a heavily planted tank you could do 12-15 I would think with 4 or 5 male guppies no problem.

Cool!

 

By the way, some calming words, the larger your tank the easier it is to manage water parameters. So starting with a 20 is a step up from somebody trying to start with a 5 or 10, or one of those tiny ones below 5

 

By the way, some calming words, the larger your tank the easier it is to manage water parameters. So starting with a 20 is a step up from somebody trying to start with a 5 or 10, or one of those tiny ones below 5

IMO no fish should be in a tank below 5 gallons. A 20 gallon is a good size for a beginner that isn't too small to feasibly put much into it.

 

Newbie with 20 g tank, ver overwhelmed

How about a single honey gourami. I'm like you, enjoy slower moving fish.

I think it would go with male guppies and/or CPD's. Maybe 10 and the gourami. Check the fish out on uTube and stocking on aqadvisor. It is not perfect but gives you general ideas that are helpful.

Have fun and welcome.

 

Ember Tetra and a good number of Rasbora species are small, very colorful, and not that active too.

Aside from guppies, is there other center of attention fish you like?

There's always a female betta sorority. Multiple females can be kept together in the same tank, but you would need 5 or more to keep things civil with themselves. Aquaphobia and Flowingfins could help you with that option.

Male Betta are pretty territorial with most of anything. The best bet, with male or female, is with invertebrates like shrimp or snails, but it's never a guarantee. I do recommend a 5-10 gallon for a male betta. They're quite the fun fish.

 

Wow, thanks for your input. I am at work right now, so don"t have time to write much. I will look into those celestial danios.
As a center fish I thought about a dwarf gourami but then read they areally prone to disease.

 

There's a virus that's common among 20% of them that get imported from Singapore. Not really prone to disease.

You're most likely not going to get one that has it and if it does, I'd assume you could get a refund for being sold a sick fish. Just watch the tank at the store for a week and if their still healthy, you're pretty much golden.

I really love the Honey Guarami. They are very peaceful, especially for anabantoids (fish that have a labyrinth organ).

 

Love the Honey Gourami! When I researched it, it says that they show more interesting behavior when not kept alone.
What do you think?

I like the combination
1-2 Honey Gouramis
4-5 guppis
1 clown pleco

And maybe a few Celestial Danios which ars very cute.

The corys ars great too but unfortunagely the tank is not that big.

Thanks all for your input!

 

Guppies contribute a good bit to the bioload. If your heart is set on them, you wouldn't be able to stock much of the celestials, if any.

1 male and 1 female honey. Two males don't get along very well.

Cherry or Ghost Shrimp are a great choice for the bottom with the pleco. They are fun to watch and contribute very little waste to boot.

 

I wouldn't try a sorority at this point. Beautiful if it works, but nerve-racking thanks to the potential for it all to go wrong!

I also think that the chance of it working are higher in a 20 long vs a 20 high.

 

I wouldn't try a sorority at this point. Beautiful if it works, but nerve-racking thanks to the potential for it all to go wrong!

I also think that the chance of it working are higher in a 20 long vs a 20 high.

Whoops. I misread the dimensions. Thanks for pointing that out.

I believe there's a dollar per gallon sale at petsmart now or very soon, so a 20 long could be gotten

 

Whoops. I misread the dimensions. Thanks for pointing that out.

I believe there's a dollar per gallon sale at petsmart now or very soon, so a 20 long could be gotten

Unfortunately this sale ended last month on the 7th, I read your comment and got excited to find out it already ended

 

Unfortunately this sale ended last month on the 7th, I read your comment and got excited to find out it already ended

Hmm. I could've sworn I seen about it in July. My bad. I was getting excited too

Edit: never mind. It was a very very old post. I hate you Google....

 

I would do the clown betta (I have a Halfmoon betta in my 55 gallon and he gets along well with everyone except for feeding he is a fatty)
Def a PLECO they are so much fun to watch
Dwarf frogs are awesome I have 2 the only thing is they are noisy at night they just sing like crazy but awesome pets!

HI all,

Today I was gifted a 20 gal tank (24x12x16) plus Tetra Whisper x30 filter.

Now I need to buy the rest, do a fishless cycle but first I need to get started with the 'interior decoration'.
Unfortunately the tank is smaller than I would like, also I started reading up on fish and found conflicting information about fish size and requirement.
So I thought I ask here to see what the experts think.

Idea 1
- one Betta
- one Clown P!eco (I love plecos, so I really would love one)
- maybe in the long run 1-2 dwarf frogs

Idea 2
- 4-5 male guppies
- one Clown pleco
+?

Any other ideas?
I was thinking black sand, big river rocks, driftwood and real plants would be nice.
Any fast swimming fish like Danios I wouldn't want. They make me nervous. Everything should be very peaceful.

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

What's a "clown betta"?

Definitely no dwarf frogs in a mixed tank and not one of this height.

