20 long South American or Asian biotope?

[cockroach]

If I were you, seeing as it is college time. I would get something colorful, very easy, and hardy that is not demanding. If after a year all is still well, you could look at swapping out.

Something like:
16 neons/cardinals
8 bronze/peppered/panda cories
bristlenose pleco (otos need a mature established tank to survive not even thrive)

Or perhaps:
pair of rams
10 glowlight tetras
6 cories
bristlenose

Serpae tetras make a great colorful and active addition.

Celestial danios are also a great little, colorful fish.

 

[Cdarling8]

If I were you, seeing as it is college time. I would get something colorful, very easy, and hardy that is not demanding. If after a year all is still well, you could look at swapping out.

Something like:
16 neons/Cardinals
8 bronze/peppered/panda cories
bristlenose pleco (otos need a mature established tank to survive not even thrive)

Or perhaps:
pair of rams
10 glowlight tetras
6 cories
bristlenose

Serpae tetras make a great colorful and active addition.

Celestial danios are also a great little, colorful fish.

Do you think a larger school or smaller cories like Pandas, Peppered or Julis with a smaller school or neons, so like 7 neons and 15 cories and then MAYBE a smaller pleco species like a rubber nose?

 

[cockroach]

Either way could work really. Depends where you want the action in tank to be.

I would personally go about 6-8 cories and a larger tetra group, or two smaller groups if you want variety, as the middle of the water column will give you something to look at.
With loads of cories and pleco the bottom with be crowded, but happy with that big a school.

Also, final size of some cories if cared for properly will lead to problems in a 20gal if there are 15. i.e. 15 almost 3 inch fat fish vs. 15 or so 2" slim-line fish.

 

[Cdarling8]

Well someone from my reptile facebook group said they would trade me a 29 gallon for some river wood and my salamander. So stocking will go as 5 julii cories and 2 false Juliis (total of 7 cories), 11 Cardinal tetras and 5 pencil fish species (maybe goldens or browns)

 

[Cdarling8]

Either way could work really. Depends where you want the action in tank to be.

I would personally go about 6-8 cories and a larger tetra group, or two smaller groups if you want variety, as the middle of the water column will give you something to look at.
With loads of cories and pleco the bottom with be crowded, but happy with that big a school.

Also, final size of some cories if cared for properly will lead to problems in a 20gal if there are 15. i.e. 15 almost 3 inch fat fish vs. 15 or so 2" slim-line fish.

Well someone from my reptile facebook group said they would trade me a 29 gallon for some river wood and my salamander. So stocking will go as 5 julii cories and 2 false Juliis (total of 7 cories), 11 Cardinal tetras and 5 pencil fish species (maybe goldens or browns). Tank will compose of mainly a bank of plant soil in the back covered in sand/leave mixture. There will be some seed pods as well as some palm fronds. The only hardscape will be a branchy section of wood that will be set into the water not in the substrate. a bunch or two of myriophyllum will hide the filter intake and heater, there will also be a mix of dwarf water lettuce and duckweed over top.

 

[cockroach]

Sounds like a nice tank to watch.
With a 29gal you could probably add something more if you keep up maintenance. However, as is, it will be a nice easy tank to look after.

 

[Cdarling8]

Sounds like a nice tank to watch.
With a 29gal you could probably add something more if you keep up maintenance. However, as is, it will be a nice easy tank to look after.

Or my roomate said a 5 gallon is what we should have......so 2 five gallons. One with a pea pufffer, lots of plants and the other a blackwater with plants and 5 green neons.