Starting up a 20g

[cuticom]

Well I'm bored so I figured I May as well post a jouranl of the tank I'm playing with. I found it in our shed, and have distant memories of it being my Mum's first fish tank, surprisingly the light in it still works.

Its a Mirabello 70, holds approx 75 litres(about 20g) measuremnts are 60cml, 30 cmd, and 40 cm high. I'm setting it up as a sorta planted tank, I have no idea what will go in it, I was considering angels, and thought I could fit em in, but then i realised I'd measured the tank wrong. The furthest I've got is I dont want a school of fish and I don't want livebearers as I have no where to stick all the fry.

Plants- I've ordered Java moss, and theres Elodea in the tank right now, I think I might add in some foxtail and maybe some other small lowlight plants.

Heres a pic, not that great but hey LOl, and yes the gravel is pink, it cost like $10-20 a kg of gravel here, I preferred to just use what we had around the house, and hopefully the plants'll grow to cover it.


The heater and pump will also be moved, there sitting there now so I can keep an eye on them. So far I've had no signs of life, which I was expecting, I just wanna make absolutely sure LOL. I have a 50w and a 25w heater to replace the other heater and I'm about to order a 400l/ph internal filter for the tank.

Anyone have any ideas on what to stock the tank with?

I'm also having trouble finding ammonia, as I want to try and fishless cycle the tank (I realsie the plants will absorb most of it), anyone know where ammonia can be found in country NSW?

Lol so what do you think of my slightly odd looking tank? LOL and I did entirely reseal just in case any silicon had weakened after being stored for so long.

Emma

[locojay]

Sweet! Nothing wrong with a free tank.

Not sure what I'd stock it with though if you're staying away from schools, but I'm sure others will have pleny of ideas.

Best of luck with it.

[cuticom]

LOL so far I havnt spent a dime on it, gotta love it LOL.

I'm interested in getting one or two fish only, fairly large (ie more then 3"). One fish I found that might work is a single convict cichlid, its just a vague idea right now LOL, am doing the research as I type.

Edit- Blah cancel that, convicts really like plants, and redecorating. Sigh, how come all the fish I really like like to eat plants? LOl I was considering a single goldfish but they like plants to.

[locojay]

If you only want a couple fish then maybe a couple gourami's would work. They won't bother your plants either.

[cuticom]

I considered it, but to be honest there arent many gouramis that I really like. I ahve two dwarf gouramis in one of my tanks, and their pretty, but dont do much. I also have a paradise fish, i absolutely adore Gavin, but I like him where he is, and it was hard work to get him in the first place. We ended up travelling two hours to get him, since no petstores stock paradise fish.

I like Kissing Gouramis, but they get too big for a 20g and I dont like three spots or honey gouramis much at all.

Lol sorry, wasnt trying to poo poo your idea, just commenting LOL.

Emma

[locojay]

No problem at all.

[cuticom]

Heres another one, a keyhole cichlid, I think I "may" have seen one of these mixed in with the convicts and oscars at our lfs, will have a looksie today. From what I've read they arent interior decorators, nor do they at plants. Apparently you can have one in a 15g aquarium and they can live with small schooling fish.

[cuticom]

Well I picked up a massive pile of foxtail and incidently apparently Elodea has now been declared a noxious weed and cant be sold. Hmm LOL ah well, I dont have any waterways in the area so I'm still gonna chuck elodea cuttings on the compost heap.

I also picked up the most maginificent Betta, for another tank of mine and a sailfin Molly for my other 20g. Such pretty fish LOL

Emma

[cuticom]

Another fish I like are the white cloud mountain minnows, one of the few schooling fish I really like. A school of ten of em and a feature fish would be cool. Now anyone known where I can get dull coloured featured fish? LOl, tis a pity goldfish eat plants.

Edit- how very odd thsi tanks only 60l and thers 7 angelfish in it. Hmmm maybe I can fit one or two angle sin my tank.

[locojay]

Angels are going to get too big for your new tank. I wanted to get some for my 20g to but it was a no go.

[JustOneMore20]

Keyhole cichlids are the cutest little fish. If you can find one it would be a nice "dull colored feature fish". They can be shy though, so you'd need quite a few hiding spots.

A feature type fish that isn't dull would be a pair of Apistogrammas. There are so many types of them and they are really colorful little fish. They'd be awesome for a planted setup.

[cuticom]

I foudn another cichlid which I know is actually sold here LOL, the electric yellow, only gets to about 4 inches, it does eat plants, but from what I've read wont ravish them to bits

[angelfishamy]

You can have two angelfish in a 20 high which it looks like yours is.Angels only need 10gal a piece in tall tanks. I have a breeding pair in a 20H.Even if you dont have a pair they are generally peaceful except at feeding time where they get a little fisty and appear to nip each other but they dont they just chase each other.If you decide to get them put them in them at the same time so they are both new to the tank because they are cichlids and can get territorial. If one has been in the tank longer it will be mean to the newly introduced angel for a few weeks.IMO your tank would be fine for two angels as long as its cycled well because they are slightly delicate fish.Good luck im sure you will think of a nice setup whatever you choose.This is an angelfish forum if you would like more information about them. http://www.awforum.net/angelfish/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=1

[cuticom]

Mm I'm still not sure, as the tanks not that high, and its got gravel and that on it too.

hey got another q for plant people, I was just thinking about thsoe tanks where people have no means of filtration other then plants and a powerhead. Would I be able to do that? Like with a small bioload fish ie, one single dwarf gorami, or one honey gourami etc?

It just sounds like an interesting thing to do, and if it was heavily planted out, from waht I've raed it'd work, and of course still do water changes etc.

Emma

[cuticom]

Well I did some research and from what I've read, it is possible, would you even need a powerhead?, I do have a powerhead and it'd be nice to avoid buying the filter.

Edit- well think I'll borrow my Mum's old powerhead and for fish move my single male sailfin molly in.

[cuticom]

Me and Mum were chatting about plants to day and somehow ended up talking about whether we could grow Wandering Jew in a tank. We've used it multiple times before as a plant in tadpole tanks, and it used to live in a dam. The stuff's pretty much unkillable, it's another weed that grows like crazy wherever you put it, so far we've found if the slightest leaf isnt destroyed it'll start a whole new masive plant. Do ya think i should stick some in my tank? heres a link to a bit more info
http://www.esc.nsw.gov.au/weeds/Shee...ring%20jew.htm

[bettaboy691]

why dont you have some sort of pufferfish in it, i like dwarf and figure 8 puffers, they stay small and can live in freshwater.

[cuticom]

No one sells puffer fish here, all those exotic stuff never turns up around here, they don't even label the cichlids.

[cheesy feet]

That sucks

[bettaboy691]

my local fish shop takes orders and trys its best to get them, by either phoning up known breeders or wearhouses, does any shops you know do that sort of thing, it takes a while but is well worth it.