Stocking a 20 gallon .....

[Spesh1969]

I have my new 20 gallon set up and so far, so good. I will let it run for a week with daily water tests to make sure my attempts at keeping a mini-cycle at bay have worked.

In the tank is a male betta, 3 ghost shrimp and 3 nerite snails. What else can I add? The betta seems pretty chill. He flares at his own reflection, but doesn't pay any attention to the shrimp or snails.

Could I add some cory's? Or maybe some mid-tank swimmers? Is the tank big enough for the Sterbai Cory? I know I need to get at least 6.

My LFS has a few Peacock Goby's that were super cool, but I was told they aren't very active and just hang at the bottom.

Would love your suggestions.

 

[Avogel1231]

is it a 20 long or standard? do they look like this?

cause if so they are peacock gudgeons and I really don't think they are boring, I've seen them swim around like middle water fish.

 

[Spesh1969]

It’s 24” long, 16” high and 12” deep.

I couldn’t see he pic for some reason.

Two of my snails haven’t moved at all since putting them in the new tank last night. They were active in the 5 gallon. Should I be worried?

 

[sapphire689]

the most effective way to know if your snail is dead is to smell your snail. gross, yes, but it works! you'll know the smells when you smell it.

 

[sapphire689]

for stocking, have you looked into rasbora? they should do fine with betta fish, and arent as nippy as neon tetra ( neons would do fine too, as long as your betta isnt the double halfmoon variety)

 

[Spesh1969]

I did the smell test and they all smell like nothing so I guess that’s good? LOL.


I tested the water today and everything came back zero. Before I changed tanks I was at zero ammonia, zero nitrite, and five nitrate.

There should be some nitrate, right! I have some old filter media in my new filter and I have my old filter cartridge in s filter bag.

I feel like I’m going through a mini cycle. What should My next steps be? I won’t be adding anything new until the tank is stable.

 

[fishorama]

Well, I haven't kept peacock gudgeons (yet), so I'm just guessing... but if their temp needs are compatible with the betta's, I'd try a pair.

OR you could try 6 habrosus cories...you don't really have room for both dwarf cories & gudgeons; choose either & call it stocked.

 

[Spesh1969]

I don’t think my snails are going to make it. They have not moved at all since the I put them in the tank on Sunday. I did a sniff test last night and they smelled like nothing which is good.

A couple of them are on their sides. If they are alive, i imagine each time I scoop them out of the tank it just annoys them even more. Do I just pull them out every day and do daily sniff tests?

It could be because of the water since all my numbers are at zero now.

On a different note, is the pygmy Cory the only one that I could do with this size tank? I really like pandas and the sterbai.

 

[ustabefast]

You could go with a half dozen Pandas, no problem from a bioload perspective.
The mid and upper waters would then be the domain of the Betta.
You could later go with a half dozen or so small tetras or rasboras and be fully stocked.
This assumes your Betta is reasonably mellow about sharing his space.
Sometimes they just do not play well with other fish.

 

[Spesh1969]

Thank you. I think I will go the Cory route and see how it all goes

Thanks!