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Can a couple of cichlids go in a 20 gal tank?

Discussion in 'Cichlids' started by Anonymous, Nov 6, 2008.

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  1. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    haha lol. I think their kind of cool looking. Would a few of those work in a 20 gal?
     
    Anonymous, Nov 6, 2008
    #21
  2. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    Dear god no! 1 maybe (bad idea) a few DEFINITELY not! Those are the fish I keep. Mine are in a 125 gallon. Plus they are very picky. You look at them the wrong way and they may just stress out on you and quit eating. When they quit eating you only have a 5% chance really to get them back eating.... the more days go by the lower that percentage gets. Plus they are like $60 per fish (about 4 inches) any smaller than that and they may stress out as soon as you put them in your tank.

    Gets expensive to loose even 1 of them. I have lost about 5 in the past 1-2 years I have been keeping them (usually from bad choices like buying only 1 and then adding 1 more.

    I can go on and on about these fish now. That one though in the picture really is ugly. They ARE pretty fish, just not that 1. Too much peppering on it and dull colors (the blue and red are not as vibrant as they could be)
     
    LemonDiscus, Nov 6, 2008
    #22
  3. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    hahaha ok lol i will deffinently not get any of those then. Lol they sound harder than my puffer was. At first i couldn't get him to eat anything, then he eventually ate, and now he has passed. Lol but many those seem like twice the work as those, lol they don't sound to be really "enjoyable" because their so hard to take care of
     
    Anonymous, Nov 6, 2008
    #23
  4. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    Personally I think you'd be better off to get some colorful community fish like the rainbows and some tetras or something similar. Hardy fish that are pretty forgiving if you have some water quality issues while you're learning to test everything.
     
    Anthony, Nov 6, 2008
    #24
  5. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    I was just about to suggest that. Some livebearers (mollies, platys and swordtails) for color and some tetras because the shoals are cool to watch! (cardinal tetras are my fave!)
     
    LemonDiscus, Nov 6, 2008
    #25
  6. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    I love cardinal's too.
    aupload.wikimedia.org_wikipedia_commons_1_14_Cardinal_tetra.jpg
     
    Anthony, Nov 6, 2008
    #26
  7. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    ill consider the cardinals
     
    Anonymous, Nov 6, 2008
    #27
  8. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    Really Discus are not as hard as they seem. Dont get me wrong they are not easy, but you just need to learn the fish. They talk to their owner by their color. If you dont know how to read that you will loose them. Also buying them you have to know the coloring they should have as you may buy one that will die when transferred to your tank.

    Discus are a prime example of do not buy the "runt" because it is "cute".

    That runt may be small because of stress and wont live very long.

    They ARE worth the "trouble" but get used to easier fish before moving on to a fish like that. If you can keep an Angelfish alive you have a 75% chance of keeping Discus alive. They are much alike in water parameter likes and needs.
     
    LemonDiscus, Nov 6, 2008
    #28
  9. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    They cost like $1-2$ more a piece than the closely related neon tetra, but are much more colorful and hardy. 6-8 of those and you will not regret it.

    I am going to get 15-20 cardinals for my Discus tank when I get around to dropping $60 on more fish (no time soon I dont think)
     
    LemonDiscus, Nov 6, 2008
    #29
  10. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    yea lol they would be to much work for me. After my puffer passing away in his saltwater tank, i guess i just want something a lot less complicated but yet it still being a hardy attractive fish. In the past i've had Gourami's, mollies, rosy barbs, danios, and some other stuff that i can't remember and i want something different.
     
    Anonymous, Nov 6, 2008
    #30
  11. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    Gourami's are cool! Why not get a few of them maybe for a larger fish with the tetras instead of the livebearers?
     
    LemonDiscus, Nov 6, 2008
    #31
  12. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    i may try them again, i think i'd rather special order them than buy the ones at the petstores because i've already had them, so maybe a couple brightly colored gouramis, lol i remember when my puffer ate all of my gouramis
     
    Anonymous, Nov 6, 2008
    #32
  13. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    <a class="postlink" href="http://www.thaifishingguide.com/images/fish/freshwaterfish/snakeskin_gourami.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.thaifishingguide.com/images/ ... ourami.jpg</a> this one isin't really bright but its pretty, i've had the gold goruami, pearl, opaline, powder blue, and a couple others before
     
    Anonymous, Nov 6, 2008
    #33
  14. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    The Flame Dwarf is a pretty Gourami.
     
    Anthony, Nov 6, 2008
    #34
  15. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    the flame's are kind of pretty
     
    Anonymous, Nov 6, 2008
    #35
  16. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    <a class="postlink" href="http://www.aquariumfish.net/images_01/gourami_sunset_200.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.aquariumfish.net/images_01/g ... et_200.jpg</a> sunset gourami, soooooooooooo pretty
     
    Anonymous, Nov 6, 2008
    #36
  17. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    Looks similar to the Dwarf Flame.
     
    Anthony, Nov 6, 2008
    #37
  18. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    yea i was also looking up the paradise gourami some are really pretty
     
    Anonymous, Nov 6, 2008
    #38
  19. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    Alright so i finally have found 3 gourami's that i like, and am still looking for one more, so here they are: Paradise Gourami, Licorcie Gourami, and Sunset thick lip gourami
     
    Anonymous, Nov 6, 2008
    #39
  20. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    So i have officially made up my mind. When my tank is ready i'm just going to keep it simple but yet still have color. I will probably get about 4 dwarf gourami's, 5 neon tetras, 5 cardinals, and 10 fancy guppies, sounds like a lot of fish for a 20 gal but with my tank's currnent setup there should be plenty of hiding/swimming places, and none of those fish get big.
     
    Anonymous, Nov 6, 2008
    #40
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