# what fish in a 20 gallon tank



## i like fishes

ok so i've decided to get rid of my damsels, guess i should have done a little more research before i jumped into salt water tanks. so now i am.

i have a 20 gallon fish only tank. i would like to get a percula or ocellaris clown, what (if any) other fish could i put in the tank? i would like to have more then 2 fish. what would you guys recommend. oh and should i get 2 clown or only one?

also i should say that my tank is still cycling so i'm not getting anything for a few weeks. just want to plan a little better this time.

thanks for the help in my other thread, and thanks in advance for this one.
-michael


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## Melissa

you could have a clown in there. we had 2 in our 20 gallon. but you can also look into things like gobies and other small fish.


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## fs49864

I've had some mollies (because they were given to me, they aren't really saltwater) a percula, yellow tailed damsel in a 20 gallon. What the person above suggested is fine, you could maybe get a dottyback also .


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## i like fishes

so i was looking on drsfosterandsmith.com at fish and reading about them trying to decide on fish.

i was looking at
one percula or ocellaris clown
one royal gramma basslet or one firefish
and two green chromis. 

so 4 fish total would that be too many 

i cannot decide between the basslet or firefish. 
according to fosters and smith the royal gramma needs rock work to hide in. 
i don't have rock work but i am willing to buy some rock caves.
and they say the firefish jump, but my canopy fits good so i don't have to worry about run away fish

so how does this set up sound?
and would i be better off with one chromis (3 fish total) or would i be ok with two of them (4 fish total)


SIDE QUESTION: my water is evaporating very quickly, i've been checking the SG every day and it goes up quick from evaporation. i've been topping off the tank every other day, usually about 12-16 oz. i've been pouring it in the filter so the filter stream can mix it for me. i pour it in really slow, but i'm wondering if there is a better way to top off the tank. i'm worried cause the fish swim into the fresh water and hang out for a few seconds then take off fast to the other side of the tank.
should i take some (16oz) of the water out of the tank and mix it with the fresh water then pour it in together?

thanks 
-michael


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## Melissa

unfortunately evaporation is something you are going to have to deal with having such a small tank. i have just poured the water in the tank and it hasnt hurt my fish yet.


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## i like fishes

thanks, how does the fish list sound?
and would i be ok to throw an anemone in for the clown, or should i wait till i am more experienced before that.

if i do put an anemone in can i still have the 4 fish or would that overload the tank?

thanks again

edit: i was thinking of a bulb anemone.


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## Melissa

it sounds fine with 3 or 4 fish. although i wouldnt get an anemone in your tank. the tank is too small and any anemone will quickly outgrow it.


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## i like fishes

thanks for the quick answers. 

how will i know when the tank if fully cycled, as of last night my tests were

ph = 8.0
ammonia = 0.8
nitrate = 10
nitrite = 0.4
alkalinity = 3.0mEq/L
the tank has been set up for 14 days, with fish in it for about 9 days.

is there anything i need to worry about with my test results?

edit: i'm using the instant ocean test kit


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## youtubefind

no anemone, its a common mistake that people think that clowns need anemones, anything but that infact, most tank bred clowns have never seen an anemone in there life so wont even go near it. Pluse your tank needs to be a year mature before anemones. The tank will be fully cylced once you have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and some nitrate. May i ask what do you use as top off water?


I would only go for 2 clowns and a goby.


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## i like fishes

i use distilled water from the store. 
it comes in gallons.


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## Melissa

just give it some time and your tank will be going fine. waiting for it to cyce is the longest hardest part.


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## mr.bojangles

wat about a couple of gold-head sleeper gobies


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## Marine1

If I were you I would go with a firefish they are prety cool. Also regarding the anenome, you could always put a synthetic one in. I have a 55 gal tank w/ 2 perc clowns and they use the fake anenome as a real one swimming in it and sleeping there too. Prety cool how their insticts kick in. Royal Gramma is a very cool fish to watch once it gets over the first few days of shyness. Mine is very friendly. Dr. Foster & Smith has a list of fish for beginners and for small tanks - check it out.


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## i like fishes

yeah the list at fosters and smith is where i read about the fish.

i've decided to get the firefish and the royal gramma, along with a ocellaris clown

i found another LFS and the guy there knows his stuff, i'm gonna ask him about having those 3 in the tank when the time comes. 

i'm really excited about the 180 gallon i've been trying to get. my fiance and i saw it a month ago and decided it was time to save for another big tank.
i used to have a 125 with cichlids in it. when we moved from san diego to las vegas i sold it to a friend. wish i kept it...

so we've checked out finances and have figured that we can afford to put some money away to maybe have it by the end of the month. so i have to build a stand now and figure out where it's gonna go. i had to move the 125 one time and i'll never go through that again.
i hope to have it set up and cycling by mid-end of may


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## nbassis

One thing i must say. IT is nice being in hawaii. Here you get a 60 a year membership at the local aquarium. I can go there as much as i want to get nice purified salt water, the same they use. Then i just bring it home and dump it in. If you do this once a week for the first 4 months. There is not need for cycling. After that once a month maybe once every 3 weeks and your tank will be ready for ANYTHING.


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## i like fishes

are you saying you get your water from the ocean?
i've read on this site and many other places that you should not do that.


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## GalaxyGirl

No, I think she gets it from the Aquarium. You could always ask to get salt water from The Mirage, they have a huge salt water aquarium, that or Monterey Bay. I dont really know how all that works lol, or if you could trust them. Dont ever go to the Petsmart on Stephanie and Marks, they dont know jack diddly squat O.O But I wanna know what store you use? I could find any except that one petsmart and a petco near it.


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## i like fishes

i got my damsels at petco on rainbow and springmtn.
but that is only cause, they were onsale.

now i've been going to Atlantis. it's off of lake mead and the 95.
it's on the west side of the 95. you can see the neon sign from the freeway

i was using advice from a place in san diego i used to go to, but not anymore.
he told me to get 6 fish to cycle the tank.

the guy at Atlantis seems to know his stuff.


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## nbassis

Oh yes straight from the ocean, much better then mixing your salt water. I get it from the aquarium. They have a pipe that goes out abotu a mile or two, they pump it in, clean it and use it in there tanks. IT is the best. A little salty, but that is how the water in hawaii is anyway, so you add about 1 part fresh water to 10 parts salt water and it is G'd up. By the way i am a guy not a girl.


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## i like fishes

oh ok i understand.
stephen birch aquarium in san diego does the same thing. a few years ago i was gonna set up a salt water tank and the LFS guy told me to go there and get a few gallons of water to speed up the cycle.
now i live in vegas. i'm not sure i want to use the casino's used water. 
i just found out there is a place across the street from me that has a RO unit for their tanks and they have a lot left over. i might talk to them about getting free water every 2 weeks or so.


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## nbassis

Find out when they get their new water. I have to pay a little for mine, $60 a year for a member ship. but it is well worth it. Much better for fish and especially for inverts.


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