New Returning Aquarist, Advice Seeking

[Sijansaur]

I have a 20G tank that I want to plant and add small, schooling fish to. I have bought my Ecobalance substrate and a conditioner, as well as correct lighting and such. I want to know if I should setup my tank and plant on the first day of tank filling? I wanted to get 6 tetras and a pleco fish to add day one as well. Not sure if I should wait it out or get a fish conditioner as well to add to the mix so I can have fish and plants day one. My tank is 24x12x12 1/2 and I wanted to add the plants as follows:
1 micro sword or dwarf hairgrass, 2 hornwort, 1 anubias barteri, 2 cabomba, 1 java fern, 1 water sprite, and 1 green cryptocoryne.

I wasn't sure if this was enough to plant my tank or if I needed more/less in quantity or diversity. Any help is welcomed warmly!

 

[rlederer]

You can add plants on day one but I'd wait a month or six weeks for the tank to go through the proper cycle. Don't take a chance and put fish in on day one. Better to let the tank cycle. Adding chemicals is a chancy proposition. Be patient and you will be rewarded.

 

[Sijansaur]

Do you think the amount of plants I listed was enough? I've read that heavily planting should be 1 plant per square foot of substrate. That would put me at planting 288 plants in my tank. That seems a bit excessive. I used plastic plants in the past but really want to experiment with live ones now. Also, do you think that my plant choice is suitable for a tetra/pleco tank? I've done a good deal of research but people seem to have mixed opinions on proper plant life for them.

 

[rlederer]

If your tank is 24"x12", that's 2 square feet or 288 square inches. You can plant however many plants you want to make the tank look attractive. If they grow well, you might have to trim them or take some out. Just plant what you have planned and see what does well. But I'd plant only two or three kinds and plant three or four of each rather than one of this and one of that. Experiment - you can always add or subtract later.

 

[Sijansaur]

I'm actually thinking about putting some s repens in the front, some anubias in the rear corners and along the sides, a few amazon swords around the anchor rocks/drift wood in the center, hygrophilia compacts in the back, and crypts to fill around the front of the rocks into my hills along the side of the tank. Maybe a single blyxa japonica for good measure. A bit of hornwort floating at the top of the tank would be my final addition. After all of this, I think I'll be good to go. When setting this up, how often should I be doing water changes/amount done? I've seen recommended 50% water changes bi-monthly all the way up to 20-25% weekly changes when first starting out.

 

[rlederer]

Planting sounds fine. Once the fish are in, I recommend a 25% water change weekly, forever.

 

[Sijansaur]

I see a lot of talk on not doing water changes in heavily planted tanks, which is what I eventually want. Rather, people top off their tanks due to evaporation and let the plants balance the rest. Some people do water changes every 2-3 months of 50% when they're running low tech tanks like mine would be.

 

[rlederer]

If your tank is heavily planted and everything is going well, then you will have less need for water changes. What I suggest is that you simply keep track of your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels often and and change water as you need to. You will eventually work out a regular water changing schedule that fits what is happening in your tanks.

 

[Sijansaur]

Yea that seems to be the best bet. I'll buy some test strips at the store just to get things going.

 

[TMaier]

Test strips are notoriously inaccurate. I suggest an API master test kit.

Many of the plants on your initial list are fast growers. You will have many more plants soon.

 

[Sijansaur]

I'm hoping to buy about 3-4 of each of those and prune them so I can get more. I've watched probably about 100 videos on aquascaping and I think I've got a decent theoretical handle on it. Also, how often should I test kit my water?

 

[TMaier]

Geez it's been a while for me. There are some sticky notes on getting cycled. Dosing ammonia and testing. But I don't know the details. Let me find the link...

Articles to Help you Get Started with your Aquarium

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/showthread.php?t=154837

 

[toolman]

You asked about water changes being necessary in a planted tank. I have a low tech tank and I change water once a week. I think it's good for the fish, I wouldn't trust the posts you read of people going a month without changing, you probably could do it occasionally but clean water is the best thing to do for a healthy tank.

Each tank is different, some may go longer between water changes, but figure out a system to change water easier and change it weekly.
Will cause less problems, my 3 tanks have less issued with weekly changes.

 

[Sijansaur]

Do you do 20-25% weekly changes or more? What am I looking at?

 

[toolman]

In my tanks I use ro water, so it's easier for me to do in multiples of 5 gal (h2o comes in blue 5gal jugs).

I usually do 10 gal in each of my 55 and 75 gallon tanks a week and 3-5 gal in my 10 gallon tank.

With ro water I have to add seachem equilibrium to remineralize the water. This allows me to adjust the hardness of the water. It also allows me to adjust the temperature of the water.

 

[Sijansaur]

I'll be using tap water with a prep fluid and so about 3-5G changes every week. What would you recommend for water changes? I'm thinking about picking up a hand siphon or something of that nature.

 

[Sijansaur]

After 1 month without fish, I'll retest and see if my tank is balanced. If so, I'll be adding a bristlenose and about 5-6 opate tetras. I want to add a sole dalmatian Molly along with my other 5-6 tetra school on my second tank addition. Do you think that's introducing too many fish too soon? How many fish should I add when I first get the tank settled and how long should I wait in between other additions?

 

[toolman]

The siphons work really well, and you can suck gunk from gravel with the large end. The more water you change the better, some members change 50%+ weekly, but I get along this way. Your take will be different, all of them are too many variables.
But we're here to help!

 

[Sijansaur]

Could I pick a new one up at petco or do you recommend I shop elsewhere for those? I want what's best.

 

[toolman]

I shop at petco all the time, I have even bought fish there. Look for sick fish in the tanks or disease if you buy fish there, some have trouble with them being chain and unhealthy fish.