New 20g tank...looking for advice and opinions!

[McQuirk]

Background on the tank:

Pre-owned 20g high that had been cycled and housed 2 corys, 7 harlequin rasboras, and 3 rummynose tetras (fish were given away). Substrate is black sand. It's running an Aquaclear 30 and a Penguin 150B. 100w heater. Some of the space if taken up by a 3-D background that looks very cool. Hood is low-profile with LEDs- it was a Marineland kit. It was delivered to me on Tuesday, and it was filled/set-up that evening.

I've been waiting for it to cycle, and have been doing frequent testing. I'm going to go ahead and list all of the results I've had so far so that anyone reading can see the progression:

7/18, pre-water change:

Ammonia: .50; Nitrites: .25; Nitrates: 30

7/18, post-50% WC:

Ammonia: 1.0; Nitrites: 0; Nitrates: 20

7/19, a.m., ammonia-only test:

Ammonia: 2.0

7/19, p.m.:

Ammonia: .25; Nitrites: 0; Nitrates: 40

7/20, pre-plants:

Ammonia: Less than .25; Nitrites: 0; Nitrates: 20-30

This is my first "big" tank; I have a 5g cycled/planted right now that's housing my 4 CPDs and 7 cherry shrimp. I think this tank is GORGEOUS. I'm very excited, and I have a lack of patience that means that I'm getting horribly antsy to stock it. I'm trying to hold back. I really am.

Today, I went to my LFS and got about 40$ worth of plants: Bronze wendtii, crypt wendtii, anubias nana, pygmy chain swords, java ferns, and frogbit. In my 5g, I have some small java ferns, an amount of java moss decent for a 5g but too little for a 20g, and a bacopa. The java moss, at least, will be moved into the 20g. The rest of the 5g plants will be left alone, because I'll be moving a betta fish into that tank. I plan on buying Sera plant tabs and Flourish Excel...I just forgot to buy it earlier.

Now, as far as stocking goes, I *sort of* have it all figured out (after my hour-long discussion with the people at the LFS). I'm thinking about the following fish:

6 celestial pearl danios
6 forktail rainbowfish
1-3 "banded" kuhlis
15-20 RCS
aaaaand possibly 1 ctenopoma ansorgii as "centerpiece".

Other possible centerpiece options include 1 cinnamon dwarf gourami or a pair of gardneri killis. I also really love clown killis.

Does anyone have any advice, opinions, stocking or plant suggestions, etc.?

Thanks to anyone that helps!

 

[TotallyCoral]

Nice pick up! 3D backgrounds are the BOMB! Hahaha, very cool. I'd like to see a picture of it! Also, tell me how your plants do with the LED lighting. I also have a Marineland LED fixture and it's really horrible at growing plants, even with the "double bright" feature. It is nice though. Love the shimmer effect that the LED's put off.

 

[librarygirl]

Are you feeding the tank ammonia? If not is the ammonia from the fish that were in there? If you either don't add fish or an ammonia source your bacteria are going to start dying off.

I think your stock looks good but I think a 20 gal is too small for the ctenopoma ansorgii from what I'm reading. The DG or Killis might be a better option.

 

[McQuirk]

Nice pick up! 3D backgrounds are the BOMB! Hahaha, very cool. I'd like to see a picture of it! Also, tell me how your plants do with the LED lighting. I also have a Marineland LED fixture and it's really horrible at growing plants, even with the "double bright" feature. It is nice though. Love the shimmer effect that the LED's put off.

Thanks! I'll post a picture up later! No fish yet, and I'm not 100% done adding plants, but it's definitely coming along.

Are you feeding the tank ammonia? If not is the ammonia from the fish that were in there? If you either don't add fish or an ammonia source your bacteria are going to start dying off.

I think your stock looks good but I think a 20 gal is too small for the ctenopoma ansorgii from what I'm reading. The DG or Killis might be a better option.

I'm not putting in any real ammonia, but I did "feed" the tank...two small flakes. Do you think I should put it more? I'd rather not go the liquid ammonia route. My CPDs have proven to be very hardy so far, so if you think having fish in there would be the next best thing, I'll just put them in there now. I actually have never tested 0 in my 5g, so they're used to higher ammonia than what's reading...

As far as the ctenopoma goes, I can't find much literature on them. My LFS guy said he should be okay because they only get about 3", but my biggest worry is that he might wind up aggressive and go after my little ones. Right now, he's very small- hardly bigger than a neon tetra- and not a threat, so the thought is that if he "grows up" with them he'll leave them alone?

Probably a stupid theory, but...

I tested my ammonia today and it's very slowly getting yellower.

Has ANYONE ever got the pure yellow that I should supposedly get a reading of? >.>

 

[McQuirk]

I'm getting frustrated...ammonia has yellowed out some more but my nitrates are darkening. I just did a 25% water change and it didn't really help. /: