Stocking Ideas For A 20 Gallon Tropical?

[fishboy123]

Hello!
I am getting so many ideas about what kind of fish i want in my tank. I have a 20 gallon. I havent set it up yet as I cant till we move next week.

These are the fish I would like (I am getting a male betta for sure)

Here are the fish I would like. Any comments or suggestions are appreciated! :
Angelfish (Which I know i cant get with this size)
Snails
Danios
Tetra
Dwarf Puffer Fish
Guppies
Shrimp
Rosies

 

[twodoctors]

Assuming you are a complete novice, puffers maybe a bit difficult to keep. Danios and bigger barbs would prefer a longer tank but not impossible in a 20G. Guppies are good beginner fish but personally not really my cup of tea. Shrimps and snails will go with most things that is suitable for your tanks except puffers.

Have you considered honey gouramis? Betta (not with guppies)? Corys? Big school of small and slower barbs or tetra?

Also consider your pH before proceeding. Easier to match fish to pH than the other way round.

 

[dwarfgourami]

just adding to what twodoctors said:

if you have hard alkaline water you might want to consider

group of male guppies+ a group of cherry shrimps+ a shoal of one of those tetra species that are not too fussed about water parameters (black neons, glowlights, phantoms). Avoid the nippy species such as serpas or lemon tetras

if your water is soft

more tetras to choose from, perhaps combined with a school of corydoras instead (check out for temperature requirements for individual species); if you wanted barbs, cherry barbs would be good alternative to rosies

 

[the_lock_man]

Danios - What species? Most danios like a 3'-4' tank, so they can stretch their legs
Tetra - what species? Some may go for the betta's fins.
Dwarf Puffer Fish - NO
Guppies - NO, fighter will probably mistake them for another fighter and kill them
Shrimp - What species? (Amanos will be fine, the betta may see cherries and crystals as a mid-morning snack)
Rosies - should be ok.

Suggestion, then

1 Male Betta
6 Cories (most species will be fine, but peppered IIRC like temperature a little lower than bettas)
6 Rosy Barbs or Cherry Barbs
10 Celestial Pearl Danios (which don't need the tank size), or a small rasbora species (Chilli, Dwarf Emerald, etc.)

 

[dwarfgourami]

sorry I totally managed to miss the male betta

that's my fish off the list then

I agree that guppies are not a good idea then, many tetras will be too nippy, cherry shrimps can be a snack; amanos, as lockman suggested, are a better idea

personally I would get a separate little tank for the betta and run a community

but I have seen some very large rosy barbs, so would go for a smaller barb species

 

[Fishy friend2]

If I were you I would stock that tank with
1 male Betta
10 neons or cardinals
6 galaxy rasboras
3 platies
4 shrimp