20 gallon equipment checklist

[PurpleReign19]

Title pretty much says it all. I am planning on a 20 gallon long with 1 BN pleco and 8 cherry barbs and currently do not have a lid nor the materials to make one. Do i need one?

 

[pagoda]

Yes...all fish are potential jumpers...some do it naturally and others do it for the sheer heck of it and you do not want to find your fish lying crusty on the floor one morning cos it got spooked or just jumped without being provoked

 

[tapwater]

Title pretty much says it all. I am planning on a 20 gallon long with 1 BN pleco and 8 cherry barbs and currently do not have a lid nor the materials to make one. Do i need one?

I think you might want to invest in a lid, since I'm pretty sure plecos have a reputation for accidentally jumping out of the tank.
Maybe in the meantime you could use plastic saran wrap with holes poked through it as a makeshift lid?

 

[TeeJay89]

You don't necessarily need one, but theres always a chance the fish (or any snails) could get out. I found that having a lid that covers my 20 gal partway lets the water evaporate much faster than when I had a full lid on too.

 

[pagoda]

You can get condensation trays that are clear plastic to fit over the aquarium as a lid, they are very cheap to buy and available at many aquatic shops or Amazon, eBay etc

 

[CasperW]

I would say definitely i have a lid for mine and i still managed to have one hatchetfish jump out through a small hole i use for filter pipes

 

[PurpleReign19]

You can get condensation trays that are clear plastic to fit over the aquarium as a lid, they are very cheap to buy and available at many aquatic shops or Amazon, eBay etc

Sounds good!

 

[BigManAquatics]

Also if you have cats...or kids...

 

[ZachG]

Title pretty much says it all. I am planning on a 20 gallon long with 1 BN pleco and 8 cherry barbs and currently do not have a lid nor the materials to make one. Do i need one?

If you want your fish to stay in your tank than yes.

 

[PurpleReign19]

If you want your fish to stay in your tank than yes.

Makes sense. Thanks for the help

 

[PurpleReign19]

Does this sound like a good setup for a coldwater 20 gallon long?

API Master Test Kit
CaribSea 20 pounds sunset gold sand
20-gallon long tetra aquarium
Marineland Penguin 200 Power Filter
API Quick Start Nitrifying Bacteria
PIVVY Natural Aquarium Driftwood

Temp: 64-70 Fahrenheit

Plants: 2 Marimo Moss Balls (will add more in time)

Livestock:
10 Odessa Barbs
8 Panda Corydoras (are these guys temp compatible? If not I will get a super red BN Pleco)
6 Ramshorn Snails

Thanks, FreshwaterFins

 

[JustAFishServant]

Honestly, I would never go for a "Tetra" aquarium. They're insanely overpriced most of the time and usually come from PetSmart (which I absolutely DO NOT support). Rather, you could wait until the "dollar per gallon" sale at Petco! Other than this, though, I don't see many issues, except for maybe the bacteria source...

API Quick Start isn't exactly known to be the "right" bacteria for our aquariums. It's best to grab established media from your LFS or from a friend (if their tanks are clean), but if you don't have access to established media, you'll probably want to go for TSS, which has the proper bacteria to kickstart your tank.

As for stocking, it sounds good to me! Although Odessa Barbs are, well, Barbs, and are therefore quite nippy, Corydoras are fast and can get away from an aggressive situation. The Ramshorns will be just fine! But temperature-wise, I wouldn't keep it any lower than 72°F, that's where Panda Cories like it best. Keep the pH neutral (around 7) for the Snails, KH around 5-10.

The filter, test kit, driftwood, and sand are fine!

 

[PurpleReign19]

Honestly, I would never go for a "Tetra" aquarium. They're insanely overpriced most of the time and usually come from PetSmart (which I absolutely DO NOT support). Rather, you could wait until the "dollar per gallon" sale at Petco! Other than this, though, I don't see many issues, except for maybe the bacteria source...

API Quick Start isn't exactly known to be the "right" bacteria for our aquariums. It's best to grab established media from your LFS or from a friend (if their tanks are clean), but if you don't have access to established media, you'll probably want to go for TSS, which has the proper bacteria to kickstart your tank.

As for stocking, it sounds good to me! Although Odessa Barbs are, well, Barbs, and are therefore quite nippy, Corydoras are fast and can get away from an aggressive situation. The Ramshorns will be just fine! But temperature-wise, I wouldn't keep it any lower than 72°F, that's where Panda Cories like it best. Keep the pH neutral (around 7) for the Snails, KH around 5-10.

The filter, test kit, driftwood, and sand are fine!

Sounds good. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Jimj1]

Honestly, I would never go for a "Tetra" aquarium. They're insanely overpriced most of the time and usually come from PetSmart (which I absolutely DO NOT support). Rather, you could wait until the "dollar per gallon" sale at Petco! Other than this, though, I don't see many issues, except for maybe the bacteria source...

API Quick Start isn't exactly known to be the "right" bacteria for our aquariums. It's best to grab established media from your LFS or from a friend (if their tanks are clean), but if you don't have access to established media, you'll probably want to go for TSS, which has the proper bacteria to kickstart your tank.

As for stocking, it sounds good to me! Although Odessa Barbs are, well, Barbs, and are therefore quite nippy, Corydoras are fast and can get away from an aggressive situation. The Ramshorns will be just fine! But temperature-wise, I wouldn't keep it any lower than 72°F, that's where Panda Cories like it best. Keep the pH neutral (around 7) for the Snails, KH around 5-10.

The filter, test kit, driftwood, and sand are fine!

Just a heads up,I am in New York state,my local Petco tells me Petco has stopped the $1.00 per gal sale, they are now selling tanks at 1/2 price instead at sale time

 

[YellowGuppy]

I would add the following:

- One or two 5-gallon buckets from your local hardware store for water changes
- A gravel vacuum
- A few old towels
- An algae scraper; I like the magnetic ones, but everyone seems to have a preference for the style they like best. You don't need to pay an arm and a leg to buy one that floats; if you lose it, just stick your arm in the tank and pick it up!

That should get you the basics that you need to get up and running! There are more things that could be added (an air pump, maybe a sponge filter, a pre-filter sponge for your HOB, more live plants, fertilizers for more live plants, a turkey baster, etc.) but for now this will get you off in the right direction.

 

[PurpleReign19]

I would add the following:

- One or two 5-gallon buckets from your local hardware store for water changes
- A gravel vacuum
- A few old towels
- An algae scraper; I like the magnetic ones, but everyone seems to have a preference for the style they like best. You don't need to pay an arm and a leg to buy one that floats; if you lose it, just stick your arm in the tank and pick it up!

That should get you the basics that you need to get up and running! There are more things that could be added (an air pump, maybe a sponge filter, a pre-filter sponge for your HOB, more live plants, fertilizers for more live plants, a turkey baster, etc.) but for now this will get you off in the right direction.

Looks good! Thanks for the advice!