I Got Permission to Get Another Tank! What Do I Do?

[GodFan]

My parents agreed to let me get a 20 gallon (give or take a few gallons) to replace my 5 gallon! Now I gotta decide what I want to do!
Im kinda stuck. I considered getting some shell dwelling cichlids but......... with a 20 long I could do alot! I am really stuck. I could do the shellies, or a community tank......
I just dont know! Tell me what you all think. The shellies are gourgeous but I dont know that I would like them long run. Also I already have a planted tank so I thought about doing something different like rocks. I have a cool sand and shell substrate I can use too...
A 20 tall just doesnt seem to have the footprint I want. I just dont know If I really want the shellies. I also have some catfish that need to get out of my nano tank. They ate all my shrimp and are to big.... Community tank....

Alright thoughts and opinions are welcome at this point!
Thanks and God bless!

P.S. Can I keep amphibians like geckos and fire bellied toads in a tank with fish?

P.P.S. I am also considering Dwarf Puffer fish. Could they coexist with a few 3 inch catfish?

 

[Daniel R]

Get a 20 long with 8 neons your catfish a school of Cory's and 3 red tailed sharks . The tank will look great and vibrant!

 

[GodFan]

Get a 20 long with 8 neons your catfish a school of Cory's and 3 red tailed sharks . The tank will look great and vibrant!

Red tails get to 5 or 6 inches and aggressive though....

 

[alLexX]

Get a 20 long with 8 neons your catfish a school of Cory's and 3 red tailed sharks . The tank will look great and vibrant!

A:the sharks would kill each other
B:they need a 55,for one
C:depending on the species of shrimp,neons could be eaten
post pcis of your catfish,that could help

 

[GodFan]

A:the sharks would kill each other
B:they need a 55,for one
C:depending on the species of shrimp,neons could be eaten
post pcis of your catfish,that could help

Oh telling you what kind it is would help huh? Its a South American Bumble Bee cat.

 

[absolutangel04]

My parents agreed to let me get a 20 gallon (give or take a few gallons) to replace my 5 gallon! Now I gotta decide what I want to do!
Im kinda stuck. I considered getting some shell dwelling cichlids but......... with a 20 long I could do alot! I am really stuck. I could do the shellies, or a community tank......
I just dont know! Tell me what you all think. The shellies are gourgeous but I dont know that I would like them long run. Also I already have a planted tank so I thought about doing something different like rocks. I have a cool sand and shell substrate I can use too...
A 20 tall just doesnt seem to have the footprint I want. I just dont know If I really want the shellies. I also have some catfish that need to get out of my nano tank. They ate all my shrimp and are to big.... Community tank....

Alright thoughts and opinions are welcome at this point!
Thanks and God bless!

P.S. Can I keep amphibians like geckos and fire bellied toads in a tank with fish?

P.P.S. I am also considering Dwarf Puffer fish. Could they coexist with a few 3 inch catfish?

Geckos aren't amphibians. As for fire-bellied toads, to my knowledge they do best in an amphib-only tank.
What kind of catfish are they?

 

[alLexX]

Oh telling you what kind it is would help huh? Its a South American Bumble Bee cat.

not sure if thats the same as bumble bee gobies,which are brackish

 

[Scott F]

Get a 55 gallon, tell them it was mismarked, and you can't return it.

 

[absolutangel04]

You ninja posted the type of catfish while I was asking you. Lol.
South American bumble bees cats, eh? Awesome fish. I doubt that putting them with dp would be wise because of nipping, but I haven't owned them so that is just my best guess.
FYI, not the same as the gobies, just a similar name.
Do you want the cats in the 20g tank?

 

[GodFan]

You ninja posted the type of catfish while I was asking you. Lol.
South American bumble bees cats, eh? Awesome fish. I doubt that putting them with dp would be wise because of nipping, but I haven't owned them so that is just my best guess.
FYI, not the same as the gobies, just a similar name.
Do you want the cats in the 20g tank?

Yes because I dont want the cats in my nano (all fish 1 inch or less) tank anymore. But I may be able to rehome them into my moms tank (swords, mollies, platies, cories, and bristle nose pleco) as she loves them. I am just trying to decide what to do with the 20. If I got dwarf puffers it is mandatory that they have tankmates so what can they be kept with if anything?

 

[emerald76]

No tankmates for puffers besides maybe Otos and BB gobies

 

[absolutangel04]

All I can tell you about the dp for sure is that different people have different luck with them and tankmates. In general, they usually get along with ots and fw bb gobies (NOT the same species as the bw one) as far as I know. Beyond that, you will have to wait for somebody with more experience than me to chime in. I do know that you could do multiple dp's if you have a planted tank.
Personally, I think shellies would be awesome, but to each their own.
If you want to keep the bb cats, you could build a community of cool, less common fish around them.
Do you have an inclination as to what direction you want to go, or are you pretty open? I guess some of that depends on where the cats are going to go though.

 

[GodFan]

Ok then no DPs. Any other ideas?
Im pretty open. I considerd shellies but what could I keep with them in a 20 long?

 

[absolutangel04]

I should have asked this before, is it a 20 high or a 20 long?

 

[Freakgecko91]

A pair of dwarf cichlids as the "centerpiece"? Like dicrossus filamentosus or apistogramma spp? And a school of chili rasboras (the red would look cool with the red of a male apisto of pretty much any species). Then your catfish could live there too

 

[GodFan]

Its a 20 Long. I do not want the chillis because I have a Nano tank with Embers already...

 

[Freakgecko91]

Or maybe some kind of small tetras or hatchets, either way, I'd say go with some kind of cichlid if you don't get the shellies!

 

[GodFan]

The shellies are cichlids. What can they coexist with?

 

[Freakgecko91]

Certain danios from what I've heard, but probably not in a 20 gallon

 

[absolutangel04]

Purple passion danios or pearl danios are a couple of suggestions. I agree that a dwarf cichlid could work out too. Personally, I am a fan of all white skirt tetras as well.

EDIT: Probably not with the shellies. I don't know of anything that can go with shellies, but I haven't owned them.