how many black skirts for 20 gallon

I would definitely include swimming space as one of those "other factors"...would you not agree that tetras are far more side-to-side swimming fish than up-and-down swimmers? Most fish are and thus would much rather have a longer tank than a taller one. Dimensions matter and a 20 gallon tank is not a 20 gallon tank without that stipulation.

12 black skirt tetras in a 24"x12" tank is overstocked IMHO. Maybe not by bioload standards but space wise they will be cramped. I stand by that statement...
 
emile said:
Careful what you say when you choose to criticize:

"Severely overstocked & lead to all kinds of other problems" ??
On what basis and on what grounds would you make a statement like that ?
What kind of 'other problems' specifically are you talking about, and have you ever tried it ? How do you come by that experience and knowledge ?
The fact that it is a 20 gal tall, rather than a long, has really very little bearing on it .
I've been fish-keeping for over 50 years, both fresh and saltwater, have kept and bred a number of species of tetras, and I'm sure that up to 12 mature Black Skirts could be successfully kept in a 20 gal under properly maintained tank conditions.
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I am sorry if I offended you I honestly was just trying to help the OP. I do not doubt your ability to keep fish but a lot has changed in 50 years of fish keeping and generally accepted standards change too. I've been keeping fish for almost 10 years now and I can and will admit that almost every aspect of maintaining an aquarium has been revised. All I ask is that you respect my opionion. On a message board such as this, there are meant to opinions and they are meant to be discussed. Please keep that in mind when you flame another poster. Also considering that the OP only has 1 post I expect them to be fairly new to the hobby and it seems unrealistic to expect that a new fishkeeper would have the knowledge or drive to keep up with the care requirements for a system with a bioload that heavy.

Again I am sorry if I offended you,
Razz
 
user_name said:
Black Skirts get pretty big compared to most other tetras, I'd reccomend something a little smaller like Serpaes or even Tiger Barbs so you can keep a larger school.
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tiger barbs get bigger than black skirts, are more aggressive, and are more active.
 
surface area has more to do with what can be kept in a tank than actual volume does. obviously, this is within reason. i have seen 6 gallon tanks with a footprint similar to a 20 gallon long, but would never dream of stocking a 6 gallon like a 20H because the volume could not support that amount of fish. it really like a 60/40 thing, not 50/50.

personally, for this tank I would stick with smaller tetras like glolies, cardinals, neons, or lemons. you should be fine with a school of 8 black skirts, though.
 
if it was my tank i would do this:

8 ember tetras
1 angel or Groumie
6-8 corys of some specie
1 ram

and call her stocked! lol
 
livebearerfreak said:
if it was my tank i would do this:

8 ember tetras
1 angel or Groumie
6-8 corys of some specie
1 ram

and call her stocked! lol
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wow, that is way too much for a 20H.

angel is definitely a no-go. they get too big for a 20H. 29 minimum. after seeing a fully grown angel in my 37, i am tempted to up the minimum to 37.

you have no specification for the suggested corydoras or gourami. the range of size is pretty variable (moreso with the gouramis)
 
i had 10 in my 20 tall with a pair of bolivian rams, and some kuhli loaches. worked out fine for 4 months before i got my 29
 
jm1212 said:
wow, that is way too much for a 20H.

angel is definitely a no-go. they get too big for a 20H. 29 minimum. after seeing a fully grown angel in my 37, i am tempted to up the minimum to 37.

you have no specification for the suggested corydoras or gourami. the range of size is pretty variable (moreso with the gouramis)
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all the sites I've seen say that you can keep a mated pair of angels in a 20H, i keep one in a 29 and she's not very active, just kinda stays in one spot all the time.
 
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