I recently got a 20 gallon tank which I made into a freshwater tropical tank..... Added a male crowntail betta and a common pleco. When I set the tank up I ran it for 24 hours after adding tetra safestart and then added the fish. My question is.....(drum roll) can I add 1 cory catfish, 1 platty, and 2 cherry barbs And still be okay?
Can I do this?
- Thread starter Newtankin
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
mgamer20o0
Aquarium Advice Addict
well first take back the common pleco its way too large for the 20 gallon.... also cories are schooling fish and should be kept in larger numbers i believe the cherry barbs are also though barbs not my thing.... some times betta dont like to be with other fish so have a back up plan in case it doesnt work.
have you been testing your water to see if you are fully cycled?
have you been testing your water to see if you are fully cycled?
mgamer20o0
Aquarium Advice Addict
whats the tank reading now?
mgamer20o0
Aquarium Advice Addict
you should have one on had. you can get one for $20 http://www.walmart.com/ip/Freshwater-Master-Test-Kit-Fish-Aquatic-Pets/3635493
Jason7894561230
Aquarium Advice Addict
The barbs will nip too
The betta will be shredded
You could put come beaustiful kuli loaches in there
The betta will be shredded
You could put come beaustiful kuli loaches in there
libbyb
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Do lots of research on aquariums and fishkeeping before buying and setting up anything. I have had several tanks years ago and when I decided to get back into it, I bought all kinds of books, borrowed every book from the library and read them all cover to cover. Again. Do yourself and your fish a favor and learn how to keep them alive and happy.
HyperionLore
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
If the Pleco is small enough there's a good chance he could live for a few years in that tank. Mine is over ten years old and is only 11 inches long. Someday, eventually, I'll upgrade to a 75 gallon to accommodate for his size but just because he's a pleco, it doesn't mean he has to start out in a giant tank. Also, Plecos get along with bettas great and can even take a little intimidation and picking on the betta's part.
Also, there is no reason for him to have to take the betta back. I know it goes against the advice of lots of fishie forums out there, but you can cycle a tank with a fish in it. Plecos are some strong guys, at least mine is anyway, and bettas are fish that are victimized and mistreated by fish stores just as much if not more than they are beginning aquarium keepers. That fish will be fine in a vase or small bowl or even that aquarium until it cycles. Just make sure to get a test kit and do frequent water changes to keep the stress levels down. Also be sure to treat any water you do add because if you don't the chlorine in untreated water will kill off the good bacteria you're trying to cultivate.
Also, I'd hold off on the other fish. Cories are sensitive little things. They're super sweet fish but they need to be in big groups and I'd hate to imagine a betta picking on them. Same goes for the platy. I'm acting as a foster mama to two mollies that were being attacked by my brother's betta so I've seen how vicious they can be. If you want to attempt to add anything, (after your tank is cycled), I will recommend ghost shrimp. They're cheap, they don't add much to the load on your tank, but occasionally your betta might make a treat out of one of them.
If you know anyone that has an established aquarium you might want to see if you could get some of their filter media or maybe a porous decoration from their tank that bacteria might be growing on and introduce it to yours. It'll speed up the cycle on your tank and ease some of the stress on your fish. If you don't want to wait, you can buy something called Tim's One and Only. I've seen a lot of positive reviews on it and anything that can make the cycling easier on fish the better.
Also, there is no reason for him to have to take the betta back. I know it goes against the advice of lots of fishie forums out there, but you can cycle a tank with a fish in it. Plecos are some strong guys, at least mine is anyway, and bettas are fish that are victimized and mistreated by fish stores just as much if not more than they are beginning aquarium keepers. That fish will be fine in a vase or small bowl or even that aquarium until it cycles. Just make sure to get a test kit and do frequent water changes to keep the stress levels down. Also be sure to treat any water you do add because if you don't the chlorine in untreated water will kill off the good bacteria you're trying to cultivate.
