Advice on setting up a tank

[malfist]

So I got my tax return money and I've finally done what I've been planning on doing for a while. I've bought a 20G aquarium (standard, not long), bought a quad light fixture for it (4.8 W/g of T5-HO plant lights) and am about to set it up as a dedicated plant/dwarf puffer tank. I also put in 40 lb of eco complete, and some homemade root tabs.

What plants should I put in the tank? It doesn't have C02 injection, but I will be dosing excel. I grow plenty of plants outside the aquarium, and my 55g has quite a bit of java fern and some other low to low-medium light plants growing in it. So I'm not a total newbie.

Full details:
20G High 24x12x16
Eco Complete substrate
Root tabs of oscomote
AquaClear 30 with seachem purigen
Hydor (?) Nano 240 powerhead (240gph)
150W heater of forgotten brand

Stocking will be:
4 dwarf puffers
lots of MTS
Maybe some shrimp (if the puffers leave enough alive for a stable population)

 

[wildroseofky]

First read this The Puffer Forum • Carinotetraodon travancoricus. Puffers can be difficult to keep. Make sure your tank is cycled. Read this http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...guide-and-faq-to-fishless-cycling-148283.html

With that much light on a 20 gallon you will need CO2 or you will get algae problems. You can use a CO2 supplement like Metricide 14 or Flourish Excel. With that much light you should be able to grow just about any plants you want.
I like Ludwigia Repens, Alternathia Reinecki, Rotala Inclinata, hornwort to name a few.

You will need a well planted tank with lots of decor to keep that many puffers. If they see each other they will fight to the death. They also like to explore and get bored. Good luck with you tank. Oh and post photos. Always like to see others tanks.

 

[malfist]

I've kept puffers before (ended horribly when the filter died) so I kinda know what I'm getting into.

Also, I'll be pulling off a tetra 60 gallon filter off my main tank and plan on using it to instant cycle the 20 gallon. I'm replacing it with a emperor 400 on the fifty five (to match the other emperor 400 also on it)

Sent from my EVO using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[wildroseofky]

Glad to hear you have experience. My first try with dwarf puffers ended badly too. I used a found piece of driftwood that turned out to be bad for the tank. Now I am extremely careful when adding found items. I look forward to seeing your tank when it is done.

 

[malfist]

I plan on putting pictures in the showcase thing after it gets started.

I'm attaching a photo of hornwort wrapped around the heater, do you think that will be an issue? If it is, how would I keep it off the heater and out of the powerhead?

Any suggestions on placement is also welcome. I'm planning on getting more plants also, the LFS is going to order me a bunch.