Lewis Lang wrote:
Hi. I want to set up a nice 20 gallon. What is the rule regarding how
many fishes I should keep in the tank? Are there any differences
pros/cons between a regular 20 and a 20-long? What else will I need? Is
the hood with light required? What power filter would I need? Combos of
fish that cannot stay together (I know about bettas)? Can any tropicals
live with goldfish? Any other advice?
Thanks,
Lewis
Why don't you start out with the FAQ at
http://faq.thekrib.com/. There
are articles on filtration, lighting, some fish recommendations, and
stocking. NetMax (one of our gurus) also has a great site at
http://www.netmax.tk.
As for 20 gallon tanks, a 20 regular is deep and good for taller fish
like angels (although a 20 is kinda small for angels). A 20 long is
good for shoaling fish like tetras, barbs, and danios that like to swim
back and forth. It's also shallower so is easier to light if you want
live plants. The larger surface area of a 20 long also means that it
has more oxygen exchange and can possibly support more fish.
Some sort of canopy to stop jumping fish is a good idea. A basic hood
with a single light lets you see the aquarium and fish better. A deluxe
hood with two 20 watt flourescent bulbs will allow you to grow a lush
underwater jungle that includes about any plant you want (and/or all
sorts of interesting algae). Note that if you want plants, you need to
keep fish that don't eat or destroy them.
For a filter, my personal choice for a 20 would be an Aquaclear 200
because they're inexpensive and very flexible. Note that I've chosen
one size larger than the manufacturer recommends. You will get many
other recommendations for filters from people here, and most will work.
You will also need a 75 or 100 watt heater (100 if your house is cool,
75 if warm) if you intend to keep anything other than goldfish. Since
goldfish like cool, oxygenated water and tropicals warm, they generally
are best kept in separate tanks. As for other compatibility, start
hanging out in your local fish store to find out what you like, and post
specific questions.
Other stuff you'll need
- Gravel; the type depends on your fish and whether you want plants
- An airpump, airline, suction cup and airstone.
- Water conditioner to remove chlorine or chloramine from tap water
- Thermometer
- Plants (real or fake), decorations, bogwood, rocks, or something to
provide hiding places for the fish. Again, what you use partly depends
on the fish you intend to keep.
- pH and ammonia test kits at a minimum. Nitrite is good too.
- A very clean bucket (new is best) dedicated to fishkeeping for water
changes
- A siphon with a big tube at the end for cleaning the gravel
- Power strip with a ground fault circuit interrupter
- Plain ammonia if you want to do a fishless cycle, bacteria if not
I'm sure I've forgotten something but I'm equally sure it's in the FAQ.
Other advice: I LOVE planted tanks myself. I would go for the 20 long
and twin tube hood and stuff the tank with plants. Plants look
fantastic, improve water quality, and provide great hiding places for
the fish. I love to stock a planted tank with brightly colored fish
like fancy guppies and platies in hard water or cardinals and barbs in
soft and watch the fish swim through and around the lush plants. It's a
little bit more challenging at first because you're learning to care for
both fish and plants, but can be very rewarding in the long run.
--
__ Elaine T __
__' http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__