[Nazasaki]

I have a low tech 20 long. I already have 4 cories and 5 nerite snails (and a king betta- he might get moved elsewhere). I want a peaceful tank. What is a good center piece? I was thinking some kind of gourami? Are the dwarfs, honeys, opaline aggressive? I like red platys too and want to maybe add 3 or 4 of those.

4 cories
5 nerite
3 platys
1 gourami (which kind?)

Any other good, peaceful fish you can think of? I also head that gourami are known to carry disease?

 

[Nazasaki]

Also....think I could keep my king betta as my centerpiece and add a few platys with him? He is gorgeous...cobalt blue with white tips and head and some red patches on his dorsal fin. Not your typical king!

 

[Natasha]

I would encourage you to go for a trio of male platys. I have 3 red wags and the male is especially vibrant. Of course there are tons of colours to choose from, but I think a splash of red would look great against the rich greens you have going.

 

[Nazasaki]

I would encourage you to go for a trio of male platys. I have 3 red wags and the male is especially vibrant. Of course there are tons of colours to choose from, but I think a splash of red would look great against the rich greens you have going.

Agreed! I love the red. I wanted fish that would pop against the black eco complete and background. Think my betta wpuld tolerate them? He doesn't mind the cory cats at all. He "schools"with them.

 

[Nlewis]

I've kept several species of apistogramma and most seem non aggressive towards other community fish.

 

[goodbytes]

Thick-Lipped Gouramis (Trichogaster labiosa) are very peaceful and grow to a respectable size. You would really only have space for one though in that tank. They come in a lot of color varieties though which is why I gave the scientific name. They come in red, sunset, and standard which consists of vertical blue bands on their body for males.

 

[loach guy]

Nlewis stole my thunder. I was thinking a double red apistogramma cocitoidi.

 

[sevendust111]

I have a 20 long with a honey gourami as the centerpiece. There are a couple different variations of them and all look great and aren't aggressive. I also think a peacock gudgeon would be cool. I have one as a centerpiece in my 15 column.

 

[Nordic]

I'm still trying to get some nice red females, have 2 super red male platies. I like the way orange photographs with planted tanks as well as yellows and reds....so I vote for Malibu sunset platy, orange tuxedo is also really striking in person.
A 20 gal is just the right size to enjoy a few, although they are quite social and are less stressed in large groups. I have a beautiful school of about 40 platinum rainbow wags at the moment that has to go out to the shops one of these days, to make room for their younger siblings. My fishes last mated before new years, and there has still been no reproductive slowdown.
I will miss the buggers

 

[SueD]

If you decide to move the betta, why not consider a large school as a "center piece". 20-25 ember tetras or green neon tetras (depends on your color preference) could certainly make as much of a statement as a single fish.

 

[GrampsGrunge]

I've kept several species of apistogramma and most seem non aggressive towards other community fish.

...if you are prepared to feed live baby brine shrimp for the rest of these fishes lives.

Bump:

..*snip*.. I also head that gourami are known to carry disease?

Really? You sure that isn't anecdotal? Some of my most healthiest fish have all been Anabantiods of several types. They all don't do well in open top tanks with cool/dry room air conditions though.

 

[AquaAurora]

DO NOT add gourami if you keep the ebtta in the tank. Both species are territorial and depending on gourami species (some are mouth brooders) both will want the same space for bubble nesting (surface-calm/no water movement area). Reports from people trying to keep bettas with the more common dwarf gourami (or the larger species like opaline that I would not recommend for your tank size-they should have a 40g breeder or alrger) do NOT end well.

I'd get at least 2 more of the same species of cory you already have (what species do you have? Some need 55g as they get large). they do best in shoals of 6 or more.

If you move the betta out you can try a dwarf gourami (solo or harem-1m 2-3f.. but females are hard to find as they are typically duller color) or a small group of honey gourami (most peaceful of gourami, but don't put with a betta).

Depending on species of cory (some stick to the bottom more than others) you could look into ram(s)(1 or a pair-1m 1f) as a centerpiece, but they will stake out turf and chase out the cory when they get to sexual maturity.

 

[Nazasaki]

If you decide to move the betta, why not consider a large school as a "center piece". 20-25 ember tetras or green neon tetras (depends on your color preference) could certainly make as much of a statement as a single fish.

I like this idea. I really enjoy rasboras. I group of them would look great against the deep greens I have.

 

[Nazasaki]

DO NOT add gourami if you keep the ebtta in the tank. Both species are territorial and depending on gourami species (some are mouth brooders) both will want the same space for bubble nesting (surface-calm/no water movement area). Reports from people trying to keep bettas with the more common dwarf gourami (or the larger species like opaline that I would not recommend for your tank size-they should have a 40g breeder or alrger) do NOT end well.

I'd get at least 2 more of the same species of cory you already have (what species do you have? Some need 55g

I have albino cory cats. And no I'd never put a betta with a gourami! I may move the betta to his own smaller tank.

 

[AquaAurora]

Have a photo of your betta you can show?
Most betta owners recommend a 10g tank for kings (half giants) and giant bettas so they have plenty of swim room.
Btw love the look of your 20g long.

 

[loach guy]

...if you are prepared to feed live baby brine shrimp for the rest of these fishes lives.

Bump:

Really? You sure that isn't anecdotal? Some of my most healthiest fish have all been Anabantiods of several types. They all don't do well in open top tanks with cool/dry room air conditions though.

I feed my apistos shrimp pellets as their staple food. I supplement with frozen brine and blood worms.

 

[Nazasaki]

It's rare for him to sit this still. When I bought him he was all pale with a tint of blue ....6 month's later and a lot of love and this is what I get his name is Panda. He originally looked black and white at the petstore. Suprised me with the blues later on.

 

[GrampsGrunge]

I feed my apistos shrimp pellets as their staple food. I supplement with frozen brine and blood worms.

Maybe the pellet formulas have changed in the last 20 or so years, but with the A. Borellii, Trifasciatus, and Steindachneri I've raised, none would touch any dry food, and picked at/spit out most frozen food. It's why I don't keep Apistos anymore, too much fussy.

 

[AquaAurora]

It's rare for him to sit this still. When I bought him he was all pale with a tint of blue ....6 month's later and a lot of love and this is what I get his name is Panda. He originally looked black and white at the petstore. Suprised me with the blues later on.

Yep that's marbles for you-genetic fun time.. never know what color they're going to change (though blue, then black and red seem most common), weird thing is they can randomly revert to the pale colors too (seen with another betta owner), but tis not too common.
I recently got a petco 'king' really hoping he's mislabeled and actually a true giant (we'll see in a few months as he grows). Came home peach/flesh tone with white and the tiniest bit of blue between scales, he's already marbling blue gradually.

André first day (drip acclimating)



Most recent (3 weeks later) curved glass of jumbo bubble bowl makes his head form look crappy >.<


I need to get another photo of him. he's gotten a little more blue spread since this photo

 

[Nazasaki]

Stunning! I love the kings. Never cared too much for the long finned variety. The kings are so mellow, at least the 3 I had.

So I think for this tank I will add 2 more cories for a total of 6. That leaves me at about 60% stocking level per Aqadvisor. If I add a group of 6 rasboras I'm at about 70%. I'd like to have 10 but that brings me to about 80%. Is this stocking level appropriate in your opinion? Think the rasboras will stress my king? He doesn't bother the cories. He "schools" with them occasionally. If they do get in his way he just kind of bumps them out of the way and goes about his day.