Stocking My New 20-gallon Tank

[Msquared]

I am starting a new 20g tank, and I'm essentially new to this hobby. I'm trying to go with fairly hardy fish that don't require a ton of specialized care and can all get along well together. I have 4 Zebra Danios in there now, and am waiting to add the next two species to the tank (which I think is all we're going to add for now). I had been thinking of adding some number Dwarf Gouramis and some number of Cory (not sure which variety).

On the Gouramis: Originally I had read that the Dwarf Gouramis are hardy and peaceful, but now that I'm reading further in depth I find that males tend to fight for dominance and that it may be best to either just get one male and one female or just one male. I would like opinions on what number and gender of DG's I should add, or should I just forget them and try something else instead? If I were to get just one male DG, is there another smallish species that I could also add as a single example that would get along with all these others?

Corydora: What are people's opinions on any especially good or bad varieties of these fish? Should I look for Pygmy types or the "regular sized" types like Aeneus? And I don't want to overload the tank but I want them to feel secure and be active rather than scared/hiding...so how many?

It is my hope that by having these guys occupy the bottom, the Danios the middle, and the Gouramis the top/middle, that all will have enough to roam. I know I don't want any one fish that's too big in this sized tank, and I know I don't want to overload the biosystem. Am I on the right track with all of this? I'd like your feedback either way. Thanks.

 

[LolaLouie]

Now this is just my personal experience but I bought a DG who was (is) very aggressive, many people recommend buying 2 girls for each male to curb their aggression so I did that and he just killed both his girlfriends. I gave up with him and decided if he can't live with girls he has to live without them. He does occasionally chase my angels but other than that he is fine on his own.

DGs are only aggressive to other DGs or similar fish that they mistake for DGs so from personal experience I highly recommend only getting 1 if you want a male (which I assume you do).

As for Corys they are best in groups of 6+, you can easily fit 6 regular corys in a 20g so do not have to get pygmy.

 

[Msquared]

Thanks for your input, LolaLouie. You are right, I would want at least one male DG. Basically I'm thinking of something to be a "centerpiece" fish to go with my schools (shoals?) of Danio and Cory. As alternatives, would a pair (or one or three) of Angelfish or Ram Chiclids be safer bets?

 

[Matt_northants]

If you like gouramis, the honey gourami is a better bet.

 

[funkycat]

Honey gourami's' are awesome as they don't have major aggression problems. i have 5 and they don't school but in a twenty they have lots of room
For DP's i would either get one male or 2 females and 1 male, not a pair or anymore than 1 male. Usually you'll run into aggression problems

Danio's are usually top fish, gourami's middle.

You can get alot more dwarf cories in a twenty gallon than regular sized cories.
Dwarfs are alot more active and will school, the regular size ones usually tend to be less active. It just really depends on what u like the look of.

 

[cryslea]

Angels need 30 gallons minimum, so they're out for your tank.

 

[LolaLouie]

I have a pair of bolivian rams which are very peaceful and good community fish, the problem is (if you find it a problem) that they stay near the bottom so don't make the best centrepieces. Rams also like a lot of plants etc.

When I had a 20g i just had the 1 male DG as my centrepiece and he looked lovely but maybe if you want a pair or trio consider another type of gourami. Opaline gourmais are very nice looking.

Good luck!

 

[Msquared]

Funkycat, thanks for your input on the Dwarf Cory. That sounds like my best bet in this size tank. And cryslea, no Angels - got it! I definitely don't want to push tank parameters here. LolaLouie, I appreciate your noting that Rams tend to stay at the bottom - that is probably not ideal for my needs. However, please see my last question below.

I will look further into this variety. It sounds like a good option. I probably won't have space for more than 2-3 of these. Would you recommend 1 male and 1-2 females as with the Dwarf, or could two males get along with each other pretty well? I should mention that breeding fish is not my goal - if it happens I'll go with it, but I'm not trying to make it happen.

So one last question for now: If I were to get just one male Gourami (of any variety), is there another species of fish appropriate for my tank that could also be kept as a single and still play well the other tankmates (four Danios, a few Cory, and one male Gourami)? For instance, could a single Blue or Bolivian Ram thrive in that tank? If not, we may just go with one male Gourami and sit back and enjoy.

Thank you all for you input. It is a big help!

 

[Msquared]

Hello all. I'm bringing this thread back to the top to ask another fish compatibility question. First, an update: I now have four Peppered Cory inhabiting the bottom of my 20g tank, to go with the four Zebra Danios (who seem to be everywhere at once!). All seems very well so far. So I'm still contemplating this last addition to the tank. Gouramis may still be considered, as might a pair of Rams.

But I have one more idea for which I need your opinions: Rosy Barbs, especially the long-finned variant. A LFS has a tank of long-finned Rosy Barbs that are really pretty and healthy. With my other two types already in the tank, I believe I can safely lower the temp to 72-74 to get into the Barbs' preferred range. My two questions about them concern numbers and fin nipping:
- Because of their size, I don't think I should get more than three: is that enough to keep them happy in my tank (I'm hoping the Danios will act as a dither fish for them, too, since they are definitely not shy)?
- Will they nip the fins of either of my other fish to the point of hurting them; and/or will the Danios nip the Barbs' fins?

As always, thanks for you help in getting me started with this tank!