20 gallon suggestions?

optix

Rent-a-mod
Dec 30, 2002
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Dayton area of ohio
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Well I have a 20 gallon I was using for a grow out tank, but I have nothing to grow out and don't plan on purchasing anymore fish until I get my new place and purchase more tanks. And that wont be for quite some time (purchasing more tanks). So that leaves my a 20 open for suggestions. Only thing I can think of I would want is a pair of neolamprologus brich's. Only cichlids please. Thats all I really care about. I want to see some suggestions as too what you guys would do.
 
ChillDawg beat me to it, but I was thinking shellies, too. Throw in some crushed coral sand, some escargot shells from your local fine food store, and get yourself 4 Neolamprologus multifasciatus. Same cool family behaviors of the brichardi, but in my old 20 high I actually had a pair leave the parents area and start a rival group on the other side of the tank.

Plus, the fry will work as food for your other cichlids (not trying to be cruel, but multis like brichardis would overpopulate the earth if you don't periodically sell or cull the fry (actually, I got over $50 credit for my multis when I sold a large batch of fry (about 20 of them).

If you've never had multis, think brichardi at only 1.5 inches that hide in shells and dig about 2000 times more often than any other fish alive. They'll make sand walls about 8 to 10 inches high. Just level the sand when cleaning the tank and see how pissed off a dwarf cichlid can be! Seriously, they're a blast for little fish.
 
Shellies are cool but pretty drab.

Rainbow cichlid
Hmultispinosam.JPG

Keyhole
keyhole4.jpg

Bolivian Ram
M.altispinosa.JPG


;)
 
Well the rams are awesome I know I wanted to keep them awhile back but my ph is way to high for those picky guys. Its at the least 7.8 if im lucky. but its always stable but I don't believe rams stand for a ph that high no matter the stability. Which saddens me because they are the perfect fish for a 20 tall. Oh well, I'll consider the shellies (just because I've never kept them) and the keyhole. Thanks for the replies guys.
 
Optix - I'm pretty sure the Bolivian rams are from a pH of 7.6 or so naturally, so they'd be fine in your water. Try adding 2-3 big pieces of driftwood, and within a month your pH will likely drop .2 to .4 depending on your hardness. If it's like my city water, the pH might drop .4 to .6 because the water is made softer by the city.
 
Yeah rams will do fine in that ph but I think it needs to be around 6.8-7 for them to breed. As far as just keeping them the mid sevens should be fine. I also agree with the driftwood statement and I think it makes a lovely backdrop when it gets a little algae on it.
 
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