# 20 gallon stock help- amazon biotope



## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Hi all. I'm going to be setting up a 20long soon and I'm working on the stocking list. 

As stated in the title, it's going to be an amazon biotope. So the fish have to be from that area. 

The focal-fish will be a breeding ( hopefully) pair of GBRs. That's all the fish I have lined up so far. I was thinking of maybe a bn pleco. But idk if they'd eat the eggs. 

Please help me fill out the rest of the stocking! 

Ps. If anyone knows of some good plants that are native to the region, please let me know! Especially for a ground cover


You can call me Bob


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## StygianSteel (Apr 2, 2010)

BN Plecos are good for algae control and scavenging. Not sure about the eggs, but I will say my Bristlenose tends to be a bit territorial... especially with my Bolivian Ram (also in a 20 gallon). Might disturb them a bit. I'd consider Otocinclus for this tank.

On the note of plants... Dwarf Sagittaria would be nice and is native to South America. If you want floating plants Salivinia Minima also springs to mind.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Not to burst your bubble. But I've had it with dwarf sag. I can't stand that plant haha! Thanks for the info about the pleco. Are Otis from the amazon?


You can call me Bob


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## StygianSteel (Apr 2, 2010)

orchidman said:


> Not to burst your bubble. But I've had it with dwarf sag. I can't stand that plant haha! Thanks for the info about the pleco. Are Otis from the amazon?
> 
> 
> You can call me Bob


Haha no worries. It has a nice grassy look imo and is very undemanding. I personally like it, but tastes may vary 

According to seriouslyfish they're endemic to parts of the upper amazon in Peru. I see them pretty commonly used in amazon biotopes (maybe the most popular of biotopes).

PS you could also do Echinodorus tenellus for ground cover


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

For ground covet, I was thinking something that would make more of a "turf" look. Sag hasnt done that for me. I have dwarf sag in my tank now. It's easy to care for. But a pain to plant. Because I have fat fingers. I'll probably have to get tweezers. I'm planning on doing some kind of carpet turf plant. An I'll start with dsm. 

Is blixa native to the region? 

Anymore fish? Maybe some shoalers. It will be rimless, so no cover. Or else I'd try hatchet fish ( not sure if they are native but I would change I for them)


You can call me Bob


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## warhead_71 (Mar 7, 2011)

You need a top on your aquarium (or floating plant-cover) with hatchet fish... they love to jump. I had a half-dozen of the "common" marbled ones once and over the course of a month every one of them jumped to their death... even with a full covering of duckweed. Frankly, I didn't find them that interesting anyways... they just sit still near the top and don't school or swim around much. I think they are ambush eaters, waiting for flies and mosquitoes and such. Also, they get ich pretty easily.

For a carpet, why not try HC?


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

That's why I said IF I wasn't going rimless I'd get hatchets. 

I'm only planning on diy co2. And lighting as high as I can with that co2 level. Would hc work with that?


You can call me Bob


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## Budget aquarist (Feb 1, 2011)

i HATE hc, well i like the look, but it is a pain to grow. i tried it in my 29 planted it had 2 wpg, diy co2, ghetto planting substrate (inert with 2+ years of mulm and and buried dead fish (not like now but when it first started- used that for cycling , it works quite well). it just sat there and died.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Oh? I'll be using mg organic capped with shultz aquatic plant soil. 

Maybe Marsilea quadrifolia? Idk if it's native though. The Marsilea won't give me a tied look. But it will carpet. 

Idk about my conditions for it. 


What do gbr eat?


You can call me Bob


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

I have 2 20L setups with new world fish:

Here is the Layout for both:

Tank1
Apistogramma Breeding Pair
5 Neon Tetras
4 Ottos

Tank2
Apistogramma breeding trio
5 Black Neon Tetras
5 ottos


The plants in my tank aren't bio-type specific. I use whatever plants I want to achieve the desired look of the biotype. Also I only keep New world fish so if you have other questions regarding those bio-types please let me know.


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## StygianSteel (Apr 2, 2010)

orchidman said:


> Anymore fish? Maybe some shoalers. It will be rimless, so no cover. Or else I'd try hatchet fish ( not sure if they are native but I would change I for them)
> 
> 
> You can call me Bob


A lot of the South American Tetras can be found in the Amazon. I know that glow lights, head & tail lights, neons, cardinals, and rummynoses are all present. Various species of Corys are also present in the Amazon.


