New/Old tank question

[TheNamelessPoet]

I was planning on purchasing a tank but my roomate has decided to sell me her 20 gallon that is currently set up as she just got a 55.

She also is letting me keep the rocks and finter, infact the only think I have to buy is a heater, and m own fish of course. My question is this however.

If I can get her to leave about 2-3 gallons of water in the tank should i just refill the tank and use the same filter? I would like to get my fish asap as I have been waiting for 2 weeks already to get the tank while she looked for a new one. She ha had fish in hers for about 2-3 weeks and I believe she cycled it since she has had it for a while, and has had no casualties. When she takes the water and puts it in her new tanks (which I tried to get her to not do so I could start with my fish right away ) she said she was taking what water she could from it.

Basicly I want to know if I should start over or use her rocks and filter to get the bacteria a jump start.

As Stated in a prev post. I am going to get a small pleco (clown I believe I found) a school of neons and 2-3 small catcish (probably 2) im going with the neons last because its been stated about 100 times that they are not the hardiest so I might as well wait for everything else that is a little hardier to grab hold

 

[neilanh]

The water is of no relevance in a FW tank. The bacteria that cycled the tank live on surfaces - in the filter, on the rocks, etc. If the tank was in fact trully cycled before, and you keep all the existing stuff, then it will remain cycled and you can go straight to fish - If you get fish within a day or so of removing the fish that are currently in there. Otherwise, you'll need to feed the bacteria an ammonia source to keep them going if the tank is going to be empty for a few days.

 

[TheNamelessPoet]

I will be getting the fish the day she removes hers

 

[TheNamelessPoet]

would you suggest the pleco and catfish 1st?

 

[meegosh]

I would save the pleco and catfish for your last additions. They like a bit of algae to much on. If the tank has only been setup for 3-4 weeks then I bet there isn't really a whole lot of stuff to eat on the bottom of the tank, yet. I'd wait a while until you get some algae built up.

I'd add a decent school of neons, make sure to acclimate them properly since most are weak now-a-days. I'd wait maybe a week or so then start adding your cories.

 

[TheNamelessPoet]

would silver dollers go well in the tank? with the pleco and the catfhsi and neons im trying to find something that is a little bigger to go with them