Stocking Ideas for a 20 Gallon Column Hex Tank

[DaniV]

My first tank is finally finishing its cycling process and I have everything I need for a quarantine tank!  I've gotten some ideas from my intro post, but I figured I'd get some more opinions here!

The tank is a 20 gallon column hex tank with some rocks, driftwood, and a couple of plants I got at Petsmart.  Thanks to the suggestions from my intro post, I'm gonna get some more plants in the future!  But as far as fish go, right now I have 3 Dalmatian Mollies and 3 Velvet Wag Swordtails.  I'm looking to make a community tank with a centerpiece fish (basic, I know), and I'm aware that because I'm dealing with a column tank I don't have nearly as much area to work with as a standard 20 gallon long tank.

I was thinking maybe a betta or some dwarf gouramis, maybe a small group of tetras, but for all I know there's some cool fish out there that I don't know about that could work here.  What has worked for you guys in a column tank?

Edited November 29, 2022 by DaniV
Pic of the tank

[CorydorasEthan]

Nice looking tank!

For schooling fish, good ones to try would be harlequin rasboras, zebra danios, cherry barbs, white cloud mountain minnows, skirt tetras, and black neon tetras. In my experience, neon tetras are also pretty resilient, as are Endler's livebearers.

For bottom dwellers, you could try Corydoras again. Corydoras aeneus and Corydoras paleatus are both great for beginners. Kuhli loaches would also work. Nerite snails and amano shrimp are some invertebrates you could try.

And for centerpiece fish, any Colisa species should work (dwarf, honey, banded, and thick-lip gourami).

Of course, some of these fish will adapt better or worse depending on your water parameters (most of these will do better in a neutral pH).

Here is a list that Cory made a while back:

I hope this helps!

[Theplatymaster]

I'd do a large school of tetras, like ember tetras maybe? Ir something not too active like a harlquinn rasbora.