good pair of fish for a 20 gallon

[black_bull]

I'm about to purchase a 20 gallon w/ a Fluval 104, and I'm wondering what a good species would be for a pair (male and female obviously). I'm thinking that most replies will be cichlids, but I'm open to any type and am willing to do research on any type of fish. Again, the fish will be in a 20g with a small canister as filtration. The substrate will be white sand (inert; won't affect pH like crushed coral, etc). The decor will consist of a few rocks of varying sizes that I will collect. There most likely will be one large rock and several smaller rocks around it, with a large open space left on the other side of the tank for swimming room. There will not be any plants, so I prefer a species that is not shy and doesn't need heavy planting. However, the rocks will surely provide hiding places if the female is being harassed by the male.

So, to summarize, I need a fish that:

1. Is not shy and doesn't need plants or much cover to feel secure;
2. Is compatable with the sand substrate and rocks;
3. Has interesting behavior, bright coloration, and is lively;
4. Needs no specific water params (besides 0 ammonia and nitrite); and
5. Grows to about 4"-5".

Oh, and one more thing: I aloready have looked into convicts, and while I find them interesting, I'm looking for something more out of the ordinary.

Many thanks,

Andrew

 

[Fella]

Rams maybe?

They might need a bit bigger than a 20 gallon though, I'm not sure...

 

[fish_keeper2]

i dont think cichlids will work. maybe some gouramis i.e. 3 spot, opaline, gold. why dont you want to use any plants? the enviroment would work for cichlid but the wrong sized tank

 

[OohFeeshy]

It'll be fine for dwarf cichlids though. Kribs, rams, etc.

 

[black_bull]

The reason I don't want plants is the same reason many aquarists don't use them: they require time, equipment, and dedication that I don't care to apply to this tank. My goal for this tank is to eastablish a simple, low-maintenance, entertaining, fascinating aquarium with a couple of fairly large fish that will thrive in that habitat.

 

[black_bull]

Anyone have any other ideas?

Fella, it seems like rams would work, since they usually grow to a shade under 3 inches, and a 20 gallon high is 24 inches long. A 20g long is 30 inches. Isn't 24 inches big enough? Unless its an issue of territoriality, I can see no reason why a 20 gallon high wouldn't be perfect. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, as I'm no expert).

Thanks, and please give me some more ideas!

 

[black_bull]

By the way, I'm researching the gouramis that were suggested and rams right now. Thanks again!

 

[sylvia]

The three-spot gouramies mentioned (trichogaster trichopterus - blue, gold, opaline etc are just color morphs of the same fish) are not a good choice - at least not as a pair - for a 20 gallon. Males in particular get very aggressive and territorial.
Other gouramies would work though - colisa lalia (though fragile) is often available under the name 'dwarf gourami'. Unfortunately females are difficult to find. Also, they'd be better kept as a trio with 2 females and 1 male. There are several color morphs of this fish as well including neon blue, powder blue and flame/red. Gets to 2".
Also, honey gouramies (colisa sota/chuna) - again, kept as a trio - are very similar to dwarf gouramies but hardier. Grows to 1.5".
There's also colisa labiosa (thick-lipped gourami) and colisa fasciata (striped/indian/'giant' gourami). These do fine either as a pair or trio but grow larger reaching 3.5" and 4" respectively.
Other commonly available gouramies are the croaking gourami (trichopsis vittatus) and the sparkling gourami (trichopsis pumilus). The former gets to 2.5", the latter rarely to much over 1". Both species would work as a trio or as a group of 5 with more females than males.
Lastly, a suitably-sized commonly-available gourami is the pearl gourami (trichogaster leeri). This is a stunning fish that grows to about 5" and is my absolute favourite species. Either a pair or trio would work.
Unfortunately, though all these species of gourami are lovely and rewarding to keep, they do appreciate plants or at least some form of floating cover. The two trichopsis species I mentioned in particular appreciate a heavily planted aquarium. All gouramies are also quite shy to some extent and need time to get used to their environment and become trusting. They also won't breed in this sort of set-up which I assume is something you were hoping for... They would need to have a seperate breeding tank set up for them.
Anyway, because of all these things, I'm thinking gouramies are not the ideal choice for your tank as they don't seem to meet the criteria you specified. However, if you do decide to become a little mroe flexible I'd reccomend you try out the pearl gourami...

So back to suggestions... I'd say a pair of kribs/pulcher would do nicely for your tank. They aren't too aggressive, are colorful, full of character, easy to sex, will breed readily but not like convicts so you won't be overwhelmed and meet all the criteria you specified - except perhaps size-wise as they only get to about 3". Bolivian rams are another option (rams are shy - bolivians aren't ) though they also only reach about 2.5" max. Their big on character and color though .

There are other fish I would suggest but they are either too shy or would want plants or are too small. Realy, considering the set-up, most of your options are small cichlids.