# Newly set up 20 gal. Need some advice and guidance.



## Chris_hettervig (Jul 18, 2011)

I have a 20 gallon that i set up about a week ago. I put a dozen feeder goldfish in a few days in to get it ready. Ive lost 5 so far. Is this a good way to get the cycle going to get it ready for fish? I figure when they stop dieing off il do all the water tests before i add fish. 

Also, im thinkning of putting an oscar, couple bala sharks, a dragon goby and a pleco in there. Would these fish do well together?


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## Pigeonfish (Jun 23, 2011)

Chris_hettervig said:


> I have a 20 gallon that i set up about a week ago. I put a dozen feeder goldfish in a few days in to get it ready. Ive lost 5 so far. Is this a good way to get the cycle going to get it ready for fish? I figure when they stop dieing off il do all the water tests before i add fish.
> 
> Also, im thinkning of putting an oscar, couple bala sharks, a dragon goby and a pleco in there. Would these fish do well together?


AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor


You should get one betta. _*Or*_ a few platys and mollys. Can't keep a betta with Platys and Mollys. Everything you mentioned is terrible for a 20g freshwater set up.

Edit: I wouldn't keep the feeder goldfish either. Give them back to the pet store, maybe you can get some store credit or trade them in for a betta.


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## Chris_hettervig (Jul 18, 2011)

just not enough room for those fish? would they do well together tho if it were a bigger tank with plenty of plants and caves?


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## Pigeonfish (Jun 23, 2011)

Chris_hettervig said:


> just not enough room for those fish? would they do well together tho if it were a bigger tank with plenty of plants and caves?


Since the Oscar is so large, I wouldn't suggest getting it. You should try a Convict Cichlid instead.

5 Bala Sharks with a Convict Cichlid in a 75 gallon should be fine, you should also make sure to try to find a Bristlenose Pleco, and not a Common Pleco since the Bristlenose stay a lot smaller. You still need driftwood for it though.

As for plants, you can keep a a few Amazon Swords and Java ferns, other plants will probably be destroyed by the Convict. Lots of caves and hiding places would be nice the Convict.


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## PapaM (Jul 10, 2011)

Start with 2 or 3 danios, max. Then wait 3 or 4 weeks. Test after that and if ammonia & nitrites are 0, then slowly add more fish.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

I for one am not ok with killing fish to add more fish, but aside from that point, feeder goldies are comet goldfish, which are basically koi, and they get BIG.

Look up fishless cycling on here to avoid killing anything else, if you feel like it.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

It's been said already, Bala sharks will not fit in a 20g. They are schooling fish and need a reeeeally big tank! Oscars get huge too! My parents had a pair of them when I was a kid, and they were the size of dinner plates! BIG fish!

And, as has already been mentioned, a Bristle nose pleco would be better because they usually max out at about 3-4 inches. 

Good luck with your tank!


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## Chris_hettervig (Jul 18, 2011)

bala sharks may need a bigger tank, but from what i know fish grow to the size of their tank. A friend of mine had 3 of them in a 25 gallon for 2, 3 years. they didnt get overly big and did just fine, swam around happily died when they were moved to a bigger tank. something was wrong with the water. I wanted to get an oscar and was looking for good tank mates for it but now i see that probly wudnt b a good idea, even tho theyd probably be moved into a 55 gallon in a year or 2


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## Chris_hettervig (Jul 18, 2011)

thanks everyone for ur input, anything helps.


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## Pigeonfish (Jun 23, 2011)

Chris_hettervig said:


> bala sharks may need a bigger tank, but from what i know fish grow to the size of their tank.


Some guy at the Walmart Pet Section came up with this lie... (lol)

Fish will become stunted, their organ growth will be deformed, they will be in pain and die faster than they should. They do not grow to the size of their tank because they die quicker. You will be torturing a creature that needs a much bigger space. Take a look at my sig... *r2


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## LariM78 (Nov 2, 2010)

Fish don't grow to the size of the tank, that is one of the biggest myths in the aquarium hobby. A friend of mine put two bala sharks into 50 litre tank a year ago and they were still quite small, a year later they have outgrown the tank, he needs to move them to another tank quickly. Balas are active schooling fish and grow quickly so they need lots of space, oscars are aggressive and will probably eat the other fish. I recommend that you do some research before you decide which fish to get, there's lots of information on the Internet, just google "tropical fish compatibility" or something like that and you should find lots of info resources.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

There is some truth to that myth. I have seen a small group of Swordtails that were born the same time and seen how fast they grow in a 75g vs a 125g. Smaller tanks do stunt their growth. I have read in more than one place about people growing a female Guppy in a small jar and that same Guppy have babies that were less than half the size of normal babies and then growing no more than a half inch long. It may not affect all fish the same, but it is not all myth either.


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## Chris_hettervig (Jul 18, 2011)

well im thinking im gonna start out with some neon tetras and probly going to add some african dwarf frogs, along with the 3 Kuhli loaches i have. Is there any specifc pumps u guys recommend? I have the little one from my 5 gallon in there for now, planning on buying a different one this weekend. I was thinking the penguin biowheel 150. And also, i have 3 bubblestones running in there, can u have too much? I think that may be a little overkill


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## LariM78 (Nov 2, 2010)

Here's a good link for checking compatibility of fish species.
Tropical Fish and Aquariums Compatibility Match


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## HeyManItsMeMatt (Aug 3, 2011)

Very nice link. Don't know if I totally agree with all the pairings but still fun to play with. 

As far as the fish grow to their tank size myth, I think it has a lot more to do with water quality and a larger tank generally providing a more stable and healthy growing environment. A fish in a smaller tank will reach a certain size, start destroying its water quality with its increased waste, and stunt itself with its own poop. A fish in a large, properly sized tank, will continue to grow with a lesser effect on its water quality and grow larger for longer.


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## Future Marine Biologist (Aug 24, 2011)

That is a terrible way to weather your tank. 
FEEDER GOLDFISH ARE NOT DISPOSABLE.
Also a 20G is not a big enough tank for those fish.


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