Jaeroo
Aquarium Advice Activist
Hey guys what's up!
Let me just give you a brief background of my experience with the fish world. I got interested in it when I was about 12 or so (I'm 15 now
). My dream was to get a 20g long at first but I just wasn't money bags. (And yeah I have to buy everything I own 'cause mama raised this kid right 
) I also thought it would be harder to handle AND I didn't know if it was an "I want a pony" phase type of thing so I didn't want to go all out on it if I wouldn't be interested like a week or so later. So I ended up getting a ten gallon. Can't remember what I got for it as far as fish went but I had plastic plants and other plastic crap that I eventually didn't like, so I wanted to try live plants. Being the naive little 12 year old I was I did no research at all, bought some really expensive and fancy "snail-free" plants at PetSmart, shoved them in the gravel I had and expected them to grow 
. They didn't. They melted completely. I brushed it off and was like 'eh I guess it wasn't meant to be' and moved on with life. A little while later my fish were dying one by one with ick or something and I totally gave up on it all because I was spending so much money on things that always died a short while later. BUT that's history now. (So much for the brief background but..... 
)
Since then I've moved and have just started to get back into the hobby. I really want to do it right this time and hopefully have a beautiful tank with a healthy community of fishies! The tap water I have now is apparently a lot better since the pH is easier to maintain. Okay the setup I have is still a ten gallon. I have flourite substrate and plants that are surprisingly doing well. some driftwood, an Aqueon penguin 100 filter thing and some typa heater that works fine and a light with a 15 watt bulb. (Don't hate I'm too lazy to look up the real names of these things.) ANYWAY. It's been set up for maybe a week and a halfish? And everything looks good so far. I have 1 Kuhli loach and holy crap those things have puppy faces I swear it's the cutest thing ever. (It's okay I plan to get more so hold your britches)
Okay exciting news: I got a 20g long!! It was only $20 so I had to get it. I haven't set it up and don't want to until the plants I have get a little hardier and I have everything else I need to set it up all at once. (P.S. I'm retiring my 10g and maybe selling it.) I want to record myself setting it all up and then speed it up and maybe post it to youtube.
I also have an aqueon evolve 4 from way back when I also gave up on, but I want to restart with it. I swear it's a 4 and not a 2 because I remember settling on the in-between tank (2, 4, 8). Didn't want it too big nor too small, ya know? Anyway I took an empty gallon milk jug and filled it up to see how many gallons it really was. It ended up full at around 2.9 gallons!! not even 3?! I was jipped I believe. Anyway, that tank will probs be for a beta or a couple shrimp or something. I'm going to make it sort of a "test tank" and just want to play around with it and try new things so I'm open to any suggestions! I would like it to be a dirted tank though (and plants obviously). As far as the aquascaping goes I have no idea what to do for either of my tanks so um please help lol.
Also, bear with me here I know it's been long and boring, All the 20g stands I've seen are only like 28" tall? Is this an average height? I feel like I'd have to bend down just to look at the tank. I would like something a little taller and a reasonable price if anyone could help me out with that. My mom suggested getting a tv stand because they're taller? I would like cabinets with the stand too.
Lastly, I just want to congratulate you for actually reading this far and I would totally give you a medal or something if I could so thank you. I'm uber excited to set my new tanks up and If you love answering questions I'll probably ask a ton of them!
P.S. I'm wondering, what light would you suggest for a 20g long planted tank? (high tech)
Thanks so much for reading!
Let me just give you a brief background of my experience with the fish world. I got interested in it when I was about 12 or so (I'm 15 now
). My dream was to get a 20g long at first but I just wasn't money bags. (And yeah I have to buy everything I own 'cause mama raised this kid right ) I also thought it would be harder to handle AND I didn't know if it was an "I want a pony" phase type of thing so I didn't want to go all out on it if I wouldn't be interested like a week or so later. So I ended up getting a ten gallon. Can't remember what I got for it as far as fish went but I had plastic plants and other plastic crap that I eventually didn't like, so I wanted to try live plants. Being the naive little 12 year old I was I did no research at all, bought some really expensive and fancy "snail-free" plants at PetSmart, shoved them in the gravel I had and expected them to grow . They didn't. They melted completely. I brushed it off and was like 'eh I guess it wasn't meant to be' and moved on with life. A little while later my fish were dying one by one with ick or something and I totally gave up on it all because I was spending so much money on things that always died a short while later. BUT that's history now. (So much for the brief background but..... )Since then I've moved and have just started to get back into the hobby. I really want to do it right this time and hopefully have a beautiful tank with a healthy community of fishies! The tap water I have now is apparently a lot better since the pH is easier to maintain. Okay the setup I have is still a ten gallon. I have flourite substrate and plants that are surprisingly doing well. some driftwood, an Aqueon penguin 100 filter thing and some typa heater that works fine and a light with a 15 watt bulb. (Don't hate I'm too lazy to look up the real names of these things.) ANYWAY. It's been set up for maybe a week and a halfish? And everything looks good so far. I have 1 Kuhli loach and holy crap those things have puppy faces I swear it's the cutest thing ever. (It's okay I plan to get more so hold your britches
)Okay exciting news: I got a 20g long!! It was only $20 so I had to get it. I haven't set it up and don't want to until the plants I have get a little hardier and I have everything else I need to set it up all at once. (P.S. I'm retiring my 10g and maybe selling it.) I want to record myself setting it all up and then speed it up and maybe post it to youtube
.I also have an aqueon evolve 4 from way back when I also gave up on, but I want to restart with it. I swear it's a 4 and not a 2 because I remember settling on the in-between tank (2, 4, 8). Didn't want it too big nor too small, ya know? Anyway I took an empty gallon milk jug and filled it up to see how many gallons it really was. It ended up full at around 2.9 gallons!! not even 3?! I was jipped I believe. Anyway, that tank will probs be for a beta or a couple shrimp or something. I'm going to make it sort of a "test tank" and just want to play around with it and try new things so I'm open to any suggestions!
I would like it to be a dirted tank though (and plants obviously). As far as the aquascaping goes I have no idea what to do for either of my tanks so um please help lol.Also, bear with me here I know it's been long and boring, All the 20g stands I've seen are only like 28" tall? Is this an average height? I feel like I'd have to bend down just to look at the tank. I would like something a little taller and a reasonable price if anyone could help me out with that. My mom suggested getting a tv stand because they're taller? I would like cabinets with the stand too.
Lastly, I just want to congratulate you for actually reading this far and I would totally give you a medal or something if I could so thank you. I'm uber excited to set my new tanks up and If you love answering questions I'll probably ask a ton of them!
P.S. I'm wondering, what light would you suggest for a 20g long planted tank? (high tech)
Thanks so much for reading!
