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well i decided i would just upgrade from a 10 gal to a 15 since i could still use my same filter and lights. the fish store didn't have a 15 gallon so i decided to go with a 20 long :88) . my submerged filter says it supports up to a 20 gallon, so thats good. the only problem is that my compact fluorescent setup doesn't have enough wattage. so im getting a glass top and then the fish store is ordering a double strip light. if i went with a regular 20, i could only get 1 18" bulb and they only had those in 15 watt. since i got a long i can get 2 24" and they have those in 20 watt, so i'll have 40 watts over it and a wpg of 2....( with my 10 gallon i had 2.8 wpg)

will 2 wpg severly limit my plant selection? because im planning on getting some glosso to cover the flourite substrate and i was wondering if it would work

will these fish work in my tank?
2 or 3 kuhlii loaches
3 tiger barbs
1 or 2 corys (eventually when i have some strong algae growth)

2wpg can grow majority of plants but I'm not sure how high light glosso is. It might need more than that.
Cory prefer a school. Pandas, julii or other small cory would work well in a group. Kuhlii also are more active and braver in larger groups but that would be alot of bottom dwelling fish so 2-3 should be alright. I'm not sure about the tiger barbs but I believe they also like a school. I'd try to get at least 4 of any schooling fish but 6 is generally considered the minimum for a school.

Very informative site on glosso.

http://www.egeis.com/aquoi/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1081846226&archive=&start_from=&ucat=3&c=articles

She suggests more than 3 watts per gallon. But there are also many other tips on the site that may be of interest to you if you decide to go ahead.

actually now that i think of it, since i have a glass top under the new lights, they only cover half of the lid.....i could use my old compact in conjunction with the new straight tube lights im getting and set that on the uncovered portion of the lid
the only bad part is that my old light is 10,000 k and not 6,700 like my new ones.its so crazy it just might work %!. that way i'll have a total of 68 watts which gives me 3.4 wpg ...... i'll be a fierce plant growing maching ( you don't think that will be too much will it )

as for the fish im thinking:

3 kuhlii loaches
4 corys
5 or 6 tiger barbs if my tank isn't already too crowded

oops,you posted before me

ps-thanks for the link. lots of crucial info i need,as this is my first time with glosso

Im not too sure if Cories eat algae, but id also say to get at least 6 of them. They become so much more active in larger shoals. Good Luck!
-Andrew

oops I forgot to mention that in my first post. Cory do NOT eat algae. They would most definitely starve to death on algae alone if they ate any at all. They eat most any prepared fish foods though and probably would try most live or frozen foods. Mine eat shrimp pellets, flakes, and sinking algae wafers.

3 kuhlii loaches
4 corys
5 or 6 tiger barbs if my tank isn't already too crowded

This is a 20 gallon long, we're talking about, right?

All those fish like to be in groups or 6 or more. Especially the tigers. In fact, I wouldn't recommend less than 7 or 8 tiger barbs to a tank. They are notorious for being extremely nippy and aggressive when not in proper groups. You could probably get them, but because of their relative large size (~3inches), activeness, and schooling behavior, it would be a good idea to perhaps find a different kind of schooler that you like. Then you could even fit a small centerpiece fish, if you wanted.

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They shade the glow of it with their mossy-misty costumes,
They wear masks of silk, porcelain, brass, and silver,
So as not to mislead with their own, ordinary faces.

Glosso takes a while to get settled in, though 2 wpg should be fine for a taller carpet, though I doubt the khulis would appreciate it. Just remember to go CO2.

yes we're talking about a 20 long....ive always seen corys feeding in the gravel so i just assumed that they eat algae/scavenge. guess i was way off, good thing i checked with you guys first. corys are really cool but i'll probably have to figure in an algae eater (brushynose pleco or a similar one that stays relatively small)and obviously that will take up room too so i'd have to say, maybe just not get the corys then.

and it seems like the barbs won't be feasable either......in that case could you guys list some fish that are compatible with kuhlii loaches, pleco, and that school in sizes that can fit into a 20 long??

How about:

3 ottos (they eat algae, or you could have 1 b/n)
4 kuhlie loaches
1 dwarf gourami (colorful, and a centerpiece)
6 harly rasboras, neon or cardinal tetras, or pretty much any other small tetra you see

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They shade the glow of it with their mossy-misty costumes,
They wear masks of silk, porcelain, brass, and silver,
So as not to mislead with their own, ordinary faces.

Otos definitely will eat almost every kind of algae. Just a pair stripped brown algae out of my 55g that was growing in strings. Not so good with spot algae but not many fish are. 2" long and prefer company but get along fine as a pair or trio. The most common good algae eating plec that stays small is the bristlenose. Avoid chinese algae eaters and the like because they can get big/agressive. If you want a centerpiece fish a dwarf gourami probably would be the best and come in a variety of colors. Any small tetra would get along fine. My favorite small tetra is black neons.