Question on stocking/tank size

[Anonymous Fox]

Woah hi I’m back from the dead this is wild I didn’t exist here for like a year. It’s nice to be back.

Anyways
I’m planning on downgrading my 45ish gallon tank to a 20 gallon. My tank could hold more fish than it has and it’d just be easier to care for.
My current stocking is 5 neon tetras, 7 zebra danios, and 4 albino cories.
My plan is to move the tetras and danio to a 20 gallon and the cories to a 10 gallon. At some point I will get more cories (only like 2 more) and possibly more tetra if all goes well. The 20 gallon tank would be not too heavily planted but still have a decent amount of plants and hard scape. The 10 would most likely have a few plants but mostly hard scape. My reasoning is that my current tank has the black pebble-like plant substrate and I am aware that this is not good for the cories but sand is hell to clean in a big tank so a small tank with sand would be easier to care for.
I was just wondering y’all’s opinion on this idea and what you would recommend/do differently or if I should just scrap this idea all together?

 

[Ceez]

Personally I don't see a problem even if you were to put everything in the 20g. The 2 major contributing factors that I see people having trouble with the most is overfeeding and lack of maintenance/water changes. If you have both of those licked you'll be just fine.

Are you going with a 20L or 20T?

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Hey, nice to have you back. The forum has been so much less anonymous and fox-like without you.

I think I'd just put them all in a 20, especially if it's a 20 long, and add more neons and cories. The only thing that gives me pause about your plan is the zebras. Those are some seriously hyperactive fish, and I wonder if a 20 is enough room for them to zip about.

What is it about sand that you find hard to clean? All of my recent tanks, including the 150, have sand, and it's pretty easy. I just vacuum the mulm and debris off the surface about once a week.

 

[10 Tanks]

Hello. I used to keep small tanks, but found the larger one much easier. To me, the smaller tank will take more work. You'd have to change the tank water twice as often as you would a larger one, just because there's a lot more water in a large tank to dilute the dissolving fish and plant waste material. As for the substrate, my first choice is always small, smooth pebbles for my Corydoras and Pleco. So easy to clean if you needed to vacuum and the pebbles allow water to pass through to distribute oxygen, no voids to cause water chemistry problems. But, you're the tank boss, it's all your decision. Have fun!

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