So we went to a LFS that was having a closing sale. Picked up a 20 gallon long with hood for next to nothing. (there were some bigger tanks i DESPERATELY wanted to buy. But it just wasn't in my budget 
). When I bought it, I thought I would put the shrimp i was also buying and the betta we already had in it, and turn my 10 back into a hospital tank. (i researched before I got the shrimp, and had read quite a few anecdotes of bettas doing well with them, and I've had good luck with community bettas so I thought I'd try it for my son's room).
I got home, spent 2.5 hours acclimating the shrimp... and then spent 20 minutes trying to dissuade the betta from eating them. He is back in my 55 gallon community now, and the shrimp have the 10 gallon to themselves.
So now I don't know what to do with the 20L!! Most of my favorite fish need bigger space, and my 55 is crowded, I'd love to split some fish in there, but the 20L isn't big enough to take either the loaches or all the plecos I have I don't think. So I may be looking at a whole new set up. Here's my current stocking, looking for ideas!
10 Gallon
Lots of ghosts and sakura cherry shrimp, MTS, various other snails.
I plan to plant it heavily, and add Otos in several months when it is well established. If I ever find blue tiger shrimp I definitely will add some, they're gorgeous
It currently has a sponge filter, a few rock caves, and some java fern on black sand substrate (very little)
55 gallon
1 queen loach and 2 zebra loaches (I plan to get a bunch more queen loaches if i ever find them, i may order them off ebay, when I do, the zebras will go back, they are just there to keep my queen from getting depressed.)
2 brown bristlenoses, 1 albino. The browns breed (i didn't even think I had a male till the babies started appearing) so there are 30+ babies from the first clutch, and daddy appears to be guarding a second clutch. Plan to grow up babies in the tank, and then take to LFS and/or sell to hobbyists. 1 clown pleco. The shrimp-eating betta, 3 cardinal tetras. A small MTS colony that isn't doing well bc the water is INCREDIBLY soft.
I plan to add more cardinals, and one more school of fish (lemons? hatchets? danios? I haven't decided yet)
It has a ton of driftwood and lots of rock caves, and I'm always adding more when I find them. A thick layer of small-ish gravel. No plants at the moment because I moved them to the 10gallon, but planning to add a scattering of some that will stay down even when dug up (someone digs up and moves the plants constantly when they're in there)
It has a canister filter and a sponge filter and frequent, huge water changes.
My previous plan for my next tank was going to be a river set up for the loaches. But the 20 is too small for them. My queen loves playing too much! So I'll have to get yet another tank for the loaches (oh darn, how terrible! ) So I'm kind of at a loss as to what to do with this 20. Loaches and plecos are my favorite fishes, but I don't think much of either would be happy in there. I could just move some baby BN in there to grow out... and i could also try to come up with something new and interesting that doesn't go with either of the current set ups......
I think I'm going to have to research how to set up a fish room before too long!!!
Thanks for the input all!!
). When I bought it, I thought I would put the shrimp i was also buying and the betta we already had in it, and turn my 10 back into a hospital tank. (i researched before I got the shrimp, and had read quite a few anecdotes of bettas doing well with them, and I've had good luck with community bettas so I thought I'd try it for my son's room).I got home, spent 2.5 hours acclimating the shrimp... and then spent 20 minutes trying to dissuade the betta from eating them. He is back in my 55 gallon community now, and the shrimp have the 10 gallon to themselves.
So now I don't know what to do with the 20L!! Most of my favorite fish need bigger space, and my 55 is crowded, I'd love to split some fish in there, but the 20L isn't big enough to take either the loaches or all the plecos I have I don't think. So I may be looking at a whole new set up. Here's my current stocking, looking for ideas!
10 Gallon
Lots of ghosts and sakura cherry shrimp, MTS, various other snails.
I plan to plant it heavily, and add Otos in several months when it is well established. If I ever find blue tiger shrimp I definitely will add some, they're gorgeous
It currently has a sponge filter, a few rock caves, and some java fern on black sand substrate (very little)
55 gallon
1 queen loach and 2 zebra loaches (I plan to get a bunch more queen loaches if i ever find them, i may order them off ebay, when I do, the zebras will go back, they are just there to keep my queen from getting depressed.)
2 brown bristlenoses, 1 albino. The browns breed (i didn't even think I had a male till the babies started appearing) so there are 30+ babies from the first clutch, and daddy appears to be guarding a second clutch. Plan to grow up babies in the tank, and then take to LFS and/or sell to hobbyists. 1 clown pleco. The shrimp-eating betta, 3 cardinal tetras. A small MTS colony that isn't doing well bc the water is INCREDIBLY soft.
I plan to add more cardinals, and one more school of fish (lemons? hatchets? danios? I haven't decided yet)
It has a ton of driftwood and lots of rock caves, and I'm always adding more when I find them. A thick layer of small-ish gravel. No plants at the moment because I moved them to the 10gallon, but planning to add a scattering of some that will stay down even when dug up (someone digs up and moves the plants constantly when they're in there)
It has a canister filter and a sponge filter and frequent, huge water changes.
My previous plan for my next tank was going to be a river set up for the loaches. But the 20 is too small for them. My queen loves playing too much! So I'll have to get yet another tank for the loaches (oh darn, how terrible!
) So I'm kind of at a loss as to what to do with this 20. Loaches and plecos are my favorite fishes, but I don't think much of either would be happy in there. I could just move some baby BN in there to grow out... and i could also try to come up with something new and interesting that doesn't go with either of the current set ups......I think I'm going to have to research how to set up a fish room before too long!!!
Thanks for the input all!!
