Ideas for a 20g freshwater/tropical tank

[ChuffMuffin]

Hi guys! Never posted on here before, ooh it's all exciting

I've got a 20G (uk)/25g (us) tall tank that I'm going to start cycling soon, but I have absolutely no idea what to put in the flipping thing. I have a 40g Fluval U3 internal filter.

I would love a betta, but I would like something interesting to go with it, not a fan of tetras etc, I like guppies but they would get murdered by a betta.

I love guppies but if I buy some they will quadruple in population size before I know it, same for mollies and swords.

I like angels but tank isn't really big enough for two.

I'd love a pair of blackmoors but again, tank isn't big enough for two goldfish and I don't want to keep one on it's own, seems mean!

Anyone have any ideas? :)

[EauRouge]

Ooh, lucky you planning a new tank!

What's your water like? if it's extreme one way or the other then that might rule out a few things.

Bettas can be tricky in community set ups, you'd prob be best with some small loaches or corys but it might be a bit boring.

If you like guppies, how about a male only shoal? Or there are some unusual tetras if you don't like neons.

[ChuffMuffin]

I've had the tank for a few months.. I managed to get it off ebay for £30. It's a nice tall vintage wood/glass one, and when I went to pick it up it had a cabinet stand with it, with a big fluval canister filter and a brand new thermometer! Bargain of the year!

The water round here is HARD. Like, when you run the hot tap it's cloudy. But the cold tap is ok, don't know what the pH is, will have to test.

Someone suggested a Paradise/Labryinth fish today, and that he could live quite happily on his own in my tank, but my question is would he be lonely? Maybe I'm being a dafty but seems a bit mean keeping a fish on it's own, even though I know Paradise fish are aggressive

The male only guppy shoal is something I hadn't though of... or male endlers, they are very pretty and a change to guppies :)

[EauRouge]

Paradise fish are the least appropriately named fish ever, they should be called bastard fish. He wouldn't be lonely, you could bung in a few pretty little nerite snails if you wanted something else in there. They have amazing colours once they are settled in, they always look a bit washed out in fish shops.

Endlers are a good alternative to guppies, they are less inbred so shouldn't be as delicate.

Once you've tested the pH, you'll have a better idea but a paradise fish or endlers should both be fine in hard, alkaline water provided the pH isn't something really silly like 9.