Jumping to the Fresh side...

[Macscale]

Hey everyone,
When I was younger I had a 10g freshwater tank, I didn't know what I was doing and knew nothing about the nitrogen cycle. Now the tank ran fine, but I got bored because I the only fish store I knew was PetCo.

So, I've been running Reef Nano tanks and have been thinking about starting a freshwater. I really don't know much except the cycle, and plants/wood lighting simple basics like that.


I only want to start a small tank. 10-20 gallons because of space. Realistically how much would I be able to stock? I have been In the newbie position in years so this feels a little weird.
A planted tank seems pretty cool, but I want to keep it simple and easy. I was thinking running an AC HOB but, I don't know what filtration is used beside canisters, HOB and in gravel.


Overall I need help planning a tank. Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

 

[captaincritical]

I think new tanks are so exciting! It can be hard not to be overwhelmed by the possibilities, though.

I would probably start by deciding what type of stock you plan on keeping. I know when I started, I did a lot of browsing on websites that ship freshwater fish. I ended up buying locally in the end, but they gave me a really good idea of what was available. When I saw something I found visually interesting, I'd read up on required water parameters and compatibility.

You've probably seen this before, but AqAdvisor can be a really helpful tool when you're trying to get an idea of stocking levels. It's not perfect but it's a decent guideline nonetheless.

As far as planted versus non-planted, that was a hard decision for me to make. I didn't want to be overwhelmed but I know how helpful plants can be in maintaining good water parameters. I ended up doing mostly artificial plants with a couple really simple low-light plants just for good measure. There are lots of varieties available that don't require a huge amount of care, should you decide to go that way. I figured starting simple was the way to go, and I have yet to regret it.

As far as filters are concerned, I only have first-hand experience with the AquaClear HOB variety. I love mine and I know lots of other people are happy with theirs too. I don't think you can go wrong with one of those unless your tank is obscenely deep.

Anyway, good luck with your build! I'm sure others will be by with recommendations.

 

[Macscale]

Thanks so much! I will look at the fish and be back with more questions

 

[captaincritical]

Sounds good! If you have a choice between the 10g and 20g, I would definitely go bigger. You'll have much more selection that way in terms of stocking.

 

[Macscale]

I'm guessing a 20 long is preferred.
What is the turnover rate for flow that is recommended?

 

[captaincritical]

Not sure about turnover rate specifically, but it's definitely better to overfilter when in doubt so you can stock to full capacity. A lot of people here recommend using a filter rated for twice the capacity of your tank. I've got a 35g with an AquaClear 70, for example.

If I misunderstood your question, I apologize!

Edit: And yes, 20 long is better. The more surface area the better, generally speaking.

 

[Macscale]

No that does answer it.
Do I still need Powerheads?

 

[Macscale]

After looking through live aquaria, i've narrowed it down to guppies or rams. I really like discus but they obviously need big tanks.

 

[captaincritical]

You shouldn't need powerheads in a 20g, especially if you go with a HOB filter.

There are some truly beautiful guppies out there, that's for sure. If you want to avoid having a million fry, you can keep all males. A pair of rams would be really nice, too, though I know they can be sensitive to water conditions.

Discus are stunning but notoriously difficult to keep. And yes, they need quite large tanks. Maybe someday I'll have a discus tank... one can dream!

 

[Macscale]

Haha yes, dream on. I think the Guppies would be good to start. Realistically, how many could I have in a 20?

As for supplies I just need the
Tank
Heater
Filter
Gravel
Light Hood.
Correct? Am I missing something?

 

[captaincritical]

I really think it depends on the filter you end up choosing. A safe number would probably be 10, but with the right filtration you could likely keep 15 without a problem. Guppies have a higher bioload than a lot of other small fish, so that limits things a little.



That list looks good. The only things I can see missing are plants and/or decorations. Aside from nets and cleaning supplies, obviously.

 

[Macscale]

I have tons of those so it's not a problem. I didn't think I could keep that much. Wow. That's amazing. I'm used to like 3-4 fish in a 20 haha.

Do you mainly keep tetras?

 

[captaincritical]

I imagine the jump from marine fish to freshwater fish would be quite odd! I know next to nothing about the "other side", haha. Livebearers are a great fish to start with. I had guppies as a child when I was clueless about fishkeeping, and most of them survived somehow.

I'm actually in the midst of setting up a 35g community tank right now. I started into it in February and have learned an absolute TON since then. It's going to be mostly tetras. Right now all that's in there are 5 blushing white skirt tetras (started with 6 but lost one unfortunately) and a little albino bristlenose pleco. I plan on stocking congos and glowlights, also. I'm fond of tetras because they're so lively and colourful. There are so many species to choose from, too. I probably hear about a new-to-me variety almost every day.

 

[Macscale]

The only store I have with freshwater fish is petco. They carry many platties, guppies, tetra, and gouramis and some glofish.

Yeah, so I guess tetras are cool though. If you were setting up this tank what would you get?

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

Good your going to the freshly side!
Here is what I would consider
Top dwellers:
Middle:
Bottom:
Centerpiece:
That's how I would think of it

 

[Macscale]

Good your going to the freshly side!
Here is what I would consider
Top dwellers:
Middle:
Bottom:
Centerpiece:
That's how I would think of it

Are you recommending getting fish based one where they swim?

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

Well, yes, it won't look as crammed and the fish will have more swimming room, plus every where you look there will be some action
Guppies are top level swimmers, and if you plan on keeping only 15 guppies in there, the middle and bottom will look very boring
Here is what I would do
Top: 5 guppies
Middle:1 swordtail
Bottom: cories or kuhli loaches
Centerpiece: gourami

 

[captaincritical]

Goldfish Loach Boy has the right idea. When I was planning my stock, I tried to figure out where the fish would swim most of the time in order to have a more full-looking tank without overstocking. There's a decent level chart here that can help you with that, if you're so inclined.

There are surprisingly a lot of options for a 20g tank. You could go with livebearers, a peaceful community tank, a pair of rams... You can even work invertebrates in there somehow. When I was planning, I also spent a lot of time on YouTube looking up specific species to see how they act and move about the tank.

I was SO indecisive (and still can be) about my tank. The good news is that while your tank is cycling and you're preparing things, figuring out your stock can keep you busy and stop you from going crazy, haha.

I should probably mention that danios are always a choice, too. They're quite hardy and very active, and come in a variety of colours and patterns.

Edit: If you're in Florida, I probably wouldn't hesitate to order fish online. I'm fairly sure there are quite a few places based there. The only reason I bought locally is because it's the middle of winter and I'm in Canada.

 

[Macscale]

I've never consider the zones in which fish swim. It seems like a good idea though! Do you think maybe a budget of $250 would work for this tank?

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

Hmmm, depends, for the stock I think 40 bucks will be good, so I think you'll be good
If you want planted and want it low light low cost, I would recommend amazon swords, crypts, anacharis, Anubias, and other plants of that sort