Also, I'd hold off on the other fish. Cories are sensitive little things. They're super sweet fish but they need to be in big groups and I'd hate to imagine a betta picking on them. Same goes for the platy. I'm acting as a foster mama to two mollies that were being attacked by my brother's betta so I've seen how vicious they can be. If you want to attempt to add anything, (after your tank is cycled), I will recommend ghost shrimp. They're cheap, they don't add much to the load on your tank, but occasionally your betta might make a treat out of one of them.
If you know anyone that has an established aquarium you might want to see if you could get some of their filter media or maybe a porous decoration from their tank that bacteria might be growing on and introduce it to yours. It'll speed up the cycle on your tank and ease some of the stress on your fish. If you don't want to wait, you can buy something called Tim's One and Only. I've seen a lot of positive reviews on it and anything that can make the cycling easier on fish the better.
HyperionLore
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I agree you should do your research, but thanks to the internet, you don't have to read every book in the library. There are websites and forums where you can go to and learn from people who have been keeping fish for years and can offer tips and hints. Everyday I'm amazed at what a great learning tool the internet can be. Unfortunately because it's the internet, it is easier to misunderstand the tones in which people are talking and I think as an aquarium forum we should be trying to help each other with informative posts so that beginners aren't totally turned off to the hobby because they feel overwhelmed or frustrated.
libbyb
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I agree. I didn't mean to sound discouraging. The internet is an awesome place to do research. I just happen to be a book kind of girl. Besides, I travel with them to work, the grocery store, wherever. Last but not least, don't give up. Fishkeeping is a rewarding hobby.
HyperionLore
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Oh I wasn't trying to say anything about you libby I promise. I just have a stack of fish books and can never really get through them. (probably doesn't help my books are nearly as old as I am....) It's just easier to pick up specific topics for me online and then search between various sources.
I'm not for certain, but would aquarium gravel from an established aquarium assist in speeding up the cycling time? I usually just keep a spare bit of sponge in my filter to start up my smaller tanks.
I'm not for certain, but would aquarium gravel from an established aquarium assist in speeding up the cycling time? I usually just keep a spare bit of sponge in my filter to start up my smaller tanks.
libbyb
Aquarium Advice FINatic
No offence taken. 
Just about anything will help. But it'll still take a few weeks to be sure it's cycled.
Just about anything will help. But it'll still take a few weeks to be sure it's cycled.
Okay I have changed my mind, I will be passing along my betta and pleco and will be getting 5 cherry barbs as thy only get "2". So as folloing the "2"per gallon rule. I also have 2 mystery snails. As I said before I used tetra safestart and the company said it is okay to add the full stock just not to over feed and such.(my water is a little cloudy but this is only the second day that it has had the fish and TSS,they say this is normal and will clear up.)
mgamer20o0
Aquarium Advice Addict
could be stunted or not properly feed. many common plecos can reach 2 feet.
whats the 2 per gallon rule? safestart claims that ammonia and nitrite levels dont reach dangerous levels but do you really want to risk the fish. it has a shelf life so if its been sitting around too long it may not be good anymore. with out a test kit and getting the readings its really hard to say.
HyperionLore
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I know he (the pleco) could get up to two feet. He was a rescue fish when I got him and his age is estimated because I don't know much about him aside from roughly the time around when I got him. But I was stating that some plecos are sold tiny and so long as you acquire them with the intentions of taking care of their needs they should be alright. I think there's a gross negligence on the part of fish stores for not telling beginners how big fish could get or possible future complications. Aside from feeding him, I feed my boy very well but I won't vouch for what his previous owners probably put him through. They bought him to eat all their algae and just fed their barbs flakes. My aunt however has kept her pleco in a 55 gallon for years and she adequately feeds him and he's just a slow grower. To say keeping a baby fish in a smaller aquarium is stunting them is not true.
