Hi guys, some help from experienced fichkeepers please

[reloaded316]

Thanks for looking, ive got a few questions/problems that i would like answering from some more experienced fishkeepers please. Basically i have a Rekord 120 fish tank (holds just over 30g i think) which has been running for about a year now, im looking to put a lot of live plants and some bog or drift wood in my fish tank to give it a really tropical look, i also want to get about 4 angels in my tank but i dont think they are compatable with my other fish - i have 5 large danio's which are all over 2 inches 3 corydoras catfish 2 gold suckers a female swordtail and heres the 1 which i think will cause massive trouble - 10 neons which are about an inch long, im not sure whether these will be too big to be eaten ?. thats half of my question. the other half is - where im not exactly mr knowledge when it comes to fishkeeping could someone answer these questions please -
1. will adding mass amounts of live plants to my aquarium upset my tank ?
2. because im adding plants i think i will need some extra filtration somewhere, could anyone suggest something to help filter my tank along with my basic filter ?
3. if i get bog wood would it be wise to soak it for a couple of weeks ?
4. i have gravel at the moment but would like sand, would adding sand now mess my tank up ? if it does il simply change my gravel to a nice light colour.

thanks a lot if youve taken the time to just read and answer all of that, hopefully i will know by later on if i can have the tank of my dreams

[Jchillin]

Welcome to AA!

To answer your questions:

1. You can add driftwood - Treat the wood completely before adding it to your tank (soaking in water for a couple of days will help remove tannins and allow it to become saturated so it will sink.
2. Plants can also be added. I assume you're looking for low maintenance, low light varieties. Anubias, java ferns and some others are perfect for your set-up.
3. Neons are the natural prey of angels. Not a good idea to mix them.
4. You can use the same filtration that you have now. No need to change anything
5. What type of gravel do you have now? Some gravel types are fine for plants.

[reloaded316]

the gravel i have now is just normal black stones, woulnt it be awkward doing a water change every fortnight with those plants ?

[Jchillin]

You would have to be careful around roots and such (how long is a fornight...weekly?). The black stones...are these large sized or small (pea sized or larger)?

[reloaded316]

fortnight is 2 weeks, stones are pea sized roughly

[Jchillin]

Originally Posted by reloaded316

fortnight is 2 weeks, stones are pea sized roughly

Your gravel is fine. The usual recommended [acronym:9c2f97df13="Partial water change"]PWC[/acronym:9c2f97df13] regimen is weekly. This is primarily to remove excess nitrates...since you will have plants, the plants may take care of this for you.

Good luck.

[reloaded316]

sounds good, thanks for your help, just 2 more questions though, 1- will sand upset my tank if i put it in? and 2- will i have 2 leave the light on more frequently for the plants ?

[Jchillin]

You really don't need sand and it isn't necessary to upset your tank to change it. (ie: you would have to acclimate the sand along with your current gravel little by little over a few weeks to avoid having a mini-cycle). 10-12 hours a day for your lights is fine.

[reloaded316]

thanks

[Jchillin]

No problem...post updates of your progress if possible.