20 gal, single ram or betta?

Good morning, my lovelies! I have myself in a bit of a pickle right now. I am facing quite a bit of funancial trouble at the moment, so I need to get rid of the saltwater 20 gallon set up I currently have. It has been working out nicely for a while, but then I skipped a couple of water changes because I couldn't afford salt...needless to say, cyanobacteria infested the tank, and the cost to fix it now is just...not happening. So, I'm getting rid of my fish at the local LFS, tossing the cyano-infested live rock in the dumpster along with the sand, then disinfecting the aquarium and filters.
I have grand plans to plant the tank up some, and decorate it to a river or shallow lake theme. So, along those lines, I figured a ram or betta would fit in that theme swimmingly! My question is, I suppose... I am about to move half way across the country in about four months. I know a betta would survive the trip with no power, but as for a ram... Are they extremely sensitive to temperature changes? What about water parameter changes? My car battery only has enough power for the car, my phone, and one or two other non-demanding appliances. I might be able to keep the heater or one filter running, but having the entire setup on the go while driving from Delaware to Minnesota in the middle of winter... oh lawdy, my poor little car might die.
So, ideas on the hardiness of ram cichlids? I have gotten bettas to survive a single freeze-over, to live for another year or two after.

Otherwise, I plan on turning this thread into a progress thread, where I post pics and basically 'journal' my adventure from a saltwater nano, to a nano single-fish paradise! Hopefully this might be able to help out other fellow newcomers who are on a budget, and need some cheaper aquarium ideas. (Patience is more important than money, however, in all things regarding living critters. Tragedies happen, fish die, sometimes we mess up on some little detail. It happens. Patience, and having the willpower to start from scratch on a bad day, is what nakes this hobby so fulfilling.)

I bid y'all farewell until next time, and later tonight I will try to post some pics of my old salty fish, along with cleaning progress.

 

Personally, I think it would be better to set up and get fish after you've moved. Four months can go by pretty quickly so by the time you set up, cycle the tank, plant/decorate, get fish in, you'll have to tear the tank down again. I think it would just be more stressful for the fish whether it's the betta or ram.

 

Personally, I think it would be better to set up and get fish after you've moved. Four months can go by pretty quickly so by the time you set up, cycle the tank, plant/decorate, get fish in, you'll have to tear the tank down again. I think it would just be more stressful for the fish whether it's the betta or ram.

You're right...very, very right. So, I guess I have an empty 20 gallon tank to dream all about ideas for the next 4-6 months!

As far as rams go, though...is a 20 gallon feasible for a single fish, in a moderately planted setting? I would really like one, but even the place I'm moving to (a small mother-in-law apartment set above my father's garage) really limits me on the size tank I can go with.
Even for a male betta, would one be perfectly happy in there all by himself? I know they loke solitude, and I have kept and helped friends raise many, many different kind of bettas before. I know how fiesty they can be, but 20 gallons seems like a lot for a little fella to be all alone in. Even for a ram.
Maybe I'm just too used to big, flashy biotope aquariums with loads of fish, but a significantly larger footprint for them all to coexist in. I started too small for a saltwater tank, now I'm going back to my beginings for freshwater, lol.

As a random thought that just crossed my mind, if I set up this 20 gal for just plants, kept it fairly shallow and light, do you think plants would be able to survive a chilly (I have heat in the car, but the smell of it makes me sick, so I don't ever keep it hot enough to heat up water) possibly 20 hour car ride? Talking just aquatic (and maybe a few emmersed?) plants, being only a few degrees above freezing for almost 24 hours? Think I could get lucky?

 

20g is a lot of space for a single ram. Is that all you wanted in there? You can definitely add so much more! Is the tank a high or long?

If you were going with a betta though, I'd just keep it by itself. Maybe try some shrimp and/or snails if the betta leaves them alone.

I'm not sure but I think plants would be ok for that time since many survive being shipped all over the country throughout the year for 2-3 days it takes to get to their destination.

 

I've read a few places stating that a mated pair of rams would need more than 20 gallons...not to mention, adding rocks, plants, driftwood, etc...that lowers the total gallonage of the tank, or so i've been learning. If I could get away with a mated pair of rams in my tank, I would be one happy ginger! But after long deliberation (aka, I've just been thinking a lot today) I feel a lone betta may be a much better choice in the long run. Besides, I'm still young, I have years to figure out other huge, lovely aquascapes and ponds for myself and my family!

As far as plants go...any thoughts on one of the "dwarf" lotus/lily varieties out there? Ever heard of them squeezing in a 20 gallon long? Otherwise, I was thinking anubias nana, a foxtail or similar plant, and maybe some dwarf hairgrass or other shorter-growing aquatic grass. Substrate, I was definitely going to start from scratch and harvest some sand/small gravel from a local cold-water stream, sanitizing it myself. Probably use some organic topsoil beneath it, too, and the plants should hopefully be well-rooted by the time any fish goes in there.

Also, random idea again, but are there any tutorials out there on how to make a large sloping effect in a tank?? I can't find much on my idea, where the left side of the tank starts at the top with sandy material, and as it slopes further down, it gradually turns more into gravel, pebbles, then larger rocks. Or, perhaps making a sloping effect starting with stacked rocks, then grading down into finer sand/gravel. Not too sure how exactly I would like to do the slope, but I know its been something I've considered for quite a while.

 

You could definitely have a pair of rams in that tank as well as 2 mid dwelling schools and a top dwelling centerpiece. But a single betta would be just fine too and would live like a king/queen in that big tank to itself.

I've never had dwarf lily or a tiger lotus (?) but I know many people really seem to like them and they are a low light low tech plant.

