help w/ tank overhaul...

[JasonC]

Okay... so I have a 20H on my main floor that is in plain view of all company. Problem is that it is an utter disaster right now... It has become the "I just don't care" tank, and is in need of a severe overhaul.

Thing is, I have no idea what I would want to do with it. Its currently planted, and the only inhabitants are 4 harlequin Rasboras, and a BN Pleco.

If you had a tank like this sitting around, what would you do with it? Doesn't even have to be cichlids... but I think I would prefer something a little less than completely common. Decor, I am open... doesn't have to continue being a planted tank, but mind, it needs to be more of a show tank as it is in plain view of anyone who visits, and my wife has certain standards of what she wants company to be able to see... Especially when it comes to my fishtanks .

Lets hear some ideas!

 

[Ading522]

Aquascape it! Small fish such as tetras and shrimp..carpeting plants and growing plants at the back..a snail or two.. planning mine for a ten g or larger.. youtube's got plenty if ideas..

 

[Becca]

Aquascape it! Small fish such as tetras and shrimp..carpeting plants and growing plants at the back..a snail or two.. planning mine for a ten g or larger.. youtube's got plenty if ideas..

Agreed. Add some inverts to keep algae at bay - shrimp, nerite snails - and some small, but interesting, schooling fish.

One of my favorites in a tank like this are glass cats. They school and are a great conversation piece.

White cloud mountain minnows (I recommend them to everyone) are very hardy and have some really interesting behaviors, too.

 

[Ading522]

Agreed. Add some inverts to keep algae at bay - shrimp, nerite snails - and some small, but interesting, schooling fish.

One of my favorites in a tank like this are glass cats. They school and are a great conversation piece.

White cloud mountain minnows (I recommend them to everyone) are very hardy and have some really interesting behaviors, too.

who sells WCM minnows on the forum? contemplating on your suggestion of a badis or those minnows for the aquascape.. how big do glass cats get?

 

[rsretep]

May wanna check with Rachel (msjinxd) on anything odd and inverts

 

[hollyfish2000]

Show up a photo so we see what we get to work with.
I'd keep it planted -- especially if it's a show tank. To keep it simple, you can stick with java fern, crypts, anubias, etc., so you don't need a lot of light or C02, and thus reduce algae issues. A wall of vals in the back would also be nice, and we usually have those during the meeting auction.

I'd also do a really big nice twisty piece of wood. Rachel has had some in the recent past. It can really boost the beauty of a tank.

In a show tank, I think you need more than inverts IMHO. I'd probably do a trio of bolivian rams and a large school of small schooling fish. And then some small panda cories and a long-finned albino BN pleco.

 

[JasonC]

Aquascape it! Small fish such as tetras and shrimp..carpeting plants and growing plants at the back..a snail or two.. planning mine for a ten g or larger.. youtube's got plenty if ideas..

See, it is "aquascaped" right now... but has become so choked out with Java Moss, that I think I am ready to chuck everything and start from scratch... really wish I had been warned about that stuff a long time ago... its my bane. Starting with a blank slate is very appealing to me as it will let me choose the look based on the fish that I ultimately keep. While I like planted tanks, I am also very partial to the wood 'n rocks look... understated, but very visually interesting if executed right. Basically, I was hoping to hear some more specific species suggestions of some less common fish that people have enjoyed working with... probably fish I would not have thought of... beyond the borders of the Apistos that I tend to be attracted to exclusively.

May wanna check with Rachel (msjinxd) on anything odd and inverts

Definitely will be doing that...

Show up a photo so we see what we get to work with.
I'd keep it planted -- especially if it's a show tank. To keep it simple, you can stick with java fern, crypts, anubias, etc., so you don't need a lot of light or C02, and thus reduce algae issues. A wall of vals in the back would also be nice, and we usually have those during the meeting auction.

I'd also do a really big nice twisty piece of wood. Rachel has had some in the recent past. It can really boost the beauty of a tank.

In a show tank, I think you need more than inverts IMHO. I'd probably do a trio of bolivian rams and a large school of small schooling fish. And then some small panda cories and a long-finned albino BN pleco.

Not a chance of me getting a photo from me... that tank is really a shame to me right now . yeesh ;P

The plants you mentioned are basically what is in the tank right now along with some Ludwigia repens and repens x arcuata, and a ton of dwarf sag that has never really been "Dwarf".

