Starting out with a 20-30 gallon tank is an excellent choice. The cost of purchasing a smaller sized tank will be much less, and you will have plenty of places around the house where a smaller tank will fit nicely. Purchasing the necessary equipment and supplies for a 20-30 gallon tank will also put a much smaller dent in your wallet.
Now that you’ve picked out your favorite tank location and your aquarium is up and running, the only thing left to do is to stock it with fish. This is an exciting time as you research and make trips to your local fish store in an effort to come up with the perfect livestock for your new aquarium project. In this article, we present to you 10 great ideas for aquariums sized 10-20 gallons…
10. Celestial Pearl Danio
This is the first entry on our list of a fish with “Pearl” in it’s name. We’ll get to the other one shortly. The Celestial Pearl Danio goes by several names. It’s scientific name is Danio Margaritatus. It is also commonly known as the Galaxy rasbora or CPD for short. Due to their “nano” size, CPD’s will do wonderful in a community tank with peaceful fish of a similar size. These popular fish have beautiful golden spots and stunning red-orange fins. Due to their smaller size, these fish love to school in groups of six or more and thrive in a planted tank.
9. American Flagfish
The American Flagfish’s scientific name is Jordanella floridae. It is commonly referred to as the Florida Flagfish. This spangled fish is aptly named for it’s pattern that resembles the “stars and stripes” of the United States flag. Although diminutive in size at 2.5 inches (6 cm), this flagfish is a voracious algae eater. They can often be seen ripping and tearing algae growth, which makes them excellent addition to your cleanup crew.
8. Tiger Barb
Tiger Barbs are quite famous in the aquarium hobby and easily identified by their black and orange stripes. These fish tend to be very active and one of the most entertaining fish in a tank to observe. Although Tiger Barbs can get nippy at times, keeping them in a school of six or more should all but eliminate that behavior. They are omnivorous and can be fed a steady diet of flake supplemented with frozen meaty foods such as bloodworms and brine shrimp. This will keep them super healthy and happy. Tiger Barbs will feel most at home in a planted tank.
7. Kuhli Loach
Loaches are from the family Cobitidae, tend to be elongated, and the Kuhli Loach is no exception These eel-like fish come in a few different color variations, but everybody seems to love the zebra striped Kuhli Loach. These shy nocturnal fish are peaceful bottom feeders and are best kept in groups of three to six. Feed them a high quality sinking pellet and supplement with frozen bloodworms and your Kuhli Loaches will thrive.
6. Red Cherry Shrimp
Neocaridina davidi are better known as Red Cherry Shrimp. The bright red color variations on these shrimp make them extremely popular among aquarium hobbyists. Known for their ease of care and propensity to breed in captivity, it’s no wonder fishkeepers the world over love them. These shrimp will act as a clean up crew, scavenging on leftover fish food that makes it to the bottom, as well as nuisance algae. Make sure your aquarium water is clean with plenty of calcium and minerals and you will be rewarded with an abundance of dwarf shrimp fry.
5. Corydoras Catfish
One of our favorite “cleanup crew” fish is the Corydoras Catfish. Commonly known as Cory catfish, these peaceful bottom feeders typically grow one to three inches in length. These fascinating catfish comprise approximately 160 different species and most will do best when in schools of six or more. These catfish will roam around the bottom of the tank and mop up any stray food particles missed by other fish in the water column above. Scavenging will not be enough to sustain a school of Cory catfish, so a high quality sinking pellet is a must. High water quality and proper nutrition will set the backdrop for many enjoyable hours of viewing these adorable catfish.
4. Apistogramma
Apistogramma come from the family Cichlidae and are found in regions throughout South America. Apistogramma can be semi-aggressive at times, so a species-only setup can be a great alternative. They will tolerate tank mates, so do your proper research when adding fish of a different species. A few fish Apistos are known to tolerate include some types of Tetras, certain Rasbora, Pencilfish, Pygmy Corydoras, Bristlenose Plecos and Otocinclus Catfish. The list is Apistogramma tank mates is assuredly longer, but that’s a good starting point. Apistos will breed readily with plenty of feeding and a cave structure or coconut hut. The mother will even care for her young fry until three to four weeks of age.
3. German Blue Ram
The German Blue Ram’s scientific name is Mikrogeophagus ramirezi. These stunningly beautiful dwarf cichlid come are native to the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela and Colombia. The term “German Blue” refers to their color pattern and not to their country of origin. Commonly known as ram cichlids, these amazing dwarf cichlids prefer higher tank temperatures and soft acidic water. You’ll want to strive for a temp of 80-84°F, a pH of 6.0-7.5 and a water hardness of 50-100ppm. Females have blue spangles within their black spot, a shorter dorsal fin and a pinkish hue to their belly. Males will be larger than the females with longer dorsal fins and the black spot absent of blue spangles. Achieving proper nutrition and tank conditions will lead to successful breeding.
2. Pearl Gourami
Gouramis come from the families Anabantidae, Osphronemidae and Helostomatidae and are unique in the fact that they have specialized anatomy in the form of a labyrinth organ that allows them to gulp air at the surface. This natural adaptation allows them to survive in water that is shallow, stagnant and deprived of adequate oxygen. These beauties grow in size to about 2-2.5 inches in length and have a black lateral line and “pearl” spotting on the body and fins. The ventral fins are elongated and give the appearance of feelers.
1. Peacock Gudgeon
Tateurndina ocellicauda is commonly referred to as the Peacock Gudgeon. This amazingly beautiful fish is often referred to as a Peacock Goby but comes from the family Eleotridae and are the sole member of the genus Tateurndina. These fish are extremely colorful with silvery blue bodies, dotted red stripes and yellow margins on the fins. These fish are mostly peaceful, but may prey on dwarf sized shrimp (especially shrimp fry). Peacock Gudgeon thrive in a planted tank with aquascaping that provides plenty of hiding spots. These fish prefer high protein foods like brine shrimp, bloodworms and daphnia, but will also accept a high quality flake food. Tateurndina ocellicauda tends to be a jumper, so make sure you have an adequate tank lid. Another option is to lower the water level 2-3 inches from the top of the tank if a tank lid is not feasible.
This concludes our article on 10 great stocking ideas for aquariums sized 20-30 gallons. How did we do with our livestock list? What fish would you choose differently and why? Drop your comments below and lets discuss it. Take care and thanks for stopping by…