20 gallon tall stocking questions

[fish boi]

i have a 20 gallon tall (not cycled yet) and i would like to put in

7 neon tetras
2 honey gourami
5 kuhli loaches

any other suggestions?

 

[fluttermoth]

What are the dimensions of the tank, and is your water hard or soft? Do you have substrate in yet and, if so, what do you have?

 

[fish boi]

What are the dimensions of the tank, and is your water hard or soft? Do you have substrate in yet and, if so, what do you have?

24 long x 12 wide x 16 high. how do i find the water hardness in my area? and have gravel in it right now.

 

[fish boi]

is your water hard or soft?

my water

17.1 - 18.8 mg/L

 

[Byron]

my water

17.1 - 18.8 mg/L

This is very soft water, ideal for the fish mentioned.

No problems with the fish in post #1, but I would suggest three Honey Gourami to avoid possible aggression. Kuhli loaches need sand substrate.

 

[fish boi]

This is very soft water, ideal for the fish mentioned.

No problems with the fish in post #1, but I would suggest three Honey Gourami to avoid possible aggression. Kuhli loaches need sand substrate.

okay 3 things, for 3 honey gourami will i get fry if i have different genders? and i have gravel right now could i just put sand on top of it? also can i still have plants with the sand and gravel?
thanks

 

[Essjay]

When we say three honey gouramis we mean 1 male 2 females. Yes they may breed but the majority of eggs will be eaten by the other fish before they can hatch. If any eggs do last long enough to hatch, the fry will be eaten quickly once they become free swimming.



If you put sand on top of gravel, the sand will fall through to the bottom and you'll end up with a layer of sand with gravel on top.
If you want sand, I would change it now before the tank cycles.

 

[fish boi]

When we say three honey gouramis we mean 1 male 2 females. Yes they may breed but the majority of eggs will be eaten by the other fish before they can hatch. If any eggs do last long enough to hatch, the fry will be eaten quickly once they become free swimming.



If you put sand on top of gravel, the sand will fall through to the bottom and you'll end up with a layer of sand with gravel on top.
If you want sand, I would change it now before the tank cycles.

What would i need to do if i wanted baby fry

 

[Essjay]

I'm not the best person to help with that as none of the fry I tried to save ever survived I think they need very humid air above the water in the tank, and a constant temperature, and you'd need to make sure you have the right kind of food for tiny fry.

Before thinking about saving fry, I would get more experience with keeping adult fish, then later you can research what you would need. One thing I would suggest for raising fry is another tank just for them.

 

[Byron]

Agree. I have had gourami fry a few times, my Chocolate Gourami and pygmy sparkling gourami (the only gourami I've had in male/female groups in the past few years).

First you need a very good thick layer of floating plants with substantial root systems. By this I mean floating plants like duckweed won't do it, but floaters like Water Sprite (Ceratopteris cornuta) are ideal.

Considering just the Honey Gourami (Trichogaster chuna), females are slightly larger than males and usually exhibit a brown stripe along the side; males are the more colourful, taking on quite spectacular colouration in spawning condition. The photo below shows the male (top fish) in breeding colouration with the female below. This species is a bubblenest spawner, and fairly easy to spawn if the fish are both willing, healthy and conditioned with good foods. The bubblenest is constructed at the surface among the floating plants, one reason you need these (the other is protection of hatched fry). The male cares for the nest and fry, and the female should be removed after spawning to avoid injury from the male as he will chase her away. This is one reasson essjay suggested a second tank. The tank must be tightly covered to maintain a very warm and moist atmosphere above the water surface so that the labyrinth organ will develop properly in the fry.

In common with all the species in the suborder Anabantoidei, this fish possesses an auxiliary breathing organ called the labyrinth, named because of the maze-like arrangement of passages that allow the fish to extract oxygen from air taken in at the surface. The fish must use this accessory method, and it allows the fish to live in oxygen-poor muddy waters. To accommodate this, the aquarium must be kept covered to maintain warm moist air above the surface.

I also agree with essjay that you should change the substrate to sand now if yo intend too. Regular play sand will work perfectly and is much less expensive than "aquarium" sands. And you do not want white, so play sand covers this too. I have it in all my tanks now.

 

[Essjay]

I don't know where you are located fish boi but in the UK it is difficult to find the natural coloured honey gouramis as in Byron's photo. I know, I've tried. The most common colour form in shops is the yellow variety, a colour developed through selective breeding.

 

[fish boi]

I don't know where you are located fish boi but in the UK it is difficult to find the natural coloured honey gouramis as in Byron's photo. I know, I've tried. The most common colour form in shops is the yellow variety, a colour developed through selective breeding.

Agree. I have had gourami fry a few times, my Chocolate Gourami and pygmy sparkling gourami (the only gourami I've had in male/female groups in the past few years).

First you need a very good thick layer of floating plants with substantial root systems. By this I mean floating plants like duckweed won't do it, but floaters like Water Sprite (Ceratopteris cornuta) are ideal.

Considering just the Honey Gourami (Trichogaster chuna), females are slightly larger than males and usually exhibit a brown stripe along the side; males are the more colourful, taking on quite spectacular colouration in spawning condition. The photo below shows the male (top fish) in breeding colouration with the female below. This species is a bubblenest spawner, and fairly easy to spawn if the fish are both willing, healthy and conditioned with good foods. The bubblenest is constructed at the surface among the floating plants, one reason you need these (the other is protection of hatched fry). The male cares for the nest and fry, and the female should be removed after spawning to avoid injury from the male as he will chase her away. This is one reasson essjay suggested a second tank. The tank must be tightly covered to maintain a very warm and moist atmosphere above the water surface so that the labyrinth organ will develop properly in the fry.

In common with all the species in the suborder Anabantoidei, this fish possesses an auxiliary breathing organ called the labyrinth, named because of the maze-like arrangement of passages that allow the fish to extract oxygen from air taken in at the surface. The fish must use this accessory method, and it allows the fish to live in oxygen-poor muddy waters. To accommodate this, the aquarium must be kept covered to maintain warm moist air above the surface.

I also agree with essjay that you should change the substrate to sand now if yo intend too. Regular play sand will work perfectly and is much less expensive than "aquarium" sands. And you do not want white, so play sand covers this too. I have it in all my tanks now.

any other fish i could put in this aquarimum

 

[Byron]

any other fish i could put in this aquarimum

Are any of the fish in post #1 still intended, or is this starting anew?

 

[fish boi]

Are any of the fish in post #1 still intended, or is this starting anew?

just thinking of adding more to the list (sorry about the late response the wifi wanst working)

 

[Byron]

just thinking of adding more to the list

So the plan is to change the substrate to sand, and have 5 Kuhli loaches, three Honey Gourami, and 7 neon tetra. You could add a group of another smallish peaceful fish, like a species of rasbora, or some of the tetras. You won't see too much of the kuhlii loaches, they are fairly secretive and nocturnal.

At this point, we know soft water species which is relatively easy. But you also need to keep in mind the temperature...neons do not like it very warm, compared to some fish, and the gourami and loaches here are Ok with a temperature around 75-76F (23-24 C) which the neons prefer.