20 gallon long stocking ideas

[JOMA]

before you make any answers i dont want anything like:
-platys
-guppies
-tetras
-danios
-etc.

i already have those type fish in a 10 gallon so i want something different.
What i really want is to put like 2 convict cichlids in the tank but people say its too small. then i wanted to put in 1 or 2 opaline gouramis but nooo, its to small

so what kinda fish can i put into my 20 gallon? BTW they have to be from petsmart or petco, i only have access to these 2 stores, it SUCKS!

 

[bluerose]

According to AqAdvisor, you could do something like 3 opaline gouramis and a handful of otos (or perhaps dwarf cories) and be OK. I don't know about aggression, though.

 

[JOMA]

what is AqAdvisor?

 

[bluerose]

It's a site that lets you play with stocking options; definitely a guideline but it's handy.

AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor

 

[JOMA]

darn it also says i cant get my convicts

 

[mgamer20o0]

i thought you knew that. going from your other thread i think a better idea would be to hit up the local stores and see what they offer. no point in giving a ton of ideas if you cant get any of them. write down what you like come back and see if it works for you. might also want to think about looking for lfs not in the area and driving to them for more options.

 

[JOMA]

the thing is im only 15 so i cant drive and my parents are already annoyed of driving to petsmart which is 3 miles away

i knew i couldnt get convicts, i just really want them and i was hoping it would say yes

 

[yenner]

3 miles? Walk.

Why not get rid of the 20 and 10 gallon and go with a larger aquarium?

 

[JOMA]

trust me im TRYING to convice my mom to let me get a 55 gallon, my dad doesnt really care. i just dont know why she doesnt let me get one

 

[yenner]

Just show her the pros and cons of having one. Show her you have worked through the problem systematically. Find some for sale on CL for a good price. You may even find one on free cycle.

I recently bought a 40g breeder off a CL ad for $25. Then one of my cousins gave me her 55g with stand for free. lol

 

[JOMA]

ive gotten all my tanks for free so far, my 20 gallon was in my attic for 13 years (my dad got a lil into fish keeping but not a whole lot) 10 gallon i got from a friend for free

 

[yenner]

Then why is she so against it? Do you take care of the tank you have now? Is it a space issue?

 

[sliderfish]

Maybe she doesn't wan the 55 to end up in the attic too. You may be working against dad's short comings lol.

 

[JOMA]

"Then why is she so against it? Do you take care of the tank you have now? Is it a space issue?"

it shouldnt be, we have plenty of room in the house. she actualy yells at me because i am constantly working on my ranks loll


"Maybe she doesn't wan the 55 to end up in the attic too. You may be working against dad's short comings lol."

yeah maybe lol dang it dad lol

 

[taylorodw]

Sometimes getting a bigger aquarium isn't a viable idea... at least for the time being. I know I had a 10gal for almost a year before I got my 30gal... and it'll be a while more before I upgrade to a "big" tank.

Anyway in a 20g long, if you are looking for something more exotic/interesting than the normal tetras/danios/cory/etc stock, you could keep rams/apistos/kribs (need a mature tank for this though)... even shell-dwelling cichlids like multies.

Or small gouramis, you could have hatchets or white clouds for top dwellers, harlequin rasboras if you want a top-ish fish that uses more of the tank. Anyway... just check out the 20g tanks of others and feel free to ask us if something will work

 

[JOMA]

hmm how about 1 or 2 opaline gouramis with about 5 otos?

 

[yenner]

Do they have to be fish? What about some frogs? Turtles? What about a crabitat? You have many possibilites.

 

[meegosh]

Opaline's are one of the larger gouramis and they can be very aggressive when they get larger. They are usually more aggressive towards smaller fish so your otos might be picked on. Typically with gouramis you want to avoid two males in the same tank. You might be ok with a pair but it is really hit or miss. Some people will tell you they have 4 males with no problems, they are usually young at that stage. Once the fish is larger the aggression seems to come out. Just a FYI. My friend had two opaline's in her 55g and it was a disaster. She ended up taking them back to the LFS.

 

[JOMA]

how about just 1 opaline with 5 otos?

 

[bluerose]

I can understand why having a 55 around might be tricky for your mom. Think of it this way-- if you go off to college in three years, who's going to get the tank? She is. (Dorms generally only let you have a 10g or smaller, and you can't leave them over winter break.)

There will always be convicts and a larger tank once you have your own place.