Stocking ideas for a 20g

[Deadeye]

For the cichlids, I wouldn’t do more than a pair for aggression reasons, but to properly accomplish this you may have to start with a small group.
Other options are scarlet badis or dwarf puffer, but both are rather difficult to keep. There are plenty more options too, but it really depends on how hard your friend wants to look/how much they want to spend.

 

[Fishyboy🐟🐟🐟]

For the cichlids, I wouldn’t do more than a pair for aggression reasons, but to properly accomplish this you may have to start with a small group.
Other options are scarlet badis or dwarf puffer, but both are rather difficult to keep. There are plenty more options too, but it really depends on how hard your friend wants to look/how much they want to spend.

This is gonna be their first tank, they should get the more hardy stuff and not the difficult ones, they are the type to drive 2 and a half hours to Pennsylvania to get fire works and 1 and a half hours every weekend to go to a camp for a day,

Also they said they liked both ram and apistos, would they be able to mix

so basically pretty fish that are Hardy

 

[Deadeye]

I wouldn’t mix the two - apistos are going to be more hardy than rams as long as you can maintain acidic water.

 

[Fishyboy🐟🐟🐟]

A

I wouldn’t mix the two - apistos are going to be more hardy than rams as long as you can maintain acidic water.

Water out the tap ranges 7-9 in ph so idk if apistos would work… i asked which one they liked best and will go with that probably also would 3 spot gourami fit or no

 

[Deadeye]

For water like that, shell dweller cichlids would be a good option - any of the South American dwarves wouldn’t be good. A 3 spot would get too big - mine uses every inch of a 4 foot tank.

 

[Fishyboy🐟🐟🐟]

For water like that, shell dweller cichlids would be a good option - any of the South American dwarves wouldn’t be good. A 3 spot would get too big - mine uses every inch of a 4 foot tank.

What’s happens if sac Would go in that type of water? Would it harm them? I have my Oscar in the same water and don’t want that harming him

 

[Deadeye]

It causes long term health effects, usually compiled with high nitrates, such as hole in the head disease. Some tougher cichlids do fine, but a lot of the dwarves are sensitive as is.

 

[Fishyboy🐟🐟🐟]

It causes long term health effects, usually compiled with high nitrates, such as hole in the head disease. Some tougher cichlids do fine, but a lot of the dwarves are sensitive as is.

So I/they can add either Indian leaf thingys and driftwood to Combat this? Would fish other than sac but other sa fish also be bothered by this?

 

[Fishyboy🐟🐟🐟]

They are prob gonna go with rams and I’ll tell them add driftwood

 

[Deadeye]

Any fish kept in water that doesn’t match its native conditions is liable to develop health problems - though it isn’t as apparent in shorter lived fish. Adding leaf litter and driftwood can help lower pH, but it’s an uphill battle and is only more stress than it’s worth.