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!
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!