Downsizing - 20g long stocking help

[FyaNyan]

Hello all!

I am downsizing one of my tanks. I set up a 20g long today to replace the old one (33g). I would like some advice on fish to add. My previous tank had the following stock:

• 1 BN pleco • 2 cherry barbs • 1 electric blue platy • 1 angelfish

Those were essentially the survivors of a few different schools. I am definitely going to give the angelfish and platy back to my LFS (they take in fish), but I want to keep the pleco. The cherry barbs could go either way depending on what type of fish I add.

My main question is this: does anyone have any suggestions on small fish to keep in a 20g long. I want to buy a big group of very small colorful fish, and was thinking neon tetras. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Here is a picture of my tank for inspiration purposes 🙂

 

Edited June 6, 2023 by FyaNyan

[nabokovfan87]

Pleco, cherry barbs, and white clouds would be wonderful.  There is also stuff like neon green rasbora or emerald green rasbora, a variety of species that would do great!

The tanks looks nice, well scaped, and I look forward to seeing it all grown out. 🙂

[FyaNyan]

On 6/6/2023 at 4:20 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Pleco, cherry barbs, and white clouds would be wonderful.  There is also stuff like neon green rasbora or emerald green rasbora, a variety of species that would do great!

The tanks looks nice, well scaped, and I look forward to seeing it all grown out. 🙂

I looked up some of the species you mentioned. It’s so hard to decide. I like the white clouds…however, I’ve had them before and have decided I like the way they look better with a dark substrate.

The more I think about it the more I'm sure I’d like to get a blue fish, so I’m leaning toward green neon tetras or just regular neon tetra. Those fish are similar size, so what would be a good number to place in my tank? A rough number would be helpful. I was thinking 10-12 as I know their bio laid is tiny. But do you think that would be too much with the pleco and 2 cherry barbs?

[nabokovfan87]

@FyaNyan A blue fish I recently learned about is a native, cooler water fish (works with the barbs you have) and it's called a...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmy_sunfish

@Fish Folk keeps a lot of native fish and here is their thread with photos of one of the species of pygmy sunfish.  @Fish Folk how many of the sunfish for stocking this 20G tank would you suggest?

To your stocking question on the green neons, you could easily add a very large school of them to your tank.

[Fish Folk]

On 6/6/2023 at 7:10 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

@FyaNyan A blue fish I recently learned about is a native, cooler water fish (works with the barbs you have) and it's called a...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmy_sunfish

@Fish Folk keeps a lot of native fish and here is their thread with photos of one of the species of pygmy sunfish.  @Fish Folk how many of the sunfish for stocking this 20G tank would you suggest?

To your stocking question on the green neons, you could easily add a very large school of them to your tank.

Elassoma gilberti more often are bought through the hobby as a nearly black fish (males). The bright blue ones I have only seen wild-caught in FL.

You could easily cram 12x Pygmy Sunfish in a 20 gal.

Honestly though, they’re boring. Plus they prefer an algae filled swamp.

You could enjoy a bunch of other natives. Toss in 12-15 Rainbow Shiners. Why not a couple Darters too? 

[FyaNyan]

Thanks for all the suggestions. You helped me learn a bit about some fish I’d never heard of before!!

I ended up going a completely different route and chose all male guppies (prices a little more in my budget range). They are currently in QT, wiggling around happily.

Edited June 8, 2023 by FyaNyan

[Jackson]

On 6/6/2023 at 7:10 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

To your stocking question on the green neons, you could easily add a very large school of them to your tank.

I read that right ? 30 tetras in a 18g tank ? I was worried about my 10g being over stocked . 

Edited June 8, 2023 by Jackson

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/8/2023 at 6:18 AM, Jackson said:

I read that right ? 30 tetras in a 18g tank ? I was worried about my 10g being over stocked . 

I used a 20 long aquarium dimension size for the above stocking comparison.  10-15 should be absolutely fine. According to the stocking robot you can have 30 adults if you don't add any other fish.

[Jackson]

@ naobokovfan87. I have 13 fish tetras,rasboras, 4 snails and going on 30+ shrimp .. in my 10 g .. Though with the shrimp , maybe I am . Have been thinking on changing out some fish . But also thinking on trying to keep the bio load a little lighter .

Edited June 8, 2023 by Jackson

[PineSong]

On 6/7/2023 at 8:57 PM, FyaNyan said:

Thanks for all the suggestions. You helped me learn a bit about some fish I’d never heard of before!!

I ended up going a completely different route and chose all male guppies (prices a little more in my budget range). They are currently in QT, wiggling around happily.

I think you made a great choice! I was going to suggest male guppies or Endlers. They are the showboats in my 20 long.
My LFS never has enough of any one color to stock an all-blue or all-red etc tank but there are Aquabid sellers and AquaHuna and similar online that do provide larger numbers of matching color males. I have mixed colors in my tank but one day I may settle on one color variety to highlight…

Edited June 10, 2023 by PineSong

[FyaNyan]

On 6/10/2023 at 7:29 AM, PineSong said:

I think you made a great choice! I was going to suggest male guppies or Endlers. They are the showboats in my 20 long.
My LFS never has enough of any one color to stock an all-blue or all-red etc tank but there are Aquabid sellers and AquaHuna and similar online that do provide larger numbers of matching color males. I have mixed colors in my tank but one day I may settle on one color variety to highlight…

This is my favorite fish of the ones I bought. He has an Endler-type pattern so I’m wondering if he’s a hybrid. I wasn’t too worried about the guppies matching this time, but I could see in the future buying online.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

It’s a nice setup. You could do a reverse trio of bristlenose in there as well if you wanted something to breed in there. Otherwise you’re good to go! Have fun!