20 gallon stock check

[twoodrough]

I will be setting up a standard shaped 20 with an Aqua Clear 50 200 gph
Will feed lightly and change 50% each week
I am in a 10 now where the nitrates are around 10 consistently
Temp will be 79-80
ph 7.4
hardness 2-3
No live plants (not my thing)
Pea stone gravel substate

This is what I am thinking of having in the 20:

Fancy fantail goldfish
lyretail molly
bristlenose pleco
pair of blue rams


Opinions?

 

[Borderlesscott]

Goldfish and Rams are a definite no go, the Rams will need a temp 26 / 79 and over which is to warm for Goldfish, you will never have water quality good enough to sustain Rams with a Goldfish in the tank, they will die in a matter of weeks even with 50% water changes as this will only give you a few days of good water. Rams are difficult enough to keep on there own never mind with a Goldfish.

Scrap the Goldfish or the Rams, total mismatch.

 

[twoodrough]

Point taken.

Would a kribensis be a little tougher, or a bolivian?

 

[Borderlesscott]

Both mentioned would be hardier, but I still wouldn't keep cichlids with goldfish, they just do better at higher temps than what a goldfish likes and with all cichlids water quality always plays a part. Some wouldn't even recommend at Goldfish for a 20g. I would say a with what your looking to stock would mean an overstock situation which sounds crazy with such little fish, A Bolivian pair alone is recommended a 30g. It's just an odd mix IMO, but everyone has there own thing and I'm not going to try to change your mind, but I think you will have headaches trying to keep water good enough for cichlids with a goldfish, there just pooping machines. You could do a stunning pair of Apistogramma in a 20 with some Tetra and you would have a super set up, or the Kribs, but they are baby factories! You might do okay with the Rams in a 20, issues might arrive at breeding as it does get nasty at times and the female may need to be taken out at times, hiding places will help.

 

[Rivercats]

I totally agree with Borderlesscott.... goldfish are cold water fish, they produce alot of waste and IMO even 1 in a 20 gallon tank is 1 too many. Goldfish get very big and have to have alot of water maintenance in their tank. I have 8-6+ inch fancies split between 2 large tanks and they are still growing. Also producing more waste the larger they get.

 

[twoodrough]

I really want the goldfish, so I have to work around that. He will be tiny when I get him and won't outgrow the 20 for a long time.

What about the goldfish, the lyretail, the BN, and some rosy tetras?

 

[Laser]

You still have the issue with the temperature difference for goldfish and tropical fish. I'm not going to say it can't be done but it's not recommended. The only fish I keep with goldfish are white clouds because they are a cold water fish as well, but even then when the goldfish get too big the clouds are coming out so they don't get eaten.

 

[Rivercats]

If you want a gold fish then you just need to keep a goldfish, nothing else. Little or not it will still produce alot of waste. My goldfish will eat anything they can fit in their mouths and swallow, including snails (which I found out accidently when I tried adding some malaysian trumpet snail. Now you could put a couple colorful mystery snails or ramshorn snails in for some added color. Most of the time when you buy those snails they are too big for the goldfish to try to eat.

Another thing is adding any type of Pleco, bristlenose or not can be a diaster waiting to happen. Pleco's have been known to latch onto goldfish and rasp their slime off causing injury to goldfish. Large snails are a much better choice.

 

[twoodrough]

Do plecos do that just to goldfish, or all fish? I have the pleco now and like him.

 

[Rivercats]

It just tends to be a Goldfish and sometimes Discus thing. And it doesn't always happen, but it is a risk to keep pleco's with the above listed fish because it can happen.

 

[twoodrough]

Okay -

I am not setting the 20 up for a while, still have to get the filter in the next few weeks.

I will have to think again about what I want to put in. I seem to like cichlids a lot (rams, kribs, bolivians). I had a cockatoo once but he never colored up and then died. The pictures of the apistos are cool but I can't pay the cost to ship fish. I like the double tail on the fancy goldfish. Not excited about many tetras but seem to like the rosys a bit. My daughter and I both like the lyretail mollies. I like flowy fins because I also love my male betta in his own tank. I got the pleco and I like him, but generally I like fish that swim, not sit.

I may still get the goldy, but I will have to think about it more to make sure that is the way I want to go.

 

[twoodrough]

What if I skpped the goldy and went with:

BN pleco (1)
kribensis (1)
lyretail molly(1)
rosy tetras(3)

 

[Samzter]

What if I skpped the goldy and went with:

BN pleco (1)
kribensis (1)
lyretail molly(1)
rosy tetras(3)

Boost the tetras up by three.

 

[Rivercats]

Boost the tetras up by three.

+1, and you should be good. Do watch as the BNP grows that he he doesn't outgrow the tank. Also be sure to give him a piece of DW to rasp on, he needs it for a digestion aid.

 

[twoodrough]

Could I do columbian tetras the same way (6), with BN, krib, and lyretail molly?