20 gallon community Beginner planted tank ideas!

[Alicia]

thinking of making a 20 gallon tank with low-medium light with lots of beginner/hardy plants. i was thinking to have a Betta, some Corydoras but i am not sure what else. any ideas???

[Ken Burke]

Harlequin rasboras 

 

 

[Marnol D]

I have a 20 long setup that has a male betta as the tank ruler it has 2 mystery snails and then cherry shrimp (male betta was a juvie when i added him so he is peaceful and sue to tank mates) For the plants I have 5 moss balls (i love moss balls) i have dwarf hair grass that is carpeting and trying to get dwarf tears to carpet aswell (no CO2 added besides liquid ferts) Then i have moneywort, red crypts, java ferns and swords and anubis nanos along with an unknown steam plant and java moss, and red AMMANIA GRACILIS. I have found these plants are hardy and grow easy. I also have duckweed growing on the surface but i would probably go to a water lettuce if you want a top water plant. 

[ange]

Do you know if you're doing a 20 high or a long? Some plants that aren't as tall (mostly swords) may not look as good in the long tank.

A few of my favorites that are low maintenance:
Anubias - This plant grows slowly and can be more expensive up-front, but is very hardy and can tolerate a lot of mistakes. It grows from a rhizome and most people attach it to decor.
Banana plant - This plant is a bit of an oddball. Most people I've seen with one keep it toward the front, rest the "bananas" on the gravel and then let the plant do its thing. It will shoot up leaves that will sit at the surface of the water.
Java fern - This is nearly impossible to kill and comes in a ton of leaf varieties such as narrow leaf, trident, and lace (Windelov). It usually does best when attached to decor.
Water sprite - If you have any fish that will be breeding this is one of my top recommendations. You can grow it as a floating plant or bury the roots in the substrate.

Most aquarium mosses will also do well in your tank. There are a ton of varieties so try to pick one for the texture that you want. My personal favorites are Java moss and willow moss, but Christmas moss is also very popular among hobbyists.

For tank mates I think rasboras are really cool! My favorite variety is the chili rasbora because of how well they pop against green plants. Some other fish that I think could look good and won't bother your other fish are ember or neon tetras.

[Alicia]

i was thinking 20 gallon tall 😀