Brandxn Posted July 30, 2022 Share Posted July 30, 2022 (edited) I have a 20G planted aquarium with 8 neons, 4 panda cory’s, 4 Otos and some Nerite snails and Amano shrimp. I really want another group of fish to complement the neons in the middle to top part of the tank but really struggling to find something. I’d like something a bit larger than a neon that can live in the same parameters that isn’t boring like a Molly but something that I might be able to find at a Petco/PetSmart that I can get 2-4 of. I’m in Arkansas and they’re aren’t many other fish stores around me. What would you guys recommend or have in your own tank? Edited July 30, 2022 by Brandxn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSwissAquarist Posted July 30, 2022 Share Posted July 30, 2022 Guppies seem like the obvious choice but since you don't want anything boring I wouldn't recommend that. White cloud minnows, cherry barbs, Apistogramma, Praecox Rainbows, Green Fire Tetras, Leopard Danios and Chili Rasboras would be quite fun and cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandxn Posted July 30, 2022 Author Share Posted July 30, 2022 On 7/30/2022 at 3:01 AM, TheSwissAquarist said: Guppies seem like the obvious choice but since you don't want anything boring I wouldn't recommend that. White cloud minnows, cherry barbs, Apistogramma, Praecox Rainbows, Green Fire Tetras, Leopard Danios and Chili Rasboras would be quite fun and cool. Apistogramma’s are nice, are they the Blue Rams? Would they be ok in the same water parameters with the other fish? (75 degrees, 7-7.4 PH) Also how many would I be able to keep together and will they nip at the shrimp or other fish I have in the tank? Sorry for all the questions I’m new to learning what fish are good with what and the species. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scapexghost Posted July 30, 2022 Share Posted July 30, 2022 A betta. Obviously bettas are super common but it's less common to see them in a good size tank like a 20. And even a petsmart will have a decent variety of them. And, since they're kept in those little cups, you dob't have to worry about introducing diseases, which is a pretty big concern when buying from a petsmart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandxn Posted July 30, 2022 Author Share Posted July 30, 2022 On 7/30/2022 at 3:18 AM, Scapexghost said: A betta. Obviously bettas are super common but it's less common to see them in a good size tank like a 20. And even a petsmart will have a decent variety of them. And, since they're kept in those little cups, you dob't have to worry about introducing diseases, which is a pretty big concern when buying from a petsmart. I’ve thought about that but I’m worried the beta would be too aggressive unless you know a way to avoid it. I love the green orcid betas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scapexghost Posted July 30, 2022 Share Posted July 30, 2022 On 7/30/2022 at 2:31 AM, Brandxn said: I’ve thought about that but I’m worried the beta would be too aggressive unless you know a way to avoid it. I love the green orcid betas. Theres a little luck involved. Some bettas are super chill, others less so. Your odds are pretty good with a larger tank like a 20, and your odds get better with the more cover and line-of-sight breaks the tank has. I can't guarantee anything but I suspect that itll work out fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flumpweesel Posted July 30, 2022 Share Posted July 30, 2022 I'd be tempted to double the neons (more is better with them) and maybe look at rosy barbs if you want something a bit bigger and very active. I've no idea what petco's stock so I'm basing this on the nearest UK equivalent and what's in my tank. Harlequin rasboras are normally easy to source and should play well with what you have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon p Posted July 30, 2022 Share Posted July 30, 2022 Have you thought about hatchetfish. A small school of 6 and a few more neons. With hatchetfish the lid needs to fit well. I have used plexiglass to fill in any areas where they could jump out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goosedub Posted July 30, 2022 Share Posted July 30, 2022 I would do a Betta or a honey gourami as the centerpiece in that tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccc24 Posted July 30, 2022 Share Posted July 30, 2022 Long fin rosy barbs, long fin danios, single opaline gourami… I also like the idea of increasing the number of neons. They are pretty in large numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macdaddy36 Posted July 30, 2022 Share Posted July 30, 2022 A couple of honey gouramis would look great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSwissAquarist Posted July 30, 2022 Share Posted July 30, 2022 It's OK @Brandxn, we were all once a beginner🙂. What you're thinking about are blue acaras which are basically a bluer variant of the German Blue Ram (forgive me if I'm wrong, it's what my LFS tells me) and therefore their care is quite similar. They seem to be O.K. with Amanos, but cherry shrimp are like popcorn. They're also a great community fish, which means you could house them along with a couple of other fish species recommended above, and a pair of them would be your showcase fish. Have fun! On 7/30/2022 at 10:16 AM, Brandxn said: Apistogramma’s are nice, are they the Blue Rams? Would they be ok in the same water parameters with the other fish? (75 degrees, 7-7.4 PH) Also how many would I be able to keep together and will they nip at the shrimp or other fish I have in the tank? Sorry for all the questions I’m new to learning what fish are good with what and the species. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherHumanPerson Posted July 30, 2022 Share Posted July 30, 2022 (edited) A dwarf or honey gourami would be good, though you may have some aggression issues with a dwarf. You could also get a female betta. This may be a bit boring, but you could get a few male endlers. I have seen petsmarts with cobra endlers, which are my favorite variety. (Photo below) Edited July 30, 2022 by AnotherHumanPerson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandxn Posted July 30, 2022 Author Share Posted July 30, 2022 UPDATE: I went to my fish store and found something they’ve never had and that I’ve never seen before. I got 5 Peacock Gudgeon. They are amazing with so much color they’ll pop in my planted aquarium. Thank you all for your suggestions. Getting a beta and adding more neons seemed like the way I was going until I saw these amazing fish. If you have any information about these fish please let me know. I read that they can be picky eaters but that’s about it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted July 31, 2022 Share Posted July 31, 2022 On 7/30/2022 at 1:31 AM, Brandxn said: I’ve thought about that but I’m worried the beta would be too aggressive unless you know a way to avoid it. I love the green orcid betas. Because you like green, what about kabutai Rasbora or Neon Green Tetras? There's also some smaller rainbows or emperor tetras the store might be able to order in for you. Talk to the manager of the fish section, usually easy to spot and very knowledgeable and can let you know if something cool will be coming soon. I would also look at something that contrasts really well with the bright colors and the green, chili rasbora for instance or.... Oh these are perfect. Forum favorite.... The silvertip tetras. On 7/30/2022 at 2:58 PM, Brandxn said: I got 5 Peacock Gudgeon. They are amazing with so much color they’ll pop in my planted aquarium. Very cool! Nice choice 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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