Stocking my 20 gallon tank! Advice?

[BCherdingthefish]

I have a 20 gallon tank...It still needs to be cycled and everything. I'm in the "research" stage.
I'm trying to figure out what I want to stock my tank with. I like bright colors, or interesting fish(such as African Butterfly, upside-down catfish, redtailed shark etc. I am aware that those fish cannot go in my tank).

Someone suggested to me that I could do 6 Neon Tetras, a male Betta, and 4 or 5 Kuhli Loaches. Would this be overstocking the tank? Would the Betta want to pick on the Tetras because of their bright colors?

If you have any ideas of colorful/interesting 20gal setups, I'd love to hear them I know options are limited with such a small tank.

Thanks!

Adri

 

[PIE.]

Bettas may be agitated or aggressive towards shoaling fish. I would keep a good eye on the betta.

You could try a BN pleco if you have the betta. If you haven't bought the betta already, you could try a shoal of dwarf pencilfish or dwarf rainbowfish.

 

[bbortko]

Neons with bettas are fine, bettas would be more likely to harass a guppy because their long fins resemble a Betta than a neon due to its bright colors. I was in the beginning stages of setting up a 20g tank with easy undemanding plants a betta some cherry shrimp and some snails but had to use the tank for another fish and picked up a fluval chi for the betta and snails.

 

[BCherdingthefish]

Someone also told me that I could do 6 long-fin danios, 6 neon tetras, 5 Kuhli loaches, and 2 Guppies(1 fancy, 1 lyretail). Would that be over-stocking?

Adri

 

[PIE.]

Someone also told me that I could do 6 long-fin danios, 6 neon tetras, 5 Kuhli loaches, and 2 Guppies(1 fancy, 1 lyretail). Would that be over-stocking?

Adri

That should be fine. But I do think that the with guppies, get a male for every two females. Also you could go with 12 neon tetras in total with no danios or 10 danios in total with no neons. I think it is more natural for the fish and they will show their natural behavior, but it is really up to you.

 

[BCherdingthefish]

That should be fine. But I do think that the with guppies, get a male for every two females. Also you could go with 12 neon tetras in total with no danios or 10 danios in total with no neons. I think it is more natural for the fish and they will show their natural behavior, but it is really up to you.

Hmmm...Decisions. Would the fish be 'unhappy', so to say, being in groups of six? I've heard that schools of 6 are OK for neons/danios

 

[PIE.]

A group of six is OK for neons and danios. I'm just saying that a group of 10 or 12 would look possibly better for you (though it is personal opinion).

 

[Zari]

Could always go with a single pair of convicts, or some dwarf cichlids like Rams.

 

[BCherdingthefish]

Could always go with a single pair of convicts, or some dwarf cichlids like Rams.

Don't Convict's grow up to be huge?

A group of six is OK for neons and danios. I'm just saying that a group of 10 or 12 would look possibly better for you (though it is personal opinion).

Okay! I'm a complete newbie at this I'm still thinking of doing the neon/danio/loach setup

 

[PIE.]

Don't Convict's grow up to be huge?



Okay! I'm a complete newbie at this I'm still thinking of doing the neon/danio/loach setup

Convict cichlids grow 6 inches long max, though a pair of convicts in a 20 gal would be a bit tight. Rams can be sensitive, but a pair in a 20 gallon would look very nice as they are colorful fish.

Its your choice what setup you want, it matters all on your tastes.