[FuzzyCrawdad]

Hello,

Recently, I've been watching my 20 long and noticing a distinct lack of color. I have many neat patterns in it, but nothing really eye-catching. I was thinking about getting a showpiece fish for my tank, something that pops, and was wondering what suggestions there are, or if my tank can even handle one. It's clean and stable (just tested it this morning), and the plants are booming.

20 gallon long
4 black skirt tetras
6 small leopard danios
1 zebra danio
2 black khuli loaches (I know these are happier with larger numbers, I might get them some friends but they play with just the 2 and used to hang with my SA bumblebee cat before I moved it)

As for plants, if this matters, I have 2 amazon sword, 10 young stalks of bacopa, java fern sprouts, a few stalks of broad-leaf anacharis, and a small patch of dwarf baby tears.

Any suggestions are appreciated, preferably something that's fine on its own or is small enough to warrant a pair, is peaceful, and colorful.

Thank you.

 

[Nordic]

You have way too few of too many social fishes that like to live in large numbers. (the leopard and zebra danios are just colour variants of the same fish at least)
I would reduce the number of species and increase the numbers of the fish you keep.

 

[FuzzyCrawdad]

I'd had more tetras, twice the number, with no danios. They were tearing each other up until I split the group in half, then each quartet calmed down. I like my skirts too much to get rid of them, but I was thinking about adding more zebras to balance out the school of danios.

Would I be able to do that and still add a showpiece? Or should I save the showpiece until I have them in a larger tank?

 

[Nordic]

You could probably get away with a smallish gourami, but the tetras might nip fins.
I used to keep tonnes of black skirts and never had problems with them.

As I get older my ideas on things have changed a bit. I wouldn't keep tetras and danios together for instance.
Also you have very active and small ditherfish, make sure your centrepiece won't eat them, or be upset by their constant chasing.

 

[sevendust111]

You are having less aggression with fewer tetras? Doesn't really make sense. If you are dead set on your skirts I would do this...
6 skirts
6 zebras
6 leopards

A little over stocked but if you have good filtration and plant mass you should be ok.. Personally I would just do 12-14 leopards and one centerpiece fish like a honey gourami.