Help, new to keeping fish

[goldfish1212]

Right now i have 3 albino cory cats that are about an inch each in my tank. Previously I had 2 shubunkin also but they passed away when my old tank ( which was also 20gal) broke.
I would like to get another goldfish, maybe a fantail, or another pretty and hardy fish to go with my little cory cats but it seems like every website i go to says something different about fish requirements.
The water in my tank is 7ph, 40 ppm kh, and 60ppm gh. I have a 20gal fishtank that's about 12''wide,24"long, and 16"high with small stones on the bottom, 3 little plastic plants, and a plastic lighthouse. I also have an airstone in it and a filter for 20gal tank. The temperature stays around 65-70F. Would this be good for any goldfish plus my little corys?
I am not trying to breed them or taking fish keeping as a serious hobby, but i do want to treat my fish right. I cannot get a bigger/smaller tank.

 

[HN1]

Welcome to AA!

I'm no goldfish expert by any means, but I think a single fancy should be ok. You will probably want to consider upgrading your filter though. The manufacturers are very liberal with their ratings and goldfish are messy.

 

[goldfish1212]

do you have any idea what type of fresh water fish would be good, i have heard that tetras were bright and hardy fish for beginners.

 

[HN1]

If you add a heater and bring the tank up (gradually over a week or so) to 76-78, there are a ton of fish that would be appropriate. Check out pics and descriptions of fish online and ask away. The possibilities are endless.

Add fish gradually and keep an eye on your water parameters with a liquid test kit and you'll be fine.

 

[goldfish1212]

ok. i been looking up some fish online this afternoon and was thinking of some these hardy little zebra or leopard danios. online it says that the danios need their water about 65-78 (so a few degrees warmer which i can do) and a little bit harder water than i currently have( about 3.5dgh and danios prefer 5-8dgh) .
Do you know how i could raise the hardness of the water without messing up the ph or do you think that i should look into other types of fish?

 

[mommytron]

tetras would be a great choice for the size tank you have. however, like HN1 said, you would need to get a heater. your corys should also have a heater anyway, so it's probably a good idea. i also agree with upgrading the filter (or adding a second one) for double the filtration.

also, if deciding on tetras, take into consideration that they are hardy fish if they are introduced to a clean, cycled tank. i don't know how long you have had you tank set up/your fish in for, but as long as all of your parameters (ammonia/nitrite/nitrate) are where they should be (and are kept there), tetras will do great.

 

[mommytron]

i wouldn't worry too much about hardness and ph with danios or tetras, they are pretty adaptable fish. just make sure that you acclimate them properly.

 

[goldfish1212]

thanks, i'll definately see about getting a heater next time i get the chance. for the filter do you think a filter that says 30gal is enough? what is a good rule of thumb for picking one? what are some good but inexpensive filters and heaters. I have a "marina s20" filter that came with my first tank right now.
my tank has only been running for three days now since my old one cracked and i had to replace it.

 

[bluerose]

Before you add fish, you'll want to test your water to ensure that it's stable and cycled.

A 40gal filter would be a very safe bet and would allow you to have a goldie or a few more fish as it will do a better job filtering. AquaClear filters are well-liked around here. Often you get what you pay for...

Make sure the heater you get is adjustable - Marineland Stealth heaters are good ones.

 

[saltwatertogo]

Lost of good advice. As usual on AA. Welcome to AA
Good Luck!

Fisman

 

[goldfish1212]

thanks!

 

[goldfish1212]

Thanks! I looked up the Aquaclear filter online and it looks good. they sell 50gal not too expensive online so that looks ok.
i also looked up the marineland stealth heaters you recomended but had two problems. One was there were a lot of stories on the internet about problems with the marineland stealth heater breaking down and being recalled, do ya'll know if there's any truth to that? Two was i saw there were a couple different wattages of heaters and was wondering what would be good for my size tank.(20gal)
Thanks.

 

[mommytron]

100w heater would be best for a 20gal. there is a certain string of marineland heaters (i believe it's the stealth Pro, not positive though) that were breaking all over the place. it's either the heater with or without the flashing indicator light. i would wait to buy one until someone else jumps in with more info. for this reason, i myselfwill probably get a Hydor Theo when it comes time to avoid all confusion (which has also been recommended to me and others on this site)

 

[goldfish1212]

thanks