Hardy Beginner Fish?

[PattyCakes81]

Hi!

I decided doing fish-less cycling using pure ammonia(Ace Hardware has it). Adding a few live plants as well. Going with a Aquaclear 50 for my 20g high tank. Still a little stuck on substrate. I want corys so I guess a sand substrate.

My real question is:

Is this stocking mix is good or will it be overstocked?
Option 1
3-4 platies (top level)
4-6 CPD(celestial pearl danio)(mid-top)
3-4 Corydoras(bottom level) thinking either peppered, panda or sterbia
1-2 snails
Option 2
1 Neon Blue Dwarf Gourami (center piece)
6-7 Cardinal tetras or 10 CPD
4 Panda or Shwartz Corys
1-2 snails
Option 3
Betta (centerpiece)
the rest of his tankmates I need help on

All help is greatly appreciated!!

PattyCakes

 

[librarygirl]

I think your options seem fine. Just so you know, CPDs are more mid-bottom (I have them, cute little fish). If you get them, make sure they have plenty of hiding places (you'll see them more then) and they feel more secure with larger numbers.

For a 20 gal I'd go with Pandas. Sterbai and Peppered are larger and I think they'd do better in a larger tank (I had some Sterbai's in a 29 before I upgraded and even the 29 seemed small for them to me). You could do a group of 6 Pandas easily in a 20.

As for the betta, it's hard to say. It mostly would depend on the personality of the individual betta. You wouldn't want any fast fish or it might freak the betta out (like Neons) and anything with longer fins is out (guppies, mollys). A 20 gal does give them all some room so it might work out but again it would just come down to the fish you get and their temperaments.

 

[bettaowner]

Those fish are hardy and peaceful. Would be nice in my 55. I just started adding fish and need color or something odd.

 

[Abby256]

We steered clear of the Gourami after reading about some type of species disease that something like 25% of them come home from the store with. I think that option one sounds great if you're looking for a hardy community tank. Although I will say that our local fish guy (who surprsingly for a local fish store guy has probably forgotten more about fish than I will ever know - he's a bonafide fish geek!) swears they aren't any trouble to keep. If you do decide to go with Option 3 I would get at least six cory cats. I've seen videos of people mixing platties with Bettas (personally never done this though). Whatever you do though if this is the route you decide to take I would put the Betta in last!!! He will get territorial if he's the first in the tank. I tried adding the cory cats to my 10 gallon Betta tank after the Betta had been in a few months, big mistake. Nobody got hurt but the cory cats were afraid to move because every time they did - dive bombed. Also, I've never done it but I've heard one of the most fun tanks to set up is a female Betta sorority. I think a bunch of cory cats and female Bettas would be really great too.

 

[Lexilove]

I had mollies & platies & a guppy before with a betta & never saw any aggression, but it all depends on the betta. If you do go with the betta I would add fish slowly. It could freak him out to be alone then all of a sullen there are five new fish. I would add them like in groups of 2 or 3. But that's just my opinion

 

[Nimo]

I currently have a male beta in a 29 gal with mollies, corys, guppies, clown pleco, and 2 masked julies (masked julies soon to be moved to another tank). And they are all doing fine, just add the beta last. Always put your least aggressive fish on the tank first then add the more aggressive.

 

[Athaocity]

bettas and gouramis are not really that compatible. I guess having said that bettas have personalities, say even if the betta is cool and doesnt mind the gourami. the gourami may still bully the betta. this happrned to me before with my halfmoon and flame dg.

 

[Athaocity]

We steered clear of the Gourami after reading about some type of species disease that something like 25% of them come home from the store with. I think that option one sounds great if you're looking for a hardy community tank. Although I will say that our local fish guy (who surprsingly for a local fish store guy has probably forgotten more about fish than I will ever know - he's a bonafide fish geek!) swears they aren't any trouble to keep. If you do decide to go with Option 3 I would get at least six cory cats. I've seen videos of people mixing platties with Bettas (personally never done this though). Whatever you do though if this is the route you decide to take I would put the Betta in last!!! He will get territorial if he's the first in the tank. I tried adding the cory cats to my 10 gallon Betta tank after the Betta had been in a few months, big mistake. Nobody got hurt but the cory cats were afraid to move because every time they did - dive bombed. Also, I've never done it but I've heard one of the most fun tanks to set up is a female Betta sorority. I think a bunch of cory cats and female Bettas would be really great too.

oh yeah, I had once stocked a 29gal tank with 2 cories(i know its too few) then intoduced a betta a few weeks later, the betta still flared at the cories. ...... why?

 

[Abby256]

I don't know why but I will say that bettas to me are like underwater dogs. Each one is so unique. I have one who is so aggressive he will flare at us if we walk by his tank. I agree with others who have posted "depends on the betta". He also jumps for his pellets and shuns frozen and freeze dried foods. I have another one he is about to get moved into his own ten gallon from the current ten gallon with a divider in it. He's given it up as a bad habit but he used to move gravel with his nose from the bottom of the divider to try to get to the other one. My third betta is fairly laid back. These two will snub any brand of pellett and only like flakes which I've been told is weird for them to do - go figure. I used to have a pit bull we lost last year who never met a dog he didn't like. My sister's pitties can't be in the same room with another male dog. I don't know why except we are all individuals and betta fish seem to be no different. What I have been told though is add the most aggressive fish last which makes since if you read about the betta fish's natural environment.