itzjuju

Hey guys, I'm new here and I just wanted to say hi first and foremostand wondering if you guys can help me with stocking ideas.. Well, I just recently setup a freshwater tank yesterday. Its a 20gallon tank, dimensions escape me at the moment, tetra whisper ex30 filter, penn plax water heater, 5500k tropical sun bulb for lighting, I have sand as my substrate and various rocks for ornamnetal purposes. I have some live plants aswell (java moss, hornwort) and an imitation drift wood. I have used Prime to condition the water and tetra safestart to speed up the cycling process. I am soon goin to buy a API master test kit. To see if everything is leveled and safe to add fish but I will still give the tank about 2 more weeks to cycle and settle. The water in it right now is a bit foggy, I didn't do a good job cleaning the plants. So I will do a partial water change in the next couple of days and a slight cleanup of some fallen plant debris. The water temperature is at an average of 75-80*f. So, any ideas for stocking it?. I would love to have a mixture of vibrant colors and different species. I would also want like shrimp or crayfish in there if possible and I was also thinking about getting a figure eight puffer. Give me some ideas guys, I appreciate it!. Thanks!

itzjuju

Sorry, I believe I posted in the wrong section.

aquarium dunce

I am afraid you will have to give your tank a little longer than 2 weeks to cycle. Please read up on the nitrogen cycle on the website it really helps. As long as you follow the directions it will save you a lot of work and fish deaths! I used a couple of cocktail shrimp in a nylon to cycle my tank and it worked great. Read up and be patient lol really patient but it is worth it!! I am sure there will be some others to chime in to help also! Good Luck!

jwokmuba2

good advice from the post above, dont be in a rush to cycle your tank it can take anywhere from 4-9 weeks and even longer, this will give a good amount of time to research fish for your tank. also you should not do a water change untill you have completed the cycle, u can top off your tank but do not remove water intentionally. wait for some other member to reply

Lucy

Hi Welcome to Fish Lore
It sounds like you've done some good research before jumping in. Good for you! Many of us didn't.
If you're planning to use Tetra Safe Start, you should add a couple of fish at the same time. They'll provide the ammonia that the bacteria in TSS needs to continue to develop.
Make sure you follow the directions on the bottle. I don't think you're supposed to do anything for 10 days after adding it and the fish.

Guppies are fun and very pretty. Have you looked into Glo-Fish? They're very colorful. Perhaps a mixture of Glo-Fish and Zebra Danios? They look like a different species, but are really the same. The Glo-Fish are genetically altered.
Cray fish wouldn't be a good choice with fish because, well, they eat fish.
Shrimp are fun. Maybe try some Ghost shrimp. Several members have Cherry Shrimp, I've never kept them so I can't say it they'd be compatible.

Good luck and have fun with your tank.
We'd love to see some pics when you get it up and running.

peacemaker92

WELCOME TO FISHLORE! Great advice above! Great that you're planning ahead. Keep us updated! Good luck!