# Need Advice For New 20g Centerpiece Fish



## FishyWater2525 (Jan 28, 2014)

So my Dwarf gourami died a couple hours ago from that weird Dwarf Gourami disease that a lot of pet store Dwarf Gouramis get. (Excuse me, I forgot the correct terminology...) It's been exactly one month and one day since I got him, so it's kind of depressing.. I knew I was taking a chance by getting a Dwarf Gourami knowing many of them don't make it, but I took the chance anyway and came out on the wrong side of the fence... *sigh*

I simply love DGs, but I don't want to take another chance by buying one from the same pet store, and I only have one pet store...(all other fish in the tank are perfectly healthy btw)
I also don't want any dwarf cichlids , as I don't feel like I'm ready for them yet.. My tank is thoroughly decorated with lots of plastic plants and some live. 
Current stock is:

2- Platy
5- Harlequin Rasboras (adding couple more in near future)
3- Longfin Black Skirt Tetra (adding more in near future)
1- Nerite Snail


I was thinking of a hybrid Platy (the pet store lets all the species in one tank breed freely then separates the babies, so almost no two Platies are alike. Lol
So many different color choices!!!) My other option was a Gold Dust Molly.... I simply adore them <3
Any other suggestions?? I prefer to stay away from dwarf cichlids/Gouramis, so are mollies/Platies my only choices left?? I've thought about a betta as a centerpiece, but it kind of scares me with the colorful Platies and long finned tetras..
Please excuse me.. I'm so paranoid! Lol!

Any and all suggestions are welcome!! Thanks!!


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## Zhylis (Nov 4, 2014)

Any chance that they have lyretail swordfish?


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## Cotton19 (Nov 26, 2013)

If it is a 20 long, I recommend an African Butterfly fish. one floating plant/tall plant that comes to the surface would be his/her domain, they are not active too often, but are awesome to watch their eating habits, and they are one of the coolest fish I have ever researched and owned. If you need pics, I have some in my other fish folder, his name is Phil.


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## FishyWater2525 (Jan 28, 2014)

They had many different varieties of swordfish, but I'm not sure if they were the lyretail swordfish... I assumed since swordtails got to be 4 inches that it would be too big for my tank...

And unfortunately, my tank is a 20g High, but those fish are so interesting! I thought they looked really funny.... Lol

I also considered fancy guppies, but then I read so many horror stories about Black Skirts eating them!! I was so mad because I absolutely LOVE fancy guppies!!! And my pet store always has an AMAZING selection of guppies... Sigh..... I need more tanks.. Lol


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## Zhylis (Nov 4, 2014)

Oof, yeah 20high would have a much smaller footprint. (Also, midnight brain fart swordtail, not swordfish ROFL!) Most of that 4inches is tail fin not body. 20high is an awkward size, too small a footprint for most vertical swimmers. But big enough that smaller fish get lost in all that water.

Ahhh, the answer is ALWAYS more tanks!


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Well, all the livebearers you are interested in like schools, and if you mean for the centerpiece fish to be a lone fish, it's not fair to them to have to live alone.

At that tank size it's really hard to find a fish that is solitary but friendly to others... I would recommend trying a honey gourami (try to find a store that doesn't keep them in the same tank as the dwarfs). Other than that I'm not really sure of anything right off the bat that could go in there! There are quite a few catfish but most of them like to hide away all day long so you'd never see them.

So yes, upping your current schools is very important! A honey gourami maybe if you want to try gourami again... I noticed you have no bottom dwellers, a more unique recommendation that should suit your tank would be bumblebee gobies. They are slightly uncommon, a specialty shop should have them or be able to get them... Very comedic fish.


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## FishyWater2525 (Jan 28, 2014)

Haha
Thanks!
I'll look into those bumblebee gobies 
Since we are moving (again) in a couple months and I was going to have to take the tanks down in order to move them, I was wanting to change from gravel to sand and maybe get some dwarf Cories  

Although, because I love the many different Platy varieties, would it be ok to have 4-5 different kinds of Platies as kind of a "centerpiece Species"? Or would it be too much on the bio load even with live plants? The tank is heavily planted with live and plastic plants (you can't even see through the middle and back sections!)

So the ending stock would be:

7- Harlequin Rasboras
7- Black Skirt Tetras
5- Platies
1- Nerite snail

(After a couple months I might add ~6 dwarf Cories. After I add more live plants ;p I feel pretty comfortable with a slightly overstocked tank as long as I have plenty of live plants and LOTS of hiding places  But only if this is reasonable! Please tell me if it's not!)

What do you guys think?!

**Edit
Forgot to mention, unfortunately, my pet store doesn't carry honey Gouramis :'(


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## FishyWater2525 (Jan 28, 2014)

Checked AqAdvisor
It says with
5 Platies
7 harlequin Rasboras
7 black skirt tetras

I'd be 105% stocked. Not too bad, right?


