Fun fish for a 20L?

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sakanajanai

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Dec 14, 2015
Messages
21
Location
Sacramento, CA
Hi all, I know this gets asked a lot, but does anyone have some "fun" recommendations for fish for a 20L? Its currently cycling to be a Q-tank, but once we get the majority of new fish I plan on setting up one of the extra 10's as a Q-tank instead. So I'm looking for ideas for something fun and different, and something that my husband can enjoy, too!

For some background: I've had all kinds of tanks in my life (mostly FW but some brackish and marine) and even bred several different kinds of fish and just getting back into the hobby. I currently am dry starting a 46 bow, hopefully getting a 55 this weekend (planning on Shubinkin tank) and this 20L.

Thanks in advance!! :fish2:
 
What kind of fish are you thinking of? Like ordinary fish you find at an LFS with a big personality or fish you have to special order online? A red eyed red tailed puffer has always been a dream fish of mine, super expensive though and requires special feeding. Saw the peppermint crocodile fish not too long ago, that's a pretty cool one as well. Apistos seem to be popular, you could easily have a trio in there and they will breed as well. Maybe a GBR pair with some dithers?
 
Either or, I'm open to ideas! Thankfully I live in an area with a lot of LFS (and some that special order!) So the sky is the limit! Well, within reason of course.

I love puffers, I'm thinking later down the road having a small pea puffer tank. Or, maybe a puffer only tank may be the way to go. I miss my green spot. (I had an avocado puff too but he was a jerk)

Apisos or GBR may be fun as well, although our water out of the tap is pretty high.

Thanks for the suggestions!

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Have you considered hillstream loaches? Some of the smaller species could be a really cool setup in a 20L.
 
You know, I've never had any loaches! Tell me more ?

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Keeping hillstream loaches is kinda like building a mini trout stream. They like absurd amounts of flow- 15x per hour is a good number. They're territorial like african cichlids but can't really hurt each other. They just struggle to get on top of one another, that's how they fight! They look kinda like plecos, and eat algae like plecos. But they're active and fun to watch!

You can build a 15x turnover filter for them for around $40 like this: River-Tank Manifold Design — Loaches Online
 
Interesting! I'll pass this one by the husband, too! (I'm trying to get him into the hobby too, because I'm an enabler!) ?

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Interesting! I'll pass this one by the husband, too! (I'm trying to get him into the hobby too, because I'm an enabler!) ?

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Look up "Homaloptera smithi" and "sewellia lineolata". Those are my two favorites; they're awesome looking fish!
 
Sini is an enabler too lol. Got me into the hobby and now im nuts about it, and we enable each other now :) dont give up on getting him into the hobby!


Sini's my personal bucket lugger..er, I mean husband
 
I'm not sure what size tank they need but if you have kept brackish tanks mudskippers might be interesting!

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Axolotls are an option but not a fish. You could do the larger killifish or a pair of apistos. Depends on how much you want to invest and how much of a challenge. Hillstreams would be an awesome challenge imo

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