20 gallon aquarium stock ideas?

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bubbaboy

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Oct 2, 2013
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I've thinking of stocking my tank with these little buddies.
Cardinal tetras
Dwarf pufferfish
Red cherry shrimp

How much of each should i get. I know shrimps breed like crazy so I don't have to go too crazy in that area.
But how about the other two?
and I already know about the aggressiveness of puffers, but them living with tetras and shrimp aren't uncommon. I think its a lot based on personality and im willing to take that risk.
 
I've thinking of stocking my tank with these little buddies.
Cardinal tetras
Dwarf pufferfish
Red cherry shrimp

How much of each should i get. I know shrimps breed like crazy so I don't have to go too crazy in that area.
But how about the other two?
and I already know about the aggressiveness of puffers, but them living with tetras and shrimp aren't uncommon. I think its a lot based on personality and im willing to take that risk.

I will be honest I think this stocking plan is a bad idea. I have never heard of tetras and puffers being ok. Never. However I also understand that sometimes you just gotta try. I have done it myself.
I actually am setting up a 20 gallon myself. I am going to have waspfish and everglades flounder. Havent decided on the last fish yet.
 
Bad, bad, BAD! Idea, the puffers will tear into the tetras and eat all the shrimp most likely. Get rid of the puffers and you could easily do a school of 7 of the tetras
 
Bad, bad, BAD! Idea, the puffers will tear into the tetras and eat all the shrimp most likely. Get rid of the puffers and you could easily do a school of 7 of the tetras

at my LFS the puffers are in a community tank and they were peaceful with the other fish. Keep in mind that these are dwarf (they grow about 1 inch max) and I'm not looking to get that many. I was just asking if one or two can live with a school of tetras
 
you can house around 30 inches of fish. Use neons as a measurement, so you could have 30 neons..... a fish like a dwarf gourami would be worth 2 or 3 neons, bleeding heart tetras would be similar. Get the idea?
 
you can house around 30 inches of fish. Use neons as a measurement, so you could have 30 neons..... a fish like a dwarf gourami would be worth 2 or 3 neons, bleeding heart tetras would be similar. Get the idea?

Nope, you can't. The inch per gallon rule sucks truth be told. Would you put a 10 in Oscar in a 10g? Or about a 20in peacock bass in a 20 g? See the my point? Also 30 neons on a 20 g?!? That's crazy, these beautiful fish need room to swim and turn around as well as school.


Dwarf puffers have a beak and will sherd anything with a tail and literally hunt the shrimp down. The pet store is trying to make a sell not a friend. It's a business that literally thrives off this kind of situation
 
at my LFS the puffers are in a community tank and they were peaceful with the other fish. Keep in mind that these are dwarf (they grow about 1 inch max) and I'm not looking to get that many. I was just asking if one or two can live with a school of tetras

Yes, I know.plus there changeling to feed and need hard food like snail shells to ware that beak of there's down. But as any fish, there personality Changes as they get older, trust me on this, if you don't then do a quick google search.
I'm really just trying to help
 
I agree with cg! The puffer will eat the shrimp, and there is also no way you could put 30 neons in there! I say ditch the puffer.
 
I agree with above posters, but i think if you still would like your tetras and your shrimp i would say a nice school of 6-8 of tetras. For red cherry shrimp i would try live plants with loads of hiding places for the babies( java moss, christmas moss, anacharis are all great for this) about 20-30 shrimp will get you started off.

:)
 
that was my initial plan. a school of cardinals in a planted with a nice population of cherry shrimp.
I went to the lfs the other day and fell in love with these littel dwarf puffers. Hopefully i don't impulse buy but i would sitll like to try out puffers with tetras. once i see it getting dangerous ill just put the puffer in a new tank
 
If you already have the tank. Just keep the puffer by itself. I fell in love with them too in the fish store. Really wanted to put him in my community tank. Instead bought a 5 gallon tank just for him. He looks pretty happy for a fish. Eats right out of my hand.
 
I love the puffers, don't get me wrong, and actually a DP can live happily by itself in a 5g planted for its whole life so if you really want one then I would just buy a seprate 5g tank for the little guy
 
How many can i fit in a 10 gallon? I have 3 tanks right now. 2 10 gallons, and 1 20 gallon.
I might just sell one of the 10 gallons and keep a 10 for a pufferfish or two.
My question is how many can i keep in a 10? breeding them would be nice and would a sponge filter be okay for these little critters?
 
Three would work in 10. Want some decoration to block line of site. Ideally 2 f and 1 m. But harder to sex as juvenile
 
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