Need ideas for more fish

[myriam]

I've decided to stick to one kind of livebearer, so I'm keeping my mollies and have found a good home for my platies and their fry (via craigslist.com). I have one male molly and one female (the other one died a long time ago), and will get a couple more females to keep the ratio healthy. I also didn't want the mollies and platies to keep crossbreeding!

Anyhow, as you can see in my signature, I don't have a ton of other fish. I am considering getting a few more cories--do they have to be the same kind of cories as the bronze ones I have now? Will they school better that way? How many can my tank take?

So...I'm looking forward to getting some more fish. I'd love colorful and fun fish, since my two little girls love to watch the tank, too. I know my tank is too small for angels and discus...anything as pretty and unique as these that can go in a 20G?

Suggestions for what more I can put in my tank would be so appreciated.

Thanks,
Myriam

 

[QTOFFER]

How about Endler's Livebearers?
http://www.aquariumhobbyist.com/endlerslivebearer/

Alternatively, I think you could squeeze a pair of flagfish or rainbowfish in there.

HTH

 

[tkos]

As for cories, they don't school really well but do like to hang out together. I have 3 different kinds of cories and they all like each other. Albinos are generally the same species as the bronze so try adding a couple of them to the group. 5-6 max should be the total group size.

As for a colourful other fish? Anything bigger than a molly will eat the fry. I woudl say a dwarf gourami is very colourful. But how about a nice small school of neon tetras or rummy nose tetras. they are colourful and fun to watch.

 

[Christmasfish]

Um..i am not one who keeps mollies and platies...but...
if what you claim is so you need to keep the offspring and get a hold of the local aquatic society.... because you just had animals breed from two different GENUSes! And that is a rare happenstance

A platy's genus is Xiphophorus (which means it can breed with a swordtail..has been done I think)
and a Mollies genus is Poecilia (which means it can breed with guppies in theory).
What you say happened is like crossing a dog and a bear.



For colorful bottom feeders the striata botia is amusing like a clown, colorfully paterned..and much smaller so you can keep a trio.
I wouldn't suggest of the smaller labyrinth fish since the tempermemt of a dwarf is 50/50 and macropods and betta may take exception to the equally oranate platies or mollies.

 

[tkos]

Iwould suggest a clown loach for a 20 gallon tank. they get to be 8-10 inches and heavy bodied. You would need a 75 gallon tank ideally for them.

But there are some colourful other loaches. A zebra might do well.

 

[Menagerie]

Different cories will hang out together. I have 4 species, totaling 13 individuals. They don't all hang out together, but in groups of mixed species.

 

[krap101]

upside down catfish eh?? 8)

 

[myriam]

Christmasfish, I didn't know mollies and platies could breed; somebody here told me that that is probably what happened when my black molly (in a divided tank) dropped bright orange fry with black tails, that looked just like my red wag platies! So I don't know what happened there. Her next batch of fry were black with white bellies. Very bizarre.

As for the suggestions...

I love clown loaches but 8-10"...eeks! I'll have to wait till I get a huge tank someday. I'm interested in the rainbowfish and the gourami ideas, and will research this. And I'll definitely get a few more cories.

I keep seeing people here having trouble with their tetras--I'm intimidated by these guys because they seem to be super sensitive and die easily.

I like tiger barbs--how would these do in my community tank?

Sounds like bettas are out, too, bummer.

Anybody else have any input on this?

 

[Endgame319]

Most rainbows would be too big for your tank but you could try dwarf neon rainbows aka praecox rainbows. They only grow to 2 inches and are quite beautiful. I have some but haven't got any pics up. I believe masadafish has some pictures of his in his gallery.

 

[madasafish]

The plural of *genus,* by the way is *genera,* not *genuses.*

 

[krap101]

lol walking dictionary