# 20 gal tank, Need Help Stocking!



## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

So As of right now I have a heated , filtered 20 gal tank that has 3 corydoras and 4 platies. I had my female but she * once again * is sick. Its nothing new because she came home from petsmart sick. sigh* I've been trying so hard to get her back to health. So shes in qt. Hopefully she makes it through. I want to know how many other fish, and what types could I put in there if she DOES make it. I am open to any and all suggestions. Ruby (my female betta) is really social and loves tankmates. So please please PLEASE help me stock this properly. I don't want to over stock :-D


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

Also The other fish in the tank are NOT sick in ANY way. She was taken out because I noticed her swimming weird and sitting on the bottom after swimming really hard to try and get air :-(. But Its not the tank. Just the fact that my female has been sick since I took her home.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

I have no idea myself. I have 6 celestial pearl danios, 5 glowlight tetras, apple snail and a dwarf gouramis in my 20g. I used this site to calculate my stock...

http://aqadvisor.com/


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

That REALLY helps  I just wanna know what species would go BEST with my betta female. I may end up putting a male in there if she doesnt pull through  hopefully that doesnt happen. I just want a good list of compatible fishies


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## thePWNISHER (Jun 18, 2011)

A male you'll have to be picky, With another female, sky's the limit, they are agressive yes but nothing like males. Any community mild temperament fish will do.


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

ok  I used a site and im looking at 
female betta
4 cory cats - adding one to my 3 already
4 platies
1 dalmation molly
and 10 cherry shrimp
what do you guys think?


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

oh 1 female betta. Which is to be determined simply because ruby has been sick for a few days now


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## hedgehog (Sep 1, 2010)

I believe dalmation mollies like to be with members of their own species. They also are quite messy and are brackish fish so they need some salt to thrive. They're live bearers so if you happen to get a female from the pet store (some of employees can tell based on the tail type) she WILL be pregnant and you will have lots of fry. If you are dead set on getting a molly you may need to alter your water change schedule so that the water is kept healthy for the cories and prepare for the molly to have a shortened life span. 

I forgot that some mollies can be nippy. When I brought home a dalmation molly to be friends with one I already had the new one systematically hunted down and killed my first molly. She literally nipped her to death over the course of a few hours.


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## kumi (Apr 23, 2011)

Anitax3x said:


> ok  I used a site and im looking at
> female betta
> 4 cory cats - adding one to my 3 already
> 4 platies
> ...


As another poster said, nix the molly. The cherry shrimp will, sooner or later, be hunted by the betta. If you have lots of cover, some will survive and you will probably have babies as well, but they will spend a lot of time hiding with a carnivore that enjoys hunting in the tank! Don't know about the platies and the cherry shrimp. Other members here have reported that their betta coexisted nicely with shrimp for a certain amount of time, then decided to eat their buddy. Amano shrimp are larger and a much better bet with betta. I just got some from a seller on www.plantedtank.net. I'm being cautious and letting them grow some before putting them in with my betta, but that probably isn't necessary.

Kumi


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

ok so no molly. lol I have just platies and cory cats at the moment. May I ask for some suggestions for tankmates? I know now more of the species I shouldnt have. I would like to know what kinds I can have  thanks guys! I havent bought anymore so I really appreciate the advice


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## kumi (Apr 23, 2011)

I'm pretty sure that Harlequin Rasboras do well with bettas. Try searching on Rasboras--use the advanced search and limit it to the "compatibility" sub-forum for confirmation. Also check Corydoras pygmaeus. It's more of a mid-level swimmer than a bottom dweller so would be different from the other cories you are getting. Also look at Danio margaritatus, also known as Celestial Pearl Danios. They are quite different from zebra danios and I think somebody here has some. 

And don't dismiss the amano shrimp! I also really like nerite snails. They cannot reproduce in freshwater, so they don't over populate, but they do sometimes leave eggs on the glass. 

Check http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/invertebrates-msjinkzd/. She's got a lot of these species for sale and has an excellent reputation. She has some rasbora species that are more interesting than the harlequins (I feel disloyal to my harlequin rasobra), but they are a bit smaller, so I don't know if they are compatible with betta. If you are interested, ask her and she might know. You'll have fun looking in any case.

One thing to remember is that the platies will have lots of babies! The betta will also eat a lot of the fry, but if you have a lot of plants, some will likely grow up. If you want to be able to keep some of the babies, leave room when you stock the tank!

