I have a 20 gallon high tank. All I have in it right now are some guppies that won't stop breeding, a couple of danios and a swordtail, plus my 4" pleco. I want to redo the tank- I'm bringing all of my fish back to the petstore- and I want to start an african cichlid tank.
I'm keeping the pleco, and these are my questions:
1) Can the pleco adjust to brackish water, or should I just keep the africans in freshwater? I used to keep africans in freshwater, so I know they'll be okay, but I would like them to breed, so if it won't kill my pleco, I'd like to make it brackish.
SO, basically, for the pleco's sake, freshwater or brackish?
2) I'm going to start the tank off with all small africans- as small as I can get them because they're cheaper that way, and there won't be other fish in the tank that can eat them. Since I'm starting off with small fish, I want to buy them all in one shot. (I know from experience that if I try to add more in later, they might get killed!) I was told that african cichlids get along better if they are crowded or if there are very few- in either case, they don't bother to try to kill each other over territory. I prefer to have a nicely stocked tank,
SO, How many africans will live comfortably in a 20 gallon high tank with plenty of hiding areas?
Thanks for any advice you might have for me!
I'm keeping the pleco, and these are my questions:
1) Can the pleco adjust to brackish water, or should I just keep the africans in freshwater? I used to keep africans in freshwater, so I know they'll be okay, but I would like them to breed, so if it won't kill my pleco, I'd like to make it brackish.
SO, basically, for the pleco's sake, freshwater or brackish?
2) I'm going to start the tank off with all small africans- as small as I can get them because they're cheaper that way, and there won't be other fish in the tank that can eat them. Since I'm starting off with small fish, I want to buy them all in one shot. (I know from experience that if I try to add more in later, they might get killed!) I was told that african cichlids get along better if they are crowded or if there are very few- in either case, they don't bother to try to kill each other over territory. I prefer to have a nicely stocked tank,
SO, How many africans will live comfortably in a 20 gallon high tank with plenty of hiding areas?
Thanks for any advice you might have for me!