28 replies to this topic

[Bulldarter]

Hey guys!

So, my first native tank has been an awesome success, and with some extra space, I would like to bump up to a 20.

So. Curently, half a dozen blacknose dace and three tessellateds and one fantail will be moving. My questions are: Satinfin/spotfin shiners. Is a 20 long too small? Also, stonerollers really appeal to me and I was hoping one or two would be feasible? 

20 gallon long: 30 x 12 1/2 x 12 3/4

Filtration: 2 aquaclear 20's

1-2 powerheads

Stocking

6 Blacknose dace

3 tessellated darters

1 fantail darter

2-3 rainbow/greenside darters

1-2 stonerollers?

Satinfin/spotfin shiners would take place of the first four darters and possibly the dace.

 

 

[Josh Blaylock]

I think that stocking would likely work just fine with a 20L.  If you are going to do a 20L with powerheads, you should look into the River Manifold system.  It's super easy to build, cheap, and give you good flow.

 

 

Here's my 75g Build where I did this:  http://forum.nanfa.o...allon/?hl=coosa

 

Depending on your budget, why not look for a 40long?  This would give you expansion opportunity.  Don't forget to check Craigslist.  This is a great place to get aquariums, cheap.  The 75 tank, stand, and canopy I got for $75.  I have bought nearly all of my tanks from Craigslist.

[Bulldarter]

I cannot fit a 40 gallon due to shelf space. I wish I could, but alas, I have no room. The 20 is the largest aquarium I can fit. I am definitely looking at the river manifold system, thanks for bringing that to my attention! Does anyone have any good recommendations for lighting that will grow some algae, but wont bleach out the fish or clean out my piggy bank so to speak?

[Josh Blaylock]

How about just a florescent shop light? Or, I've used cheap Chinese LED fixtures.

Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk

[MtFallsTodd]

Agree with Josh, a 2 foot 2 bulb shop light will work fine. You can tailor the color spectrum with a quick bulb swap. I've used 6000K tubes over a small tank with great results.

[Bulldarter]

Awesome! Thanks for all your help! I will probably post pics once I actually get started.

[MtFallsTodd]

Can't wait to see the pictures.

[Bulldarter]

No promises anytime soon, Jonas is about to snow us in.

[Bulldarter]

Finished cutting and testing the fit of the end pieces. Waiting to get powerheads to check the fit before I make anything permanent. Getting siked for new natives!!! ( my diy work is obviously not perfect, but it will be buried so no worries)

Attached Files

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Edited by Bulldarter, 28 January 2016 - 08:21 PM.

[Bulldarter]

How does this sound?

4 Rainbows

2 stonerollers

8 dace- blacknose mixed with southern redbellies or rosysides

Also, how many satinfin shiners would be good instead of the dace?

Are any small chubs/ sucker-like fish options instead of the dace?

Edited by Bulldarter, 28 February 2016 - 01:42 PM.

[Michael Wolfe]

Phenacobius sp are small and easier to keep than true suckers... not sure what you have up that way.

 

Skip the rosyside dace... they have large hungry mouths... stick with the blacknose and redbellied they are much more peaceful.

 

Satin fins are large and rubust Cyprinellas, I would not try to keep them in a 20 with many other fish.

[Bulldarter]

Ok so I will stick to those two dace sp. and avoid the cyprinellas, but none of the Phenacobius are within reasonable distance of me. Are there any others? If not, that is fine, I am just enamored with sucker-type fish.  

[MtFallsTodd]

Agree totally about the rosysides, they have mouths like a trap door. Some of the small creeks emptying into the James should give up a Torrent sucker or two. That shouldn't be too far from you. I found some around Goochland.

[Michael Wolfe]

I love suckers too, but they are not for beginners or small tanks IMO.  I have a local jumprock ina 35 gallon tank with a sand bottom and he is doing OK, but I have not tried him in a community tank yet.

 

Torrent suckers look very nice, but I do not know how well they handle room temperature?

 

Blacktip Jumprock are in VA and they are similar to my local striped.

 

Young chubsuckers are very nice.  I had one for a while, but I think it jumped.

 

I just need one of you young geniuses to develop a strain of miniature quillback that top out at about 9 inches... that would be an awesome fish.

[Bulldarter]

Yeah, I really like the torrent sucker but if no one has any positive experiences or other information, I dont want to experiment just yet. Maybe I will try one by itself and add tankmates once it has adjusted. For now though I will plan on the stonerollers being my sucker-like fish.Thanks!

[gzeiger]

I tried one torrent sucker once, and it evidently did not acclimate to room temperature - died overnight.

[Bulldarter]

Thats sad to hear. I will not be having those then. Oh well. What is room temp for you guys?

[MtFallsTodd]

My torrents are in a tank in my basement. Temps stay in the upper 60s. They are active, healthy and eat everything. They constantly rasp algae from the rocks in the tank. If you can keep your temps in this range I don't see any problems.

[Bulldarter]

My room is also in the basement, but due to the furnace it gets into the low 70s during cold spells. If it is off then the tanks stay in the upper 60s as well.

[gzeiger]

Mine was probably 75 (South Carolina in the summer). I was probably not as careful with acclimation as I should have been, and it was only one individual.