organizing/overstocking(?) 20gal

[m.bug]

Right now I have 2 powder blue swarf gouramis, 2 skunk cory cats, 2 panda cory cats, 2 blue rams and 5 female bettas in a 20 gallon tall.
I also have a 10gallon with 1male betta, 3 red honey dwarf gouramis and a twig catfish.

So...I am trying to slowly move everything over from the ten to the twenty(excluding the male betta). Im giving that tank away. Within the next few months I will set up another twenty and/or a larger tank. So I could relocate some eventually but not for awhile.

My question is:
Is that too many fish in a 20 gallon tank? It would be like this:
2 powder blue gouramis
3 red honey gouramis
5 female betta
2 ram ciclids
2 skunk cories
2 panda cories
1 twig catfish

I have lots of rocks and plants to hide in and also plenty of swimming room. ANY advice would be helpful.

 

[TankGirl]

I think this is too much for a 20 gal.

One thing about a 20 tall is that the footprint is relatively small, as compared to the 20 long, and the vertical "real estate" does not help in terms of stocking - you would basically put fewer fish in a 20 tall than a 20 long. That is just something to keep in mind when stocking this tank.

Your gouramis are all relatively aggressive fish that will all want a piece of the top of the tank, and if the two powder blues are getting along in the 10 they will probably do so in the 10, as will the 3 honeys, but I'd avoid putting them all together, even in a much larger tank.

If I was going to stock a 20 long using the fish you have listed, I'd go with either the two blues or the three honeys, as mentioned, and the rest would probably work out, though I am not sure about the farlowella cat, as I think I'd want to keep those in a larger tank, at least a 30 or so.

Also, I'd also hold on to the smaller tanks, as they make wonderful quarrantine/hospital tanks and it is so useful to have an extra tank around for emergencies.

 

[Simpte]

I'd have to agree. Keeping gouramis and bettas together is a no-no. They are both anabantids and are agressive. (I know your hear of people keeping females together but its not something to be done regularly). The rams can get agressive if they pair up and 2 males will fight. I would drop one set of cories and get at least 5 of one species as they are very sociable and do best when in small schools.