# Stocking my 20 gallon community tank



## meamea568

Hey all, new member and beginner fishkeeper here!

So I'm planning on getting my very first tank soon and wanted some suggestions. I consider myself fairly new to fishkeeping, and the only real experience I have is caring for my sister's male betta and two comet goldfish. However, I have been doing a lot of research, and I understand the cycling process/nitrogen cycle pretty well.

I'm looking at a 20 gallon freshwater tropical tank with the dimensions of 24"L x 12"W x 20"H. How would you recommend I stock it? I would like to have a community tank with several different types of fish, but I'm unsure of which fish are compatible, their effect on the bioload, space in the tank, etc.

My original plan was this:
3 swordtails
6 panda cories
6 neon tetras
1 dwarf gourami
However, now I'm concerned that I might be overstocking it and I'm considering switching out the neons for 4-6 ender guppies.

Any advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much! :-D


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## Nilet699

Hello, do you know what your water parameters are? Ph, gh etc. This normally helps some of the much more experienced posters here offer better stocking suggestions. 

Other things like will the tank be planted etc are also helpful. Get as much info down about what you want as all factors play there part in what would and wouldn't suit the look you want.


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## marshallsea

meamea568 said:


> Hey all, new member and beginner fishkeeper here!
> 
> So I'm planning on getting my very first tank soon and wanted some suggestions. I consider myself fairly new to fishkeeping, and the only real experience I have is caring for my sister's male betta and two comet goldfish. However, I have been doing a lot of research, and I understand the cycling process/nitrogen cycle pretty well.
> 
> I'm looking at a 20 gallon freshwater tropical tank with the dimensions of 24"L x 12"W x 20"H. How would you recommend I stock it? I would like to have a community tank with several different types of fish, but I'm unsure of which fish are compatible, their effect on the bioload, space in the tank, etc.
> 
> My original plan was this:
> 3 swordtails
> 6 panda cories
> 6 neon tetras
> 1 dwarf gourami
> However, now I'm concerned that I might be overstocking it and I'm considering switching out the neons for 4-6 ender guppies.
> 
> Any advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much! :-D


That is overstocked, the swordtails need a much bigger tank as they get big and need a lot of swimming room. You need to know the type of water you have. The guppies need harder water and the corys and tetras need softer water. I'm not sure about the gourami but putting hard and soft water fish in the same tank spells trouble.You can save trouble and heartache by finding out what type of water you have and planning fish around your specific water.


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## Canadian Fish

You could get platies instead of swordtails. They'll be fine in a 24" tank and come in lots of color variations. 

As everyone has pointed out, this all depends on your water. 

If you check out my aquariums on the left, my "Community" tank is a 20 gallon high tank, same dimensions as yours. 

I only have 3 corys right now, 5 is better. I had 5 a year ago, two passed and as the behavior of the remaining three never changed, I never bothered adding more. They are very active bottom feeders, always scouring the bottom of the tank.

My guppies had fry, and two managed to survive hiding in the cracks of the driftwood, until they were small enough to survive in the open, so there are actually 4 + 2 small ones. 

Mine is pretty heavily stocked but it is a well established tank that has a steady 5 ppm nitrates with weekly 25-30% water changes. 

I am FINALLY going to add live plants to it next month. I should have done that from the start. Low light plants are super easy to maintain with liquid fertilizer and fertilizer tabs. I always shied away from planted tanks, but now that I see how easy it is, I highly recommend it.

I just ran your stock list through aquadvisor, which is only a guideline, but it puts you at 114%. This isn't bad. I don't consider myself overstocked until it hits 125%, and it won't usually give you an overstocked warning until 130%, unless there is some real territorial issues. 

Again, it's just a guideline. You could probably replace the swords with platies and still have the numbers you're talking about. Now it's just a matter of finding fish that all need the same water conditions, and that are compatible with your water.

You'll want to stock it gradually. Which cycling method did you plan on using?


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## meamea568

I'm going to test my water sometime soon this week, but all that I know as of right now is that my water is hard. 

I'm planning on doing fishless cycling. I was planning on adding the swordtails first, then the cories, then the neons/endlers, and then the gourami. The thing is that I'd really like to get a gourami and/or some panda cories, but now that you mentioned that, I don't know what I'll do.

Is planting the tank really that easy? I was considering it for a while.


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## marshallsea

meamea568 said:


> I'm going to test my water sometime soon this week, but all that I know as of right now is that my water is hard.
> 
> I'm planning on doing fishless cycling. I was planning on adding the swordtails first, then the cories, then the neons/endlers, and then the gourami. The thing is that I'd really like to get a gourami and/or some panda cories, but now that you mentioned that, I don't know what I'll do.
> 
> Is planting the tank really that easy? I was considering it for a while.


I'm no expert but with hard water you can't have any of the above mentioned fish except the swordtails. They are soft water fish and will either die or be unhealthy in hard water. I have the same size tank and have had a swordtail. They need a much bigger tank and, to me, they never seemed happy. Platys, as Canadian Fish said, are a very good match for that tank and your hard water. I waited too long to add plants. I should have done it from the start. You only need a light bulb in the 6500k range, Seachems Flourish plant food and plants. I would recommend Anacharis and Wisteria to start with. They are super easy, you can plant them or let them float and they grow and grow.


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## Canadian Fish

See if you can find out your PH and GH. Byron is always pointing out that "hard" and "soft" are often subjective and really only the numbers are going to tell you what you need to know.

