# 20 long tank - guppies or tetras?



## Checkmark (Feb 25, 2015)

Not sure what route to take with my 20 long tank. I like shiny, flashy fish. Really like male cobra/snakeskin guppies and also really like neon and cardinal tetras. :-D 

Typical advice I read is guppies are more hearty and tetras are supposed to be more picky for water parameters (but I don't see any proof anywhere ... ?). I only believe so much of what I read anymore. :| 

So, 20 long tank, needs to be cycled over again (started, but crashed) and beginner - thoughts? 

PATIA!


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## kittenfish (Dec 1, 2013)

Why not both?

Personally I've had a lot of trouble with pet store guppies and parasites, so I would be careful to find a good source. I haven't had neon tetras but they seem to be fairly prone to illness. Cardinals seem to be hardier, plus they are more colorful.


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

Is your water hard? That's a factor to consider... Of guppies and tetras starting at equal health, the guppies are more likely to fare better in hard water and the tetras in soft. They'll certainly prefer those respective conditions. Guppies are naturally VERY hardy fish, but inbreeding is believed to have made some of them more susceptible to disease. 

Look for a local forum or club to get your guppies, you might pay a bit more but they will be nicer and healthier. Cardinals aren't generally easy to breed and raise at home, so unless you order from a supplier you'd probably have to use a pet store.


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## Checkmark (Feb 25, 2015)

Great input. Thanks to both of you.

kittenfish - both? Possible, sure, but for the time being I really want to get some miles under my belt, so to speak. I'm leaning more towards an either/or with this. At least for the time being.

MattsBettas - yes, hard water here. 

Sources ... 
I know where I can get award winning guppies "locally". It's a drive, but i've seen his fish and would gladly drive an hour each way to buy them.

I only know of tetras sold in stores, although the _cardinal_ tetra source is an LFS renowned for high quality fish of any kind he carries (primarily cichlids, but lots of other tropicals also). 


Thank you for sharing the enlightenment. :-D


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

If your water is hard, I'd personally select fish species that are suited to these conditions. 

If you like shiny/flashy fish, and have harder water, have you considered forktail blue-eyes or celebes rainbowfish? Both these species do well in harder water, and the males look great when they are sparring. 

Otherwise, I think guppies are the better option than tetras.


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## Stormfish (Apr 30, 2012)

If you want to keep guppies, remember that they like slightly more brackish water with the addition of aquarium salt. That means you would have to choose tank companions a little more carefully. How about a Molly trio (two females, one male) to go with? They're also Platys, so they'd enjoy the slight salinity.


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

Guppies will do completely fine in a freshwater tank. The addition of a small amount of salt may not bother them, but they are not native brackish fish and those conditions are not necessary for their well-being. 

Mollies get a bit too big for a 20g tank. Those are messy fish.


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## Slaz (Sep 8, 2014)

It's odd you should say that. Right now; I'm looking at my 15 gal tank; It's got two mollies; two guppies; and six Cardinal tetras. Getting along just fine and look very healthy. been this way going on six months now! Oh; and I've got a few babies to; Mollies and Guppies.


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

That doesn't mean the fish aren't stressed, stunted, or growing... 

Mollies are big fish for small tanks- according to Seriously Fish (a very well respected site) females can get to almost 6 inches, and I've seen that. A fifteen gallon tank is, in all respects, small. The guppies and cardinals would be fine, but I'd recommend getting the mollies into a larger tank well before they reach adult size. Cardinals are generally not well suited to our water (I'm in Edmonton so it's very similar, I also buy and sell fish in Calgary) but there isn't a whole lot to do about that. When other conditions are met they do fine, they'd just prefer softer/more acidic water to what we have.

Also, livebearers in general (definitely guppies) should be kept in a 2:1 female:male ratio, if mixing sexes. Having more or equal amounts of males leads to chasing, harassment, and stressed out females. I've watched it in my own fish, and it's well documented elsewhere. Also... Guppies have been known to breed in peanut butter jars and mollies aren't too different, it really isn't a sign of success with that species. 

IMO- we should strive for IDEAL conditions for the animals we keep, not settle for having them survive. Fish can be quite stressed and not show any outward signs, and as we all know... Stress leads to disease. Six months is not a long time for a tank to be running. It may go on and keep being successful, and your tank isn't absolutely terrible, but I wouldn't recommend it to people who are working on stocking a tank from scratch. 

Platys could work, as mentioned above. They're a better alternitave to mollies. 

If you do decide to go with tetras, I believe they're more sensitive to unstable water parameters, so wait until the tank is established.


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## Checkmark (Feb 25, 2015)

Wow, hey, LOTS of great info coming of this. Thank you so much everyone!  


I think with all my research, and mostly my heart/gut leading the way, i'll wind up with guppies. No plans on breeding right now, but that might change before I buy them. (i'm led to believe culling guppy fry for live betta food is a not-so-bad idea afterall, but need to research more) 


Of utmost importance I am going to wait just a bit to get some miles under my belt - experience and confidence are key, imho. Yesterday I transported my VT, Chill, to his new home - a standard 10 gallon. I NEED to get at least one fish and tank going smoothly before I tackle a group, at least in my eyes. Once I see things going smoothly with the tank's cycling and his health I will proceed with this venture. 


Again, THANKS everyone!


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

Two types of fish I have acquired recently that I love are giant danios and gold barbs. These barbs are not aggressive but still won't go well will guppies or long finned fish. The danios are top swimmers the gold barbs middle to bottom swimmers. I have found both very easy to care for.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Brokat.jpg

http://www.tfhmagazine.com/assets/004/13253_400


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