New to Aquariums

[clankdude]

After a lot(I mean a LOT) of googling about cycling and tankmates and tank sizes I figured my best bet would be to find a friendly community would be the best help. I have had a history with fix from my parents who have had fish but never went too successfully. Some lived for years and some lived for not so many years. But my questions to you are. I have a stored away 20 gallon that I am going to scrub up that has a filter system with it(that I still need to test tomorrow...it is five am...make that today).

I am hoping to make a nice tank with a betta, other fish, and maybe some african dwarfs if possible. What fish would you recommend and what supplies should I acquire beforehand? P.S. we have well water. Thanks a ton.

 

[librarygirl]

Do you know what kind of filter it is and what size tank it's rated for? Usually you want at least the double amount of filtration for your size tank. Some filters are better than others too.

How are you planning to cycle the tank? Fish-in or fishless? This guide might help you decide: Guide to Starting a Freshwater Aquarium - Aquarium Advice

African Dwarf Frogs are cute but social creatures and can be a bit hard to care for especially in a community tank. First, they shoot up to the surface for air and they aren't the best swimmers so a 20 gal tank may be too high for them (I'm assuming it's a 20 high and not a 20 long), plus the betta may not like them shooting up to the surface much and it's possible the frog will bang into the betta at some point. ADFs are blind so they often need to be target fed in order for them to get food. They are also social, so you'd want at least 3. It's possible they'll swallow small gravel bits and become compacted so the substrate choice is important. They really do better in their own setup, but people have kept them in community tanks. I'll let others say more on that.

As for the betta, again it's hit and miss in community tanks. Most bettas are aggressive by nature and don't tolerate tank mates well, particularly those with long fins like guppies. It wiill depend on the betta, really. You can try it, but have a back-up plan for the betta if it doesn't work out.

Tank mates will depend on whether you have the betta and/or frogs. You'll have more options if you decide not to have one or either of those. A 20 gal is a good size tank though so you do have options, almost too many to name really. What substrate are you going for (sand or gravel)?

You could do something like:
--1 betta (if it works out) for your centerpiece fish OR a dwarf gourami (not both)
--a school of 6-10 danios, tetras or rasboras. Most types would work. Harlequin rasbora, rummynose tetra, neon tetra are just some examples.
--if you forgo the frogs and have sand or rounded gravel as substrate you could do a group of 6 corys for the bottom; panda, dwarf or pygmy are some good options.

You might want to take some trips to local fish stores near you, write down what you like, research the fish and ask here so we can help with stocking.

 

[clankdude]

I am torn between a fishless cycle and a fish cycle as staring at an empty tank in my room might be killer but a fishless might give me time to make sure everything works perfectly before the fish are in any danger. As to the betta not being a community fish sometime I am 90% sure we have a 2.5 hex stored away that I could setup alongside for a betta only tank if it goes south and make an attempt two with a hope for a friendlier one haha. The filter is a concorde 180. And I looked at the local fish shop and walmart. And yes the tank is a 20 high sadly. I was looking at neons and some sort of catfish. I did look at the gourami but the ones around here are really lackluster... I also could possibly stand to put a few female bettas in instead of a male if that would increase my chances.

 

[eduguy]

Neons are too active for a 20 high I think. If you can change water alot you can go fish in but if not fishless cycle.
Fish-In cycle Vs. Fishless Cycle | 80923

 

[clankdude]

Darn really like the look of the neons. I was hoping I could put a few types of fish without overcrowding to give it a nice look to it. Like some catfish on the bottom, some tetras for the middle and not sure what would work for the top. and a betta center :/

 

[librarygirl]

I think a 20 high is fine for neons; I wouldn't do anything smaller but a 20 high is fine IMO. DO NOT put more than one betta in the tank; they'll just kill each other. You could do what I said above for stocking. If you don't' like the Corys you could do a small pleco like a bristlenose instead (they too prefer sand and need driftwood to munch on to aid in digestion); be careful as some stores sell small Common plecos which get HUGE and need a 100+ gal tank as they mature.

There are pros and cons to both cycling methods. If you do want to attempt fish-in, just start with maybe a school of 6 neons. Just be prepared to test water daily and potentially do daily water changes for 3-8 weeks if needed.

 

[eduguy]

Neons are not hardy at all so I don't think they would be good fish in cycling fish.

 

[ktomminello]

My favorite hearty cycle fish

giant danios, plecos, oto cats, betta, gourami, raspbora, some barbs, adding crabs or shrimp for the bottom gunk usually adds some variety while cycling.

 

[clankdude]

I would start with the betta but I do not want to risk him getting territorial so unless I see a beautiful betta in stores ill probably wait til the end. Also will the old filter still work fine? I probably will just use some batting after I go through the cartridges or add some in to fill the large leftover space as I cannot find info on the filter and this tank has been in storage probably for a good seven years or more.

 

[clankdude]

I think a 20 high is fine for neons; I wouldn't do anything smaller but a 20 high is fine IMO. DO NOT put more than one betta in the tank; they'll just kill each other. You could do what I said above for stocking. If you don't' like the Corys you could do a small pleco like a bristlenose instead (they too prefer sand and need driftwood to munch on to aid in digestion); be careful as some stores sell small Common plecos which get HUGE and need a 100+ gal tank as they mature.

There are pros and cons to both cycling methods. If you do want to attempt fish-in, just start with maybe a school of 6 neons. Just be prepared to test water daily and potentially do daily water changes for 3-8 weeks if needed.

Would it be okay to two two different types of tetras that are similar but different colors to give some tank verity like six and six?

 

[Alo96]

Would it be okay to two two different types of tetras that are similar but different colors to give some tank verity like six and six?

Yes, it would be ok. I have a school of 12 neon tetras and 2 rummynose and they are always together.