I have an Arulius Barb how many other fish can I put in my 20 gallon tank?

Question

I currently have just one Arulius Barb she it just about an inch right now and I have her in a 5 gallon tank until I can get something larger. I'm looking into buying an 18-20 gallon tank. I know the 1 inch 1 gallon rule but I was hoping to get more experienced Aquarists opinions. I would like to get a Pleco for one thing but after this how many fish do you think I could keep not being sure of my fish’s full size yet?

Answer 1

The common plec sold in most stores will easily get a foot long when he reaches his full size, and will need a bigger tank - ideally a 55 or larger. It won't reach adult size for a while, but you should always stock your tank with adult size in mind.

As for what you can stock your tank with, that depends on the power of the filter you plan on getting. The more filtration you have, the easier it is to overstock past the '1 gallon per 1 inch' rule which is mainly garbage anyway. If you plan on getting a 20 gallon tank, look into purchasing a filter for a 50 or 55 gallon.

Arulius barbs get about 4.5 inches at adulthood maybe a little larger, and they can be nippish like most barbs but for the most part are very peaceful. If you plan on getting other Arulius barbs (which you should consider - they school beautifully when comfortable) you should give each fish about 3 or 4 gallons to itself, allowing you to have 5 to 6 of them, with a little room for cleaners (snails, shrimp).

If you want a school of something else, I would suggest two or three more Arulius and a small school (4) Corydoras catfish for bottom level interest, or a school (5 or 6) of Harlequin Rasboras which are easier to take care of that the more popular tetra and provide a flashy active addition.

Remember to cycle your tank, add fish gradually and monitor your parameters (ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate) carefully. Also, choosing a more natural substrate (sand, unpainted pebble gravel, carefully washed river rocks) will make everyone more comfortable and look a good deal more attractive

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