Good fish for a 20 long in a special education classroom?

[severum mama]

Raw shrimp is easy-peasy. Good call there IMO. If you put it in a filter media bag or some new pantyhose, you won't come back to such a mess. Just test when you get back into town and see where you are.

I would not recommend gold barbs for a 20 gallon. They get too large IMO. The reason I recommended against the pleco is because I'm suggesting the pearl gourami in your tank as basically a bare minimum for it- I wouldn't want to push the bioload much higher with the other fish you have in mind.

I'm going to go back to my earlier suggestion of von rio/flame tetras (Hyphessobrycon flammeus). They're tough, active, and stay much smaller than gold barbs. The regular variety has a nice yellow and red coloration. There is also a "orange von rio" that is the result of selective breeding, but is the same species. It is orange and yellow, and lacks the vertical barring you see in the regular variety. You could even mix them if you wanted more color since they are the same fish.

 

[heyheyitsrae]

Raw shrimp is easy-peasy. Good call there IMO. If you put it in a filter media bag or some new pantyhose, you won't come back to such a mess. Just test when you get back into town and see where you are.

I would not recommend gold barbs for a 20 gallon. They get too large IMO. The reason I recommended against the pleco is because I'm suggesting the pearl gourami in your tank as basically a bare minimum for it- I wouldn't want to push the bioload much higher with the other fish you have in mind.

I'm going to go back to my earlier suggestion of von rio/flame tetras (Hyphessobrycon flammeus). They're tough, active, and stay much smaller than gold barbs. The regular variety has a nice yellow and red coloration. There is also a "orange von rio" that is the result of selective breeding, but is the same species. It is orange and yellow, and lacks the vertical barring you see in the regular variety. You could even mix them if you wanted more color since they are the same fish.

Well crap. I didn't put the shrimp in anything. Cleaning that up will be fun. Gravel vacuum should take care of it right?

He seems to like the flame tetras. I think I've found my stocking! How many? What about Congo tetras? I can't help but inquire. So gorgeous!

Also, I'm sorry I didn't answer your earlier question about the corners hanging off the edge of the stand. They do, is that a problem? Thank you so much for all of your suggestions throughout the thread.

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

Well crap. I didn't put the shrimp in anything. Cleaning that up will be fun. Gravel vacuum should take care of it right?

He seems to like the flame tetras. I think I've found my stocking! How many? What about Congo tetras? I can't help but inquire. So gorgeous!

Also, I'm sorry I didn't answer your earlier question about the corners hanging off the edge of the stand. They do, is that a problem? Thank you so much for all of your suggestions throughout the thread.

Congo Tetras will be too big for the aquarium really.

In all honesty, looking at the picture again, the edges really shouldn't be a problem. At first I thought there was a decent amount of the tank hanging off. But it doesn't look like much. Only thing I worry about is that since there are edges of the aquarium exposed, if somebody gets snagged on that. It will be curtains for the aquarium.

 

[Athaocity]

harlequin rasboras will look nice.
since its a helicopter crash scene, maybe some marbled hatchet fish.will be cool.

 

[adadkins1]

They best way I've found to stock an aquarium is in levels. This is how I stocked my 55g community and it really has nice balance. For your tank you have the Pearl Gourami that will occupy the upper third of the tank and sometimes go to the bottom levels. Then you have the Rasboras/Tetras/Barbs that stick to the second third between the top and bottom. Finally you have you bottom/substrate fish which would be the Corys/Loaches. This methodology just helps you stock your tank to capacity while giving all the fish their own little area to live.

I will say that Marbled Hatchets are the bomb (have a school in my 55), but they sometimes have issues with a Pearl Gourami crashing their party. This has happened in my tank and would be even more prevalent in a smaller tank like yours. Along with the fact that the Pearl, mid level schoolers, and bottom schoolers will fully stock the tank.

 

[mikeISright]

Pleco- I'd skip.

Angelfish- not in a 20 long IMO.

Adding fish- wait longer than 3 days before new additions IMO. Let the test kit dictate that. A general statement like add a few fish every 3 days is not a good idea generally when you are trying to establish a new tank.

+1 no angelfish should be stuffed into a 20 long.

Wait at least a week minimum(bare minimum!) if you dont have easy access to the tank for frequent water tests.

No pleco would fit if you are getting the stock list you devised.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

They best way I've found to stock an aquarium is in levels. This is how I stocked my 55g community and it really has nice balance. For your tank you have the Pearl Gourami that will occupy the upper third of the tank and sometimes go to the bottom levels. Then you have the Rasboras/Tetras/Barbs that stick to the second third between the top and bottom. Finally you have you bottom/substrate fish which would be the Corys/Loaches. This methodology just helps you stock your tank to capacity while giving all the fish their own little area to live.

I will say that Marbled Hatchets are the bomb (have a school in my 55), but they sometimes have issues with a Pearl Gourami crashing their party. This has happened in my tank and would be even more prevalent in a smaller tank like yours. Along with the fact that the Pearl, mid level schoolers, and bottom schoolers will fully stock the tank.

I use the same method to stock my freshwater tanks. I never tried it in a very shallow tank like OPs 20 long. Hatchet fish are a great idea for the very top. They always stayed at the very top of my 55. I wonder if mid level fish wouldn't swim all over a 20L.

 

[bloodlucky]

Convict cichlids and a rubber lip pleco. Rubber lips are small and suitable for 20's

 

[mikeISright]

Convicts should not be housed in a 20 and neither should a rubberlip with convicts.

 

[SteveZim1017]

something I havent seen anyone recommend are a school of Danios. very hardy and you could get glofish so you have one of every color (red, green, blue, purple and orange) and one zebra to get a school of 6. My kid loves them.

I would personally also add some cory catfish, 2-3 guppies and maybe 2 dwarf frogs (if there is a lid) and maybe even a lone apple snail.

 

[heyheyitsrae]

He really seems to love the glofish, but at the same time wants to be cheap. (I'm probably gonna have to propagate my own plants for him.) I'll suggest it, they'll probably be good tank mates for the pearl gourami but at the same time I'm worried they will wash out its color.

One last other replacement suggestion for the Von rio tetra-- diamond tetras? They're gorgeous and I don't think they will wash out the gourami. I think the sparkles will be really nice and subtle. But I really like them for myself and I'll probably just put some in my 50 gallon.

 

[severum mama]

Diamond tetras get a lot larger than von rios, and can be feisty. I probably wouldn't put them in a 20 at all, and I definitely wouldn't put them with a pearl.

 

[heyheyitsrae]

Alright, into the 50 gallon they'll go. Any recommendations on what type of Cory?

 

[severum mama]

Pandas are nice and small. Paleatus are cheap and don't get terribly big.

 

[vanimal]

I agree. Pandas look cool and they stay small, perfect for your tank.

 

[heyheyitsrae]

Oh, I almost forgot! How many of each? And should I try and aim to get a particular sex for the gourami? Should I add another filter? I have a whisper internal filter that's just in my 10 gallon trying to get some of the green tea stain out. And in what order should I add them?

 

[Aquavic]

Convicts should not be housed in a 20 and neither should a rubberlip with convicts.

Convicts can actually be housed in a 20 gal long which is the bare minimum requirement. Not recommended but you can get away with it

 

[vanimal]

Isn't it actually a 25 gallon tank??

 

[heyheyitsrae]

Sometimes they round it off. My lfs owner told me that one brand of aquarium built a 58 gallon tank and another built a 58 gallon tank but the first company had trademarked the name so they had to go with naming it 65 gallon tank.

 

[vanimal]

Oh really do they do that with most tanks??