# Stocking 20g long



## Trish (Apr 1, 2008)

Hi guys. 

I have a 20g long tank that is currently cycling. I do not plan to get fish for at least another 2 weeks since I have no idea how the cycling is going (getting a test kit soon). 

What would you suggest that I stock the tank with? I want to have a small community... I've looked at several types of fish but haven't really seen anything outstanding. Something simple, hardy but not boring, if that is possible? :lol: 

Thanks!


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## meegosh (Mar 13, 2008)

Well as far as the cycle goes, what are you using for an ammonia source? Raw shrimp or pure ammonia? I'd say expect to wait about 6 weeks for the cycle to completely finish if you don't have any seed material (old filter media, used decor/gravel, etc.) I'd recommend getting a good liquid test kit, rather than the inaccurate strips they sell.

As far as fish goes, what are your preferences? I'd suggest some corys for bottom dwellers. Maybe some larger tetras (diamond, bleeding heart) for the middle/top. I'd stay away from neons until your tank is fully established, they can be fussy. As far as "centerpiece" fish a german blue ram (maybe a pair), or a nice gourami. I'd stay away from multiple gourami's as they get quite aggressive/territorial.

That's just my personal preference. Let us know what you have in mind!


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## crazy4fish (Dec 31, 2007)

there are actually a good number of choices for a tank like that. have you looked at guppies, platies, mollies, and swordtails? they are colorful and hardy.  are you looking for any certain colors?

you could also get some small schooling fish. like harlequin rasboras, neon tetras, black neons, rummynose tetras, cherry barbs, threadfin or celebes rainbowfish, cories, pencilfish, hatchetfish, penguinfish, cardinal tetras, white cloud mountain minnows, danios, and kuhli loaches.

personally i would get a gourami for the top, kuhlis or cories for the bottom, and then rummynoses, neons, harlequin rasboras, or white cloud mountain minnows for the middle level. depending on how many you get and of what kind you might be able to get 2 types for the middle. :wink: 

hope this helped!


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## tophat665 (Sep 30, 2006)

Get a half dozen Tanganyika shellies. Stick some coral in your filter, two dozen escargot or similarly sized shells in there, and find one of the Lake Tanganyika dwarf shell dwellers. Lamprologus multifascitis. Neolamprologus brevis or N. ocellatus are all fun.

Heck let it cycle for 6 months with pond snails and ghost shrimp, then add a male and 5 female dwarf puffers.

10 female bettas and 5 ottos.

8 diamond tetras, 6 panda cories, and a Clown pleco

Set the filtration up to put a strong current end to end and add 5 hillstream loaches and a dozen or more white clouds or half that many pearl danios.

Get a pair of everglades pygmy sunfish and try to breed them.

10 pencilfish, a pair of apistos, a banjo catfish, and a mess of driftwood and boiled oak leaves (works better in a 40).

5 to 7 striped Loaches and 5 harlequin or espi's rasboaras. That would be a really active tank.

5 Skunk loaches (nothing else).

10 pygmy cories and 15 glowlights, green neons, neons, flame (the gold von rio variety is quite striking), or silver tipped tetras. or 10 tetras and 5 ottos.

8 Tiger Barbs (nothing else)

6 kuhli loaches, 2 male and 6 female Cherry barbs.

12 to 15 threadfin rainbows or Pseudomugil gertrudae.

A convict and a half dozen zebrafish

3 albino cories, 1 albino bristlenosed pleco, and 10 albino neons.


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## Trish (Apr 1, 2008)

Wow, thanks guys!! I'm going to take a look at all of the fish you've suggested, and see what I come up with! 

Is it a good idea to get a snail or two for the cycling process? 

Once I get the test kit, I'll be able to see whats actually happening in there... I still have to get some gravel from my friends tank, but have not had a chance to talk with them! 

THANKS SO MUCH...


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## crazy4fish (Dec 31, 2007)

you could add some snails for the cycling process if you wanted. i dont know if it would help A LOT but it wouldnt be a problem.

and for your tank did you want just fish or did you want some snails and shrimp as well?


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## okiemavis (Nov 10, 2007)

Pest snails are free, hardy and make a lot of waste. They would work well for the puffer tank too as there would be lots of food.

I recently left a couple of snails in a jar by accident (I didn't realize they were on the plant). I found them 2 days later and the ammonia was at 1.00. And they were still alive and moving around! Of course this was only in some like 1/2 gallon, but still, they definitely add waste to your tank.


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## crazy4fish (Dec 31, 2007)

well in that case snails WOULD actually help the cycle a lot.


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## tophat665 (Sep 30, 2006)

okiemavis said:


> Pest snails are free, hardy and make a lot of waste. They would work well for the puffer tank too as there would be lots of food.
> 
> I recently left a couple of snails in a jar by accident (I didn't realize they were on the plant). I found them 2 days later and the ammonia was at 1.00. And they were still alive and moving around! Of course this was only in some like 1/2 gallon, but still, they definitely add waste to your tank.


I've had pond snails (native to these parts - don't get excited) that lived for Days in a toilet that was in use by 4 people, 2 of whom are little girls who are, shall we say, inconsistent flushers. The only things that'll kill them are puffers, loaches, cichlids, copper, and crushing.


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## crazy4fish (Dec 31, 2007)

so are you going to get some snails or no?


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## Trish (Apr 1, 2008)

Oh, oops! I haven't been able to get on here for a while- forgive me!

Yes, I do plan on getting snails. Apparently my friend can get them for me- she has too many in her tank. I still have NOT gotten the test kit- Agh! Shrimp sound really cool as well- what does their care consist of?


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

Every so often I drop in an algae wafer for mine, otherwise they do their own thing. I have to clean out under their hiding spot every couple weeks though cuz they're still growing and there tends to be a lot of molted shell bits. They don't seem to poo as much as a snail, either.


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## tophat665 (Sep 30, 2006)

Flashygrrl said:


> Every so often I drop in an algae wafer for mine, otherwise they do their own thing. I have to clean out under their hiding spot every couple weeks though cuz they're still growing and there tends to be a lot of molted shell bits. They don't seem to poo as much as a snail, either.


You can leave the shrimp molts in the tank. The shrimp eat them to help toughen their new skin after the molt.


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

Well, I try to leave em but if none of them have recently molted or it's something that look like they won't eat like little bitty bits then away it goes. I've only got three females so it's easy to keep track of who's doing what.


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## Trish (Apr 1, 2008)

Do the shrimp have to have a planted tank? I just have fake/plastic plants... ??


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

Welllll...they seem a bit happier when they have stuff to pick through and you can only do so much with plastic plants so if you have water sprite (which grows pretty fast)and stuff I think they like it more. I mean, algae will probably grow on the plastic but mine will eat dead plant bits too...yum


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