Interesting fish for 20 gallon High Planted

[sicklidkid]

Hello!

It has been a very long time since I have been on here! I was out of the hobby for a good number of years, but have been pulled back in...

I have a 20 gallon tall that has been set up for a few months now. It is moderately planted with a good amount of rock and wood.

My initial idea was to try and breed kribs, then some apistos and now I don't know. I bought some red cherry shrimp and have really fallen in love with them. I am afraid cichlids would really tear through their population. I don't really mind if they get some of the babies, but I don't want to see the full grown ones get decimated.

What I love about cichlids is their personality, the fact that they tend to utilize cover and create territories, and generally have interesting personalities. I currently have some platies and guppies, which are cool, I just don't find them super interesting. (I am not attached to them and would remove them if the situation required it)

Does anyone have any suggestions on fish that might meet this criteria and not totally decimate the shrimp population?

the badis badis has caught my eye, but seems hard to find and a little high maintenance, still open to the idea though.

Very glad to be back keeping fish again.

Thanks,

Spencer

 

[TheresaM]

Tough call on cichlids and shrimp. Peacock gudgeons have good color and similar personalities but they will tear thru even adult shrimp unfortunately.

Badis are very much like miniature cichlids. They tend to be shy though and they often won't accept anything but live foods.

Have you considered dwarf puffers? Nils keeps them with RCS, has a thread going here.

 

[sicklidkid]

Thanks! Yes the options definitely seem limited. May need to do some soul searching on shrimp vs fish, or just start up a 10 gallon shrimp tank...