how many black skirts for 20 gallon
- Thread starter ssteven1
- Start date
I have 6 in mine and it goes pretty well. Just keep up on water changes and you should be fine with that number.
You should have no problem with a dozen, imo. Perhaps more, if you're not keeping any other fish with them in the tank.
In a 20 gallon long, maybe, but this a a 20 gallon tall (16Hx12Wx24L). In this tank 12 BSTs will severely overstock the tank and will lead to all kinds of other problems.
Go for Black Phantom Tetras. Much more attractive and you could do 8-12 without issue with good filtration.
Careful what you say when you choose to criticize:
"Severely overstocked & lead to all kinds of other problems" ??
On what basis and on what grounds would you make a statement like that ?
What kind of 'other problems' specifically are you talking about, and have you ever tried it ? How do you come by that experience and knowledge ?
The fact that it is a 20 gal tall, rather than a long, has really very little bearing on it .
I've been fish-keeping for over 50 years, both fresh and saltwater, have kept and bred a number of species of tetras, and I'm sure that up to 12 mature Black Skirts could be successfully kept in a 20 gal under properly maintained tank conditions.
How so? Foot print is a much larger factor for fish like tetras than overall size in gallons...this tank is essentially a taller 15 gallon.
I would do 6-8 personally...are you planning on any other fish and is anything in there already?
While agreed the surface area of a tall is somewhat less satisfactory for oxygenation and perhaps other purposes, it is nonetheless - fully a 20 gallon tank, not a 15, and I stand by my statement that a dozen black skirts can readily be kept in it with proper maintenance standards, filtration and water changes, and with no additional fish present.