peaceful fish for a 20gH community?

[gabysapha]

I have a 20gH with adult endlers and juvenile endlers.
Susbtrate is natural colored gravel, with low light plants like anacharis, hornwort and java moss. One piece of driftwood is on it's way to decorate the tank.

I'm not sure if I will do this, but I'd like to add some other fish to the tank. The endlers swim almost exclusively in the top half of the tank, so it looks like I can add something towards the bottom.

What are peaceful and resilient fish that can swim in the middle to bottom, that will not attack my little endlers? I only choose "resilient" fish for my tanks; fish that are finicky about water parameters avoided (my ph is 8.4, my water is very hard).

I think neon tetras would fit the bill, but I have only ever received sickly fish; and I'm not inclined to try them for a 4th time

thanks for any ideas

 

[kinderpond]

We have a 20gH community tank with 5 neons, 2 von rios, 2 zebra danios, 1 rubber lip pleco, 1 julii cory cat, and 1 peppered cory cat. They all do well together. I have heard that the zebras can be menacing to other fish, but we haven't had an issue. You could also try platys or mollys. Pretty much any tropical fish you put in will adapt to water parameters, but you have to appropriately acclimate them. The cory cats are bottom swimmers, as well as the plecos. I like the rubber lip because he won't grow to a monstrous size, he's peaceful, and he's diurnal (so you actually get to see him). They're also kinda cool because they camouflage. I would start with the cats or plecos to give you bottom swimmers as well as a clean up crew.

 

[gabysapha]

I agree, i think danios can be crazy little fish and i don't want any harm to come to the endlers. I think you're right, some bottomfeeders would be best first. I have a hard time finding panda or julii cories, both of which I think are small enough for my 20g high at adult size. I'll hold off on the pleco, i just don't have enough algae for them to eat! Nor wood, at the moment!

 

[giants1249er]

How about some ghost shrimps for the bottom...they're a great cleanup crew. Dwarf cories will swim mid to bottom.

 

[Aces11]

I have platys and endlers in my 20gH and they do great together. I think cories would work as well.

 

[gabysapha]

Yes I raise platties and they are good with Endlers. They also do very well in my watee! I want platties out of this tank though

Yknow, I avoid ghost shrimp like the plague. And i know a lot of people like them! But I don't think they are so innocent. I've had some that outcompeted fish for food. I've had ghost shrimp leap up, grab a fry or ADULT platy in midwater, and not let go until.... Well, until the shrimp was full. Eww.... so ghost shrimp are not allowed in any of my tanks!

But they are not half as bad as Whisker Shimp....

 

[absolutangel04]

I would personally suggest ember tetras over neons. IMO, embers are less sensitive. Chili rasbora, or micro rasboras would be another option. The chilis are cute and tiny and peaceful and hardy IMO.
Another option besides corys would be kuhli loaches. They never bother anybody in my tank.

 

[gabysapha]

I would personally suggest ember tetras over neons. IMO, embers are less sensitive. Chili rasbora, or micro rasboras would be another option. The chilis are cute and tiny and peaceful and hardy IMO.
Another option besides corys would be kuhli loaches. They never bother anybody in my tank.

I had no idea these nani fish were hardy. Their small size made me think otherwise! But very good to know, thank you.

 

[absolutangel04]

I had no idea these nani fish were hardy. Their small size made me think otherwise! But very good to know, thank you.

Yeah, my embers have lived through a few accidental spikes in a newish tank, and I have heard the same thing about the chilis. I had thought the embers would be really sensitive, but IME, tiny colorful things often are, but mine have been good. JME.

 

[severum mama]

I think that chilis might be outcompeted for food by your active Endler's, but ember tetras would be fine IMO. Those Boraras sp. are so small they seem to be easily intimidated by other fish. JME.