Beginner Planted Tank Seeking Advice (Stocking, plants, etc)

[plantedstudent]

Hi all, long time lurker here but I finally decided to join! I am a student in college, and got the biggest tank allowed - 20g long. I've been doing a lot of research, and would love input/advice for my thoughts on how to get going with this tank! I've posted on a couple other forums as well, so you may have seen this post around. Just seeking most advice possible!

Stocking: 3 honey gourami, 8-10 zebra danios, 6-8 panda corys, 4 amano shrimp, and 2 assassin snails
- would love advice on time frame for adding in these fish, I obviously won't be adding them all in at once but which should go first, how long to wait in between, etc.

Plants (starting with foreground and moving to background): (idea 1) java moss, anubias nana, green wendtii, jungle val, aponogeton, wisteria, valliseria asiatica
(idea 2) parva, red and green wendtii, undulata, spiralis, balansae, bacopa

Substrate: pool filter sand and easy root tabs (aquarium co-op) and/or seachem flourish

General supplies: Pennplex cascade 200 filter with a pre filter, bio rings, and a sponge pad; Nicrew ClassicLED 30-36, Orlushy 100W heater, Tetra pump vacuum, Seachem prime dechlorinator.

Again, I'm a total newbie (except for a dearly departed betta fish from elementary school - RIP Hermione), and welcome any advice! I am especially curious about lids and stocking tips. I of course want to make sure my fish are thriving, but that I also have a relaxing and relatively low maintenance tank given my limited time and budget.

Thank you!

 

[Byron]

Welcome to TFF.

I will respond to the stocking issue. There are a number of aspects to combining two or more species of fish in an aquarium. One of these concerns the activity level of the species. Gourami are quiet sedate fish. Zebra danios are very active swimmers. The two do not go together, as the gourami will be stressed out by all the activity around them. There are many options, and the best tankmates for gourami are the rasboras and some of the tetras.

The other thing to keep in mind is the level in the water column that a species prefers. Gourami are upper-level fish, so good tankmates are those inhabiting the mid and lower levels. Zebra danios strike out here as well, as they are upper level fish. Rasboras tend to be mid-level, and there are quiet tetras that prefer the lower half of the tank.

Corydoras catfish are fine with the goourami; they are not as active swimming as the danios, and they are not up there in the gourami's territory.

Most of us on TFF will ask for your source water parameters before we suggest suitable fish species. Parameters refer to the GH, KH, pH and temperature. The latter is obviously something you can easily control, so the GH and pH in particular are important to know. Some fish have significant preferences; all freshwater species have evolved to function in very specific parameters, and selecting fish suited to your water makes life much easier for both you and your fish.