# Brainstorming a 20G



## Sugarbeet (Feb 7, 2013)

So I picked up a 20 gallon long tank on Saturday, and it's going to be weeks and weeks before I can even start cycling it (still need to hunt down an adequate stand, various equipment, reshuffle the living room furniture to make space, etc). 

Anyway, what should I stock this bad boy with, once it's ready to go? Mollies and cories have both piqued my curiosity, but I've never kept them. Anyone got suggestions for a first-timer's community tank?


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## bniebetta (Feb 26, 2013)

This has nothing to do with your post, but I just thought I would let you know that. as a English major, I thoroughly admire you correct use of the word "piqued."


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## Nicci Lu (Jan 7, 2013)

I just got a 20L myself, and have begun stocking it with a betta and 6 black kuhli loaches. I totally recommend the kuhlis! I love my corys, too, it's great fun to watch them bumble around the tank. But the Kuhlis are just to die for. They are little maniacs when they do their loach dance on the glass, circles and circles and circles. Then they hide, and you can see a head or two poking out every now and then from under a rock or a leaf. And then it's back to the cracked-out loach dance. They are just hysterical to watch. Give them lots of hiding spots and get at least 6, and you'll be entertained.


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## Sugarbeet (Feb 7, 2013)

Okay, adding kuhlis to the list of possibilities! They sound totally adorable, and they have such a unique look, too! Like a mini hot dog with fins. 

@bniebetta: You know, piqued is such a great word. I need to work it into more conversations.


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## WolfHhowling (Apr 10, 2013)

Mollies are fun, platies are fun, swordtails are fun. Cory cats are just cute, loches are just cute, betta's are cute.

There a just so many cute fish and fun fish you can choose from. 

Corries or loaches are just fun little guys. They are easy to take care of too.

Mollies will entertain your other fishes, um bellies when they have fry. If they have fry, or I should say when they have fry.

Planted tank is awesome for fry, but I must say. Only the smartest, most fit, most sly fry will win the survival to adult hood game.

You could put them in with a betta too.


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## Sugarbeet (Feb 7, 2013)

It's going to be so hard to decide! There's so many possible combinations. I'm sort of glad it's going to be so long before the tank's ready, because I know I'm going to change my mind a hundred times.

I was toying with the idea of including a female betta along with whatever else I stock with. Some mysterious force draws me over to them every time I'm at the shop...

Oy, I hadn't thought about fry! I expect the mollies' tankmates would be pretty effective birth control after the fact from the sounds of it, WolfHhowling?


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## WolfHhowling (Apr 10, 2013)

Sugarbeet said:


> It's going to be so hard to decide! There's so many possible combinations. I'm sort of glad it's going to be so long before the tank's ready, because I know I'm going to change my mind a hundred times.
> 
> I was toying with the idea of including a female betta along with whatever else I stock with. Some mysterious force draws me over to them every time I'm at the shop...
> 
> Oy, I hadn't thought about fry! I expect the mollies' tankmates would be pretty effective birth control after the fact from the sounds of it, WolfHhowling?


Very effective. They eat there own fry, betta's will eat the fry too. Actually any fish will eat the fry. You might get a lucky one now and then but thats usually a rarity.


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## Crowntails (Feb 12, 2013)

I think a school of 6 Panda Cories, 6 Pencilfish, and a pair of Golden Rams would look beautiful. With a nice sand substrate.


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## Sugarbeet (Feb 7, 2013)

Well, at least I wouldn't have to worry about having an avalanche of mollies filling the tank, then. 

Panda cories seem like the cutest variety of cory so far, with their masks.  My water is fairly hard, so I don't know how well I'd do with rams, but they are gorgeous fish! 

As I'm reading up on cories (I guess I've got one species picked out!), it looks like plain gravel might be too rough for them? So maybe black sand would be a good idea. It would look a little swankier than gravel, too.


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## Nicci Lu (Jan 7, 2013)

Definitely get sand if you go for corys. Mine spend most of the time digging through the sand with their barbels. It's funny to watch the sand come back out their gills. Even with a rounded gravel that wouldn't hurt their barbels, I don't think they'd have half so much fun.


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## Sugarbeet (Feb 7, 2013)

Well, that settles the substrate issue, then! If sand would be more enriching for them, then sand they shall have.


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