20g Long Stocking Opinions?

[ChrisDaFish]

I am currently cycling a new 20g Long, and I am starting to think about the stocking that I am going to introduce into this tank. I am thinking about getting around Emerald Dwarf Rasboras and Julii Corydoras. I was wondering how many Emeralds I can have in this tank if I wanted 8 Julii Corydora without overstocking this tank. I also plan on getting some neocaridina

I am using live plants with Fluval Stratum, and I currently have about 15 Jungle Vallisneria, and 3 Anubias. I am ordering 15 Dwarf Sag, 4 Water Sprite, 5 Cryptocoryne Wendtii, and 4 more Anubias.

So how many Emerald Dwarf Rasboras can I get without overstocking the tank while also keeping the bioload relatively low if I want to get 8 Julii Corydora and 10 Neocaridina?

 

[anewbie]

shrimps don't matter; i would reduce the julli to 7 or 6 or better yet go with pygmy cory; and you could probably do with 10 to 14 emerlad rasbora - they really aren't that large and not much of an issue. The problem with the julii is you have limited floor space and they get fairly large. If you don't like pygmy (who work well with small tanks like a 20 long you could consider panda which is larger than pygmy but smaller than julli - this isn't so much about bio load as space to roam.

 

[CassCats]

Another factor is your substrate. Stratum isn't ideal for corydoras as it both harbours bacteria that can damage barbels and also inhibits sifting behaviour that they naturally rely on to find food.

Sand is necessary for corydoras

6-8 "julii" are fine in a 20g long. They won't be true julii, instead would be trilineatum ("false julii" or "three stripe") since true julii are actually rare and carry a high price tag. Anything sold as julii are typically trilineatum.


Check your pH, GH, and KH, as these matter for stocking. If you have GH over 215ppm you may have to reconsider the corydoras altogether.

 

[FattyFish]

You gotta love the Panda Corys; I have six, and they are always on the go, not just across the sand but over the rockwork, plants and wood.

 

[anewbie]

6-8 "julii" are fine in a 20g long. They won't be true julii, instead would be trilineatum ("false julii" or "three stripe") since true julii are actually rare and carry a high price tag. Anything sold as julii are typically trilineatum.

I've kept larger cory like julii - specifically sterbai and eques - in a 29 (same floor size) and i really think it works better to work with something a bit smaller. It doesn't mean you can't cram them in there but the smaller fishes have more room to explore and move about.

Of course different species of cory behave differently - some being more skittish and others less so; as well as some being more curious - it has been so long since i've kept trilineatum i don't much remember their behavior but i know sterbai are skittish and pygmy are also skittish though in a densely planted environment they will cautiously explore the region - eques of course are very out going and nothing seem to bother them but they are also very very expensive.

 

[CassCats]

Trilineatum are smaller than both sterbai and eques. They max out at 2" tops. A small group of up to 8 will be just fine in a 30" length tank. They're a lot more bold as well.