Sequence For Stocking 20 Gal.

[augustaranger]

I'm moving a rosy red minnow and a single ghost shrimp from a 1.5 gal. "tank" into a 20 gal. high. I'll be using a filter sponge and bag of gravel from the 1.5 gal. inside the new filter for seeding, along with some rocks going in the substrate.

I'd like to end up with 6 albino cories, 5 white cloud minnows, 4 ghost shrimp and the rosy red minnow.

I read that since I'm seeding the new tank with established bacteria from the old tank, that I should start off with 25% of the total planned stocking level. In other words, 4 fish.

In what order should I stock the fish and at what time interval?

 

[Biulu]

After having put in the fish you already have, I would add 3 cories first, wait a week, add some of the minnows, another week, complete the cories or the minnows, etc. If you allow 1 week between additions, the bacteria can get used to the increased bioload.

 

[Lynda B]

I would think you can put your existing shrimp and your minnow in to start. One thing you might want to do though, is look at where your fish will live in the tank. Your shrimp will all live at the bottom, and so will your cories. That's a lot of fish at the bottom of a 20 gallon high tank. I think the minnows are mid-dwellers, aren't they?

You might want to rethink your list and find something that's a top dweller. Just food for thought.

 

[stang1]

I think Cories prefer to be added to a more mature tank so I would add them last.
Minnows are mid-top dwellers but spend more time at the top than anywhere else.
I'd also add another 4+ Rosy Red Minnows as they will be better in a group.