20 gal african setup

Mystroe_TheMyst

Mystroe_TheMyst

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Dec 16, 2002
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I've currently got

1 humphead (aka blockhead)
1 bristlenose
1 bronze cory

I will soon be getting

1 humphead
2 daffodil brichardi's

possibly a synodontis catfish of some sort, but they grow quite large. I figured the bristlenose also grow quite large, but can thrive in smaller aquariums, so would the synodontis be ok?

I've got plenty of terrortories for them all. Does my list seem enough or too much? they all grow to about 4" in size.
 
I would say too many fish for that tank. Brichardi are quite aggresive and especially if you get a pair and they start breeding. Not too sure about the blockheads but i dont' think they take the same water parameters as the birchardi(hard alkaline).

A bristlenose will be ok in a 20g size wise but it is too crowded with all those fish already.

Synodontis,the smaller species like multi. and petricola(sp?), still grow about 4-6 inches and need to be in groups of atleast 3.So that wont' work in a 20g either.

The corie should have friends and will most likely get picked on by the brichardi. I would remove him.

http://www.sydneycichlid.com/articles/scasuarius.html

I would not add anymore fish to this tank as one blockhead will be more then enough for it. From al the article i have read about the blockhead it is quite aggresive for its side and doesn't tolerate bottomdwellers to much. It also prefers neutral water, so taht wont' work with the brichardi.

I would keep the 1 blockhead, and the pleco. If you feel it is too empty then maybe add a few zebra danios or other hardy fast moving fish that will be able to handle themselves against the blockhead.
 
my lfs has them at a pH of 8.0-8.2 and they seem to be happy. I currently have my blockhead at about 7.8, but it is used to a 8.0.

They are running most of their african cichlids at a 8.0-8.2 and they all seem to be doing really well. And they have been running these pH's the whole time. So thats why i was wondering how they would go together.

also its says in AC that they like to be in groups. So maybe 2-3 blockheads?

The bristlenose and cory are doing well, and they all co-exist nicly. I haven't got any plants for the tank, and I don't think i'm going to plant it.

thanks for the info. Yeah, I would like to have a few fish in there, and seeing as blockheads are near the bottom most of the time, I wanted an all ranged fish.
 
20gal.JPG


this is the setup, There is a 1gal tank (left) and the bright light is a mirror reflecting light into the 1gal so it isn't pitch black. I put pipes from my internal canister filter running along each side of the tank trickling it down. I think this tank is great!
 
I know it says that blockheads like to be in groups but in a 20g there jsut isn't enough room for more. If you add one or 2 more to the 20g there wont' be enough room for them to hide if they start fighting. Everythign i have read says they can be very aggresive at times. Yo umight not have experienced this yet as you may have a juvie and since there is only one he can't fight with anything.
 
Hey Nolan man i recon u shoud get some GOLDFISH cause those fish are awsome i mean they are so cool and u would proberly have better luck with them plus u can over crowd with them


hmm yeah so yeah i really had nothen else to do so i thought i would be a smartarse
 
hmm thanks for that Funsize, I will take that onboard...

And quickly dismiss it. :D

Well the point was to have a few fish...and seeing as you said I need to take out the bristlenose and cory. Then I'm talking about 1 fish in a 30" 20gal tank. Sounds like a boring old tank to me. So thanks for the advice, but I think I'm going to get another one. I think I might hold off the brichardi's.

We'll see how it goes, if things happen, it won't be soon, because their size is only about 1-1.5". On the other hand I've seen some quite placid blockheads, so very peaceful, that they go about their business and do not harm anything. So I'm hoping to have this type of blockhead.

Sorry if this makes you mad (me adding another blockhead) but I don't want to have an empty tank.
 
Originally posted by valerie
I know it says that blockheads like to be in groups but in a 20g there jsut isn't enough room for more. If you add one or 2 more to the 20g there wont' be enough room for them to hide if they start fighting. Everythign i have read says they can be very aggresive at times. Yo umight not have experienced this yet as you may have a juvie and since there is only one he can't fight with anything.
Click to expand...

Not the first time Mystroe has received feedback about putting too many fish in too small a tank... not the first time that advice has been ignored...

http://64.191.28.50/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14820
 
Good God, if you have Cory cats in there with those brichardi I feel very very sorry for them.

Do them a favor and get rid of the Cory cats. They can't take punishment AT ALL. The synodontis are much tougher (and prettier, IMO).
 
I knew hewould probably ignore what i said but alteast now he can't come back and say " whay are my fish dying i thought they could go together".

Small tanks are for small fish, I dont' think anything over 2-3" should go into small tanks. But then there are always thos epeople that try to cram big fish into little tanks, especialy cichlids.
 
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