Good fish for a 20 long in a special education classroom?

[heyheyitsrae]

I'm not sure. My 50 gallon (actually 48, but whatever) is like the size of a 40 breeder. I don't know if that's what it was originally sold as as I bought it secondhand, however.

 

[mikeISright]

Convicts can actually be housed in a 20 gal long which is the bare minimum requirement. Not recommended but you can get away with it

Sure anything "can" be housed in a 20 long as they are small. But "should" they be kept in a 20 long. Definitly not.

 

[Brandon K.A]

Sure anything "can" be housed in a 20 long as they are small. But "should" they be kept in a 20 long. Definitly not.

Why do you say that? Just curious..

 

[mikeISright]

I had a convict cichlid in a 29gallon and that is the bare minimum i would go unless you want to jam one in. Think about you are putting a 6 inch fish that needs to claim a territory in a 30x12x12 box. That mean it can only swim forward one body length and has very limited space to swim across the tank. Its just to small for a convict.

 

[Aquavic]

I had a convict cichlid in a 29gallon and that is the bare minimum i would go unless you want to jam one in. Think about you are putting a 6 inch fish that needs to claim a territory in a 30x12x12 box. That mean it can only swim forward one body length and has very limited space to swim across the tank. Its just to small for a convict.

My mistake I thought convicts didn't grow beyond 4

 

[heyheyitsrae]

So what about 6 Von rio tetras, 8 neons/cardinals, a pearl gourami (male or female?) and 6 corys?

 

[vanimal]

I think that sounds good! Does anyone if a few Otos would work too???

 

[heyheyitsrae]

I personally love otos but I think that they are needed. Plus I'm not sure if the neons are in the "budget" (well, bio-load budget)

 

[vanimal]

Neons have a very small Bio load.

 

[severum mama]

So what about 6 Von rio tetras, 8 neons/cardinals, a pearl gourami (male or female?) and 6 corys?

I think that's really pushing it for a 20 gallon. I'd probably go for the pearl, 8 Von Rio OR 10 neon/cardinal, and 6 Cory of a smaller species like panda. JMHO. Pearls get larger than a lot of people realize.

 

[heyheyitsrae]

Checked in on the aquarium today. The water was really warm! Took out the shrimp, threw up a little at the stench, about 10% PWC, set up a whisper 10 internal filter, new filter cartridge on the first one I set up, added a few fake plants and an anubias on lava rock, netted out some little chunks of shrimp, and tested the water.