A thinking ahead question

[Dbouchard]

im currently cycling my tank, I ahve zebra danios in it at the moment as I do this


im looking to the future and trying to decide what else to put in there once it is cycled.

its a 20 gallon tank, I know very little about fish but this tank is a calming tool for my son who has autism[and a hobby for me].

im looking for fish that have a calming visual appeal, and vibrant colours if possible.

I want to do my research and get the right fish so im not going by trial and error.

does any one have suggestions?

thanks

Dee

 

[siva]

Hello Dee! I also have a son who has autism. I started my first aquarium (in my adult life anyway) for him eight years ago.

Fancy male guppies would be a great choice for this tank. They were the first fish I picked out for my sons tank, based on the same criteria you are looking for You can have a group with such a wide array of colors, and they swim around together beautifully, mostly in the upper portions of the tank. In the mid section of the tank you could do a school of neon or cardinal tetras. A shoal of panda cories or striped kuhli loaches would be perfect for the bottom. A dwarf or honey gourami would make a nice centerpiece fish for the tank.

Danios aren't the greatest choice for a 20 gallon high. They are very zippy schoolers, and do better with a longer tank. If the tank is a 20 gallon long, they are just fine. If you decide to keep the danios in there, I don't think that would be absolutely terrible, but I would sitll encourage you to take them back to the store and stock with more suitable fish if the tank is a 20 high.

 

[Chronos313]

You could definitely do neons/cardinals. Albino neon tetras are cool also. Definitely do a school of 5 panda cories. Another possibility is dwarf Praecox rainbows. Definitely colorful and interesting. As for a centerpiece definitely a single gourami being a dwarf selection. If you went with guppies you could really spice it up with a one male to three female ratio and have an enjoyment with fry. If not then easily 5-6 male guppies would add a nice color factor.

 

[Alyxx]

When she's a little older I want to help a friend of mine set up a tank for her daughter, who may have autism. I've heard it can help a lot. As for stocking, I agree that the danios could use more swimming space than a 20 high, but a 20 long should be good. Also, guppies would be nice. Or if you don't want to do guppies, maybe some schooling tetras like neons or cardinals and a pretty betta. Just be sure to avoid nippy fish and fish with flown fins with a betta. If you don't like the idea of Cories, maybe add a nice crayfish for a bottom dweller! Marbled crays are really cool seeing as they self clone and don't usually bother the fish. Just be sure to have a plan for the babies. I'm sure a local pet or fish store would be interested in buying some either to sell or to feed to larger fish. Shrimp are fun to watch and can be very colorful, and they don't bother fish if you do want some bottom dwelling fish like Cories. If the tank is good for danios (20 long) maybe add a glofish danio or two to add some color. I'm sure your son would love the bright colored fish. They also have green glofish tetras now. Not my cup of tea, but great for a kids tank!

 

[Dbouchard]

its a 20 gallon long, but I see what you mean they are zippy little swimmers

 

[Dbouchard]

thanks for the suggestions, you have given me lots to start my research with.

im glad to see im not the only momma with an autistic child who has decided to try a fishtank to see if it is a good calming tool

turns out its a hobby that has kinda fed my obsessive side, hehe funny how a couple of little fish could be so endearing


Dee

 

[Chronos313]

Keep in mind if you do add a Betta add it last and have a backup plan if it gets aggressive. I had to remove my Betta as soon as it was introduced to a small school of neons and flared as soon as it was introduced into the tank.

 

[Dbouchard]

Dont honestly think Ill go the route of a Betta, I dont want the hassle of having to set up a tank for it if it doesnt play nice

 

[siva]

thanks for the suggestions, you have given me lots to start my research with.

im glad to see im not the only momma with an autistic child who has decided to try a fishtank to see if it is a good calming tool

turns out its a hobby that has kinda fed my obsessive side, hehe funny how a couple of little fish could be so endearing


Dee

Another thing we have in common...I'd say I've become a bit obsessed as well...considering I have over 40 tanks now! LOL

Since your tank is a 20L, if you do want to go with some cory cats for the bottom, you have more options than just the panda variety. You could do julii (false julii), emerald, albino, or really whatever type you like. I have some orange lazers and they are gorgeous (but spendy!).

 

[VioletEmber]

I agree with all these suggestions! I have a 20h and a 20 long and just transferred my danios into the 20 long and they seem a little calmer... But maybe it's just me and my anxious personality but they just drive me nuts with all their zippiness.

I asked my 4 year old what his favorite fish in my tanks were and he said "the ones with the red" meaning the neon tetras. My 9 yr old picks fancy guppies - so that's the kids perspective!

I would also recommend some snails and shrimp. One activity my kids and I love to do is get out a magnifying glass and watch all the activity up close. They love seeing the mouth of the snails on the glass eating the algea, watching the ghost shrimp dance around forwards and back, playing "I spy a pond snail egg clump"... Lol. I don't know much about autism but I know that when I watch the aquarium up close I almost feel like I am inside it, and it is a calming and containing feeling. Well, without those zebra danios it is...

 

[Alyxx]

I agree that some pretty snails would be a fun addition. I have pink, blue, red and brown ramshorns, and they are mesmerizing as they crawl around. They breed fairly quickly, but I've found that my guppies ate the freshly hatched snails fast enough that I never saw any baby snails until I took the guppies out of the tank, and I have maybe 15 snails in there breeding. Well, now I have about a zillion snails in there...

 

[Dbouchard]

snails I like, was oogling some at the pet store the other day

 

[Dbouchard]

im writing all these down, and when I have my son beside me we will be a googling pair of fools till we figure out what we like

 

[Alyxx]

Mystery snails are cool, too. They get pretty big and come in a variety of colors.

 

[Dbouchard]

after looking at pics online and reading my son is loving the guppie idea so far, the rest we are still looking at.

he likes everything we see so I have to be clear with him that we have to look at what FITS and not just what looks cool too, otherwise im sure we would end up with a betta and a bunch of fish that would end up a snack for mr betta

I told him we will try to have the best of both worlds

 

[Dbouchard]

after spending the weekend looking at fish with my son he has decided what he would like

once the tank is cycled he wants 2 red wag platys, 2 dalmation mollies, a couple mystery snails, and of course the 7 zebra danios we have been cycling with


is that too much? too little?

ill be adding them a little at a time once the tank is good to go


Dee

 

[VioletEmber]

My understanding is that with platies (and maybe with mollies too?) that you should aim for a trio - 2 females for every male. I don't know diddly about mollies, but my guess is that your idea will work!

 

[siva]

Mollies have a large bio-load, but you are stocking lightly, so I think they work.

I don't think a trio is necessary if you have two males or two females, but if you want both sexes it's nice to have a 2:1 ratio of female to male. Same with all livebearers, including the mollies.