I am definitely not creative but I've seen a couple of people on the forum create that sloping effect. Lchi87 seems to have a talent for aquascaping and I believe has done something similar with her 40 breeder.

 

HI there

So slopes are kind of tricky. Over time, unless its supported by rockwork or other inert material, eventually the substrate will want to even itself out. The other danger is too deep substrate can house anaerobic pockets of bacteria that when disturbed, can poison your fish worst case scenario. To avoid this, planting deep rooting plants into the slope can help as well as using a bamboo skewer to stab holes through the slope to allow for the gasses to dissapate slowly.

Using different substrate on slopes is difficult too since they will have a tendency to mix. So you'll start out with nice separate layers of rock and sand and gravel but eventually, you'll see some mixing together. If that's what you're going for, then great! But I know for me, mixing different substrates would make me crazy lol.

If I was going to make an aggressive slope this is how I'd do it:
-Place your largest rocks as the base. That's how it would be in nature.
-Gradually add smaller rocks on top of your base. Don't fit them in too tightly!
-Your smallest rocks should be towards the top of your slope
-Once you've assembled the rocks, start adding your substrate. Sand works best here since the grains are very fine and will flow seamlessly into the rocks.
- Scatter the sand with a cup over your rocks so that you're filling in the gaps between the rocks while still allowing the hardscape to show through.

And in case you want to see my 40:

 

HI there

So slopes are kind of tricky. Over time, unless its supported by rockwork or other inert material, eventually the substrate will want to even itself out. The other danger is too deep substrate can house anaerobic pockets of bacteria that when disturbed, can poison your fish worst case scenario. To avoid this, planting deep rooting plants into the slope can help as well as using a bamboo skewer to stab holes through the slope to allow for the gasses to dissapate slowly.

Using different substrate on slopes is difficult too since they will have a tendency to mix. So you'll start out with nice separate layers of rock and sand and gravel but eventually, you'll see some mixing together. If that's what you're going for, then great! But I know for me, mixing different substrates would make me crazy lol.

If I was going to make an aggressive slope this is how I'd do it:
-Place your largest rocks as the base. That's how it would be in nature.
-Gradually add smaller rocks on top of your base. Don't fit them in too tightly!
-Your smallest rocks should be towards the top of your slope
-Once you've assembled the rocks, start adding your substrate. Sand works best here since the grains are very fine and will flow seamlessly into the rocks.
- Scatter the sand with a cup over your rocks so that you're filling in the gaps between the rocks while still allowing the hardscape to show through.

And in case you want to see my 40:

Wow...I can't even see the supporting structure beneath your substrate. o.o Do you have to maintain it often? As in, on a daily/weekly/monthly basis, do you need to add more sand, shuffle things around, etc? I definitely do plan on planting the tank, which is why I would consider a dwarf lily. I've read that in an aquarium setting, their roots can spread out quite a ways, and their broad floating leaves can provide a bit of shade as well as relief from a stronger current.
Suppose I don't mind co-mingling of substrates? Some sand mixed with some larger bits of gravel and rock, I don't mind at all. Would those anerobic pockets still form in the sandier areas, or do you think they would be okay with the occasional movement of snails/growing roots?

I thank you very much for your advice on sloping substrates!!

 

You could definitely have a pair of rams in that tank as well as 2 mid dwelling schools and a top dwelling centerpiece. But a single betta would be just fine too and would live like a king/queen in that big tank to itself.

I've never had dwarf lily or a tiger lotus (?) but I know many people really seem to like them and they are a low light low tech plant.

I am definitely not creative but I've seen a couple of people on the forum create that sloping effect. Lchi87 seems to have a talent for aquascaping and I believe has done something similar with her 40 breeder.

If I'm putting two rams in a 20, I'm definitely keeping those as my "centerpiece" fish, haha. I know they tend to stick to the bottom of their territories, but I'm sure that with a school of tetras to chase around, plus the interactions between a pair of rams, I'm sure they'll end up being plenty exciting fo me. I think that settles it, then. After the move, find a mated pair of rams.
That should give any plants I put in there time to establish themselves, and begin the nitrogen cycle to an extent. Are rams as rammy as other cichlid types? As in, do they like to move around plants and decorations in the aquarium? I've read places saying they do and don't, but I figure a bottom dweller would probably end up accidentally bumping a plant or two out of its way. Do they also like to filter sand through their mouths? Because that might help 'rearrange' my slope, if I try it with them.

 

I don't think your rams would be big or strong enough to move anything around. I'm not sure about filtering sand through their mouths. My only experience with dwarf cichlids are kribs and I don't remember them doing that.

 

Wow...I can't even see the supporting structure beneath your substrate. o.o Do you have to maintain it often? As in, on a daily/weekly/monthly basis, do you need to add more sand, shuffle things around, etc? I definitely do plan on planting the tank, which is why I would consider a dwarf lily. I've read that in an aquarium setting, their roots can spread out quite a ways, and their broad floating leaves can provide a bit of shade as well as relief from a stronger current.
Suppose I don't mind co-mingling of substrates? Some sand mixed with some larger bits of gravel and rock, I don't mind at all. Would those anerobic pockets still form in the sandier areas, or do you think they would be okay with the occasional movement of snails/growing roots?

I thank you very much for your advice on sloping substrates!!

You're welcome!

My slope isn't very steep so I didn't need to use a lot of structural support but I do weekly maintenance to make sure nothing gets trapped in between the rocks that will foul up the water. Every water change, I'll move the rocks around and poke through all the sand etc. I don't feel the need to add more sand, though I do end up needing to pile it back around the rocks.

The anaerobic pockets MAY still form depending on how active your snails are but the snails and growing roots will definitely help. I just poke through all my substrate weekly regardless because I'm paranoid and would rather leave nothing to chance.


Hope this helps!