Which fish would be good for my 20g tropical tank? Please answer quickly!!

[Karen_2656]

i have a 20 gallon tank, quite small. I was wondering which peaceful friendly fish would be good in my tank! Any ideas?? It's a tropical tank by the way!!

 

[Byron]

i have a 20 gallon tank, quite small. I was wondering which peaceful friendly fish would be good in my tank! Any ideas?? It's a tropical tank by the way!!

As I just posted in your other thread, we need to know the water parameters of your source water. If this is tap water and you are on municipal water, check the authority's website. Or you may need to call them. GH (general or total hardness), KH (carbonate hardness or Alkalinity) and pH are what you want to know. Some fish are very specific in this.

 

[Karen_2656]

As I just posted in your other thread, we need to know the water parameters of your source water. If this is tap water and you are on municipal water, check the authority's website. Or you may need to call them. GH (general or total hardness), KH (carbonate hardness or Alkalinity) and pH are what you want to know. Some fish are very specific in this.

My P.H is 7.5,
My G.H is 7.0
My K.H is 6.8
I did have a look at the clown loaches would they be okay or is the water not good enough for them

 

[Demeter32]

No, clown loaches will not do well at all. They get huge, 12in+, and they need to be in a school.

 

[Byron]

Agree with Demeter32. Even in your 90g there would not be sufficient space for a group of five (minimum).

To the water parameters, am I correct to assume the GH and KH numbers are in degrees? Like 7 dGH (or 7 dH)? Rather than in mg/l or ppm, like 7 mg/l or 7 ppm? Or are they using some other unit of measurement?

 

[Karen_2656]

Agree with Demeter32. Even in your 90g there would not be sufficient space for a group of five (minimum).

To the water parameters, am I correct to assume the GH and KH numbers are in degrees? Like 7 dGH (or 7 dH)? Rather than in mg/l or ppm, like 7 mg/l or 7 ppm? Or are they using some other unit of measurement?

Okay I won't get them! Yes you are correct the numbers are in degrees

 

[Byron]

Okay I won't get them! Yes you are correct the numbers are in degrees

This is soft or moderately soft water. These are subjective terms, and while this would be OK for guppies, I personally would want it higher (at least 10 dGH) for the other livebearers (like swordtails). This is not difficult to achieve, but remember that this supplies what the swordtails need but any soft water fish would be better off without, at what you have now out of the tap. No other fish species are mentioned, so I've no idea what you may be planning. Some "soft" water species have some tolerance and flexibility, but this depends upon the species and the water parameters. Generally, harder water species like the livebearers do not fare well with softer water.

 

[Karen_2656]

This is soft or moderately soft water. These are subjective terms, and while this would be OK for guppies, I personally would want it higher (at least 10 dGH) for the other livebearers (like swordtails). This is not difficult to achieve, but remember that this supplies what the swordtails need but any soft water fish would be better off without, at what you have now out of the tap. No other fish species are mentioned, so I've no idea what you may be planning. Some "soft" water species have some tolerance and flexibility, but this depends upon the species and the water parameters. Generally, harder water species like the livebearers do not fare well with softer water.

Thanks, any ideas on soft water fish! I'm gonna leave the swordtails out! Any ideas for soft water fish??

 

[Byron]

There are so many options...almost any fish from South America (catfish, tetras, pencilfish, hatchetfish, dwarf cichlids) or SE Asia (rasbora, gourami for the 20g, if the 90g then barbs, danios, some of the loaches).

 

[Algae Nibbler]

How about a Siamese Algae Eater for a cleaner fish.

 

[fluttermoth]

How about a Siamese Algae Eater for a cleaner fish.

Can I just point out, there is no such thing as a 'cleaner fish'.

All fish make produce more waste than they'll ever clean up, and none of them do a very good job of cleaning; they might eat a bit of algae or pick up food that's fallen to the substrate, but they also need to be fed properly, and you'll always have to do some gravel and glass cleaning yourself.

 

[Algae Nibbler]

True, but they're cool to look at nibbling everything, and being shiny

 

[Byron]

How about a Siamese Algae Eater for a cleaner fish.

I agree with fluttermoth, but will also add that this fish is not suitable to a small tank (like your 20 gallon). It attains six inches, needs a group (it is a shoaling species), and has been known to become mildly aggressive depending upon various factors.