20 Gallon Tank General advice for a beginner who did his research

Hi! I’m new here, and kinda of new to fish, but I did all my research on everything. I kick started the cycle by adding Bactria and a old filter pad into the tank with some food in it. Than added a few fish in it. After that for the next week I slowly added more fish. I have a 20 gallon. All my levels are good only thing high is ammonia but it’s between 0ppm to .25 and nitrate at 5.0-10.0 nitrate, I plan to do cycle a few times a week to make sure everything stable for the next few weeks. In the 20 gallon (which has a lot of cover) there are 5 dumbo guppies, 5 harlequin rasbora, 3 Albino Cory catfish, 4 snails (3 nitrate, 1 mystery) and 3 African drawf frogs. All the fish seem super happy and active and always hungry . The African drawf frogs have only been in for 12 hours so fair, they aren’t super active that scares me, but they like hiding in the plants, I’ve seen them eat and swim for air and also I had one swim along the bottom in the open, so I think I might be overthinking it. Anyway any tips or advice on how the tank is going along?

 

Hi & welcome. My only concern for your tank is your substrate, it's not very Cory friendly, they prefer sand or very smooth pea gravel as they sift through the substrate looking for food & rough edges can damage their barbels which are delicate.

 

Hi welcome to FishLore!!

Sounds normal. African Dwarf Frogs aren't super active especially in a larger tank with fish.

Personally, I'd recommend a species only tank. You'll findtheir personalities comes out. It'll easier to feed them and be sure they're getting proper nutrition.

Keep an eye on that and the nitrites. Do frequent water changes until the tank fully cycles then keep up regular maintenance.

Congrats on doing your research. Wish I had when I first started.

 

Hi, welcome to the form! I just wanted to chime and say that when you're reading the ammonia test, make sure you do it in natural lighting or very high lighting, with a white background behind them. I personally find sunlight and a phone flashlight work best. I've had a ton of panic moments where I thought my ammonia was spiking to .25 ppm only to change the lighting and discover that it was still 0 ppm!

 

What do you mean you plan to do a cycle a few times a week? The cycle is the process of growing beneficial bacteria. Do you mean you plan to do water changes a few times a week? That would make more sense to keep parameters within safe limits while your tank finishes cycling.

I agree about the substrate and cories. Gravel can injury them which can then get infected. I recommend changing your substrate to sand.

Another tip I would give is to think about using DIY media to maximize surface area in your filter for beneficial bacteria to grow. Here's a link if you want to learn more: Diy Media Guide For Top Fin Silenstream, Aquaclear And Other Hob Filters | Aquarium Filter Forum | 385506

 

What do you mean you plan to do a cycle a few times a week? The cycle is the process of growing beneficial bacteria. Do you mean you plan to do water changes a few times a week? That would make more sense to keep parameters within safe limits while your tank finishes cycling.

I agree about the substrate and cories. Gravel can injury them which can then get infected. I recommend changing your substrate to sand.

Another tip I would give is to think about using DIY media to maximize surface area in your filter for beneficial bacteria to grow. Here's a link if you want to learn more: Diy Media Guide For Top Fin Silenstream, Aquaclear And Other Hob Filters | Aquarium Filter Forum | 385506

Haha yeah I meant water changes a few times a week, and thanks I’ll look into the media!

 

yes that a good idea