New To 20g's, And To This Forum!

[White Clouds]

I am new to larger tanks and to tropical fish. I need to know how would I stock a 20g with some small schooling fish, so any ideas or options are apreciated. Oh I did have a platy for like a week then it died, but I dont want livebearers. Thanks

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Well, platies aren't schooling fish, so they'd not count as "schooling fish."

Have you read up on cycling? If not, I'm sure there's a pinned article or dozens of unpinned theads on the subject on this forum.

Schooling fish: check out the index:
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showforum=36

Look into characins and cyprinids, since these woudl be the easiest schooling fish to find and keep.

A few suggestions:
danios (very hardy and good for beginners)
rummy nose tetras
neons (you might want to wait for the tank to cycle before adding thee guys, since they are not hardy fish)

I'm sure other people will come up with good sugestions...

 

[White Clouds]

I will be cycling my tank before adding fish. The lady at my petsmart told me that platties and all livebearers are schoolers.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

I work at petsmart,too. Lady at that petsmart isn't exactly accurate. They'll chase each other, but the definition (in my words, and an incomplete definition) of a schooler is a fish that tends to group in the wild for safety. The principle being that if one is in a large group, when the group scatters, predators will get confused and not catch fish, and if they do catch fish, chances are that fish won't be you. Livebearers might group (more like pair off briefly) to breed, and then they're off doing other things until the male wants to breed again.

Anyways, didn't mean to be belligerent, just wanted to tell you what I think.

 

[Sheridanp]

Just a tip, trust an experience member on here over an LFS employee. Unless your positive they know what there talking about. They often give bad advice.

 

[triskele]

Agree with the comments about the platies, I have 6 (2 male, 4 female) and while they will hang round close to each other some of the time and appear to school (I think it's more a case of not wanting to miss anything tasty), you can look back at the tank again a minute later and they are scattered around each doing there own thing.

As to schooling fish for a 20 gallon, do you know the pH and hardness of your water. Roughly will do, i.e. does your kettle scale up quickly, if so your probs in a hard water area.

Of the top of my head, for hard water Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish - Melanotaenia praecox.

And for soft, how about Harlequin Rasoboras, the espei version is especially nice.

All the best,

Triskele.

 

[Torrean]

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...97&#entry979097

 

[dwarfgourami]

I would say that livebearers are sociable fish rather than schooling, but they do need company; a lonely livebearer is going to suffer and not live life to its full potential, so in a sense the Petsmart lady had a point. On the occasions when I've had to keep livebearers on their own, I feel it has been detrimental to their general wellbeing. But obviously you're not going to see the real authentic schooling effect of a group of fish behaving as one- livebearers are individuals, albeit social individuals. (Bit like humans as opposed to sheep ). I wouldn't say they "pair off" to breed, more like the male having a quick dash at it (livebearer females never seem to enjoy sex much ). But I often see livebearer females swimming around together and seemingly enjoying each other's company.

Anyway, to the schooling suggestions:

Just remember that danios are extremely fast zippy fish and need a long tank; most 20 gals may be on the short side.

Harlequins would be happier, and I would second the espei suggestion- they can be stunning looking fish. (they've got them at my local shop and I am sorely tempted....)

You may find other small tetras hardier than the neons: glowlights, possibly even black neons.

And have you thought about pygmy corys, or the habrosus corys?

 

[B.Bear]

Me think you will enjoy some Kolie Loaches they enjoy groupes os 6 or more and love to swim all across the tank and are bottom dwelers they come withe stripes or all chocolate brown and are the nicest fishes along with the Stone cats that only get 1/2 " Rummy Nose and Rasbora's are me choice to. Any one out there have a non wonted Slient Giant?~