Def. yes on the twisty wood.. actually, there is an oak tree near me that has been uprooted for over a year... think I am going to be going to hack n' slash its roots maybe for this tank, but definitely for another project I have been trying to stage up.

Bolivians would be nice.. actually a fish I have been looking at keeping... but have not pulled the trigger on yet.

Any other ideas folks? What would you do with a 20H to make a show tank for your house??

 

[Ading522]

you could try one of these for an aquascape.. this is what i meant by "aquascape"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZDexLMZFrU

a 20H would definitely not have the space to do something like that, but it could be similar.. no idea as to what fish could look really small in a 20H except cardinal tetras..

if you want to start with bolivian rams, i have one i can spare you.. just pm me if you are interested..

 

[Leffler817]

What about some of those West African dwarf cichlids Anton spoke about?

Perhaps a pair of Tanganyikan rock dwelling cichlids. You could get a group and sell off the extras once they pair off. You can keep Alto. Compressiceps in a 20. They will out grow the tank but not in our lifetime. With them you could add a dither fish as well.


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[Tony]

Before I saw Shawn's reply, I was going to suggest West Africans. Cool little cichlids with some neat behavior. Some will need soft water to breed, but not all.

I have a planted 20H.. you know what's in it? Swordtails.

 

[JasonC]

What about some of those West African dwarf cichlids Anton spoke about?

Perhaps a pair of Tanganyikan rock dwelling cichlids. You could get a group and sell off the extras once they pair off. You can keep Alto. Compressiceps in a 20. They will out grow the tank but not in our lifetime. With them you could add a dither fish as well.

Not very familiar with Westies, other than a tiny bit of knowledge about pelvicachromis... this is definitely an option... any other suggestions for good species to look at?

I think it would be really cool to do Comps... love the body shape... but everything I could find on them said dont even think about doing a pair in less than 4 feet... (though it was a quick search at all my usual suspect sites). Is this really a feasible option in a 20H for the longer term?

I have a planted 20H.. you know what's in it? Swordtails.

Livebearers in general would be interesting... but probably wild type species... for some reason when browsing the aisles of the LFS's I find that I cant get interested in the designer molly/platty/guppy color form du jour. And I have tried... cause they are (mostly) cheep, and colorful. Not sure what my hangup is.

 

[dogofwar]

I'm a fan of goodeids... less colorful than fancy livebearers but a lot more interesting (in my opinion)...

Matt

 

[jonclark96]

less colorful than fancy livebearers but a lot more interesting (in my opinion)...

Matt

And a lot more aggressive, too, IME.

 

[JasonC]

And a lot more aggressive, too, IME.

What kind of aggression we talking about here... nipping on each other, or able to make the big nasties take pause before bucking up to them?

 

[jonclark96]

I've seen them bully medium new worlds. Also heard stories of them killing plecos and other fish that don't swim much. If it doesn't move, it must be food.

Matt and Christine keep multiple species. Hopefully they will offer their experience.


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[chriscoli]

I find that the aggression is there, but variable depending on the species. Some will also ravish plants (Chapalichthys and Amica) while others won't. My blue tail goodeids are in a heavily planted 29 and I think they are one of the prettier ones (Ataeniobius toweri).

 

[chriscoli]

Also, for what it's worth, my comps (1M, 2F) are in a heavily rocked 40B with a bunch of other tangs. They spawn often. With enough cover, a 3 ft tank is ok. But you're right, a 20 would be too small long term.

Maybe not too small for Julies or Punks though.

 

[JasonC]

Hmm... not sure if I am feeling the goodeids. Think this wants to be more of a "community" tank (meaning more full of fish rather than a pair and a couple of dithers) than a species only, and it doesnt sound like they would play nicely with anything else I can keep in a tank of that size.

Digging the idea of the julies, Christine, but what is a "punk"? Also, sounds like a 20 would only be good for a single pair of a smaller variety... like transcriptus... what else would be good to fill out the tank? Cyps? And as faras tang tanks go, is it just smarter to go with rock only, or do plants have a prayer of survival?

 

[JasonC]

Found an old plantedtank.net post that is intriguing...

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=50100

Anomalachromis thomasi, synodontis nigriventris, and Ladigesia roloffi. Think this is a strong candidate grouping...

Was also looking pretty heavily at Pelvicachromis taneatus instead of the anomalachromis?

Thoughts?

And thanks again for the input... it is really helpful!!

 

[jonclark96]

I kept thomasi in the past. Not the most interesting of species. Personally I would go with the pelvicachromis.