Wanting to try other fish maybe goldfish?

[thekoimaiden]

Ya. Having nitrates in your tap water at all is going to make keeping goldfish rather hard. I have no nitrates in my water and I struggled to keep it under 40 ppm in my goldfish tank without plants. I think you made the right choice about waiting.

For a 20 gal with a king betta, I'd go with a school of 10 tetra or rasbora and a school of cory cats for the bottom. Sand is best for the little cories. Some fish to look at are von rio tetra, X-ray tetra, harlequin rasbora, and cherry barbs. You've got a whole host of corydoras to choose from as really any will do in your soft water.

[a123andpoof]

Okay thanks! I may do that I know kinzoku would love an upgrade from his 5g my only problem is that he wouldnt be right next to my bed, but I suppose his happiness is more important.
I have always liked the neon tetras and I think they would compliment him just not sure how he would like them...he is pretty aggressive so dont want anything he could eat.

[thekoimaiden]

Ya. Neons could easily become a meal for a king betta. X-ray tetra are pretty bland, and they get larger than neons. Those would be a good mix.

Or you could just get a school of substrate fish and let your king rule the upper parts.

[homegrown terror]

Originally Posted by a123andpoof

Wonder if I could fit a 30g in the space I am looking at.

I am looking at the shubunkin goldfish, and telescope eye ones or really just any that come in a calico coloring. But more so the shubunkin how would they do in a 30-35g? And would that be just 1 fish or 2? And could anything else such as like a bottom feeder or something also go in there?

long-body goldfish like shubunkins should never be kept in a tank with round-body goldfish. they are much faster swimmers, and will bully the rounder, slower ones out of their meals, and lead to some very overgrown shubes and underfed, starving tankmates.