Fish Suggestions Anyone?

[TropiFish]

I have a 20 gallon tank with a gravel substrate and am looking for fish suggestions? Would like to possibly get one school of small community fish, 2 medium fish of any kind, a few bottom feeders eventually, and maybe even some sort of shrimp or something. ideally i would like a dwarf puffer too....any suggestions would be greatly appreciated thanks.

 

[Fish Guy]

If you want dwarf puffers, they are best in just a species tank as they are very nippy. Some options could be:

- 8-10 dwarf puffers ( have lots of plants to break up any aggression )
- 3-4 cories

or

- 8 neons
- 3 dwarf gouramis
- 3-4 cories

or

- 6 cherry barbs
- 4-5 black skirt tetras
- 3-4 cories.

These are just some ideas, there are endless combnations and options. Let us know what kind of schooling fish you like and etc....

 

[TropiFish]

If you want dwarf puffers, they are best in just a species tank as they are very nippy. Some options could be:

- 8-10 dwarf puffers ( have lots of plants to break up any aggression )
- 3-4 cories

or

- 8 neons
- 3 dwarf gouramis
- 3-4 cories

or

- 6 cherry barbs
- 4-5 black skirt tetras
- 3-4 cories.

These are just some ideas, there are endless combnations and options. Let us know what kind of schooling fish you like and etc....

So it would seem that we are a big fan of the semi-aggressive fish so we went out today and picked up 5 tiger barbs and a red tail shark. The barbs seem very nippy with one another which seems to me like the pecking order taking place. We have fish flakes to feed them everyday and frozen blood worms to feed them every three days or so. We also purchased aquarium salt. We plan on trying to find a dwarf puffer or maybe a leaf fish.

 

[Rex740]

Like Fish Guy said, Dwarf puffers do best in a species tank. The tiger barbs will stress dwarf puffers out to death if you get any. Leaf fish are very picky so if you get one then you may need a constant supply of live food.

 

[waterdrop]

It will be quite interesting to see who bites who to death in this combo, assuming they live through the salt long enough! Lot's of crazy things seem to go ok sometimes though so maybe this will all work out! Good luck!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Davo86]

Tiger barbs are too boisterous for both the dwarf puffer and the Leaf fish, so even if the barbs don't harass them, they will struggle to get enough food to thrive,
Ultimately though it would be a very bad/cruel decision to house tiger barbs with any of these two.

Also in a few months time the shark will also start to become more aggressive as it matures, ideally these should be kept in a 55G due to the large territory that they like to 'patrol'

since your after something semi aggressive you'd be better off with the 5 barbs and then something like a pair of either:

A) Dwarf Pike cichlids (Crenicichla compressiceps)
B) T-bar cichlids (Cryptoheros sajica)
C) Rainbow Cichlids (Herotilapia multispinosa)

 

[waterdrop]

Ah, excellent suggestions from Davo! Totally agree about the shark needing 55g min. - it takes a while but eventually they show themselves to be deserving of the shark name! WD