SegadorDAlmas
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I had been looking into getting an aquarium/tank for a while now, but my experience was limited to "owning" a tank when I was about 7 which my mother maintained. It was small and overcrowded. So I made it my mission to get a fish tank and establish it properly. I started vaguely looking at fish and eventually picked up an encyclopedia for aquarium & pond fish. I read through the entire book top to bottom and determined I had taught myself well enough to at least start.
On Christmas I received a 20 gallon set coming with all the essentials (I believe it was this one Amazon.com: Aqueon 17760 Deluxe Kit Aquarium: Pet Supplies) and set it up last Monday (December 26th). We purchased a sand substrate and a decorative castle. These went in before the water. We let the tank run from then on to get itself situated. Yesterday (December 31st) I picked up driftwood, two java ferns, and a banana plant which leaves it in its current state. Had my LPS still had them I would have picked up a few longfin zebra danios. We got a pH tester but completely forgot the materials required to actually change the pH.
The Tank in its current state: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-HcWbAk9P4q8/Tv-nhny0nwI/AAAAAAAADVk/FzLM0aMhsnw/h301/11+-+1
I plan to move the banana plant to the foreground rather than the background.
My plan was to get the pH to about 6.7ish, soften the water, and get the temperature to about 76-78 degrees F which it currently is.
Fish wise I was planning on getting a group of longfin zebra danios, black phantom tetras, some dwarf loaches, and then a "trophy" fish. Something that could be kept singularly, is a bit bigger than the rest, and interesting. I was looking at the Farlowella catfish at my LPS but am open to other ideas.
All in all, I was just looking for some advice and seeing what my next course of action should be.
in advance.
Edit: I also want to say, I make it a point to bring my smartphone with me to the store and try to read up on any interesting fish I see to the best of my ability. The last thing I want is a fish destroying all my other ones or outgrowing my tank.
I recently saw a medusa pleco and fell in love with it, but was dismayed to find it requires at least a 28 gallon tank.
On Christmas I received a 20 gallon set coming with all the essentials (I believe it was this one Amazon.com: Aqueon 17760 Deluxe Kit Aquarium: Pet Supplies) and set it up last Monday (December 26th). We purchased a sand substrate and a decorative castle. These went in before the water. We let the tank run from then on to get itself situated. Yesterday (December 31st) I picked up driftwood, two java ferns, and a banana plant which leaves it in its current state. Had my LPS still had them I would have picked up a few longfin zebra danios. We got a pH tester but completely forgot the materials required to actually change the pH.
The Tank in its current state: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-HcWbAk9P4q8/Tv-nhny0nwI/AAAAAAAADVk/FzLM0aMhsnw/h301/11+-+1
I plan to move the banana plant to the foreground rather than the background.
My plan was to get the pH to about 6.7ish, soften the water, and get the temperature to about 76-78 degrees F which it currently is.
Fish wise I was planning on getting a group of longfin zebra danios, black phantom tetras, some dwarf loaches, and then a "trophy" fish. Something that could be kept singularly, is a bit bigger than the rest, and interesting. I was looking at the Farlowella catfish at my LPS but am open to other ideas.
All in all, I was just looking for some advice and seeing what my next course of action should be.
in advance.
Edit: I also want to say, I make it a point to bring my smartphone with me to the store and try to read up on any interesting fish I see to the best of my ability. The last thing I want is a fish destroying all my other ones or outgrowing my tank.
I recently saw a medusa pleco and fell in love with it, but was dismayed to find it requires at least a 28 gallon tank.