# For a 20 Gallon Tank



## Markkkkk (Jul 15, 2007)

For a 20 Gallon Long Tank could i get these fish?

3 Danios
8 Neon Tetras
2 Cories
1 Pleco (LFS doesn't have otos)
maybe a school of Tiger Barbs?

or if that doesn't work:
1 Betta
10 Guppies
can i have 1 pleco?
or anything else

Also im worried that my Marineland Penguin 200 Bio-Wheel filter is going to suck the fish against the canister thingy, is there anything i could do?

Thank you


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

Your first stocklist is fine. What pleco species does your lfs have? If this is a common plec, cross that out from your list. Common plecs will outgrow your tank soon enough. Please add 4 more cories and 3 more danios to your roster. Both are sociable and will prefer their company.

For the second option, what gender are your guppies? Male guppies will likely be harassed by your betta if he thinks those are his rivals owing to their stunning finnage patterns.


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## Markkkkk (Jul 15, 2007)

ohh thanks ill just go with the first list

5 Danios
8 Neon Tetras
4 Cories
6 Tiger Barbs

But just wondering, will the absence of an algae eater affect anything?


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

Markkkkk said:


> ohh thanks ill just go with the first list
> 
> 5 Danios
> 8 Neon Tetras
> ...


Go with pentazona barbs or cherry barbs instead of tigers. In a 20 gallons, they'll likely harass the other tankmates.


> But just wondering, will the absence of an algae eater affect anything?


No.


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## leifthebunny (Mar 13, 2007)

If your LFS doesn't have otos, see if they have farlowella cats. They get to 7" in length, but they are essentially a stickfish and good algae eaters.

Also, I would agree with changing the barbs. Tigers get up to 3" in size and are somewhat more aggressive. Cherry barbs are quite pretty and work well with tetras.


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## mcdanielnc89 (Jun 27, 2007)

do not get otos unless u can really keep them fed ith green foods.. they need to be constantly feeeding.. as it is what they do...


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## Markkkkk (Jul 15, 2007)

oh i just found out i shouldn't get the first list =[
my parents want colorful fish
soo i'll get try something with the second list

1 female betta
10 male guppies?
10 neon tetra

im really confused on what gender to get on which fish =/


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## leifthebunny (Mar 13, 2007)

Well, if you want some really interesting fish, you could do a species only killifish tank. They only live for a year and basically live to breed. Another option are several members of the apistogramma family, but they would not do well with the betta and are somewhat touchy and prone to stress easy.

As for the second list above, 10 guppies would be a bit much for a 20g. The female bettas tend to be just as pretty but do not have the flowing fins associated with most male bettas.

There are a number of small "torpedo" tetras that would work well with the betta and are pretty. Cardinal tetras resemble neons, but have red down the complete body. They do tend to be very sensitive to water conditions, so you need to make sure the tank is completely cycled first. There are other color variants of Cardinal (gold for example) and Neons (black, green for example). Glowlight Tetras are pretty as well and are more of a clear body with a red line down the body. I like Silver Mirror tetras, but like Penguin Tetras, tend to be fairly fast swimmers which would directly compete with the betta for food and likely starve him/her (ran into this problem personally, but he's in a new home now ). Danios would be similar as they tend to be faster swimmers. There are also a number of rasboras which work well with bettas (I have harlequin and gold harlequin with one of my bettas). Another good color fish is a threadfin rainbow which would work well with a betta (I also have 3 with my betta).


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## sweetwaterarabians (Nov 1, 2006)

*color*

You will have loads of color with the guppies and neons. They are also my personal favorites. You might want to get 3 or 4 corys to help keep clean up any missed food.


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## mcdanielnc89 (Jun 27, 2007)

I wouldn't get the betta if you get neon tetras... Neon tetras tend to be fin nippers and will more than likely nip your bettas fins...