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## StygianSteel (Apr 2, 2010)

orchidman said:


> What do gbr eat?
> 
> 
> You can call me Bob


I feel my Bolivian (highly comparable) on hikari cichlid gold and a bit of hikari algae wafer for some ruffage. They tend to like meaty bottom feeder foods, but they are omnivores.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Thanks guys. 

Ento- what would you stock the tank with? Would harlequin rashness be okay. Though I heard they jump. Are honeycomb catfish from the amazon? Would they be suitable? Maybe some small cories. And definitely otos


You can call me Bob


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## Old Salt (Aug 11, 2009)

You might try some Serape Tetras - they tend to stick together, at least the 5 I have do. If you are in to live bearers you have mollies, swordtails, endlers, guppies, platties to choose from to name but a few.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

How big are they. Would a school fit in a 20 long?


You can call me Bob


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## Old Salt (Aug 11, 2009)

Serape Tetra go about 1 1/2 inches long when mature.


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

Is this tank Rimless? The reason I use the tetras I listed above is because they are smaller and tend to be quick enough to avoid 'breeding aggression' (if you could even call it that) from the apistos. Plus they have small mouths so after a month or so the Apisto fry are to large for them to eat (or at least, they loose interest)


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

thats a good idea! maybe i will go with one you suggested. the tank is rimless. anyone know about harlequin rasboras? i like them


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## PelicanFarts (Mar 1, 2011)

I have five harlequin rasboras with a lidless (plastic rim but no top) 29g tall for about a month now and non have jumped out. They share the tank with an otto, four platies, two mollies (and 6 fry), a clown pleco, and a handful of shrimp (4 cherries and 2 CRSs).

They are a beautiful and interesting schooling fish. When I start a new tank I think I will use them and CRSs only.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

hmmm. ill consider them. they are really nice 

im excited about this tank.


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## PelicanFarts (Mar 1, 2011)

Edit: Double post for some reason


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

orchidman said:


> thats a good idea! maybe i will go with one you suggested. the tank is rimless. anyone know about harlequin rasboras? i like them


Harlequin Rasboras are just like Neons IMO. however they are not from SA/CA, so if you are sticking to a true biotype they wouldnt be found in the amazon or even close to it


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Darn! Maybe I'll do cardinals. I can potentially get them from the same place as I'm getting the GBRs. Is $2 a good price? How big of a school should I get? 


Any other ideas for fish. Maybe something for the bottom. Maybe somekind of catfish. 


You can call me Bob


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

Cardinals at 2$ is good price. They are a lot like Neons, just a little harder to keep alive, but I have harder water here so that might play into the factor.


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

nannobrycon eques or nannostomus marginatus+ Apistos (my preference to rams)+ otocinclus=sexy tank


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

I like the nannostomus marginatus. But I'm not sure if they are colorful enough to be seen in the tank. But I've only ever seen pics. Do you think they are colorful enough to stand out? Do they school or shoal? Are they native to the region?

I personally like GBRs better. Idk why but both are great. Eventually I'd like to have both. But , assuming I can get GBRs, I'll go with them or this tank. 


You can call me Bob


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

What do you think of 

X- nannostomus marginatus
X-Otos
X - corys OR homeycombes
2-GBRs ( pair )

If it says x before the fish, that means I'd like a recommendation for a number. Do you think I could have one albino bn pleco? 


You can call me Bob


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

bump


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## agimlin (Sep 25, 2010)

i would stay away from the bn just because of bio-load. they will do the same thing as the otos and corys as far as algae and scavanging. i have an albino female in my 20h and she is very destructive, loves to eat my amazon sword, red mellon sword, and micro sword. i think they like swords lol. im gettin rid of her and replacing with otos for this very reason.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

okay, i think ill go with otos then... any idea with the numbers for a stocking list?


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## Elliot (Oct 3, 2010)

EDIT: I think two otos for every 10 gallons is the nomal way to stock them.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

i meant numbers for the nannostomus, otos, and cories/honeycombs


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## Elliot (Oct 3, 2010)

See post. I edited it.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

only two otos? i thought more than that would be better. because i was advised to put 3-4 in my 10 gallon. i was thinking maybe 4-6 otos. would that be okay? 
any ideas for the pencilfish ( nannostomus ) and the cats?


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## agimlin (Sep 25, 2010)

you should be good with 6 otos. they are a schooling fish so the more you have the more comfortable they will be. and im pretty sure bio-load is fairly low considering there diet.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

okay, so 6 otos. how many cats and pencilfish?


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