20 Gal. Build Ideas

[LilBangarang]

I'm planning on getting a little 20 gallon for my living room. I have a 40 in the basement with some cichlids and want to get a nice little community tank. I was thinking either some semi-peaceful cichs like rams or some exotic goldfish. I know quite a bit about cichlids, but goldfish are new to me. Are there any tropicals that I can put with them or do they have to be with all goldfish? I'm looking for a type that I can keep for quite a while. I love moors and pretty much all of the other exotics. Do you have any landscaping tips at all? Any help will be appreciated as long as you aren't just going to say that a 20 is too small

 

[jlk]

Moors are wonderful fish but they grow big. A 20g can stock a single fancy with hefty filtration- that's about it. Perhaps you can add a few large snails. The goldfish will decide what, if any, plants you will be allowed to keep. Feeding daily veggies will help not only your goldie but help limit plant destruction of you want to try planted. Please ask any questions you may have!

 

[Scottyhorse]

I agree with jlk.... You will need a filter rated for 10x the amount of water you have in the tank. Silk plants are the best, because most goldies find live plants tasty
I've read it's best to have a bare bottom tank since they poop sooo much, that way it's easier to clean. If you want gravel, I would suggest having about an inch.
Also, make sure any rocks or decor you have in there have smooth edges to the moor doesn't get his/her eye cut on it!

Good Luck!

 

[LilBangarang]

What veggies can the goldfish eat? I really like the look of live plants but they have always been eaten right off the bat in my 40 haha.

 

[jlk]

Its alot easier if you start feeding veggies with a youngster rather than an adult. That way you can train them to eat their veggies early. Trying to get adult to learn to eat veggies is alot harder (they prefer the plants). Easy starter veggies are broccoli, spinach, deshelled peas, carrots, sweet peppers, anything dark green/red & leafy, cauliflower, zucchini, etcetc. Just skip anything starchy (corn, potatoes) and anything spicy (onions, hot peppers). Everything should be cooked until soft and either torn or smooshed. I use a garlic press for tough stuff like carrots & peppers. I buy bags of frozen , microwavable veggies- you can cook them and stick them in a tupperware container. They last almost a week. Keep in mind, veggies do not count as a full meal and you will still need a quality pellet or gelfood to feed.

For fruits, pretty much anything goes as long as its not daily (too much sugar). My guys love tangerine segments but berries, bananas, melon, grapes (deskinned), soft apple/pear, etc all work. If you use canned/jarred stuff, make sure its packed in plain juice and not heavy syrup. Hope this helps!

 

[LilBangarang]

Thanks for the help!

 

[Scottyhorse]

My fish really enjoy blanched peas!