I ready to get an aquarium and I want to do it right!

[AndrewR]

Hey all!

My name is Andrew Richardson and I'm interested in getting a larger aquarium and I want to do it the right way from the very start! I'm here to get advice from all you experts!

I currently have a small hex tank, that I guess is right around 5 gallons. I have three tetras which I forgot the name of. They have an oval black spot behind their eyes and their vental and dorsal fins are red. I also have two cory catfish. I know they are supposed to be in a larger school, which is why I want a bigger tank. The two corys are very happy though! They swim around a bunch and sleep together and are very cute. I imagine they'd like some company though!

So I'm ready to get a larger tank. I'd like a 30g or a long 20g. I have a console table that I've been using as a stand and I'd prefer to keep it. I don't know how much weight it can hold so a 20g might be the best bet for safety's sake. It does seem very sturdy though.

I'm prepared to do a fishless cycle and I've read a fair bit about it here. I was wondering what brand tank you all recommend and where is the cheapest place to get one. I am prepared to wait for a great deal because I'm a broke college student. I don't know if it has any factor in tank selection, but I want this tank to be planted.

Hmm..I don't know what else to say! Any advice on where to buy a good tank for cheap or any other advice at all about any area is welcome!

Thanks everyone!
Andrew

[fishi91]

Planted tanks are more work. For a 20g or 30g i would think that you would need CO2 (either pressurized or yeast reactor), but first of all what do you want in the tank?

[Gourami Swami]

Originally Posted by AndrewR

I'm prepared to do a fishless cycle and I've read a fair bit about it here.
Andrew

Thank god! That gets boring to explain!

Anyway, what do you want to keep in the tank? If you just want to expand your current schools, a 20l would be fine. I know the tetras your talking about but Im drawing a blank on the name. 9 of them, plus 6 cories would be fine in a 20l, and you could get a few other fish. In a 30g you could go even bigger, say 13 of the tetras, plus maybe 8 cories and then you could fit more different fish. I wouldnt advise getting a different type of tetras, as one school of fish always looks better imo. You could go for something like a betta, gourami, and anything really that stays under 6" and is not agressive.

[JustOneMore20]

A 30g would be the best choice, but since you are using a table, like you said, it would probably be safer to go with a 20 long.

You'd want to get more tetras and cories of the same types, like Gourami said, but you could possibly add a centerpiece type fish, like a honey gourami or a Betta.

A 30g or 20 long will make a nice planted tank. CO2 depends on your lighting.

You'll most likely have to buy the light fixture separate than the tank (especially if you buy used). It will probably be the most expensive part of the setup.

For the 20 long, I'd suggest a single 65w fixture. You should be able to get away without co2 injection, if you have alot of stem plants like Rotalas, Ludwigias, Anacharis, Hornwort, and Bacopa. I have 55w (better reflecter than that fixture, so probably comparable light output) over my 20 long and no co2 and I haven't had any issues with algae. I do have alot of stem plants though, which outcompete the algae for nutrients.

Another good fixture would be this one: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...0&pcatid=16770, though it is more expensive.

Ideally, you'll want a nutrient rich substrate, but those can be expensive too. If you don't have any money to spend on them, then regular gravel would be fine. Get something small though.

Your tetras, are they Red Phantom Tetras? You didn't mention that their bodies were red, so its probably not those. And nothing comes to mind. You could look around in the gallery on that site if you want to try to ID them. The most important thing is that you get more of the same type when you move them to the larger tank.

[AndrewR]

Thanks for the great advice so far! I would love to get a 30g, but the price is high and I'm worried about the table so let's stick to a 20g long.

I like my tetras and I have identified them as Black Phantom Tetras! I described them improperly by saying their dorsal fin is red. In fact, the tiny fin behind the dorsal fin is red on two of them. I found out those are the females! I will also stick with the corys as they are great little fish! I love their carefree nature!

So say I brought my black phantom count to 9 and my cory count to 6, how much more room would I have for other fish? I like those Honey Gourami's a lot! I love how beta fish look, but they are pretty lazy and I'm not a fan of lazy fish. I want some action in my tank! With two big schools of fish I guess I don't need to add another tiny school or anything. I will have to decide more about fish when I know how many I can fit. One fish that stays under 6"? Two fish that are 2" inches each? Can anyone recommend some fun loving fish that would do well in the tank with 9 tetras and 6 corys?

Also, can I introduce the new fish all at the same time or is there a process? If there is a link out there for the process steering me to it would be fine! No need to explain it twice

Can anyone give advice on substrate? I don't want to spend a fortune setting the tank up, but I've devoted $100 dollars to it. I want this to get me everything though, including the tank! So far it doesn't seem possible... I am not including the cost of fish in this budget though. Do you all think it could be done? What is your estimate for starting this tank up?

Hmm..I guess that is all! Thank you for sharing your wisdom! I appreciate all of the help!

[JustOneMore20]

If you have 9 tetras and 6 Cories, I think you'd be fine adding a couple fish that stay around 2-3" or 1 fish that gets about 3-4"....it all depends on the fish though. There are some fish that fit that description that wouldn't work.

As for substrate, there is a thread that I've stickied that is about substrates for planted tanks, here: http://http://www.fishforums.com/for...te-choice.html. Scroll down a bit and you'll see a post I made with links to different substrates.

If those are too expensive (they aren't cheap) then regular small gravel or a larger grain sand (pool filter sand is good) will work.

Lighting (if you choose to upgrade) and substrate will probably be the biggest expenses. And your total cost will really depend on what you buy....as in what light fixture and what substrate. You could probably get away with 2 bags of Eco Complete or the Flourite, if that helps you decide whether it fits in the budget or now. That would probably be about half the budget though.

I think you could get everything for under $200 for sure....maybe even for $150, if you get the light fixture (which I recommend because stock lighting won't allow you to grow much).

[l burke l]

i just set up a 29 gallon and it was in no way cheap...

29 gallon tank
tank stand
AquaClear Powerfilters 50
Versa-Tops 30"
Eco-Complete Plant Base Substrate 40 lbs
Theo Heater 200 watt
Satellite Compact Fluorescent Fixtures Dual 30"
Coralife Digital Thermometer
Mopani Driftwood
Large Pepple Substrate
30" 1x65W Coralife Freshwater Aqualight 6700K
Lunar Lights Moon White
Power Center Single Dual Power Outlit Timer
Pruning Tool Aquarium Plants
Aquatic Forceps 10" Straight Tip
Resin Rock Medium
4 Different types of food
Master test kit
Black back drop

everything on that list cost me just shy of 400 and thats not including the 50 I have spent on plants or 25 i have spent on fish so far. It sounds expensive but i wanted to do the tank "right".

[AndrewR]

Wow...what a silly typo! I made such a great introduction.... :-/