Good Starter Tank for beginner? help

[platybreeder26]

Okay I need to know if this tank idea is gonna be good for a beginner.
20 gallon tropical freshwater....
Will all these fish get along considering temperature, food, water parameters and behavior, etc?

1 dwarf gourami
8 harley quin rasboras
4 male fancy guppies
1 black molly
6 bronze corydoras
Ramshorn Snail.

 

[ImACoolguy]

I would ditch the Molly but otherwise looks completely fine for a beginner. Just make sure you cycle the tank first.

Do you have a liquid test kit?


Caleb

 

[buffalochip]

check out a site called "aqadvisor". it lets you list your aquarium size, filter, and numbers and kinds of fish and offers data about any conflicts you might have in your plan, like if a certain fish needs to be in a larger school, is filtering adequate etc. also i agree with the first post, like everything but the mollie.

 

[platybreeder26]

I do not have the aquarium yet, but I do plan on a test kit..

 

[ScotJudd]

Hi. I think for a beginner the best tactic is to first buy a liquid test kit, I would test Ph, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, Kh and Gh. It seems like a large spend but it will last a long time.
Test your tap water after it has stood for 24 hours. These results will show you what type of water is readily available to you - without trying to adjust it (not a good idea when first starting out). Also you will see if you have Ammonia, nitrites or nitrates in your water. Having none of these is a good starting point.
If Ph is around 7, Kh 6-10 and Gh 6-10 then you can keep most fish. If it's high Ph, Kh and Gh you might want to go more towards the Livebearers (mollies, guppys etc), if lower you might want to keep Tetras, Angels etc.
Whilst most fish will adapt I still think that going with your source water is easier for the beginner.


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[trennamw]

Definitely no Molly. Those are always on the list of fish that aren't really for beginners.

I'd mostly agree with Scott except that KH and GH can be as low as 4. And pH can be in a wider range if it's stable. It's helpful to know if your ph is high straight of the tap and then drops low after 24 hours, unless you always let water sit 24 hours.

Getting your city's water report is very useful.

The KH keeps pH from bouncing around, GH is relevant in other ways ... Osmotic pressure and mineral source and stuff you don't need to totally understand as a beginner.



Very briefly


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