Kumi


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

I have celestial pearl danios, they are a smaller fish that does well in groups of 6 or more. They grow to be 1-1.5", smallest fish I have LOL They are great additions to a 10g tank.

Here's a pic of one of mine with a Glowlight male... 









And a crud video taken from my comp with my phone...


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

do your betta eat them? I'm afraid to add them and have them get picked off lol


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## kumi (Apr 23, 2011)

Pitluvs said:


> I have celestial pearl danios, they are a smaller fish that does well in groups of 6 or more. They grow to be 1-1.5", smallest fish I have LOL They are great additions to a 10g tank.


Are they in with a betta? All going well?


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Mine are not with a betta but they are with a gourami and surviving well. You would need to add any fish first before adding a betta, my gourami was added to this tank last. I'm not sure how common these fish are though, you can buy them in stores here. I had to have mine shipped to me from a breeder. They are mid to botom dwellers, or at least mine are LOL

I would think it would be no different than small Tetras except these danios won't fin nip. They are small fast schooling fish after all and my gourami looks like godzilla to them.


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

where do you guys get the celestial danios? I don't see them in petco or petsmart


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## kumi (Apr 23, 2011)

Anitax3x said:


> where do you guys get the celestial danios? I don't see them in petco or petsmart


The same seller that I listed before has them as well, or at least she does sometimes. I used to be very hesitant to "mail order" fish and invertebrates, but then I realized that they were being shipped to the fish stores and probably not under as good circumstances. You should read up about quarantining, however, no matter where you get your fish from. I regretted it when I did not QT new fish (some more harlequin rasbora from my local fish store).

Kumi


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

what about glolight tetra and glofish? can I do those?


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

oh yeah I konw how THAT goes. But I have a tank witha filter for qt


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

We have some fish in common  I have rasboras too.

You probably won't finds them in fish stores, they're a new breed of fish only found in the last few years. Google them, they're interesting. I got mine cause I needed Danios, and didn't realise they were a completely different fish than the zebra danios... So I had to set up a new tank haha


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

I have Glowlight Tetras, neat fish but mine are skiddish that's why I put them with the little danios. My community tank frightened them. They are also the main reason I had Ich and columnaris. They need 5+ group or they spaz. I'd say those or Harlequin Rasboras are good. Low key fish that are fast but won't bug your betta.


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

sorry studying has made me forget about my thread! Well my female betta who was supposed to be in this tank, ended up having to be euthanized, no improvements no matter what I tried  So I have 3 males and 1 female who i know has to be alone or she absolutely freaks. I have alot of interest in hm plakat males on AB. any of you guys have boys in community tanks? would they do alright? I'm afraid to order a male, and have him flip out. he wont have HUGE fins so he can swim, and I plan on putting way more hiding spots. i still only have 3 cories and 4 platies in the 20 gal. I just want to know what to do. I have no fry from the platies bc they're all dif sub species, idk if that means much but I'd love some more input.


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## kumi (Apr 23, 2011)

Very sorry you lost the girl. I have yet to put my male betta into a community tank (considering it....) so I cannot speak from personal experience. From what everybody says, it's very dependent on the individual betta, though you certainly have the right fish for it to work. Do any of your males seem like good candidates to try it with? You can always move him back out if it doesn't work.

Kumi


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

my ct mail is spunky and fearless. I was honestly considering putting him in there. yesterday i was trying to fix my baffle for the filter with sponges and he legit swam right up to my fingers and watched. no stress bars no flaring he just watched. it made me laugh bc i had to almost touch him with a sponge to get him to back up. I mean he doesnt freak out with the other male. (hes in the middle of my divided 3 way 10 gal) My other male in the 3 gal flares and freaks out so I know he can't be in with the community tank. i mean he was in there with 3 cories before i divided it and he was happy as can be, its the platies im worried about. so i mean I know i have one male who could probably thrive in there. I guess im hesitant to try without someone telling me from experience.


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## kumi (Apr 23, 2011)

Start a new thread with a subject such as "male betta in community tank?" and you should get a lot. I know that lots of people on here have done it. I think you need sort of a "middle of the road" male: can take care of himself, but won't be too aggressive towards the other fish. My betta loves going into hunting mode, so I'm a little worried about putting him in with anybody else! 

Kumi


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

haha ok thanks  will do that right now!


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