Suggestions for a 20 gallon high.

[Gardner4]

I’m wanting some opinion on what would be a good tank set up… I have a 20 gal high tank. I would like a “center piece fish” then some smaller fish also. I have a Top fin sponge filter with an air pump.

 

[Aiken Drum]

These things are very open ended because everyone would do something different, and really it comes down to what you want to keep, rather than what I would want and might suggest.

If I suddenly acquired a 20g high aquarium, I would be tempted to go with a pair of electric blue rams, and work around them. Blue rams like the water warmer than most other tropical fish, so i would look to mix them with other fish that typically prefer warmer water (28c/ 82f).

A small group of honey gourami (1m/3f) would be on my list of fish to consider as tankmates, rummynose or cardinal tetras, maybe a few otocinclus.

That's what I would do because I want to try electric blue rams again building everything around them, having previously not been very successful at lower temperature with the rams as an afterthought.

 

[Andy Sager]

I’m wanting some opinion on what would be a good tank set up… I have a 20 gal high tank. I would like a “center piece fish” then some smaller fish also. I have a Top fin sponge filter with an air pump.

I'm not really sure when the concept of a " Centerpiece " fish came about but realistically, that works better for a large tank than a smaller one. While 20 gallons of water may seem large to you, at only 24" of floor length, it could very easily be the entire territory for a decent sized and even some small fish species. In that sized tank, you are better off keeping a collection of smaller fish species than a "centerpiece" specie. A small school of say, Neon Tetras or Glo-lite Tetras could be the main attraction or just a single pair of smaller cichlids if that's how you want to go. There are a number of species of fish and as Aiken said, "everyone would do something different". My best suggestion is to go to your local fish shop with a pad and pencil and see what's available then research those species you like to see if they fit in your sized tank and with each other. ( Just because a fish may be small it doesn't mean they can't be a bully. ) Remember, it's not as much about the gallons as it is about the floor space. Fish don't usually swim up and down, The swim side to side. In reality, a 20 gallon long tank can hold more fish than a 20 gallon high tank yet they hold the same amount of water ( which, btw, is not 20 gallons. )
Hope this helps.

 

[fishkeeper123]

I’m wanting some opinion on what would be a good tank set up… I have a 20 gal high tank. I would like a “center piece fish” then some smaller fish also. I have a Top fin sponge filter with an air pump.

I think a great fish to would be a Bolivian ram. They are great little fish with lots of character and a perfect “centrepiece fish” for a 20 gallon. I would then add a group of shoaling fish(8-10 depending on species) and that will be a nice aquarium. For shoaling fish, it’s personal preference. You could look into some of the smaller tetra species and rasboras(harlequins are nice) or maybe some pencil fish.

 

[BBradbury]

Hello. If you're new to the "water keeping" hobby, then I don't think you can go wrong with Red Wag Platies. Brilliant red with black fins. A very hardy fish that would require only large, frequent water changes and a variety of flaked foods.

B