Help Stocking for 20 Gallon Setup, Please Look!

[icecubez189]

Allright, currently i have an empty 20 gallon tank, goldfish died more than a week ago from disease. since then, i have scrubbed down everything (with help and suggestion from out forumites) so im basically starting over again with fairly clean stuff. i will reuse the substrate, get a few new ornaments, and stock with some plants (species to be named).

now that i have a chance to redeem myself from the stupid mistake of using goldfishes, i would really like to try small tropical fish.

i don't really have a species of schooling fish in mind, maybe tetras or danios but anything suggested will be fine. because my tank is only 20 gallons, a small, "easy" to take care of species is preferable

i do, though, have some ideas for the bottomdwelling/invertebrates in mind

bottomdwellers:
a.) bristlenose pleco (i like this one, doesn't grow too big, can keep algae in check)
OR
b.) oto's (also stays pretty small, keeps algae in check)

snails:
a.) golden apple snail
OR
b.) ramshorn snail

shrimp:
a.) Amano shrimp
OR
b.) Ghost shrimp

if you could help me pick one species over the other that would be great, and tell me if their not compatible! speaking of compatibility, a friendly schooling fish for these guys would be great too

thanks!

 

[Web Gazelle]

Bristlenose for you algea cleaner. Then try some of the different tetras. I like Black Phantom, Black Widow, Black Neon, and Lemon Tetras. Lemon Tetras are hardy and good for a first fish. They even tell you when your tank might need a water change. They swim with their dorsal fin fully erect when the water is good and the fin will drop when the water isn't just right. There are also some Rasboras that you could get for in your tank. I like Harlequins and currently have those in my 20 gallon tank.

 

[icecubez189]

Bristlenose for you algea cleaner. Then try some of the different tetras. I like Black Phantom, Black Widow, Black Neon, and Lemon Tetras. Lemon Tetras are hardy and good for a first fish. They even tell you when your tank might need a water change. They swim with their dorsal fin fully erect when the water is good and the fin will drop when the water isn't just right. There are also some Rasboras that you could get for in your tank. I like Harlequins and currently have those in my 20 gallon tank.

those black phantome tetras look and sound nice, so do the lemon tetras.

thanks for the advice so far, keep them coming!

 

[webcricket]

In a 20 gallon you'll do far more yourself to keep algae in check. Plecos are actually pretty messy fish, and tend to create quite a bit of waste for their size. It's one of the those fish you need to get because you really like it, rather than to serve as algae control. You'll need to keep their messy nature in mind when stocking the rest of the tank as it will probably mean less fish for your total bioload and more frequent water changes.

 

[Fish Kate]

I've found my apple snails to be more active and interesting to watch than the ramshorn (who actually went into a cave and slept for about two months once...).

Black phantom tetras are truly gorgeous fish. I think they would look very cool with the ghost shrimp and a school of harlequin rasboras (it would be a black & white tank). The danios will breed so if you don't want fry stay away from them. The shrimp would need a small hiding place for when they molt.

 

[icecubez189]

In a 20 gallon you'll do far more yourself to keep algae in check. Plecos are actually pretty messy fish, and tend to create quite a bit of waste for their size. It's one of the those fish you need to get because you really like it, rather than to serve as algae control. You'll need to keep their messy nature in mind when stocking the rest of the tank as it will probably mean less fish for your total bioload and more frequent water changes.

after my previous inhabitants of loaches and goldfish, the algae really took off and covered nearly my entire tank. in my attempts to clean it, some would just dissolve into the water leaving it green. the back was just impossible to clean.

i actually do want to get a bristlenose for its ability to eat algae as well as its small size. im probably only going to get 1 male b.pleco or 2 female b.pleco. and trust me, its not that i like it (i've seen pictures of it, could look nicer!) but understand it adds to the bioload. i don't mind gravel vac'ing and doing water changes, because its necessary anyways.

 

[icecubez189]

I've found my apple snails to be more active and interesting to watch than the ramshorn (who actually went into a cave and slept for about two months once...).

Black phantom tetras are truly gorgeous fish. I think they would look very cool with the ghost shrimp and a school of harlequin rasboras (it would be a black & white tank). The danios will breed so if you don't want fry stay away from them. The shrimp would need a small hiding place for when they molt.

oh, i don't want any breeding, im not ready for that yet. maybe sometime in the future.

and yes, i've done some reading about the shrimp and molting, im going to get a couple of small ornmanets for it to hide. any idea if they'll like Hikari Algae pellets? i still have a bag leftover from my previous fish.

 

[webcricket]

I think you're a bit confuzzled on the danios...

Danios may readily breed in a community tank, but it's unlikely the eggs will be fertilized, and even if they are fetilized, it's even more unlikely they will hatch into surviving fry.

The danios are pretty nifty and come in several color varieties. However, they don't really closely school anymore once they become familiar with the surroundings. Tetras would more likely form a tighter school which is cool.

 

[icecubez189]

yeah but i don't want any eggs floating or sinking around

a schooling fish would look better to me. i've decided either on the Lemon or Black Phantom Tetra's, i'll see which one is available.

 

[twig]

I think Otos are really great at algae control. I have 3 in my 20 gallon and im really happy =)