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20 long stocking

derekw

Member
Messages
41
Location
Nova Scotia
I have a 20 gallon long blackwater aquarium, the current stocking is 7 serpae tetras and 1 feamale apisto, not sure what type. As for further stocking im looking for suggestions, id like to add a baby bristle nose pleco or possibly a small school of pygmy corys. Any ideas are appreciated. Id also like to add another school of tetras, the flow in the aquarium is high so im not sure neon tetras will do well. I have a 35 gallon rated filter and a hydor koralia 425.
 

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MacZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,958
Location
Germany
Stock up the serpae tetras to 10 and call it a day. Your tank has neither the cover nor the structure for any more fish than that.
 

derekw

Member
Messages
41
Location
Nova Scotia
Stock up the serpae tetras to 10 and call it a day. Your tank has neither the cover nor the structure for any more fish than that.
Sounds good should be nice with a larger school. Do you think a bristlenose would be ok if i added twice the driftwood?
 

MacZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,958
Location
Germany
I think a bristlenose should be kept in a tank double the size. AT BEST you could fit a Rinelocaria sp. or two in. Not a big bioload, not nocturnal, not a wood eater. Would still require more wood and branches.

But if I'm honest I'd not recommend much addition to the tank. Besides a Pothos plant.
 

derekw

Member
Messages
41
Location
Nova Scotia
I think a bristlenose should be kept in a tank double the size. AT BEST you could fit a Rinelocaria sp. or two in. Not a big bioload, not nocturnal, not a wood eater. Would still require more wood and branches.

But if I'm honest I'd not recommend much addition to the tank. Besides a Pothos plant.
Ok thanks for the feedback
 

anewbie

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,366
You can add a group of 10 or 15 pygmy cory to that aquarium if you don't expand the serpae. Personally i'm a big fan of pygmy cory. A BN doesn't work in a 20 long or 29 unless it is one of the dwarf ones. I had a lemon bn that grew to full size in my 29 and eventually gave it away but i now have a dwarf super red which works well (she is barely 3 inches but she is also much skinner). The lemon was an odd thing i had 6 and the ones in the 120 and 40 stayed small but the ones in the 29 grew to full size - go figure.
--
Actually I'll make a stronger statement and state that I would not add any more serpae in the 20 long and consider long term that ones you have might get too large. They are not small fishes. I had some white fin rosy tetra in a 29 and when I setup the 40 i moved them in there - they just didn't fit well in a 29 (a 20 is a shallow 29); the serpae i have in the 120 are not super active but they are more active than the rosy tetra; also yours look very young and not full grown.
 

MacZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,958
Location
Germany
You can add a group of 10 or 15 pygmy cory to that aquarium if you don't expand the serpae. Personally i'm a big fan of pygmy cory. A BN doesn't work in a 20 long or 29 unless it is one of the dwarf ones. I had a lemon bn that grew to full size in my 29 and eventually gave it away but i now have a dwarf super red which works well (she is barely 3 inches but she is also much skinner). The lemon was an odd thing i had 6 and the ones in the 120 and 40 stayed small but the ones in the 29 grew to full size - go figure.
--
Actually I'll make a stronger statement and state that I would not add any more serpae in the 20 long and consider long term that ones you have might get too large. They are not small fishes. I had some white fin rosy tetra in a 29 and when I setup the 40 i moved them in there - they just didn't fit well in a 29 (a 20 is a shallow 29); the serpae i have in the 120 are not super active but they are more active than the rosy tetra; also yours look very young and not full grown.
I agree so far and expand: Add the cories only after removing the tetras and replace those with a smaller tetra species.
Because even as a faux blackwater tank, due to lack of plants and lots of rotting wood, the maximum stocking density is reduced anyway.
 

derekw

Member
Messages
41
Location
Nova Scotia
You can add a group of 10 or 15 pygmy cory to that aquarium if you don't expand the serpae. Personally i'm a big fan of pygmy cory. A BN doesn't work in a 20 long or 29 unless it is one of the dwarf ones. I had a lemon bn that grew to full size in my 29 and eventually gave it away but i now have a dwarf super red which works well (she is barely 3 inches but she is also much skinner). The lemon was an odd thing i had 6 and the ones in the 120 and 40 stayed small but the ones in the 29 grew to full size - go figure.
--
Actually I'll make a stronger statement and state that I would not add any more serpae in the 20 long and consider long term that ones you have might get too large. They are not small fishes. I had some white fin rosy tetra in a 29 and when I setup the 40 i moved them in there - they just didn't fit well in a 29 (a 20 is a shallow 29); the serpae i have in the 120 are not super active but they are more active than the rosy tetra; also yours look very young and not full grown.
Thanks for the advice, I contacted LFS and they do not carry the small red lizard catfish species that MacZ mentioned, so im considering otocinclus. Ive had trouble with apistos attacking otos in a tank this size before so im not sure its a great idea.
 

MacZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,958
Location
Germany
Otocinclus are a bad idea due to a completely different problem: They are feeding specialists feeding exclusively on aufwuchs. That means between collection in the wild (they are still only available tankraised from local or regional breeders, not in industrial numbers from farms) and arrival in our home tanks they haven't eaten for 3-6 weeks. Often retailers ether don't feed them at all or don't even try to habituate them to dry foods and veggies. Losses up to 100% are the result if you add them to a not yet established tank (established means 6+ months) without plants.

Hence you will only get dead fish swimming if you add Otocinclus.
 

derekw

Member
Messages
41
Location
Nova Scotia
Otocinclus are a bad idea due to a completely different problem: They are feeding specialists feeding exclusively on aufwuchs. That means between collection in the wild (they are still only available tankraised from local or regional breeders, not in industrial numbers from farms) and arrival in our home tanks they haven't eaten for 3-6 weeks. Often retailers ether don't feed them at all or don't even try to habituate them to dry foods and veggies. Losses up to 100% are the result if you add them to a not yet established tank (established means 6+ months) without plants.

Hence you will only get dead fish swimming if you add Otoci
 

derekw

Member
Messages
41
Location
Nova Scotia
Ok ill avoid them, the serpaes are quite large so i wont be adding any more. here is a better pic of the apistogramma.
 

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derekw

Member
Messages
41
Location
Nova Scotia
Quick update on the tank I took back my apsito and replaced it with a male. The new one was labelled as a bitaeniata, im pretty sure thats what it is if not a allpahuayo. Also got 2 more serpaes and added many more branches to the scape. Question, macz mentioned adding an ivy plant to the aquarium, i currently have one growing out of my filter. can this plant be submersed?
 

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