Seren
- #1
I have had a fish tank for a good portion of my life, and I've kept just bettas and snails in that time...with a couple of sloppy attempts at java fern and driftwood "aquascaping" here and there. However, my last betta, who I kept in college, went in a very stressful way--he'd lived a long life, but that had left him vulnerable to disease, and one after the other before his passing had thoroughly discouraged me from the hobby. With the lack of space in my college dorm and then apartment, and lingering anxiety about being fit for fishkeeping, I didn't have it in me to start up again until now.
I'm now several years out of college. That time as well as my now reliable income have encouraged me to get back into the hobby again. I've done a lot of research, but I fully expect to hit some roadblocks as I actually put that reading into practice, especially since this will be my first community aquarium. This will also be my first tank above 10 gallons, which is incredibly exciting. A 20 gallon may still be a nano tank, but it's massive to me! I'm hoping this thread can help others in my situation get back into the hobby without so much of the waffling and anxiety I've experienced as I've tried to get started.
And onto the tank! It will be on a heavy-duty steel rack (the Gladiator EZ Connect Steel Heavy Duty 5-Tier Utility Shelving Unit (48-in W x 18-in D x 72-in H), for anyone curious) alongside my roommate's leopard gecko, so I'm waiting to get that rack in before I set it up properly. Which will hopefully be tonight! However, I can at least do an overview of what I've got so far.
Tank Essentials
Planned Stocking
I have written...a lot, so I think I'll leave it at that, for now. Hoping to post my assembly of the shelf and first thoughts, next. Thank you!
I'm now several years out of college. That time as well as my now reliable income have encouraged me to get back into the hobby again. I've done a lot of research, but I fully expect to hit some roadblocks as I actually put that reading into practice, especially since this will be my first community aquarium. This will also be my first tank above 10 gallons, which is incredibly exciting. A 20 gallon may still be a nano tank, but it's massive to me! I'm hoping this thread can help others in my situation get back into the hobby without so much of the waffling and anxiety I've experienced as I've tried to get started.
And onto the tank! It will be on a heavy-duty steel rack (the Gladiator EZ Connect Steel Heavy Duty 5-Tier Utility Shelving Unit (48-in W x 18-in D x 72-in H), for anyone curious) alongside my roommate's leopard gecko, so I'm waiting to get that rack in before I set it up properly. Which will hopefully be tonight! However, I can at least do an overview of what I've got so far.
Tank Essentials
- Tank: Aqueon 20 gallon long (good size, not too heavy)
- Lid: Aqueon Versa-Top 30" (clean and simple, easy to put lights on)
- Filter 1: AquaClear 50 (saw good recommendations, dedicated area to swap out filter media)
- Filter 2: Hygger Double Sponge filter (M) with a Tetra Whisper 20-40G pump (good reviews and can be used to quickly cycle a hospital tank if need be)
- Additional Filtration: A second bag of AquaClear 50 Biomax to replace the carbon in the AquaClear 50 (carbon will remove the tannins I want!)
- Heater: Eheim Jaeger 100 (good reviews, seems reliable, but I'll be watching it like a hawk)
- Thermometer: JW Aquarium SmartTemp Thermometer (magnets to the side, easy view=check often)
- Light: NICREW SkyLED Plus, 30-36", 30 Watts (good reviews, adjustable intensity, and good strength for the 20G long, though most of it will be blocked by floating plants)
- Artificial: A weird cube ("Imagitarium Resin Rustic Cube Aquatic Decor") from PetCo that tickled my fancy. Will probably need some sanding.
- Plants: None (yet! definitely floating plants, and will see if I can't stick to SE Asian, low-light varieties outside of the floaters)
- Driftwood: None (yet! something with tannins and ideally a lot of thin branches to give it a mangrove feel)
- Rock/stone: None (yet! maybe some smooth river pebbles, and possibly a rock "platform" above the sand on one side of the tank)
- Botanicals: None (yet! not sure what will be most consistent as far as producing tannins and reducing pH)
- Substrate: Caribsea Super Naturals Aquarium Sand, 20-Pound, Crystal River (for a natural riverbed look. Inert, I know--I want to see how far I can get with just liquid fertilizer to reduce the cognitive load of the tank)
Planned Stocking
- 6-8 Sparkling Gourami (Trichopsis pumila). Seem personable/"present" in their environment, and I adore their croaking sounds.
- 10-12 Kuhli Loaches (Pangio semicincta). Little noodles, and I love their sand-sifting behavior.
- ??? (Snails? Shrimp? Fish? Something else?)
I have written...a lot, so I think I'll leave it at that, for now. Hoping to post my assembly of the shelf and first thoughts, next. Thank you!