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With that out of the way. We decided to look at some of the best fish for a 20-gallon fish tank to help stock the perfect tank. Of the many fish we’ve included in the list, these are the best fish for a 20-gallon tank we could find:
Alright, let’s get started: If you’re going to be setting up and stocking a 20-gallon aquarium, you may be asking a few of the following questions:
Overall a 20-gallon tank is a small size tank, so you’ll want to be careful with how many and the types of fish you keep. If you’re still wondering what you should do? Good news! Below we will answer all these questions and even show you some other tiny things that you can fit comfortably in your 20-gallon tank. Let’s begin. Contents
Infographic – Best Freshwater Fish For A 20 Gallon Fish Tank Question #1 How many fish can you keep in a 20-gallon tank?Ah, yup, this question again! And if I’m honest, it depends! Seriously though, how many fish can you put in a 20-gallon tank? A general rule of thumb is you should try to aim for one small fish per gallon of water, and by “small” fish, I mean Tetra-sized fish. It equates to approximately 1 inch of fish per gallon. But it’s not always that easy; you can see my thoughts on that here to see what I think. You should be able to fit about 15-20 small fish in your tank at first, and as the tank matures and you get better at fish keeping. After that, you can maybe keep 20-25 if you don’t mind some work. However, most beginners do this; they buy a 20-gallon tank and fill it with a few fish without doing a little bit of research. But you’re not like most people, and you at least asked the question, so good on you. The problem most beginners don’t realize is that you need to consider a few things like;
For example, larger species of Goldfish can grow up to 6″ in size in less than a year. Can you see a huge 6″ Goldfish living comfortably in a 20-gallon tank? Maybe, but it’s getting cramped What if you could find a few examples of fish you could put in your 20-gallon tank? Well, you’re in luck; that’s what I’ve prepared below. Further Reading: Best freshwater aquarium fish Question #2 What are the best fish for a 20-gallon tank?Below are a few tropical fish species that would make a great addition?
To help, we’ve split them into a few groups:
Schooling fish
Aggressive fish
Big fish
Hopefully, that was helpful, but if that list wasn’t BIG enough for? No worries, Cory shares some of his BEST Ideas for your 20 Gallon Aquarium in the video below. Question #3 What Are Some Good 20 Gallon stocking ideasHere is the most extensive stocking list for a 20-gallon tank that I could create. There are 40 fish you can pick from. Tetras:
Rasbora:
Platies:
Female & Male Guppies:
Cichlids:
Gourami:
Cory Catfish:
Shrimp:
Misc:
If none of the above species are what you’re looking for in terms of fish, well, too bad, that was a lot of work, and maybe you need a larger tank. Or you can check out one of these articles for more ideas:
That said, a larger tank is easier to maintain and will allow you to keep a more extensive selection of fish. Centerpiece Fish IdeasHaving a community tank is excellent, but every tank should have that one fish that makes everything come together, that one fish that makes your guest say wow. These are called centerpiece fish, and if you need a few more ideas, check out our article about the best centerpiece fish for a 20-gallon tank. Lastly, if you still need more ideas, here is another excellent video from Aquarium CoOp, where he shares a few FUN Ideas for your 20-gallon Fish Tank. What Are Some Good Fish Combinations For A 20 Gallon Tank?When stocking your 20-gallon tank, it’s good to try to have one or two larger “Centerpiece” fish and fill in the rest with a school of smaller fish and a few peaceful bottom dwellers like shrimp or catfish. It’s really up to you! Here are a few suggestions you can try: Combo-One: The Betta Tank
Combo-Two: The Ram Tank
Combo-Three: The Gourami Tank
Lastly, if you’re a beginner, you could try setting up a low-tech planted tank with a few live aquatic plants. This will help keep the water quality in check and prevent spiking. Some great beginner plants are;
In a 20-gallon tank, try;
Overall, a twenty-gallon tank is ideal for a beginner to start a small community tank! And always remember, It’s important to understand the nitrogen cycle and how to maintain healthy water conditions for your fish. Question #4 What is the biggest fish you can put in a 20-gallon tank?On average, a 20-gallon tank is approx 24 – 30″ long and about 12″ wide, depending on if you have a standard or long tank. Knowing this, if you have fish that is 6″ long when they reach adult size, then it only has 18″ to swim back and forth and will only have 6″ in tank width to turn around. So effectively, your 20 gallon is now only 18 “x6”. That’s about the size of a shoebox, with not much room. Personally, the biggest fish I would keep in a 20-gallon would be about 3-4″ full-grown. Question #5 Can Goldfish live in a 20-gallon tank?You’ll notice that the Goldfish was not one of them out of all the fish I listed above. Therefore, the smallest tank size you should keep a goldfish is a 20-gallon tank. That said, that would be the smallest, and I wouldn’t recommend doing the minimum. Seriously, they poop a lot and grow way too big, don’t do it! Seriously don’t. Question #6 How many tetras can I put in a 20-gallon tank?When determining how many fish you can keep in any size tank, one of the most common rules is the one inch of fish per gallon rule. Using this rule, you would be able to keep about 20 small tetras in your 20-gallon aquarium. While this is a good starting point and might work for much smaller community fish such as tetras, it shouldn’t be applied to larger and messier fish like Oscars, Cichlids, and Goldfish. Other methods to determine stocking levels include;
All these methods have their flaws when considering large fish, messy fish, or fish with particular needs. The best thing to do is to understand each fish you intend to keep in your 20-gallon tank and their specific needs, where they are from, and if your tank has filtration, live plants, and any other fish. Question #7 What other animals can live in a 20-gallon tank?While fish are likely the most popular fish you can keep in a 20-gallon tank, there are a variety of mammals, snakes, lizards, and amphibians that you could stay in a 20-gallon tank. For more information, check out this article about other animals that can live in a 20-gallon tank. Here are a few more articles you will find helpful when looking at stocking some smaller-sized tanks.
Jack has spent the last 10 years writing online about fish and aquariums. He has more than 30 years of experience as an aquarist and fishkeeper.He is an expert in setting up new tanks, breeding, maintaining, and keeping planted freshwater habitats. Jack is currently interested in marine biology, and veterinary science.His goal is to help beginners avoid the biggest mistakes when getting started. If you find something helpful please share it on your favorite social network. If you need help with anything send Jack a question. You can also find Jack writing for Backyardalpha.com How many fish can you stock in a 20 gallon tank?You can, theoretically, keep twenty 1-inch fish, or ten 2-inch fish, in a 20-gallon tank. This stocking strategy follows the 1 inch of fish per gallon of water rule.
What animals can live in a 20 gallon high tank?I've researched nine reptiles that can happily live in a 20-gallon tank:. Western Hognose Snake.. Crested Gecko.. Leopard Gecko.. California Kingsnake.. Gargoyle Gecko.. Kenyan Sand Boa.. Pygmy Chameleon.. Mourning Gecko.. |
20-gallon high fish tank stocking ideas
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