Getting a new 20 gallon tank

[Scooper1988]

Hello everyone,
I am kind of new to this having fish thing but I love it already. So I have 2 betta fish (batman and batwoman) who live in two seperate 1 1/2 gallon fish tanks as of right now. I was wanting to get them a 20 gallon tank with a divider in the next few weeks. So I have a few questions and concerns that is why I am on this site. 1. what all is recommended for a 20 gallon tank? i was just going to get the started tank with lights and filter. I have a heater already. 2. how long does it need to cycle for? 3. do i need to check the ph levels cause as of right now i don't they, the fish just hang out and i do regular water changes as needed and they seem pretty happy. 4. what is the best way to set it up with live plants? i had some before and they died.
So if anyone can help me out that would be great.
Thanks,
Steph

 

[flchamp89]

Time it takes to cycle will be relevant on too many factors to list. Bb and ammonia sound like a good choice. You will virtually always end of with a better set up if you purchase your components separately. You can use live plants during your cycle but typically the lights in most kits will struggle with even low par plants. At some point you end of spending more upgrading lights and filter. Better to be patient and get quality parts as you can.

 

[Scooper1988]

Thanks for the info flchamp89 I was looking into it more and I think I will buy the components seperatly because I want to make sure my fish and plants are happy so whatever it takes im down for. ?

 

[Betta keeper]

Jäger heaters are well priced and reliable if you are buying components separately

Mine is set to 79, and never dips below 78.....my last heater was not programmable and went from 75-78, never staying anywhere for long. It was a cheap Tetra unit from Walmart and my Betta got finrot from the stress

I also recommend a filter with adjustable flow

I prefer Aqua clear, because I can turn the flow to a trickle without having to find a way to baffle the unit


For plants, try water wisteria, java fern, Amazon sword

The wisteria and fern are easiest-low light and can pull nutrients from the water. The sword is larger and a root feeder....makes an amazing bed though

 

[Scooper1988]

Thanks sassymomma especially on the plant recommendations.

 

[EVOLVNG]

Hi Steph,

I'm new to this forum, but most certainly not new to the aquarium hobby. Here are my answers to your questions:

1. what all is recommended for a 20 gallon tank? i was just going to get the started tank with lights and filter. I have a heater already. -- If you're only planning on keeping those two Betta's in a 20 gallon I would recommend getting a basic HOB (hang on the back filter). In a 20g tank their biological load will be very low so going with a stronger filter isn't necessary. If your long term goal is to keep more in the same tank I would then recommend going with a small canister filter with a spray bar (SunSun HW-602B). The spray bar will break up the surface of the water, but equally as important won't create to much water movement for the fish since they're Betta's.

2. how long does it need to cycle for? -- This all depends on the method you use to cycle the tank. You can find several YouTube videos on this topic, but the most common way to help jump start a tank is using Seachem Stability which takes approximately a week.

3. do i need to check the ph levels cause as of right now i don't they, the fish just hang out and i do regular water changes as needed and they seem pretty happy. -- As a general fish keeping practice you should always check your water parameters on a weekly basis. If you don't have one already you need a master test kit. The most popular brand is made by API. Betta fish like a neutral PH of 7.0. You should also test your tap water to see what the PH level is.

4. what is the best way to set it up with live plants? -- I would stay away from Amazon Sword since it requires more to maintain (light, fert, CO2, etc.). Stick with low-tech aquarium plants like Java Moss, Java Fern, Anubias, Cryptocorynes (aka "Crypt") and Jungle Val. Just to name a few. These plants require low lighting, no CO2 injections and low fertilization. Regardless of which plant you go with you should consider a substrate that will help your plants grow healthy. There are many out there but two come to mind, Fluval Stratum (also helps with PH) and Caribsea Eco-Complete.

I know that's a lot of information to digest, but I wanted you to be well informed. Setting up a tank the right way from the start is important so I wish you the best. Let me know if you have any additional questions, which you will lol.

 

[Scooper1988]

Thanks evolvng i really appreciate the answers and try my best to set the tank up the right way this time.

 

[Barliman]

I'll take a shot at some answers.

1. what all is recommended for a 20 gallon tank? i was just going to get the started tank with lights and filter. I have a heater already.

Those three are the basics. You might also want a lid to guard against jumpers, but your tank probably already came with that.

Do you have substrate? Some people run tanks with bare bottoms (the aquariums, not them ), but most have some gravel or sand to make it look more natural. If you're not keeping plants, any aquarium-safe substrate will do.

If you get fake plants (bettas do like broad-leaved plants to rest on/under), silk ones are best, to protect the betta's fins.

2. how long does it need to cycle for?

As long as it take to reach a state where any ammonia is converted through nitrite to nitrate in 24 hours. You'll want to get a test kit to measure this. The API liquid Master test kits and Tetra test strips are both good.

3. do i need to check the ph levels cause as of right now i don't they, the fish just hang out and i do regular water changes as needed and they seem pretty happy.

I would test it to at least know where it is, and then check it weekly to see if there have been any sharp changes. Also, you might want to let a glass of tap water sit out overnight and then test that, to see what you're getting out of the faucet.

Regular water changes are a good thing. Bettas love clean water.

4. what is the best way to set it up with live plants? i had some before and they died.

Ah, okay. I should have read further. Ignore my advice about fake plants.

I would recommend starting with easy plants: Java Fern and Anubias. Neither requires fertile substrates, both are tough and easy to grow, and the betta will appreciate the broad leaves. Both are pretty, too, which helps.

Hope that helps!

 

[Scooper1988]

Thanks barliman i also saw a moss that i wanna try to use along with the other plants. Do you suggest sand or like a soil or just good ol gravel?

 

[Barliman]

Thanks barliman i also saw a moss that i wanna try to use along with the other plants. Do you suggest sand or like a soil or just good ol gravel?

Moss takes its nutrients from the water column, so you could use any old plain gravel or sand.

Dwarf sagittaria is another good and easy plant. In that case, I would recommend a small-grained gravel and some root tabs, since it feeds from its roots. There's a good video here on easy carpeting plants, including dwarf sagittaria, here:

To be honest, while soil has its advocates, I'd avoid it for now until you're more comfortable with plant and fish-keeping.

 

[Delapool]

Welcome to the forum