Overwhelmed

I've only owned a betta when I was really little so I've been doing an absolute ton of research on aquarium fish keeping, maybe a little too much cause I really can't decide between a couple of species I want to start with. KuhlI loaches I love and they can live in this 20 long tank I have. But so can an axolotl, which I'm also seriously considering but I kinda wanna start with fish and they eat cut up earthworms...
Dojo or Weather loaches are cool too, but they can't live in a 20 long and a 55 gallon tank is way too expensive so I would have to build a tank. I'm not oposed to building a tank at all, but I really want to use this 20 long.
Dwarf puffers are adorable especially with their huge personalities, but caring for a separate colony of little snails seems like a pain and I feel bad for the snails. Also, I heard much like GSPs and F8Ps, they're wild caught. Taking a fish out its gigantic home and then putting it in a tank I would prefer not to "support", but I'm not sure if tank raised puffers don't exist.
Clown loaches I haven't done much research on, but I'm interested.
Crayfish are pretty cool, I like the dwarf red ones but I've done the most research on white specter and electric blue crayfish.
As you can see I have a lot of options, so what's your opinion? Which one of these is best for a complete beginner? And I mean I'm a beginner in experience, I'm willing to care for something that doesn't just eat some pellets everyday and needs a water change weekly.

 

I believe puffers are brackish water creatures, so that's something to look into. I have seen the crayfish things snatching up fish and eating/killing them. also something to think about.

personally, I keep a platy and guppy tank lol. super active, like to be fed a couple times a day.

 

Welcome to the forum and glad you joined us. Clown loaches are way to big for your tank and need to be in a group. I keep kuhlis and I like them. One white spector or electric blue crayfish would work. You could build a community tank with fish and have 8 to 10 kuhlI loaches as your bottom feeders. And a couple of schools of smaller peaceful fish and a trio of honey gourami for the top. . You don't want to keep the larger crayfish with any fish as they will eat them. Alison

 

Welcome to the hobby where you always get deluged with information. Now if you like loaches just remember they do better in groups and think of where they will grow to. However what may be best for you would be a community tank.

But just go to and put your thoughts in and make a few cocept mixes in your head. Oh and until someone explains it... I am ignoring that sights idea of shrimp bio-load as an FYI. The rest is really good tho!

For a first tank I would make sure you get things you like to watch. And things you won't need to rehome. Beyond that... It's part art and part science. But virtually play around with tanks. Check it out.

 

I believe puffers are brackish water creatures, so that's something to look into. I have seen the crayfish things snatching up fish and eating/killing them. also something to think about.

personally, I keep a platy and guppy tank lol. super active, like to be fed a couple times a day.

I've done a lot of research on brakish tanks but I was hoping to start with something freshwater. F8Ps and GSPs are brakish whereas DPs are freshwater, I'm pretty sure.

 

Dwarf puffers are indeed freshwater Kencray

 

Dwarf Puffers are in fact freshwater species which are found in India. TikiBird has found sellers with tank bred DP's. They're awesome little fish but can be the most vicious little things you've ever met. In a 20 long, you could keep 4 and try to get 1 male and 3 females. As for breeding snails, I keep them in a 1 gal mason jar with a sponge filter and feed them veggie scraps like the ends of zuchinni. But you don't have to feed them snails, frozen bloodworms, live tubifex worms and any other smaller sized worms work just as well for them. They're fairly easy to care for but require a heavily planted or decorated tank.

 

Welcome to the forum and glad you joined us. Clown loaches are way to big for your tank and need to be in a group. I keep kuhlis and I like them. One white spector or electric blue crayfish would work. You could build a community tank with fish and have 8 to 10 kuhlI loaches as your bottom feeders. And a couple of schools of smaller peaceful fish and a trio of honey gourami for the top. . You don't want to keep the larger crayfish with any fish as they will eat them. Alison

The thing is I want fish I can watch. I've heard kuhlI loaches are extremely shy even when they have a ton of other kuhlies around. And I've watched videos of them and they really don't seem that...active? Like they squirm around and through eachother but that's about it. I think it's just cause their bottom feeders. But I've also heard about them coming out in the daytime despite being nocturnal and taking food from their owners hands and other cute things so I don't know what to believe.
And I should have added this earlier, but I'm looking for a single species. I don't find community tanks exciting for some reason so a single species tank is ideal. Maybe add a few ghost shrimp if the species(s) won't eat them.

Dwarf Puffers are in fact freshwater species which are found in India. TikiBird has found sellers with tank bred DP's. They're awesome little fish but can be the most vicious little things you've ever met. In a 20 long, you could keep 4 and try to get 1 male and 3 females. As for breeding snails, I keep them in a 1 gal mason jar with a sponge filter and feed them veggie scraps like the ends of zuchinni. But you don't have to feed them snails, frozen bloodworms, live tubifex worms and any other smaller sized worms work just as well for them. They're fairly easy to care for but require a heavily planted or decorated tank.

THANK YOU!!
although I've heard GSPs and F8Ps beed snails to wear down their teeth and DPs do too but I've heard somewhere else that DPs don't get overgrown teeth so feeding snails is optional???

 

THANK YOU!!
although I've heard GSPs and F8Ps beed snails to wear down their teeth and DPs do too but I've heard somewhere else that DPs don't get overgrown teeth so feeding snails is optional???

DPs don't have that problem. Where F8s and GSPs crunch down on snails, DP's tend to suck them out of their shell or take bites on their soft flesh. Feeding snails is optional for these guys but breeding bladder snails are so easy and free. It also keeps them active when they hunt for them.

I've had success keeping shrimp with my single dwarf puffer tank but I'm not sure how much harder it will be when u have more than one of them.