A Planted Glofish Build For Kid- Looking For Inspiration

My husband gave thumbs up for me to build a Glofish tank for my 7yo..(despite our 3 other tanks). I was antI Glofish before but my daughter got so excited about them I decided it would be a fun way to get her interested in the hobby. She wants a rainbow of fish colors. I think the colors will stand out nicely in a planted tank. I’m thinking 25-30 gallons depending on what I can find a good deal on.. maybe just a school of white skirt tetras but not sure..

if you have ideas let me know and if you have a planted Glofish tank please post pics for inspiration..

 

I just set up a 10 gallon planted tank for glofish for my friend.

Just a warning, glofish are fragile compared to mollies. I put in filter media from my large tank so it should have been intacycled and still lost 5 with decent water parameters. I think it was stress because I put them in without the plants at first. The plants seem to really help the new ones.

 

I just set up a 10 gallon planted tank for glofish for my friend.

Just a warning, glofish are fragile compared to mollies. I put in filter media from my large tank so it should have been intacycled and still lost 5 with decent water parameters. I think it was stress because I put them in without the plants at first. The plants seem to really help the new ones.

Good to know. I’ll add lots of plants first.

 

Cycling- do I need more plants for skirt tetras?

 

My husband gave thumbs up for me to build a Glofish tank for my 7yo..(despite our 3 other tanks). I was antI Glofish before but my daughter got so excited about them I decided it would be a fun way to get her interested in the hobby. She wants a rainbow of fish colors. I think the colors will stand out nicely in a planted tank. I’m thinking 25-30 gallons depending on what I can find a good deal on.. maybe just a school of white skirt tetras but not sure..

if you have ideas let me know and if you have a planted Glofish tank please post pics for inspiration..

Kinda curious what you mean by “glofish”. I originally was going to do this kind of tank, but the fish require sort of a blacklight to properly glow and in doing my research, I decided against one, and went with a planted tank myself. The only true glofish you can get are tetra, danios, and sharks...and the sharks need ALOT of space. In the end, I found it very limiting. (Dont buy the all-in-one Glofish tanks. They are .) If you decide to continue with this kind of setup, I have a cute blacklight mushroom deco and a neon rainbow colored cave I can send you.
A planted tank will not work well to get the most color out of glofish, they require different lights.

 

We don’t need them to glow in a black light- my kid just wants to pick a rainbow of fish colors. Probably just tetras. I think in a planted subdued tank the colors will ‘pop.’ Thank you for the kind offer of decorations but the only way I agreed to glofish was if we could do a natural tank. The rest is just too much for my sensitive eyes. LOL

 

Cycling- do I need more plants for skirt tetras?View attachment 477782

That's more plants than my friend has and her fish are doing great now so that should be good.

For the light for the plants, what she does is leave the normal led lights on during the day when she's at work. So the plants stay healthy for that. Then she has a blacklight lamp that she placed next to the tank. She turns the black light on at night when she's relaxing so she can enjoy the glowing aspect of them darting through the plants.

We don’t need them to glow in a black light- my kid just wants to pick a rainbow of fish colors. Probably just tetras. I think in a planted subdued tank the colors will ‘pop.’ Thank you for the kind offer of decorations but the only way I agreed to glofish was if we could do a natural tank. The rest is just too much for my sensitive eyes. LOL

My friend likes having the rainbow too. She calls them her skittles.

 

We don’t need them to glow in a black light- my kid just wants to pick a rainbow of fish colors. Probably just tetras. I think in a planted subdued tank the colors will ‘pop.’ Thank you for the kind offer of decorations but the only way I agreed to glofish was if we could do a natural tank. The rest is just too much for my sensitive eyes. LOL

Gotcha...so neon tetras or the like is good enough. Yeah...”glofish” is a specific altered breed...kinda a “designer” fish specifically made for certain light conditions. I was confused. Good luck! I'm sure your daughter will love whatever tank you set up! Bettas are as fancy as they get for kids and cheap and easy to care for.