Option #2 is still your best bet

 

I'll definitely stick with the 20 gal for now. If things work out well and if I really enjoy fishkeeping, I have a 50 in empty wall space where a large tank would fit quite nicely
I also have a 40 gal breeder tank where gerbils used to live. Does znybody know if the silicone could be professionally replaced?

Too bad about the frogs, there is so much info out there, I read in several places that African Dwarf Frogs could be kept with smaller peaceful community fish, also a tank height of up to 18 shouldn't be a problem.
Aquaphobia, what's the reason you shouldn't mix?

Ok, Clown Pleco, poopy Guppies, and maybe a shrimp or two later on.

The Honey Gouramis sound so tempting but they may breed. If I ever get a bigger tank, they'll be in there!

Thanks again everybody! Update will follow after cycling.

 

Piaelliott It should be able to. But not really hard to redo the silicone if needed. If you are up to it, should just need to remove with a straight razor, then put silicone bead and run your finger up it to round out the bead. Is this for the 40? Only ask because some tanks sold as terrariums have thinner glass and that is the reason they say not to fill with water. Obviously that is if you are comfortable doing it. Not sure where you could have it done professionally nor how much it would cost. It could cost as much as a new tank.

 

From what I understand, ADF's have very poor eyesight and will either be outcompeted for food or will take a bite out of any passing fin mistaking it for food. They also need to be able to get to the surface easily though in a tall tank that can be remedied with floating or tall plants. I think @ is the expert on those IIRC

40 breeders are a lovely size! I have one in my closet, just waiting it's chance to shine Definitely check that it was meant for fish though because they are made in exactly the same size for reptiles. I bought one secondhand and then discovered my mistake:-\ If it is a proper aquarium though then silicone seals are fairly easy to replace. You just need aquarium sealant (easy to get), a razor blade, and a bit of time!

 

You are so right! It is a critter breeder tank, glass has same thickness as 20 gal aquarium. I am definitely not going to risk that.
How interesting about the frogs. Lot to learn!

 

From what I understand, ADF's have very poor eyesight and will either be outcompeted for food or will take a bite out of any passing fin mistaking it for food. They also need to be able to get to the surface easily though in a tall tank that can be remedied with floating or tall plants. I think @ is the expert on those IIRC

40 breeders are a lovely size! I have one in my closet, just waiting it's chance to shine Definitely check that it was meant for fish though because they are made in exactly the same size for reptiles. I bought one secondhand and then discovered my mistake:-\ If it is a proper aquarium though then silicone seals are fairly easy to replace. You just need aquarium sealant (easy to get), a razor blade, and a bit of time!

I'm sorry, I've never had ADF's so can't be of any help. Hope you find your answer soon!

 

I could be wrong...but isn't Lucy the ADF expert on here?

 

You are so right! It is a critter breeder tank, glass has same thickness as 20 gal aquarium. I am definitely not going to risk that.
How interesting about the frogs. Lot to learn!

Whew! Not to worry, they're popular with reptile keepers so you shouldn't have any trouble selling it on. I didn't

I could be wrong...but isn't @ the ADF expert on here?

Oops, my mistake! Embarking on my first coffee in 3-2-1...

 

Guppies will breed like rabbits unless you get all males. Females can carry sperm and continue to pump out fry after being brought home, that or I'm thinking of a similar live bearer.

 

Disillusioned! Today I stopped at a small privately owned pet store to look at stuff and fish. The lady actually suggested I get two cichlids!!! I had already told her what I have and what I plan. Sure enough, the cichilds were beautiful and very small.
When I told her that they get really big and that they shouldn't be in a 20 gal tank, she said I could sell them then for profit - huh?
Then I went to PetSmart. Neither store had what I was looking for and I was told that guppies are inbred and have a weak immune system.

I saw a Dwarf Powder Blue gourami, very pretty. No Honey Gouramis anywhere.

Oh well, I have enough time to look for a good place to buy fish.

Grimund: I think that's right. I only wanted males but the ones I saw weren't impressive at all

 

It depends on the cichlid to be honest.

Lol at the Guppies. They are prolific breeders, so it's kind of expected in the aquaria setting. Even the derpiest of fish still need love if you wind up with one.

I love the powder blue too, especially for the color. They can bully sometimes, but I've never heard total horror stories. Honey are calmer and great for starting out because they are less prone to be problematic with behavior. I go all in or not at all so I'd get him anyway

 

I could be wrong...but isn't Lucy the ADF expert on here?

I'm far from an expert. I just keep them


Piaelliott
This might help if you decide to get African Dwarf Frogs
https://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfishforum/threads/care-sheet-for-african-dwarf-frogs.36417/

In my experience they are best kept to a tank by themselves. They are easier to feed and get their proper food (no fish flakes). They show their true personalities without having to compete with fish.

They also can't defend themselves except to hide and that's no fun.

Filter current might be an issue as well. They like stiller waters.

Small fish can fit in their mouths if mistaken for food.