New Planted Tank Fish Stock

[Alexp08]

Im starting up a 20gal low tech tank. Primarily shrimp, blue pearl. However I would like a couple cool fish. I wamted rams but I was informed that, that would be bad. So what fish would you giys recommend that wpuld be colorful and cool. Water is on the soft side with neutral ph.
I would like to have fish that would breed in the tank also

 

[attibones]

I'm not sure how easy they are to breed, but some chili rasboras would look cool in a twenty with the blue pearl shrimp. You could do about twenty of these small fish and have some interesting displays. I may do something similar with my 20 gall cherry shrimp tank.

 

[Lillefishy]

Celestial pearl danios, chilli rasboras, ember tetras, neon rasboras (microdevario kubotai) I've kept all of those with shrimp with no problems

 

[Byron]

I agree with others.  You want to look at the "dwarf" sized fish species like those mentioned; this means fish that fully grown are significantly smaller than fish like the more commonly seen tetra.  With soft water there are many to choose from.  Depending what species you select, you could easily have two or perhaps three in a 20g.
 
Byron.

 

[Alexp08]

any dwarf livebearers? 

 

[attibones]

Endlers would work well too, and they are rather attractive. It can be hard to find female endlers in the average LFS, you could get a good breeding group on aquabid. Just keep an eye on your population.

 

[Byron]

I just noticed a confusion in my last post, and it is too late to edit it, so I'll just clarfiy that by two or three I mean species.  Most of these fish need a group, say 9-10 Ember Tetra, etc, and you have space in a 20g for two to three species, depending which.
 
On the Endlers now mentioned, if your water is soft this is not a good choice.  Livebearers need moderately hard water, and while the common guppy seems to manage the others do not, and Endlers are definitely moderately hard water fish.  Just how "soft" is your GH?  The pH around neutral is related but quite different; it is the mineral in the water than gives us the GH that is crucial.
 
Byron.

 

[Alexp08]

Gh is 6 and kh is 4.
On am api test kit

 

[Byron]

Gh is 6 and kh is 4.
On am api test kit

That is too soft for Endlers, and livebearers generally.  But ideal for soft water fish and plants (lucky you).  The pH will likely lower over time.

 

[Alexp08]

Well I heard that if I get endlers strong in red pigmet that the will thrive in softer water. That was actually on another thread om this forum. But idk how true that is.

 

[Byron]

Well I heard that if I get endlers strong in red pigmet that the will thrive in softer water. That was actually on another thread om this forum. But idk how true that is.

 
I cannot fathom how the colour of a species is going to alter the fish's internal physiology to enable it to live in different water parameters from those for which nature designed it.  Obviously all species on this planet have evolved over thousands of years but for most of them such significant changes in so short a span of time is not feasible.
 
This species occurs in Northeast Venezuela, endemic to Campoma and Buena Vistahttp://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...450&type=2&ext=400571733378&item=400571733378 coastal lagoons (endemic means it is naturally found only in these two areas and no where else in the world). The source for the type specimens is a warm freshwater lake with hard, alkaline water on the Paria Peninsula.
 
Most fish species that are not maintained in water close to their preference are more likely to be in poor health, and do not generally live a normal lifespan.
 
Byron.

 

[Alexp08]

Yea i didnt know how true this was, i was just holding on to a shred of hope!
Anyways, How about killifish? more particular clown killifish?