I have 10 and 35 gallon planted tanks that only use factory bulbs. The 10 is LEDs and the 35 is a 30" single strip T8 bulb, nothing fancy. I use ferilizer tabs (I think they last 3 months, someone else can confirm) and liquid fertilizer twice a week, when I remember. I use Flourish Comp. 

I have a variety of low light plants (I just ask the girl at LFS to show me whichever are low light, I don't even know the names of most of my plants). They're growing great. Had I known they were this easy, I would have started all my tanks. 

If you add enough plants before adding fish, you won't even have to worry about a cycle. 
The plants will take care of everything.


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## meamea568

After asking around on several different sites, I've decided to take out the swordtails and neons and just get three dwarf gouramis (one male, two females) and then get eight panda cories. Just because this is my first tank, I'd rather understock it and then possibly add more fish later, maybe a smaller schooling fish like the neons.

My lighting system has 17 watts (I think) so I don't know if that will even be enough for low-light plants.

My water testing kit is coming today, so I'll edit this post or post later when I test my water.


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## Aurie

a single 17 watt bulb is just fine for low light plants such as java fern and many others considered "low"

Next time the bulb burns out, I recommend a 6500k bulb. They are considered "daylight" bulb. I wouldn't suggest the "GE" "Aquarium plant" bulb. It is only about 3500k. If you can find them, the Glo bulbs are great, but locally I can only find them in T5. The "Ultra Sun" bulbs from Zoo Med are about $14.99 at petco. I wouldn't suggest any 10,000 kalvin or atnic bulbs.

Your tank is much smaller than mine. I have a 29 gallon tank which is 18 inches high with the same bulb. Needless to say mine wasn't cutting the cake since my tank is taller. I decided on going with a dual T5 Normal Output bulb (available at petsmart) since I couldn't find any dual T8 fixtures (Aqueon stopped making them). I am starting to get growth .. even some algae  but my tank is new so some algae is normal. It hasn't settled yet.


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## meamea568

Okay thanks! Should I just get a couple of java ferns then or are there other low-light plants I can get with my lighting?


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## Canadian Fish

meamea568 said:


> Okay thanks! Should I just get a couple of java ferns then or are there other low-light plants I can get with my lighting?


I have a bunch of different low light plants. Unfortunately I don't know what half of them are, as I just ask the girl at the LFS to show me the low light options. 




























The ones on the left in the last picture are fake. I am gradually replacing all my fake plants. 
As you can see, there is a ton of variety. These plants are all growing in low light. I'm sure someone here can name many, and I would think if you ask at the store where you're purchasing them, they can steer you toward low light options.


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## Aurie

Java fern. Crypt wentii green. Anarachis. Floating hornwart. All good choices that I have had. I'd stay away from bushy plants like cambomba they will shed lots. Oh wisteria is good too. Now that you know you are in low light you can Google low light plants and get more ideas. There are lots.


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## Nilet699

Aurie said:


> I'd stay away from bushy plants like cambomba they will shed lots.


I have quite a few of these at around 60 cm tall. TBH they are actually starting to be a PITA as they do shed quite a bit. Im seriously considering replacing them tbh in the future. That and one of them became my first victim today- as in a fish has nailed one at around 40 cm.....i just cant work out who yet! :evil:


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## meamea568

Okay! If anything, I'll probably go with some anarachis, wisteria, java ferns, crypt wentiis, and mirco swords, but I'll just go to my lfs and see what they have.


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## Nilet699

meamea568 said:


> Okay! If anything, I'll probably go with some anarachis, wisteria, java ferns, crypt wentiis, and mirco swords, but I'll just go to my lfs and see what they have.


haha this game annoys me endlessly! they will no doubt have NONE of the plants you want! 

for instance, i have approx 100$ of vouchers for a lfs (not the one i like) so i go in today hoping they will have some decent wood or plants, espec plants. NOPE - half of them, literally, are plants that i recognize will rot in the aquarium eventually, as they are basically house plants. And what they do have is just the usual that any fish shop has. Next year i want cash! As im going to order online. In fact, thanks...you've pushed me, i have a 40ish $ order sat there for echinodorus tenellus that ive being mulling over, i just hit pay! MUAHAHA. 

So, my point being, go there with an open mind, as lfs's, in m experience dont stock to suit you at all!


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## meamea568

Hahaha okay I'll probably order them online from liveaquaria.com if that seems alright. Do you think I should get some driftwood or something for the tank to provide more hiding spaces?


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## Nilet699

Worth going down to a few LFS obviously first, you might even find something else you like- just take your phone- and google anything you like, what i do, least i have all the info then before i buy.

And I do yes, but then again this is another personal thing. If you like wood, its looks great and natural, and is great for hiding spaces etc. There are a few different types though and all have pros and cons, you need byron or soemone who knows all them ton weigh inj here with suggestions on wood variety etc


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## meamea568

Will do 

I really like the look of the wood, and I think the fish will like it too. I'll look into it and see if anyone can help me with that.


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## Byron

You asked me via PM about wood, so my suggestion would be the Malaysian Driftwood. This is available in several stores, perhaps depending where you live though, and online. I like it because it is dark brown, heavy so it sinks immediately, comes in different sizes and shapes (all being natural) and usually has tunnels and crevices which are ideally suited to many fish and especially substrate fish. I have a lot of this in my tanks.

Byron.


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## meamea568

Okay thanks! I just looked it up and it looks great! Thanks for the advice Byron!


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