Upgrading from 10g to 20g

[Ripley]

So, yay! I'm shipping one of my boyfriend's tanks back from Newfoundland when we come back - a 20 gallon. So I'm going to replace my 10 with the 20. I'm pretty excited! Free tank!

Anyway, I know my 10 gallon is basically overstocked as it is, but I'm wondering what I could maybe add to the 20 (I think the larger one would look a bit bare without some other fish in it).

What is definitely moving from my 10 to the new 20:
- 3 Honey Gourami's
- 2 Sunset Honey Gourami's
- 1 Female Guppy
- 1 Oil Catfish (until the boyfriend gets a tank set up for him)
- 2 Panda Cories

I've had other panda cories, but they all seem to die very shortly after getting them (these two are tough fish!), but I'm thinking I should add maybe another 4 cories. And I'd like to add a male guppy too (the female is in there to provide food [her babies] for the oil catfish). So would that about stock the new tank, or would there be room for a smaller schooling-type fish?

Thoughts are welcome!

[fishbguy]

i would deff. get more cories. i would also get rid of some gouramis. i would say that three of them are fine for the 20. the guppy won't be prodcing babies till there's a male. true, they can store sperm but it eventually runsout and they need a male again. once you get a male guppy, ditch some gouramis and the cat, you will have more room for panda cories. the reason they died might be because the tank is overstocked. if i were ou, i woul skip on the guppies and get some small tetras for the middle of the tank. gouramis and guppies both hang in the upper regions of the tank and the cats on the bottom. tetras would school in the middle, thuis making the tank look full. then, you would be stocked.

[Ripley]

The guppy will probably be going along with the oil catfish once the boyfriend sets up his tank, but while they're in my tank, I wouldn't mind a flashy male to look at.

I won't be getting rid of any of my gourami's - they are my favourite fish, and they are getting along just fine in their current space, so with even more they are going to quite enjoy it.

Any suggestions on what tetras to consider? Or does it come down to personal preference?

[fishbguy]

isit a 20 long or a 20 tall? longs can hold ore fish than talls because there's more surface area for gas exchange. I would first get like 3 more cories before the tetras because they are very social. 2 isn't enough. for tetras, i would suggest that you get black neons, pristella/x-ray, or the like. personally, i don't like neons. glolights will work as will cardinals. it is really personal peference but because ther are so many gouramis, you tank is petty much stocked, so what i would do is get a few small tetras, neons, cardinals, or glolights. 6 should be good. stay away from the larger tetras like head and tail light, yellow banded, black widow, serpae, black phantom, bleeding heart, etc. they will be fine in the 20 if they were with other larger fissh, but beause your tank is so stocked, you want small fish that won't nip at the gourami's fins.

make sure you have a good filter on the tank as you will have a high bio-load. try to get something that pumps about 200 gallons per hour. o rated for 40 or higher gallons. my personal favorites are the marineland penguin bio-wheel hob filters. the bio-wheel gives a place where extra bacteria can grow so it keeps the tank in better shape. i have the penguin 100 on my 10 gallon and i love it. the lid has a noise reducer on it and it really works. i can't even hear it at night when i'm trying to go to bed. i would also put a small sponge filter in it just for kicks. (i should prolly put one on my 20 gallon...it's wy over stocked...lol) i like the topfin brand of filters too but it's too noisy. and their's no bio-wheel.