# 20 gallon community tank stocking



## Thor (10 mo ago)

Hi there, I have a 20 gallon planted tank and ready for stocking. I’m thinking of stocking it with 6 zebra danios, 7 harlequin rasboras, 5 guppies and one female betta with a group of Cory catfish.
Would this be too much?


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## Jimmurphy53 (Feb 9, 2017)

I suggest you start slow with guppies and corys to ensure tank is stable. BTW, I am selling both types of these fish for a fraction of their retail cost. Jim


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## TOtrees (Sep 21, 2017)

Go with 1 group at a time, with a long time between groups. One thing I’ve really taken to heart over the past few years is that what’s right for any given tank can’t be known right from the start, so you need to be prepared to be flexible on what goes into it. And change it up if it’s not working. 
It’s great that you have a plan, and you might end up getting there or most of the way there, but really really really take your time along the way.
One problem I think you might run into with your list is the danios. They are just so much faster and greedier than any of the other fish or groups. Take those out of the mix, and I think you have a decent set up. 
Personally, I would use snails as a cleanup crew until the tank matures a bit before you add any cories. If you’re new to the hobby, you will almost certainly overfeed your tank in the early times. That will cause snails to explode, but that can be resolved with assassin snails down the road. Snails can be a really good indicator of that overfeeding.
I’d start with the guppies and rasboras for 1-2 months, and see how that goes. 
i’d also recommend that you think about what alternatives you’d be happy with for each species if you can’t find what you’re looking for in good health and at the right price wherever you shop. In other words, don’t be so tied to a species selection that you end up buying poor sick or expensive fish because that’s the only thing you’re looking for. Some of the best (most rewarding) fish that I have in my little fish room are there because I happened to see great quality fish at a good size and price when I wasn’t even looking for them.
Good luck!


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