Need fish ideas for going to larger tank!

[Maddiever10]

Hi everyone! 
So i just moved to my new place, transferred my fish from my old 10 gallon to the new 20 gallon. I am looking to add more fish since there is more space now. I’ll wait a few weeks before I add them, but this is what i have so far:

2 albino corydoras, 1 zebra corydora, 6 neon tetras, and 4 Amano shrimp.

What would go well with this bunch? Should i add some more schools? I was also thinking of adding a betta last. Any ideas will be appreciated!

Edited September 28, 2021 by Maddiever10

[JoshStover]

I’d get more Corydoras 

[Patrick_G]

Six  red Ember Tetras or Chili Rasboras would look good with the Neons. I think you could even do 8-10 Chilis they’re tiny and have a small bioload. 

[PedroPete]

I think double the amount of corys and Neon tetras. 🙂

[Colu]

I would increase both species of Cory's to 6 of each and you get more neon tetra

[Maddiever10]

@Colu Ok if I upped the Cory's to 5-6 each and then more neons, could I get another school of fish AND a betta too? or will that all be too much in the 20 gallon?

 

[Colu]

You have 10 to 12 Cory's if you leave the  neon at 6 you could put a small group of another tetras such as 6 x-ray  or black neon tetra I think you would be pushing it  adding a betta

Edited September 28, 2021 by Colu

[Odd Duck]

On 9/28/2021 at 5:53 PM, Maddiever10 said:

@Colu Ok if I upped the Cory's to 5-6 each and then more neons, could I get another school of fish AND a betta too? or will that all be too much in the 20 gallon?

 

That would really be pushing your limits unless you’re willing to do frequent, large water changes.  I would not do all of those.  Cories seem to be pretty happy as long as you have enough of a group, so you could likely get away with 3-4 of each species with a total group of 6-8, better for them would be 5-6 of EACH species but that doesn’t leave you any room to add anything else.  If you go for a total of 6-8 cories then you could add a few more neons to get a proper shoal - say 4-6 more for a total of 10-12.  Then you’re done.  Or instead of adding more neons, add a Betta.

You would definitely NOT be able to safely add everything people have suggested.  Everyone’s suggestions are offering different options.  This OR that kind of options, not intending for you to do ALL the options.

There’s a website:  www.AqAdvisor.com that can be very helpful when you’re trying to figure out sticking and compatibility.  It is NOT the be all, end all advisor, but it’s very helpful.  You plug in your tanks size, your filter, what you already have including even the snails, and what you want to get.

It will get you close.  With a very well-seasoned and oversized biofiltration, you can potentially exceed those recommendations, but you have to understand that puts your little fishy friends at higher risk for stress induced diseases.

Remember to always add fish gradually or risk potentially dire consequences if it over balances your tank.  A very old rule of thumb is about one inch of fish per gallon allowing more gallons for heavy bodied fish or longer finned fish.  Your species of cories all get to that 2.5-3” range, so 6 of them equals roughly 12-15 gallons minimum.  Neons are 1.5” as adults so 10 of those is another 15 gallons.  They’re fairly light bodied compared to cories, so we can give a little wiggle room on them.  But you see where I’m going?

We know that old rule is a guideline, not hard and fast.  Good filtration and regular water changes let us exceed that rule all the time with a little experience under your belt.  But you start adding a Betta (which I would count as a solid 3-4 gallons depending in his finnage) and you could be heading toward disaster.  Adding another schooling/shoaling species and you’d be pretty much guaranteed a disaster.

Sorry if I’m raining on your parade, but better safe than sorry when it comes to stocking levels.  I suspect by the time I finish this missive, others have already posted since I’m seeing alerts popping up about it.

Happy fishkeeping and I know you’ll make the right choices for your fishies.  Enjoy your new tank!

[Colu]

Is your tank  20long or 20high that would make a difference when it comes to stocking your tank 

Edited September 29, 2021 by Colu

[Maddiever10]

@Colu

its 20 long and about moderately planted