Tank decorating

[Abigail Hudson]

I got a newish tank but it only has a thin plastic plant and a teeny floating one in a 20 gall tank. I have two hatchets and three platys, and not enough hiding space. Any ideas/photos of your tank decor?

 

[librarygirl]

Before we get into the decor: how new is it? Have you properly cycled it (letting it "run" isn't cycling)? What are the water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate)? Just want to make sure that with fish in there it's a healthy situation for them, which is more important.

For decor ideas, you could get some silk plants, they look realistic and don't require maintenance. You cold also get some aquarium decor pieces, depending on what look you like. This forum also has a photo gallery of other member's tanks, you could look at those to get some ideas.

 

[Abigail Hudson]

Before we get into the decor: how new is it? Have you properly cycled it (letting it "run" isn't cycling)? What are the water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate)? Just want to make sure that with fish in there it's a healthy situation for them, which is more important.

For decor ideas, you could get some silk plants, they look realistic and don't require maintenance. You cold also get some aquarium decor pieces, depending on what look you like.

My tank is about three weeks old, and everything is perfect.(exept for the decor) my fish seem to be doing fine but i want to get some decor before my platy has babies.

 

[librarygirl]

Did you cycle the tank before you added fish or did you set up the tank and add fish and it's been like that for 3 weeks?

If so, your tank is cycling and you're going to have to do a lot of work. Read the link in my signature ('new tank with fish...') to learn about cycling. You're going to need your own liquid test kit like the API Master Kit ASAP (strips are not accurate and neither are those in-tank indicators and taking the water to your lfs to test is usually not accurate either). You'll be doing lots of water changes for a while to keep your fish alive.

Test your water every day. Any time ammonia or nitrite are over 0.25 or nitrate is over 20 do a water change to keep those levels as low as possible. The link in my signature will walk you through it. It's ok to add decor pieces during this time, but you really want to read that guide and follow it otherwise your fish are going to be in trouble if they aren't already. I don't know if you've done any water changes since you've had the tank or how often, but you might want to start with a very large water change with a good dechlorinator like Prime, then read the guide and read it again and follow it.

 

[Abigail Hudson]

Did you cycle the tank before you added fish or did you set up the tank and add fish and it's been like that for 3 weeks?

If so, your tank is cycling and you're going to have to do a lot of work. Read the link in my signature ('new tank with fish...') to learn about cycling. You're going to need your own liquid test kit like the API Master Kit ASAP (strips are not accurate and neither are those in-tank indicators and taking the water to your lfs to test is usually not accurate either). You'll be doing lots of water changes for a while to keep your fish alive.

Test your water every day. Any time ammonia or nitrite are over 0.25 or nitrate is over 20 do a water change to keep those levels as low as possible. The link in my signature will walk you through it. It's ok to add decor pieces during this time, but you really want to read that guide and follow it otherwise your fish are going to be in trouble if they aren't already. I don't know if you've done any water changes since you've had the tank or how often, but you might want to start with a very large water change with a good dechlorinator like Prime, then read the guide and read it again and follow it.

Its been about a month since i set up the tank, three weeks since i got the platys, and four days since i got the hatchets. I have a filter, a heater, and ive done a water change once. I test the water every two days, and ph is 7 and everything else is 0.( i test with api master freshwater test kit)i used ph buffer and dechlorinator for my water.

 

[Abigail Hudson]

Its been about a month since i set up the tank, three weeks since i got the platys, and four days since i got the hatchets. I have a filter, a heater, and ive done a water change once. I test the water every two days, and ph is 7 and everything else is 0.( i test with api master freshwater test kit)i used ph buffer and dechlorinator for my water.

I also used a bottle of that natural bacteria stuff

 

[librarygirl]

The natural bacteria stuff in a bottle is, unfortunately, not reliable. Unless it's kept refrigerated from the time it's manufactured to the time you buy it, chances are most of the bacteria died off.

I'm also a bit concerned that all your paramaters are zero. If your tank was fully cycled, you would have some nitrate. If you let the tank "run" for a week and then added fish, unfortunately your tank is cycling and most likely why your platies died (read your other post). Also if you only did one water change in that three weeks that's most likely why your fish died.

Read this guide and follow it: I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! As I said earlier you need to check parameters every day and do water changes every day. Good luck, sorry about your fish, but if you follow that guide you can help the rest.