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## Firebellyy girrl (Jun 29, 2007)

How about platys? Colorful, inexpensive, active, peaceful and common =)


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## sweetwaterarabians (Nov 1, 2006)

*platies*

I wouldn't think neon tetras would be nippers but they're are always going to be a few of those individual fish that make you out to be a liar. I have neons with my fancy guppies and they never bother their tails. The only nipping they do is to each other. I also have an odd ball fully grown red tailed shark in there that doesn't bother any of the neons or guppies. Whodathought you could put a red tailed shark in with guppies like that.

I would think platies would be ok. Someone mentioned that most of the platies these days are crossed with swordtails and they might be a little more agreesive. Buying from a well known breeder would be your best bet but it would definately be more expensive.


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## mcdanielnc89 (Jun 27, 2007)

Platys would be more of a peaceful fish to put with the betta.. Yes you are corrct. Neons may not fin nip but it is likely that they will/can...


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## tophat665 (Sep 30, 2006)

You probably shouldn't put a betta in a tank with a Penguin 200. The current could do a number on it's fins. I frankly don't care for HOBs of any kind in a betta tank. Were I going to keep a betta in a 20, I'd either get an internal with an outlet I could point at the glass, or a small cannister filter with a spraybar (like the smallest Eheim Ecco filter).

That said, a nice, colorful (if pricey) set up would be a male betta, 3 albino bronze cories, and a school of 10 espi rasboaras (or harlequins if you cant find espies).

Failing that, get 3 male and 5 female guppies. You will be flushing or freezing fry, though.

Do not mix bettas and guppies. Bad idea. Male bettas can go into kill mode on male guppies because of the fins. Female bettas are better by degrees, but can have the same problem.

If you can find good ones, a tank of 6 to 10 female bettas can be gorgeous.



mcdanielnc89 said:


> I wouldn't get the betta if you get neon tetras... Neon tetras tend to be fin nippers and will more than likely nip your bettas fins...


Not so much if you keep them in a school of 6 or more. In a 20 high, bettas and neons would get along fine, as the betta would stick to the top of the tank and the neons to the bottom and middle. In a 20 long that could be more of an issue.


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## St6_Devgru (Dec 6, 2006)

if you dont mind baby guppies then maybe have a 1:3 male:female guppy ratio and 10 guppies will be probably overdoing it. if they are the small kind (probably not patronizing since they are usually bred in small tanks to stunt growth) then its probably ok.


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## tophat665 (Sep 30, 2006)

tophat665 said:


> ...That said, a nice, colorful (if pricey) set up would be a male betta, 3 albino bronze cories, and a school of 10 espi rasboaras (or harlequins if you cant find espies)....


Point of Clarification: This would actually be reasonably priced. The cost would triple or quintuple if you got Green or Orange Lazer Cories instead of albino bronzes. I understand the lazers are more than 20 bucks a pop, being 1) very attractive, 2) relatively new to the trade, and 3) pretty thin on the ground as far as point of purchase goes. They would be much more colorful, though.


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

hi
i would say that i agree about the guppys,unless you
want hundreds then just get males.
i have just set up a small tank for my female guppys,
as they are old enough to be sexed now,and the older
females i'm puting out to pasture now.(enough is enough)
i keep the males in the 96l with the other inhabitants.
good luck with your choice.


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## tophat665 (Sep 30, 2006)

With guppies (any of the common livebearers, really) you have three options:

1) Get only one sex. If it's all males, make sure you have melafix on hand, because they will nip each other.[/list]

2) Get 4 tanks: A Male tank, a Female Tank, a Breeding Tank, and a Grow out tank. This will only delay the cruel realities inherent in the final option.

3) Keep males and females together in a ratio of 1 to 3, and dispose of the fry. You can Freeze them, Flush them, Clove Oil them, or feed them to predators, but they will need to be killed or they will overrun your tank. It sucks, but that is the way of it. I siphon as many fry out of my guppy tank as I can when I do water changes, and then I net out enough of the rest - adults and fry, to bring the population down. (Of course, I have feeder guppies, so I am not concerned about keeping specific fish, just in maintaining a population to feed to a predator tank I'll be setting up later this summer).

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Guppies live to breed.


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

agree with tophat665,thoses little guys
really are baby machines.  
and i think sometimes we do need to realise things,
and realities,even though we are not going to like them.


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