Stocking?
- Thread starter Fishman1995
- Start date
No, no, no - to "I'll see what I can find at the petstore" - you know that doesn't work for you. You see something so cute you can't resist, bring it home, and everyone is yelling at you. Your 20 gallon tank is a given - you can't change that, so if it is too small for another cichlid, you have to look at some other possibilities. You have had so much fun stocking, why not just take your time - once you are done, you are done. Spread the fun out a bit.
I think another female ram would be fine.
However, as has been said, you REALLY need to get more cover (decor, plants, pots, whatever) for your bottom dwellers. I'm including your ram in the "bottom dweller" blanket, there.
Thanks, Newman. I think I'll try to get some really good pics of the boys tonight. Gonna feed them bloodworms since they were so patient while I was juggling their tanks today.
However, as has been said, you REALLY need to get more cover (decor, plants, pots, whatever) for your bottom dwellers. I'm including your ram in the "bottom dweller" blanket, there.
Thanks, Newman. I think I'll try to get some really good pics of the boys tonight. Gonna feed them bloodworms since they were so patient while I was juggling their tanks today.
Fishman,
I want you to practice something for me. Walk into the fish store with no direction. Just look around at the fish. Look in all the tanks and watch how they swim around. Find a kind of fish you reaaaaaaaaaaaly like and think about how it would look in your tank.
Then walk away.
If you can remember exactly what you really wanted do some research on it. Don't just throw it into aqadvisor. Actually look at what you're thinking about getting. Read the bios on 3-4 sites. Don't just go off "well they didn't specifically say X" so I should be okay. That's what's getting you into trouble. You need to think rationally about what you have in your tank and what you're getting.
Example:
What would happen if you had a 20 gallon high instead of long? Would you current setup still work? Maybe, maybe not. The territorial footprint of the two cats and the bolivian ram might be too much. All three of them spend most of their time on the bottom of the tank. They need more substrate area to occupy.
Would the pearl danios be okay in a 20 tall? Probably, but there's a chance it'd stunt their swimming stride. (Of course, with 2-3 more of them you'd see them run more often in your current tank.)
That leaves your barbs. They'd probably be fine in a tall as well.
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If this comes off as my chewing you out, that's absolutely not the tone I'm saying this in. I'm saying this in a way that I'm hoping helps you with your fish impulse buys.
Personally, I would suggest you either bring up the danio numbers to 5 or replace them with another species that you can get a school of and you like (and will work).
I want you to practice something for me. Walk into the fish store with no direction. Just look around at the fish. Look in all the tanks and watch how they swim around. Find a kind of fish you reaaaaaaaaaaaly like and think about how it would look in your tank.
Then walk away.
If you can remember exactly what you really wanted do some research on it. Don't just throw it into aqadvisor. Actually look at what you're thinking about getting. Read the bios on 3-4 sites. Don't just go off "well they didn't specifically say X" so I should be okay. That's what's getting you into trouble. You need to think rationally about what you have in your tank and what you're getting.
Example:
What would happen if you had a 20 gallon high instead of long? Would you current setup still work? Maybe, maybe not. The territorial footprint of the two cats and the bolivian ram might be too much. All three of them spend most of their time on the bottom of the tank. They need more substrate area to occupy.
Would the pearl danios be okay in a 20 tall? Probably, but there's a chance it'd stunt their swimming stride. (Of course, with 2-3 more of them you'd see them run more often in your current tank.)
That leaves your barbs. They'd probably be fine in a tall as well.
=========================
If this comes off as my chewing you out, that's absolutely not the tone I'm saying this in. I'm saying this in a way that I'm hoping helps you with your fish impulse buys.
Personally, I would suggest you either bring up the danio numbers to 5 or replace them with another species that you can get a school of and you like (and will work).
