[finsNhooves]

Sorry if this is in the wrong place i am new here and i am not sure where to put this. So i am hopefully getting a 20 gallon tank for my birthday. What are some fish you recommend stocking with? I don't have a ton of experience so preferably fish that aren't hard to care for. And i would really like some colorful fish so i can see them easier. Thanks in advance

 

[Thepoweranga]

i would suggest some tetras like the cardinals or perhaps rummynose tetra. you could have a decent school of them without it being crowded. if you just want color then maybe some guppies. you could go for slightly larger fi8sh but you cant have as many. there are lots of choices thought

 

[finsNhooves]

ok thanks. im not a huge fan of tetras though. what about platys? how many could i keep and could i have any other fish with them? so far i have decided that i want about 5 panda corys. i have been thinking about mollies also. could mollies and platys be kept together?

 

[jentralala]

Make sure to read up on the nitrogen cycle before you get into stocking your tank, here's a great video explaining it : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhBHxzV1jqI&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PLE49A371A3C0D92F0

As for the tank, what dimensions would you be getting? It makes a difference. Stocking a 20 gallon regular is much different than a 20 long.

But I agree with just getting one school of colorful fish. Harlequin Rasboras (a beautiful reddish pink with silver and purple shine, with a dramatic black triangle) and Cardinals (neon blue with a red streak) are gorgeous and look great.

Have you considered doing live plants in your aquarium?

 

[finsNhooves]

Yes i have read many articles and watched videos about the nitrogen cycle. I plan on doing a fishless cyle. The tank would be a 20 regular i guess. I dont really know because i have heard of a 20 tall and a 20 regular and i know for sure it isnt a 20 long. So it is one of those two. Thanks for the suggestions i might consider cardinals since so mamy people seem to recommend them.

 

[finsNhooves]

I came up with this: http://www.aqadvisor.com/AquStockIm...200909300155:,5:200909300164:,1:201002031346:

And this: http://www.aqadvisor.com/AquStockIm...200909300155:,6:200909300144:,1:201002031346:




Which one? What do you guys think? Any changes I should make?

 

[Thepoweranga]

Both of those seem very good mixes. should keep the tank very interesting and fun to watch just remember, it's not just the size of the tank that impacts stocking IMO Filtration is a big part of how many fish you can stock and remember always make sure your filter is turning over the entire volume at least twice an hour although i prefer more then this.

Good luck on tracking down all the fish you're after or if your LFS has them in stock then begin the countdown to stocking!

 

[finsNhooves]

Thanks and that is one thing that i made sure of, is that the fish i am considering are carries at petsmart,petco, and my lfs. Thank you for your help

Jentralala, i forgot to mention, yes i am going to have live plants. Not completely live plants but i plan on having a few.

Hopefully i can post pics when i get it setup (that is if i get the tank for my birthday)