Guppies in 20 gallon high questions

[cowgirluntamed]

So...still trying to decide what I really want for my 20 gallon. My blue gourami is doing great in my 55 so I'm pretty sure my 20 is free now.

So, I was looking around for some nice male guppies on ebay and found someone selling 2 breeding pairs of gorgeous nebula steel guppies for a good price. He IS willing to do just males if I want but....they are so awesome looking I'm sort of thinking I want the breeding pairs....

But....other than maybe culling out ones that are sick or deformed....I don't really have a place to take an overload.

I'm sure I already know the answer to this, but thought I would ask anyway....

IS there any fish that could be put in with the guppies to at least help with the population to keep it in check better? A friend of mine suggested white clouds. She had some before with guppies and they would literally wait behind the females and eat the young just after birth. Would that work possibly?

Someone else suggested pea puffers but I've never looked into them at all and I don't want the adults harrassed.

OR I could do just 4 males...have them be pretty....and maybe do like 10 black neon tetras like I planned...with maybe 6 of some kind of cories? Is this a better plan?

Thanks for any help and advice. I just love the look of these guppies....they are amazing....but I don't want to be truly over run with them!

 

[NickAu]

IS there any fish that could be put in with the guppies to at least help with the population to keep it in check better?

I have Bumblebee Gobys to keep the Endler population down or at least they try to.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

I have Bumblebee Gobys to keep the Endler population down or at least they try to.

I love your set up with them too. So, I don't know if I can get gobies....but you do think that some other types of fish may keep the population in check? I really have fallen in love with these guppies....I just don't want disasters. Lol.

 

[Colin_T]

Why don't you just buy them and breed them and sell the surplus to the petshop?

Most fish will eat baby guppies, rainbows love them as do barbs, tetras, rasboras and cichlids. There are heaps of different gobies and most occur in hard water so will be ideal for you.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Why don't you just buy them and breed them and sell the surplus to the petshop?

Most fish will eat baby guppies, rainbows love them as do barbs, tetras, rasboras and cichlids. There are heaps of different gobies and most occur in hard water so will be ideal for you.

I don't know if this petshop will take them yet. I'm hoping to go tomorrow. For all I know I may find something else I like.

As for the rest of the fish you mentioned....any specific ones that would be better suited for life in a 20 gallon? I don't know if barbs would work as I don't want the adult guppies harrassed. Just need them for possible fry control. Do you think black neon tetras would work for this? I do like them. I don't know about different rasboras. I have still one lone harlequin in my 55 that I intend to add more too, so I would want something different. I kind of want some sort of cories still as well.

 

[Colin_T]

Black neons might take a few babies but go for gobies because they are fine in hard alkaline water, whereas the black neons prefer soft acid water.

Or just scoop the babies out and put them in the tank with the big blue gourami, he will sort them out pretty quick.

Most pet shops will take locally bred fish especially if the fish are good quality. Ask the shop tomorrow when you go out there and see what they say.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Black neons might take a few babies but go for gobies because they are fine in hard alkaline water, whereas the black neons prefer soft acid water.

Or just scoop the babies out and put them in the tank with the big blue gourami, he will sort them out pretty quick.

Most pet shops will take locally bred fish especially if the fish are good quality. Ask the shop tomorrow when you go out there and see what they say.

I've never had any gobies before....are they fairly hardy fish then? Aren't they bottom dwellers somewhat? Would cories be ok with them? Any common ones you can suggest so I can do a bit of research?

As for putting them in the big tank....I'd rather not. Lol. With my luck he would ignore them and I'd have even more guppies!! Lol.

I will definitely ask at the shop. Though if I find something nice cobra guppies I may just go with them....lol.

 

[Colin_T]

Most gobies are pretty tough but most shops put them in soft acid water and they don't do well. They are true bottom dwellers and you need to make sure some frozen or live food gets to them at the bottom.

In Australia we have desert gobies and a few other native gobies, but you won't get most of the Australian native gobies in the US. You might find desert gobies over there tho and there are a number of gobies from New Guinea. There are also some small gudgeons form New Guinea including the peacock gudgeon (Tateurndina ocellicauda).

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Most gobies are pretty tough but most shops put them in soft acid water and they don't do well. They are true bottom dwellers and you need to make sure some frozen or live food gets to them at the bottom.

In Australia we have desert gobies and a few other native gobies, but you won't get most of the Australian native gobies in the US. You might find desert gobies over there tho and there are a number of gobies from New Guinea. There are also some small gudgeons form New Guinea including the peacock gudgeon (Tateurndina ocellicauda).

Hm....not sure about the gobies. They may be a bit hard to find around here. But I will have a look at the shop and update more tomorrow or the next day. Maybe they will have other types of fish that I would like better. Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[NickAu]

Why don't you just buy them and breed them and sell the surplus to the petshop?

Sorry that's bad advice, just buy them and breed them and hope for the best.

It may be different where you come from but around here no fish place will buy live bearer fry or even take them for free.

My LFS is willing to take Endler's as long as they are mature enough to have color and can be sexed @ 20 cents each for class P, They will not touch class K or mature females that have been exposed to a male.

 

[Colin_T]

if the shops won't buy them, sell them on ebay

 

[cowgirluntamed]

if the shops won't buy them, sell them on ebay

Then I would have to do all the shipping stuff and such and I really don't want to have to deal with that. I was thinking of doing that with my salvinia minima as I take a bunch out of my tanks each week to toss in the trash. But I don't want to try fish right now. I just want nice stable tanks. Lol. Get better at growing plants. Watch the nice fish swim to and fro. Lol.

 

[NickAu]

If you have breeding live bearers and shrimp in your tank your Gobys will never go hungry.

I do not feed my Gobys other than some blackworm as a treat, Do they eat everyday? I doubt it but thats ok, predators don't make a kill everyday and mine a big and fat anyway.

I do feed my Endlers and shrimp as long as they are in great condition the Gobys will be fine.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

So.....I finally made it to that petstore today......and wow....a lot more fish supplies at least from petsmart standards! Lol. And.....I came home with these guys....

Oh and uh...don't mind the uprooted plants. And some light green dying ones. Those melted and I guess my planting skills aren't great. Lol.

Anyway...13 black neons and 3 male guppies! The guppies don't know what to think of the black neons or my malaysian trumpet snails...lol. and yes, I have a nerite snail too..can you tell? Lol.

 

[NickAu]

It will look great once it grows in, and yes I can tel you have a Nerite snail.