20g tank help

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Amicus

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Apr 17, 2019
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So I can keep: 1 angelfish, 1 paradise fish, 4 neon tetras and 4 corys in the tank? I feel the angelfish and paradise would fight for dominance.
PS: I would keep at least 5 neons at a minium. They'll feel better. No doubt you've heard that some angelf fish will predate upon neons. By no means always, it's just the luck of the draw.
 

Lefky

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Apr 14, 2019
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PS: I would keep at least 5 neons at a minium. They'll feel better. No doubt you've heard that some angelf fish will predate upon neons. By no means always, it's just the luck of the draw.
Thank you for the help!
 

Zander2264

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Apr 18, 2019
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I have the FluvalSmart aqua sky right now and if you’re planning on running live plants I would suggest the Fluval 3.0 it offers a better light for healthier plants. For a plant food I’ve had good luck with flourish excel by seachem. Just be wary of overdosing or it could spurt an algae bloom. For Corydoras a PH of 7.6 is a little high. Corydoras like a more neutral 6.8 - 7.0 PH. This can be done by adding driftwood or using a ph neutralizer. A couple fun low light plants are banana plants and Anubis. Also it could be helpful to add a sponge filter especially if you’re planning to add new fish. Sponge filters are very easy and quiet and will give your filtration an extra little boost.
 

fishorama

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Jun 28, 2006
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I would not keep an angel & any labyrinth fish together in such a small tank. Paradise fish have cooler water needs than angels & have a "pugnacious" reputation, I have not kept them in part because of that.

In a 20g you could have 1 of either dwarf, pearl or honey gourami Or a betta OR an angel. Neons are the natural food of angels, not a great choice. All schooling/shoaling fish should be kept in groups of at least 5 or 6 as a minimum. More are always better.

Be very careful with online research, you can almost always find someone to support whatever view you desire. I would be ask how long & in what size tank they had success with any combination...& what size were their fish? Many fish like angels are sold as juveniles & it may be up to ~ 2 years before they reach adult size. Most of the commonly available species should live 5-10 years with good water quality, food & care, barring a disease disaster (not related to care or poor stocking). Bettas tend to only live 3-5 years due to the extreme line breeding to create the lovely fins & colors.
 

Lefky

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Apr 14, 2019
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I would not keep an angel & any labyrinth fish together in such a small tank. Paradise fish have cooler water needs than angels & have a "pugnacious" reputation, I have not kept them in part because of that.

In a 20g you could have 1 of either dwarf, pearl or honey gourami Or a betta OR an angel. Neons are the natural food of angels, not a great choice. All schooling/shoaling fish should be kept in groups of at least 5 or 6 as a minimum. More are always better.

Be very careful with online research, you can almost always find someone to support whatever view you desire. I would be ask how long & in what size tank they had success with any combination...& what size were their fish? Many fish like angels are sold as juveniles & it may be up to ~ 2 years before they reach adult size. Most of the commonly available species should live 5-10 years with good water quality, food & care, barring a disease disaster (not related to care or poor stocking). Bettas tend to only live 3-5 years due to the extreme line breeding to create the lovely fins & colors.
Would you think 6 corys, 4 neon and 4 cardinal tetras, and a paradise fish with many live plants can live together? I read that most tetras will school together, but wasnt 100% sure. Or should I stick with 6-8 neon tetras?
 

Zander2264

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Apr 18, 2019
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Would you think 6 corys, 4 neon and 4 cardinal tetras, and a paradise fish with many live plants can live together? I read that most tetras will school together, but wasnt 100% sure. Or should I stick with 6-8 neon tetras?
They will all get along together. Keeping it clean is more important. Small fish don’t have a large bioload and plants will eat that. But you also must rely on your filters. A sponge filter is a good and cheap addition. What kind of filter do you have right now?
 

Lefky

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Apr 14, 2019
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They will all get along together. Keeping it clean is more important. Small fish don’t have a large bioload and plants will eat that. But you also must rely on your filters. A sponge filter is a good and cheap addition. What kind of filter do you have right now?
The one I have came with the filter but It is a topfin 20g silent filter. I am currently away on vacation but I can get back to you the exact filter. And I do clean the tank 15-20% weekly letting the new water dechlorinate and sit out for a day or 2.
 

Lefky

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Apr 14, 2019
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They will all get along together. Keeping it clean is more important. Small fish don’t have a large bioload and plants will eat that. But you also must rely on your filters. A sponge filter is a good and cheap addition. What kind of filter do you have right now?
Edit: I found the tank online:

6EDAA8EA-2981-4792-8064-273E3AA752C1.png
 

Zander2264

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Apr 18, 2019
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So the more fish you put in the more filtration you’ll new (obv.). In my 20 long I have a multistaged mounted filter rated for 50 gallons and a sponge filter. If you’re going to be housing small fish like neons it’s important to keep the tank from cycling. Neons are not hearty fish and can’t take too much of an ammonia spike. I’ve lost a whole school before due to one bad cycle. In my opinion definitely invest in a new filter. I like the fluval aquaclear. But I’ve also heard good things about the marine land filters
 
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