What would be best for these fish?

[LyraGuppi]

I have a twenty gallon with 6 zebra danios and around 14 Multifasciatus cichlids (6 adults, the rest are fry or juvi). In hopefully a month, I'm going to be upgrading them all to what I believe is a fifty gallon. (I'm getting it from a relative, and that's what they've said it is. I haven't actually measured the tank as it is in their garage. If my memory serves me right, it looked around three feet long and sixteen inches high)

I want to add 5-7 guppies into the 50 gallon after I get everything moved over and cycled. I'm worried that the danios will be too nippy since they're in such a small shoal. I'm not looking into adding into the danio shoal, so should I rehome them? In a large tank with a light stocking, would they have any harassment issues?

The tank will be made with a lot of shells and rocks for the Multis, but will have a few rooted plants and a layer of water lettuce.

 

[Baker]

I would say keep the 20 gallon for the guppies and put the rest in the 50. The danios should be alright but you will have to keep an eye on them for some time as the fry grow in. I don't know if hat many cichlids will allow the danios some peace. Sounds doable it just depends on the personalities of your cichlids.

 

[LyraGuppi]

It's not the fry I'm worried about, but the danios nipping the guppies. Sorry if I made my original post confusing!
The Multis only flare at the danios if they get very close to their shells.

 

[Byron]

The multis should be on their own. I would keep them in the 20g, though I admit this is pushing it, a 29/30g would be better. But they should not be with danios or guppies. They need harder water.

Byron.

 

[LyraGuppi]

Alright, I'll keep that in mind. Do you have any tips for giving the multis a sense of security and visually filling the upper portion of the tank without dither fish?
So should they not move to the 50 gallon?

 

[Byron]

Alright, I'll keep that in mind. Do you have any tips for giving the multis a sense of security and visually filling the upper portion of the tank without dither fish?
So should they not move to the 50 gallon?

Multi's should be on their own, that is the advice from cichlid sites. Dither fish are not needed, plus most can't manage that well in such hard water anyway. Lake Tanganyika has the highest GH/KH and pH of any freshwater aquarium fish, so far as I can recall. Give the fish some shells and rocks, and sand. Floating plants would be appreciated to add a sense of security which basically covers the "dither" issue.

The only thing with the 50g is that is a lot of space for small fish. But nothing else wrong.

 

[LyraGuppi]

Okay, thank you for your help.

 

[LyraGuppi]

Sorry to dump another question on you, Byron, but I'm rethinking my stocking plans:
Would a 20 gallon long be humane over a 29/30 gallon? The stand I have is 17" wide, a 29g is 18". I have them all in a 20g tall right now, and I'd like to give them more horizontal room. (20g tall is 24" x 12" x 16")
If need be, I think I can get a stand specifically for a 29g.
I don't think my family would appreciate a mostly "empty" task. I don't mind, but they like bright flashy colours and a lot of movement, something I don't think I can achieve with the 50g.

edited for clarification, I'm very tired

 

[Byron]

Sorry to dump another question on you, Byron, but I'm rethinking my stocking plans:
Would a 20 gallon long be humane over a 29/30 gallon? The stand I have is 17" wide, a 29g is 18". I have them all in a 20g tall right now, and I'd like to give them more horizontal room. (20g tall is 24" x 12" x 16")
If need be, I think I can get a stand specifically for a 29g.
I don't think my family would appreciate a mostly "empty" task. I don't mind, but they like bright flashy colours and a lot of movement, something I don't think I can achieve with the 50g.

edited for clarification, I'm very tired

The footprint of the basic 29g is the same as a 20g long, being 30 inches length by 12 inches wide (I think it's 12). The height is where you get the extra 9 gallons. If you are considering a 20g long, then get a standard 29g. I did this, twice. That extra height is advantageous. Provided the stand can hold it.

A wider 29g is a different tank; mine are both 30X12. I got them at Petsmart, with a hood taking one 24-inch T8 tube. Nice unit.

If this is for the rift lake cichlids, the 20g long would be better than 20g high, and a basic 29g would be better yet.

Byron.

 

[LyraGuppi]

Okay, thank you!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Re: danios and guppies

Danios get most nippy when kept improperly... i.e. small numbers in a small tank. Danios are like the greyhounds of the fish hobby. They are small fish, but with a thoroughbred's heart. They need room to swim! I know you said that you didn't want to increase the numbers of danios, but in that size tank, it would be more than appropriate, especially with the goal being to lower their nippiness. More danios in more space = more peace for other fish.

If you are unwilling to do that, then I'd say rehoming them would be the best move for both you and them.

After that, the guppies... well, they will be very at home in such a large tank. If you keep nothing else with them, and you have mixed gender, as it sounds you are planning... they will fill that tank up pretty quickly.


Re: big tank and small fish

This is my preference 100 out of 100 times in the hobby. Large tanks allows us as fish keepers to get many more individuals within a species and give them a chance to show more of their natural behaviors.

For my money, there's nothing like seeing a shoaling fish group in large numbers in a big tank displaying that shoaling behavior!

25 bloodfin tetras patrolling a 6 foot tank I had a few years ago was truly one of my greatest joys in the hobby!

Just my two cents!

 

[LyraGuppi]

Thank you!
I will be rehoming the danios when I take down the 20g. I read (a while back, when I first set up the tank) that they would be alright for a 20g, not knowing that I had a 20g tall, not long.
I won't be going with the guppies anymore, I'll just keep the Multis alone.
And if I do get to set up a 29\30 for the Multis, I think I'll use the 50g for a shoaling fish.