redid my tank and have a question

[chris127]

Hey guys i have a 20 gallon tank that i just re-graveled/aquascaped.
But i have a question. how many more fish can i fit in there?

heres a list of what i have:
2 red eye tetras
2 red serpae tetras
2 tiger barbs (small young ones)
1 cory cat

i was thinking about putting a small angel in there. tell me your thoughts

sorry i dont have a picture i lost the memory card those things are so small

 

[chris127]

yeah i found it! the tanks still a bit cloudy though

 

[SpeedEuphoria]

I'm new to this, so I'll let the experts chime in and correct me where needed. I would think that you may want to stock more of the same species you already have 1st to bring them companions. So like 3 corys and 4 of each of the others(well maybe just the cory's and possibley the barbs as the tetras maybe OK with the other type?). Then after that I'm not sure how much room you would have left.

My 1/2 cent

 

[chris127]

well my cory is blind, or at least legally blind. i always see him running into stuff and passing over his food so does he really need another cory? lol

and 12 tetras in a 20 gallon seems like overload..

 

[SpeedEuphoria]

Yeah looks like an albino cory AFAIK they are blind and many cory's are more nocturnal anyway. I did not say 12 tetras, if they get along as is then your fine, but if not then 3 of each would be good either way. You have just 2 types of tetras right?

The thing is, it may very well work just fine. For example many people have a small group of fish in say a 10gallon, and they do just fine, then later on they move them(same amount) to a 20gallon or so and they come back and say WOW I can tell these fish are much happier b/c they are much more active and playful, then they may add a couple more and say that they are happier still. Again this is just based on how the fish act b/c no one that I know of can actually talk to fish and ask them how they feel or what they prefer.

Again just wait for the experts to chime in b/c like I said I'm no expert at this, so just my opinion.

 

[mom2reds]

Tetras and barbs do best in groups of 6. Tiger barbs can be really aggresive and really need at least 6 so that they can pick on each other, as they grow older you may find that they are the only kind of fish you can have in the tank. Or at least that has been what I have seen and heard. The cory will difinately do better with a group of three or more they really can be fun to watch togethere. I have the red sarpea tetras and they are pretty peacefull I have 6 all togethere but I have heard they they can be nippy. I would imagin that the same goes for the red eye tetras.
Your rescaping looks good.

 

[chris127]

yeah the serpae and barbs can get a bit nippy. i guess i plan on getting another barb and another serpae. maybe some pepper cories. sound good?

thanks i just went au natural on my decor so i got some rocks out of the river and bought some plants. my favorite is the japonicum. it flows with the current so nicely!

just throwing it out there, whats your thoughts on crayfish in a community tank? i always pass them in my LFS and they look so interesting.

 

[mom2reds]

crayfish will eat anything that they can get there claws on, like when the lights are out and the fishies are sleeping. They really belong in a species only tank.

 

[chris127]

aw not cool.
your tank looks really nice btw!

 

[mom2reds]

thanks

 

[chris127]

ive also noticed that my ph is running a little high (7.8-8.0). what can i do to lower it? ive read that some ph tablets hurt live plants.

Correct pH Tank Buddies Backyard Products
this one says its safe. does anyone know if it truly is?

 

[Purrbox]

Leave your pH alone. A stable pH is much better than a specific pH. Many plants actually do better in high pH simply because many of the nutrients they need are in more plentiful supply.

 

[chris127]

i keep reading that a lower pH is necessary for tetras/barbs, about 1.0 lower. don't they need it that way to live healthy?

 

[mom2reds]

I have a high PH and my plants and tetras do fine, I would strongly advice you not to mess with it.

 

[chris127]

sounds good to me. thanks for all the help

 

[Purrbox]

Unless you're breeding a fish, it's rarely necessary to target a specific pH. Even then it isn't always necessary. Just because a fish lives in a specific pH in the wild, doesn't mean that it's necessary for captive fish that are often several generations from their wild cousins.

 

[blueram06]

HI All,
Which you may know the general rule of thumb is one inch of adult fish per gallon.
Dependant on filtration you may even go more than that. Water changes are important too.
Live plants help turn CO2 into O2 also.
The Ph may drop on its own as you add fish, and your filter cycles itself.
Hope this helps.
Jay