And I think he's trying to quote the one inch of fish per gallon of water rule. It's a rudimentary way to easily estimate how much your aquarium can hold. Don't let the inches of fish that your fish will grow to be outnumber the gallons your aquarium was meant to hold. Most people forget to take into account how big the fish will get, how messy the fish could potentially be. (using goldfish as an example)
In a twenty gallon I wouldn't add more than 8 of those fish, you always want to have a little extra room to take into account decorations and gravel and what not. I wouldn't get all 8 fish at once though. If you're going to cycle your tank with fish, only use a handful. It'll make the load on the aquarium a lot easier. You might lose one or two fish or stress one or two of them out and potentially shorten their lifespan if you do this though.
But I would be cautious about snails. Feeding too much can cause them to multiply like mad. My best friend had a tank that was almost all snails. They didn't want to hurt them but didn't know what to do with them and they just kept multiplying.
But all that aside, if you're going to keep a tank the most important thing you can do is get a liquid test kit. The first 4-6 weeks is the time in which testing is the absolute most important, especially if you're using fish to cycle the aquarium. I myself am new to this forum, what kinds of resources are there on cycling aquariums for beginners? I have a good reference I'll just need to dig it out of my documents folder on my desktop. Perhaps adequately explaining why the fish would be in danger and why treating the water alone isn't enough would help clear up this situation.
Jason7894561230
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have a few problems with this
1) Cories do not need to be in big group 3-6 is fine
2) Why seggust to put ghost shrimp into the tank when you know the betta will eat them?
3) Platys are not a schooling fish though they do like being with a mate
4) he put Tetra safe start in there i ahve heard so many great reviews from that
5) Plecos produce a ton of poo and will in time become to much for a small tank so thats why we say to take it back
6) It is just cruel to do a cycle with fish in there.
7) Different fish have different personalities so you dont know what kind of Betta he has it might be peaceful it might not
HyperionLore
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
1) Hmm. I was always told that cories were very social little fish and needed to be in groups of at least 5 for stress reasons.
2) I suggested ghost shrimp because most people who set up betta sorority tanks keep them. Most of the time the bettas won't eat them, but if you have an overly aggressive one it might. A betta also might attack another fish and kill it but people still try to keep them in community tanks. It was a warning. But you know, if your betta was prone to eating them, at 30 cents a piece you could look at them like a snake owner looks at mice. Are all snake owners cruel then?
3) I wasn't suggesting keeping a platy in a big group, I was saying I'd hate to see a betta attacking one because I wasn't sure if they could hold their own. (sorry about that one I worded it poorly)
4) I have used Tetra safe for years. Most people I know use Tetra safe. It may just be our region and the fact that there aren't many fish stores much less ones that have an assortment of products to choose from, but it's worked well enough for me and the people in my family who keep tanks. Most of the time people who go online to complain about a product do it because they're angry and compelled. If you get a good product that does its job but isn't just amazing half the time you won't think to get online and rant about how wonderful it is. It just doesn't cross your mind.
5) First of all, I've never noticed my pleco being a poo factory and he's fed very well. But again, a tiny pleco produces less poo than a giant pleco. By that reasoning a baby goldfish shouldn't be kept in a 20 gallon either.
6) It's no crueler than those overstocked fish tanks you see in pet stores where the fish are swimming all over each other and there are visible signs of illness in the populations. The water conditions might not be great but if you're responsible about the water changing and obtaining other media from other aquariums then it isn't cruelty. The only reason I'm even taking issue with this post is that everyone is so quick to tell this guy he's doing everything wrong but no one is explaining what is wrong. I've yet to see any of you offer any advice on how to cycle without using fish. All I know is how to cycle with fish. All it would take is a simple link.
7) The fact that you are suggesting a male betta is peaceful is a bit misleading. I had a male betta in a large community tank a long time ago and he got along alright with his tank mates, but then again the tank mates were my "stunted" pleco and about 11 danios. I know they usually have a tendency to nip at fins but these didn't and they were able to coexist with that betta with just a few moments of my betta showing his temper. My current betta however will attack anything that moves so he's in solitary. They are by far a very aggressive fish. In certain tweaked environments they coexist nicely but to attempt to put any fish with a betta is cruel.
Jason7894561230
Aquarium Advice Addict
Whatever!
Ok if you want to say things like that then fine
Ok if you want to say things like that then fine
Similar threads
