African 20 Gallon?

[Jawz]

Hey im interested in setting up a 20 gallon african tank if possible, just want 1 or 2 nice looking fish in there. I am new to africians but i got lots of fish experience. What fish do u recommend if at all for a 20 gallon tank?

 

[wayne at home]

Long or regular? Any chance going bigger - it opens up your options a lot

 

[Flex26]

A bigger tank would definitely give you more options. But try this website:


http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cookie_cutter_20g.php

Good luck!!

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Well Most African Cichlids require a 50+ Gal tank......bigger tank would be better.

If i were you i'd look at the Central/SA cichlids instead, seeing as they are smaller but yet still colorful.

A pair of convicts would do fine in there (SA/Central A.)
A pair of Jewel cichlids might do ok in there (African)
A few Ram Cichlids would do great in there (SA)

 

[Jawz]

hmm ok i think ill pass up on it then, just work on perfecting my 35 gallon community tank

 

[lizwinz]

a 20gal would be perfect for shelldwellers

http://www.cichlidrecipe.com/shellweb/

http://www.duboisi.com/articles/KBneocaud.htm

neat little guys, very interesting

i know you said you were going to pass...but i thought i'd mention that there are africans that would do well in a 20

--liz

 

[Cichlid-Man]

yes, shelldwelers will do....Mike knows a lot about them LOL well i didn't suggest them because they were not colorful or majestic and will not swim throughout the tank like a Mbuna will. good neat little fish.

 

[Somonas]

Shelldwellers, yes, perfect for a 20 gallon (breeding pair of brevis, etc.)
Otherwise west africans (kribensis etc.).
20 gallon is awfully small for malawians as others have suggested... but if you really want to try it, try the only Malawian shell dweller (metriaclima livingstoni aka pseudotropheus lanisticola). they stay small (3-4"). and with enough care, a 20 gallon could support a breeding trio 1m/2f.

 

[Jawz]

hmm its ok guys i was justing poking my head around again, maybe when i have more money save up ill do something but i can still improve my 35 gallon tank. Thanx anyways

 

[SoulFish]

look into Pseudocrenilabrus nicholsi, beautiful little fish

 

[Jawz]

what about a 35 gallon?

 

[wayne]

How long is that - 36 inches or more andyour options are much greater

 

[Jawz]

yeh 36x12.5

 

[Cichlid-Man]

You could do just a few Mbuna in there......not many and you need to make sure to keep a good 1 male to every 2-3 females ratio.

 

[Flex26]

Here is a link to Cichlid-Forum's cookie cutters. They have some good ideas. But the weird thing is: the cookie cutter recommends some fish for the 20 and 29 that many people on this forum would not. Why is that?

http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=cookie+cutter&sp-a=sp1002682c&sp-p=all&sp-f=ISO-8859-1

 

[wayne]

Personal preferences, experience. I don't have that much experience withafricans, but I would be very wary of putting Cynotilapia afra or socolofi in small tanks - these people think differently though. Sometimes you have to suck it and see