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## BettaBoy51 (Nov 13, 2013)

no not to bad aqadvisor say my guppy tank is like 500% stocked i had 3 female guppies that turned out to be pregnent and 6 months later i have like 60-80 guppies in a 10g im selling most of them today because that way to much and im gonna keep like 5 lol 105% is not to bad!


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## Cey (Jan 15, 2015)

Just a note on the bumblebee gobies, they are VERY tiny, like the size of your pinky nail, and die easily due to the small size. I had two, both died mysteriously. A small infection in another, larger fish is simply deadly for a bumblebee goby.


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## FishyWater2525 (Jan 28, 2014)

Thanks guys!! Will probably avoid the bumblebee gobies until I'm more experienced 
In a few months after we move, with the Platies, tetras, and Rasboras, would it be too stocked to add a few dwarf Cories? I'd be swapping to sand, and of course would add more live plants before hand.... Would it work? And do Cories dig up live plants?
Sorry, that was totally random and off topic, but it was something I'd been wondering... Lol


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## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

AqAdvisor is really, really conservative. If you want to be overstocked, you can go to 150% as long as it looks like there's enough room for everybody. If the tank starts looking full, stop.

You sure your pet store won't just give you a replacement gourami?


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## FishyWater2525 (Jan 28, 2014)

No.... They only do replacements within the first 14 days of purchase 

And thanks!! Super excited now  lol


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## hgual22 (Jul 18, 2014)

What about a honey gourami? I have one as the centerpiece in my 10 gal, with a few endlers and she is awesome! Such a personality. From what I understand they do not suffer from dwarf gourami disease.


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## FishyWater2525 (Jan 28, 2014)

I've considered Honey Gouramis, but I heard they liked to be in small groups... Is this false info? And plus I have so much orange in the tank already.... Lol
But I have heard great things about Honeys!! I've seriously considered getting one someday


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## hgual22 (Jul 18, 2014)

Nope, honey gourami tend to be aggressive to each other, so its best to keep them as a single fish. They can be kept in pairs or trios, as long is there is only a single male, but they need lots of extra space to get away from each other. 

Olive, my honey, was pretty shy at first, but she loves my endlers! She always comes up to the glass to greet me, like my bettas do.


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## hgual22 (Jul 18, 2014)

Also they come in different shades! There are ones that are red, bright orange, or yellow like Olive.


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## FishyWater2525 (Jan 28, 2014)

Wow! That sounds nice... 
Something to definitely consider!


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## n25philly (Dec 5, 2013)

Honey gourami do prefer to be in groups, but they are not schooling/shoaling fish really and are fine on their own. If a honey is too small look into a thick lip gourami. They are often confused with honeys in stores as they look very similar when young but end up twice the size but are very friendly and good community fish.


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## FishyWater2525 (Jan 28, 2014)

No thick lip Gouramis.... 
But, I went to the pet store last night and got 3 new Platies!! 2 boys and one girl  (I didn't select genders. Only colors. Lol)

White and Orange boy is Pluto
Yellow and Black girl is Daffy
Gray/Orange/Black boy is Goofy

(My 2 Mickey Mouse Platies were named Mickey and Minnie, so it was only right to carry on the Mickey Mouse theme. Haha)

Horrible pic, but they just won't sit still!!!


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## FishyWater2525 (Jan 28, 2014)

Better pic:

Love his blue eyes <3


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## ellekay (Nov 11, 2014)

I love all the different platy types myself! I have the twin gold bars right now, and want to add a few more colors. I have a 29g (I was going to do a 20l but wanted more height for plants). And currently this is my stocking list (although I don't have them all yet**):
6 Platy (all twin gold bar because they bred like guppies  )
1 Dwarf Gourami
1 BN Pleco
*7 Pygmy Cory
*13 Neons (either blue or green)

Once I get them all in there, I might shoot for getting more platy, but I hate culling the fry just because I don't have anyone to give them to (I've only done that to 1 fry so far).

Have you looked into the Neon Rainbow fish? I was thinking of doing that instead of the Dwarf Gourami, but didn't. I might still do one, just because they're so cool looking! They look like a cross between Dwarf Gourami and Discus, imo.


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## FishyWater2525 (Jan 28, 2014)

Sounds awesome!! Beware of the Dwarf Gourami disease though, that's why I got more Platies, so I could fill the space 
I have 3 boys and 2 girls so I'm hoping the boys don't fight... Lol
I'm kind of wishing for babies!! Haha


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## ellekay (Nov 11, 2014)

You should really have a 1:2 ratio at least so there's no aggression and the females don't get picked on. Sounds like you need to get more 

In all reality, I have to watch the tetras for Neon Tetra Disease, and there's probably a specific disease/illness for each species of fish, but that's the risk we take as pet owners. As bummed as I would be to loose a fish to a disease (or anything for that matter) I luckily don't take it as hard as loosing a four legged friend.


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## FishyWater2525 (Jan 28, 2014)

Haha
Agreed! ;p


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