Alan79
Aquarium Advice Freak
Hi everybody.
In the last couple of months i have picked up 2x cheap 20g tanks ($5 each) that i hadn't had the time filters or substrate to set up. So today i will stop procrastinating about this and get the tank ready for set up. I usually rush through the setup process so i thought i would create a journal before i start and move more slowly. This and my running 20 will eventually be moved to the bottom shelf of a stand i am nearly done building for a 40g. I was going to wait till the stand and the 40 were ready to set this up but wound up overstocking my running 20 with some fish i saved from neglect. I'll have to get it started now.
The tank i am setting up is the first 20g i ever owned and used to house my Comet Brutus and a snail population. The tank still has the old substrate, is dirted and i am still harvesting some snails out of it. I have to clean it down before i start. I'm being stingy and will re-use the dirt from the tank for gardening so i will syphon it out then deal with the remaining gravel.
Here is my current list of equipment that will be used to run the tank.
Filter- Elite jet flo 100 (good for 27g)
Lights- 2x single retrofit T8s both with 6500k bulbs. (need to upgrade when i can afford LEDs or T5)
CO2- DIY
Substrate- Cheap organic potting mix that i will supplement with a bit of Osmocote plus.
- Fine black gravel with a few random differently coloured stones in it.
Hardscape- I have about 40ish small stones that are all marbled or have some colour variations that i will place randomly.
- 2 bits of driftwood to choose from
Plants- Java moss
- Ludwigia repens
- Pennywort
- Cabomba
- Cryptocoryne Lucens
- Cryptocoryne Red undulata
- Cryptocoryne Brown Wendtii
- Pongols
- Dwarf chain sword
- Pygmy chain sword
- Duckweed
- Anubias (not sure what variety) I would like nana petite though.
- 3 plants i harvested from local waterways when i first started planting tanks. No idea what they are called at this stage and my camera is no help in making images with enough clarity to identify them.
I will buy some different plants for this tank soon so both 20's have differences.
Not sure exactly what i will stock in this tank but possibly a dwarf Gourami, a school of either Neon Tetras or Harlequin Rasboras (will remove them from the other tank to get the stock level right). I would like some blue rams but was wondering if they dig up the substrate? I'm over replanting daily due to my Comets
Any suggestions on some other nice eye catching fish that will do well in a community would be appreciated.
I will post some pics when i have something to take photos of.
In the last couple of months i have picked up 2x cheap 20g tanks ($5 each) that i hadn't had the time filters or substrate to set up. So today i will stop procrastinating about this and get the tank ready for set up. I usually rush through the setup process so i thought i would create a journal before i start and move more slowly. This and my running 20 will eventually be moved to the bottom shelf of a stand i am nearly done building for a 40g. I was going to wait till the stand and the 40 were ready to set this up but wound up overstocking my running 20 with some fish i saved from neglect. I'll have to get it started now.
The tank i am setting up is the first 20g i ever owned and used to house my Comet Brutus and a snail population. The tank still has the old substrate, is dirted and i am still harvesting some snails out of it. I have to clean it down before i start. I'm being stingy and will re-use the dirt from the tank for gardening so i will syphon it out then deal with the remaining gravel.
Here is my current list of equipment that will be used to run the tank.
Filter- Elite jet flo 100 (good for 27g)
Lights- 2x single retrofit T8s both with 6500k bulbs. (need to upgrade when i can afford LEDs or T5)
CO2- DIY
Substrate- Cheap organic potting mix that i will supplement with a bit of Osmocote plus.
- Fine black gravel with a few random differently coloured stones in it.
Hardscape- I have about 40ish small stones that are all marbled or have some colour variations that i will place randomly.
- 2 bits of driftwood to choose from
Plants- Java moss
- Ludwigia repens
- Pennywort
- Cabomba
- Cryptocoryne Lucens
- Cryptocoryne Red undulata
- Cryptocoryne Brown Wendtii
- Pongols
- Dwarf chain sword
- Pygmy chain sword
- Duckweed
- Anubias (not sure what variety) I would like nana petite though.
- 3 plants i harvested from local waterways when i first started planting tanks. No idea what they are called at this stage and my camera is no help in making images with enough clarity to identify them.
I will buy some different plants for this tank soon so both 20's have differences.
Not sure exactly what i will stock in this tank but possibly a dwarf Gourami, a school of either Neon Tetras or Harlequin Rasboras (will remove them from the other tank to get the stock level right). I would like some blue rams but was wondering if they dig up the substrate? I'm over replanting daily due to my Comets
Any suggestions on some other nice eye catching fish that will do well in a community would be appreciated.
I will post some pics when i have something to take photos of.