possible 20gal combos?

[unagi]

i have a 20 gallon (not long) cycling right now and it's nearing completion. this will be my first aquarium, and i need some advice on the compatibility of some fish i've been thinking about getting. i have been thinking for awhile, but haven't been able to reach any strong decisions yet.. i had some things in mind though, and was hoping people might be able to make some suggestions/criticisms based on their experience/knowledge..

4 ideas that have crossed my mind:
- 2 convicts, 2 jack dempseys
- 2 convicts, 2 green terrors
- 2 rams, 2 electric yellows, 2 dwarf puffers
- 2 firemouths, 4 or 5 tiger barbs

those are 4 of the (many) possiblities i've thought of.. of course, i wouldn't be getting any of those fish large.. probably relatively smaller sized ones, then either get a larger tank when they outgrow this one or see if the store will take them back (as a gift) so that i can get others. i wouldn't really mind aggression in the tank so much, as long as the fish aren't getting tortured too much or dying. also, if my tank isn't in direct sunlight for any part of the day, should i still bother getting a pleco? any feedback would be appreciated.

right now it has maybe 1.5 inches of gravel with a couple plastic plants and 5 or 6 lava rocks assorted across the bottom (not stacked).

thanks

 

[missyintx_99]

Hmmmm, well........ I like the idea of the rams and electric yellows, but you might want to rethink the puffers with them.

And as for the pleco, none of my tanks get direct sunlight and in a new tank, it wouldn't be an immediate concern, however, I think that eventually you would want one in there. My Angelfish tank is in a rather dark room and get this yucky brown algea in it and the tank my Jag is currently in gets even less light and still has green algea.

 

[unagi]

thanks for the reply does anyone have any comments on the other 3 setups i mentioned? good, bad, ugly? i'd like colorful, behaviorally interesting fish if possible.. but i know my 20gal high limits my possibilities tremendously..

 

[semper fi]

i would rule out all of them. a 20 gallon high is not very big. the convicts with either dempseys or green terrors is not enough room. especially if the convicts start to breed. they can be quite vicious when breeding and protecting their young. the footprint of the tank is small and does not give enough space to allow territiries to be established.

the yellows are mbuna. one male for every three females to lower their aggression. would beat on the rams. also on the puffers.

could do an all yellow tank, an all ram tank or an all puffer tank.

also coud look at dwarfs or shelldwellers.

semper fi

 

[Flippin'thing bit me eye]

I have just been cutting some small tank recipes, try this:
2 African blockheads, 1 Syno petricolus, 4-6 African lampeye.
OR
2 Kribensis, 1 syno petricolus, 4-6 red longfinned african characins or the lampeyes.

 

[juanveldez]

okay I had to do a bit of research mostly cause I know nothing about rams. but let me start here first three ideas NO WAY!!!! you need at least a 55 for all of them and even then I would only go with one of each. My JD is in a 55 by himself. as for the rams and the electric yellows there are those myself included that will tell you now way based on the fact that they are different countries. the rams from South America and the yellows are from Africa, different types of body language. so you can look forward to some pretty good turf wars.

 

[unagi]

thanks for the input everyone. glad i asked first, or i might have ended up with a massacre in my new tank! is there any possibility that some tetras or barbs might work with an all yellow or all ram tank?

 

[Flippin'thing bit me eye]

Yeah, go with a nice shoal of glow light tetra with th rams, would look lovely with a bit of bogwood in there too

 

[juanveldez]

depends on how many yellows you get, and also don't be surprised if you start finding dead tetras with the yellows I would go with the rams I guess of course I know nothing of them only of the Yellows.

 

[unagi]

hmm, okay - once i decide what to do (and do it), i'll need to remember to update with what i decided.. and maybe some pictures, if i can get any decent ones