newguy from nebraska

[sixnickel]

hi
i have a 20 gal tank that i just moved into my house from my parents. had to start over complelty, didnt have any fish any way. i filled the tank last night and treated it with tetra water treatment. how long must i wait to put fish in? how many fish can be added at one time? also iam a car guy and i would like to find a truck or something similar to have in the tank, i have serched the internet and found nothing, what i am wondering though is can i just get a resin decoration, from like hobby lobby, and use that if it is clean before i put it in, would it have to be sealed some way so that it wont hurt the water quality?

thanks

 

[BBradbury]

Your 20 G

Good morning six and welcome...

If you cycle your tank the old fashioned way, then it will take at least a month to cycle properly.

Here's what I do: Set up the tank with substrate, power filter, heater and airpump with an airstone.

Plant as many plants as you can and then start everything up and let it run for 30 days. No need to touch anything for a month, except to admire the job you did setting up the tank!

After 30 days, add a few small fish. I like Fancy Guppies, they're hardy little guys, and you're done.

It's as simple as that.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

B

 

[sixnickel]

the fish we are wanting to get a platys (sp?) are they a hardy fish. i dont have any live plants either. just a few fake ones. any idea about the resin figures?

 

[BBradbury]

Your 20 G

the fish we are wanting to get a platys (sp?) are they a hardy fish. i dont have any live plants either. just a few fake ones. any idea about the resin figures?

Hello again six...

Platys are a good choice. You won't need the fish until the tank is cycled and then just three or four will do.

No clue as to the answer to your resin question.

Let me know how it goes if you like.

B

 

[sixnickel]

so is a month really neccisary or would say a week do i mean it cant take that long for all the water to make its way through the filter system atleast once

i thought the rual of thumb was about 3 days from what i remeber a guy telling me that ran a pet store specializing in fish reptiles and birds.

 

[BBradbury]

Tank Cycling

so is a month really neccisary or would say a week do i mean it cant take that long for all the water to make its way through the filter system atleast once

i thought the rual of thumb was about 3 days from what i remeber a guy telling me that ran a pet store specializing in fish reptiles and birds.

Hi six...

I've never heard of cycling a tank in just three days. I've cycled quite a few and always did things the same way. As far as I know, if you don't give the tank the full month, then there won't be enough bacteria in the water filter to maintain good water conditions for the fish. The waste products the fish make will stay in the tank and kill them.

This is why I put in a lot of plants. Plants use the waste the fish make (carbon dioxide) for food and give back oxygen that the fish need.

I think if you keep to the month, your fish will do a whole lot better.

B

 

[sixnickel]

so would having just one live plant in my tank help keep the water quality better

what sort of light requirements do they have

 

[BBradbury]

Your Plant Question

so would having just one live plant in my tank help keep the water quality better

what sort of light requirements do they have

Good morning six...

Tall, fast growing, stem plants work well to filter the water. Research Water wisteria, Rotala, Ludwigia and a floating plant called Water Sprite. If you had these in your tank, it would help cycle the water and make it safe for your fish.

As for lighting, you'll likely need 1 to 2 watts of light for every gallon of tank size. So, a 20 G tank will need close to 40 watts of light. If this is confusing, just let me know and I can explain further.

B