# 20 Gallon Upgrade - Stocking choices!



## Jbert3D (Aug 7, 2012)

Hey everyone, 

It is time to upgrade, I have my tank cycling. I wanted to use my minnows to cycle, but I don't want the minnows in the tank when I'm done stocking - the minnows will be staying in the 10 gallon with a new betta. 

So right now I have for the 20 gallon:
-Betta (male)
-2 Tetras
-spotted cory cat
-Apple snail 

So I will definitely be getting at least 2 more corys so that I can be at the minimum of 3.

I wanted to get something colourful to fill up the tank. So I either get +8 more tetras so I can have +10 for schooling. Or what I was wanting to get; some cherry, gold, tiger barbs. I'm not entirely sure about how much they need to school and whether or not you can mix the different types. 

I also wanted to get some large rocks to give my betta a nice and high resting place close to the surface, and to spread my java moss over some real-estate. However I don't have 30 bucks to spend on a ROCK, gawddd. So maybe if I look in my yard or possibly see if there's any I can steal from a neighbor, they just built a giant house... so I assume there's some bedrock or mountainous stones I can clean/sterilize?

So any suggestions? Getting an upgrade is exciting!

Thanks, 

Josh.


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## Gale (Aug 31, 2012)

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but tiger barbs and a betta aren't good choices in tank mates. Barbs are fairly aggressive and nippy.


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## Jbert3D (Aug 7, 2012)

Oh sorry, replace barbs with Platies, swordtails or rasboras. Which would be more recommended? Or would getting more tetras be better?


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## Pixielator (Jul 22, 2012)

Whenever you find a rock, you need to make sure that it doesn't have any kind of metals in it that will rust. I skimmed through a thread on a different site, and I think that it said you can test this by pouring vinegar on the rock, if it begins to bubble in any places, then it has metals that will rust. If this is true, I'm sure you can find something about it online. After the vinegar test, its probably a good idea to rinse the rock off thoroughly and then let it soak in hot water for a bit to get any vinegar off of it and out of all the crevices, or at least dilute it.
Again, I remember reading the vinegar thing from something I skimmed through, so you may want to look this up to make sure the info I'm giving you is accurate. I thought it would be important for you to know if it turns out to be true.


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## Gale (Aug 31, 2012)

Getting more tetras would be a good idea no matter what. As a schooling fish, they've also been known to get a bit nippy when kept in numbers smaller than 6.

Here's an easy to use chart for freshwater fish compatibility. I haven't been keeping aquariums in nearly 20 years until recently, so I can't really speak from recent experience. 

http://www.petco.com/assets/livefish/FreshwaterChart.html


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## mursey (May 9, 2012)

Jbert3D said:


> Oh sorry, replace barbs with Platies, swordtails or rasboras. Which would be more recommended? Or would getting more tetras be better?



If you lived near me I would beg you to take my platies, heh heh. I want the tank for one of my bettas. 

BTW my bettas were mostly ok with the platies. . but I think one time either a betta or ghost shrimp hurt a platy and then it never recovered and died. I never saw "whodunnit" though. 

My betta Cornelius lives with a big fat pregnant Panda Platy and they are fine even though he tries to eat really fast so she can't have anything.


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## Jbert3D (Aug 7, 2012)

I read that swordtails and platies are okay, but once in a blue moon they do get into a scuffle. Thats an awesome chart Gale! Though I only see female bettas on the list, no male? :O


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## Gale (Aug 31, 2012)

I didn't even notice that. :shock:

_Depending on the male's personality_, I'm pretty sure that their temperment with other species is about the same. Basically, you want to stay away from other fish that may look similar, with big colorful fins and relative size. Aside from that, you're basically looking for fish that won't try to make a meal of your betta's fins.


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## Jbert3D (Aug 7, 2012)

Hey guys I made a list of different stocking choices, hopefully they can all work haha. Basically the only differences are schooling choice:

Betta
apple snail
3 corydora catfish (spotted)
+10 (10 - 14?) tetras (neon or cardinal)

Betta
apple snail
3 corydora catfish (spotted)
10 Rainbow fish

Betta
apple snail
3 corydora catfish (spotted)
10 platies

Betta
apple snail
3 corydora catfish (spotted)
5 danios
3 - 5 swordtails


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

If you are going to rainbowfish route, Melanotaenia maccullochi are probably going to be your best option. 

Many species of rainbows grow too big for a 20 gallon tank, and prefer hard, alkaline water. Macs do well in soft-neutral water and are very peaceful. Mine live in with a betta male and they completely ignore him.

Threadfin rainbows are quite sensitive and likely to be attacked or bullied by a betta, while the smaller pseudomugil species can be much too active and nippy for a betta to live with comfortably. 

However, in that scenario, I would go for around 6-8 macs and 6 corydoras as they are a schooling fish and do best in groups of at least 6 individuals.


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## Sanguinefox (Nov 29, 2011)

I am in a similar situation with a 20 gallon long and a betta, but I am going to go the route of getting a school of rasboras. They tend to not be as nippy and don't compete color wise to raise the aggression of the betta.


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## starrlamia (May 3, 2012)

corys need to be in a school of 6 or more as well. 

here is my suggestion:
8-10 tetra
6-8 corys
1 male betta

not overstocked and you have fish at each level, I wouldnt get platies or swords personally so the betta has the top level to himself.


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## Jbert3D (Aug 7, 2012)

Hey Guys, 

You wouldn't believe how hard it was to find ammonia here... so much so that I couldn't get any. Only ammonia I could find was in Walmart, it had some chemicals which were on the nono list. 

So I had to do a fish cycle, its almost complete. I'm keeping a keen eye on my fish and water parameters with daily changes (amount depend on levels). 
Just thought I show you what it looks like so far! Looking for rocks to put in it, and I refuse to pay +30 bucks for rocks. Found some sandstone which I'm going to do tests to see if it's usable.

Also I am not sure if the light has enough energy/uv to sustain plants. Since it was bought second hand, the lady I got the tank from didn't know whether it could or not. Its a darkish purple light compared to my florescent brightish light from the 10 gallon. Would this be one of those low lights that plants can live off of? 


Thanks!


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