20 gal stocking?

[Feathers_and_fins]

What are fish that can go into a 20 gallon long? My dad has one he’s going to stock. It is cycled, filters and heated to 80 degrees. It is lightly live plants. He wants a few different species.

What fish and how many of each (minimum and maximum) can go into the tank?

 

[Rocky998]

Maybe turn the heat down to around 76-77°F sense it is done cycling. That will give you more options.
There are very few I know of that live in high heat environments.
There are many options but first we would need to know your water parameters (GH, PH, Nitrate) with a liquid test kit

 

[Feathers_and_fins]

Maybe turn the heat down to around 76-77°F sense it is done cycling. That will give you more options.
There are very few I know of that live in high heat environments.
There are many options but first we would need to know your water parameters (GH, PH, Nitrate) with a liquid test kit

This is my dads tank and I do not live with him so I don’t have lots of info on it. Seems like he’s going to get fish pretty soon so I just wanna make sure he doesn’t overstock or put fish together that shouldn’t be together. His Ph is quite high. 7.6 but he will get it lowered. Not sure about GH. Nitrate is about 5

 

[Rocky998]

This is my dads tank and I do not live with him so I don’t have lots of info on it. Seems like he’s going to get fish pretty soon so I just wanna make sure he doesn’t overstock or put fish together that shouldn’t be together. His Ph is quite high. 7.6 but he will get it lowered. Not sure about GH. Nitrate is about 5

Good parameters. No need to really lower the pH. Most fish will do just fine with it.
The GH is important to know. It is the most vital part of the water chemistry to know. Most of the time a ph that is low will have a low PH and hard water would be high PH but there can be variables (like my water is really soft with a high PH)

 

[Byron]

Lowering pH is not simple. First, the pH is connected to the GH and KH. You must know these values as it will tell you what the pH may do (lowering in the aquarium is common). There is only one way to adjust these parameters, and that is naturally. Nevber use chemicals becaue they result in sudden shifts which can harm fish, and the pH being tied to the GH and KH will not shift permanently if the GH/KH is highish.

You can get the GH, KH (also termed Alkalinity) from the water authority if you are on municipal water. Check their website. The GH and KH will not change much unless it is targeted, and the pH will function accordingly. We need to know these values. Fish have preferences and since a small tank like this one will have nano-type fish (small fish) these often have a more demanding requirement when it comes to parameters (GH, KH, pH and temperature are the parameters).

 

[Feathers_and_fins]

Lowering pH is not simple. First, the pH is connected to the GH and KH. You must know these values as it will tell you what the pH may do (lowering in the aquarium is common). There is only one way to adjust these parameters, and that is naturally. Nevber use chemicals becaue they result in sudden shifts which can harm fish, and the pH being tied to the GH and KH will not shift permanently if the GH/KH is highish.

You can get the GH, KH (also termed Alkalinity) from the water authority if you are on municipal water. Check their website. The GH and KH will not change much unless it is targeted, and the pH will function accordingly. We need to know these values. Fish have preferences and since a small tank like this one will have nano-type fish (small fish) these often have a more demanding requirement when it comes to parameters (GH, KH, pH and temperature are the parameters).

I can try but I may not be able to see my dad until this weekend. Before then he may get fish. I can only give advice, unfortunately there’s not much I can do

 

[Rocky998]

I can try but I may not be able to see my dad until this weekend. Before then he may get fish. I can only give advice, unfortunately there’s not much I can do

It's good you're trying to offer advice!

 

[Obsessed with fish]

I would lower the pH a bit depending on what fish you want, the most accurate and effective way to lower pH is by using pH stabilisers, api sells good ones for a decent price.

If you don't want to get pH stabilisers indian almond leaves would be the next best option, it takes longer for pH to be altered using ial but this can be good if you have fish in the tank allready.

A list of fish that can go in a 20 long
Neon tetras
Corydoras
Brisle nose pleco
Zebra danios
Goldfish
Dwarf gouramis (my personal favourite)
Siamese algae eaters
Otos
Guppies
Chinese algae eaters (aggresive)
Jerman rams
Endlers
There are heaps more but there just the ones I thought of from the top of my head.

 

[Rocky998]

I would lower the pH a bit depending on what fish you want, the most accurate and effective way to lower pH is by using pH stabilisers, api sells good ones for a decent price.

If you don't want to get pH stabilisers indian almond leaves would be the next best option, it takes longer for pH to be altered using ial but this can be good if you have fish in the tank allready.

A list of fish that can go in a 20 long
Neon tetras
Corydoras
Brisle nose pleco
Zebra danios
Goldfish
Dwarf gouramis (my personal favourite)
Siamese algae eaters
Otos
Guppies
Chinese algae eaters (aggresive)
Jerman rams
Endlers
There are heaps more but there just the ones I thought of from the top of my head.

No don't use PH stabilizers. They can be dangerous for fish. You don't know what's added

And some of those fish are not suitable

 

[Essjay]

It is never a good idea to use chemicals to change the pH.

@Feathers_and_fins You know your father's address, could you not check on his water provider's website for his hardness?

A list of fish that can go in a 20 long
Neon tetras
Corydoras
Brisle nose pleco
Zebra danios
Goldfish
Dwarf gouramis (my personal favourite)
Siamese algae eaters
Otos
Guppies
Chinese algae eaters (aggresive)
Jerman rams
Endlers

I am sorry but this is a terrible list.

Neons - OK if the hardness is soft
Cories - the dwarf species are OK if the water is soft; the larger species need a bigger tank
Bristlenose - poops so much a 20 gallon would get messed up quickly, and really needs a bigger tank
Zebra danios - need a bigger tank
Goldfish - cold water fish which need a bigger tank
Dwarf gourami - OK size wise but most are infected with incurable diseases by the time they reach the store
Siamese algae eaters - need a much bigger tank
Otos - not recommended for new tanks as there won't be enough algae to feed them
Guppies - OK if the water is hard
Chinese algae eaters - need a much larger tank and are prone to eating the slime coat off other fish
German rams - need very soft acidic water and a higher temperature than most other fish. Could do with a bigger tank as well.
Endlers - OK if the water is hard.

 

[Byron]

I can try but I may not be able to see my dad until this weekend. Before then he may get fish. I can only give advice, unfortunately there’s not much I can do

Surely you can call him? Acquiring fish without proper research is inhumane and cruel. Tell him that.