 

She already has 3 bettas . Lol. No she wants glofish. She wants the white skirt tetras with jelly fish DNA. So she can have a skittles tank like Ravenahra said. but they still look pretty colors with normal light. We’ll see. I’ll upload pics when it’s all cycled and set up! Thanks everyone. I’ve never kept skirt tetras so we’ll see how it goes

 

She already has 3 bettas . Lol. No she wants glofish. She wants the white skirt tetras with jelly fish DNA. So she can have a skittles tank like Ravenahra said. but they still look pretty colors with normal light. We’ll see. I’ll upload pics when it’s all cycled and set up! Thanks everyone.

Oooh! Picky little thing! Good luck! And make sure to give us pics when its all done! :]

 

It’s not hard to convince Mom to buy her new fish

 

plants growing like crazy and ammonia down to .25.. nitrates going up. Almost time to add the ‘skittles’.

 

View attachment 478626 plants growing like crazy and ammonia down to .25.. nitrates going up. Almost time to add the ‘skittles’.

The skittles are going to love that tank!!!

It looks great.

What plants are you using for the front right side?

 

View attachment 478626 plants growing like crazy and ammonia down to .25.. nitrates going up. Almost time to add the ‘skittles’.

I just saw a green glo tetra at Walmart today. They really are pretty little fish. I'm sure your daughter will be thrilled! What colors are her favs?

 

The skittles are going to love that tank!!!

It looks great.

What plants are you using for the front right side?

Water wisteria. I had it floating in an outside container pond and pinched off all the tops to put in this tank. It grows really fast - they seem to like the lava pebble substrate..so this may soon just be a jungle. Thanks!

I just saw a green glo tetra at Walmart today. They really are pretty little fish. I'm sure your daughter will be thrilled! What colors are her favs?

We are going to add them slowly a few at a time and she said wants to start with blue green and purple.I like the orangey ones.

 

We are going to add them slowly a few at a time and she said wants to start with blue green and purple.I like the orangey ones.

The pink ones are pretty too! How many are you getting? Can you get one of each color? I hope so! I'm dying to see them schooling together! (Although those Tetras are kinda shy, they like to hide. When I had mine they spent most of their time in the cave.)

 

The pink ones are pretty too! How many are you getting? Can you get one of each color? I hope so! I'm dying to see them schooling together! (Although those Tetras are kinda shy, they like to hide. When I had mine they spent most of their time in the cave.)

The different colors will happily school together.

My friend got one of each color and only one of them is a long fin and they all school happily together.

 

The pink ones are pretty too! How many are you getting? Can you get one of each color? I hope so! I'm dying to see them schooling together! (Although those Tetras are kinda shy, they like to hide. When I had mine they spent most of their time in the cave.)

Maybe I should add a cave? And yes the plan is to get the whole skittles pack .

 

Meet the skittles!
(more will come later). They look pretty in there! I never thought I’d like glofish- My kid is thrilled.





Thanks everyone for tips. They seem to be comfortable in the newly cycled and planted tank with lots of hiding spots..but so far not hiding!

 

Update is the water parameters are still perfect but they are being aggressive (or establishing dominance) so tomorrow will add 3-4 more.

 

a bigger group and now they are a big happy schooling rainbow. My kid and all her friends are mesmerized by the tank. Fingers crossed this group stays healthy.

 

View attachment 479633View attachment 479635View attachment 479636View attachment 479637 a bigger group and now they are a big happy schooling rainbow. My kid and all her friends are mesmerized by the tank. Fingers crossed this group stays healthy.

Wow! Lovely! Such pretty little fish and they shine so nicely in a planted tank! In a big school like that, they are fantastic!
Your daughter must be over the moon! When is the next slumber party so she can show off her fish? Lol!
That is a beautiful tank!

 

Thanks Kathryn, they started showing ich spots so I turned up the heater slowly and this morning no spots! No mortalities yet.. one looks like it could have a bit of fin rot but hoping good water parameters will take care of it.


added this guy from another tank.

 

So today the background came. It says fish safe but I don’t believe it so I mounted it behind the tank. Meanwhile I have this chaotic jungle growing. The fish seem to like it though

And the kid illustrated and named all the fish

 

I really love how it all turned out. Those Glofish give your planted tank a nice, whimsical look. I actually want some myself now.

 

I am kinda in love with this tank. Getting jealous over here.

 

Thanks. This tank has been a really fun build and I never thought I’d be into glofish