My Evolving 20 Gallon Long Build

I’ve been meaning to start this thread for some time to share my unexpected return to he aquarium hobby. It started with a simple 6 gallon tank I got for Christmas a few years ago at which point I had been out of the hobby for 6 or 7 years due to work and life. Next thing you know I had a co worker give me a 20 gallon long and here I am...
The tank went through several aquascape designs which continues to evolve. Substrate is a dirt capped with EcoComplete in the back of the tank and then a combo of sand in the foreground (repti-sand is the red sand). Plants include four star, tiger lotus, java, and pennywort. All the wood and rock was collected by myself. There are a few foam constructed rocks mixed in there too. I have an aquaclear 50 and aqueon 10 as filtration. The aquaclear has ceramic rings along with the filter media it came with. The aqueon is stuffed with poly-fill and filter pad. An aqueon 150watt heats the tank. Finally, I have a Versa top with a Odyssea T5 6500k light.
Here’s a few pics as the tank has evolved:

 

Almost forgot....tank is stocked with:
5 peacock gudgeons
10 emerald dwarf rasboras
6 Pygmy cories
5 kuhlI loaches
1 bumblebee goby (true freshwater)
3 nerite snails
3 amano shrimp

 

Very nice looking tank.

 

Thank you. Looks like the 1st pic is missing the “A” lol. There were pics leading up to A but can’t find them atm.
I’m a little overstocked and am working on a plan for that. But besides the 5 little piggy peacocks always near the front of the tank, you can look in the tank and think they are the only ones in there.

 

A few pics of the fish. Lost the ones of the piggy peacock gudgeons. A few kuhlis at the buffet and one of my emerald dwarf rasboras stopping long enough to get a decent picture.

 

If your fish are not gasping for air at the top(abnormally that is Cory cats do this naturally) and seem to swim around happy with no fighting. The filter is able to keep 0 ammonia and nitrites. And you are able to keep nitrates low with water changes I don't think you are overstocked. That said I wouldn't add more fish, but if any of these start happening change water more frequently and make a plan to reduce stock. Also you can make sure not to overfeed and add a fasting day into each week to help keep the bioload down.

 

My parameters are perfect:
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0 (occasionally near 20 but not often)
pH around 7.0
Don’t recall gh and kh

I’m very lucky to have excellent well water and don’t need to use any dechlorinator, water treatments, etc.

No more fish planned for this tank except the fry from my gudgeons which are rehomed.

 

Forgot to add my favorite little bugger: bumblebee goby rescued from LFS. He’s eating a shrimp

 

Bb goby need fresh/frozen, or take flakes? Solitary or schooler? Thx!!

 

The BB goby needs fresh or frozen foods. From what I’ve read and from my limited experience, they don’t eat flake foods. I’ve seen mine swim to the surface to examine a flake of food and not touch it. If I drop a bloodworm or shrimp in, he goes nuts. I usually feed him with tweezers because my gudgeons outcompete him for food.
They can be kept in groups but aggression amongst them may result so I’d say they are better off solitary unless you have plenty of space for 5+ to spread aggression. They like to claim a small territory and defend it but mine doesn’t seem to do that either (probably because he isn’t threatened or competing with another goby). He moves all around the tank at all levels. I find him resting on a branch near the surface and playing in the plant roots. I’ve read they can be fin nippers, but none of the fish living with him have long fins or are slow moving so I can’t speak to that. Truely a facisnating fish to watch imho. Had I known about this fish in the planning stages, I may have built my stock around them.

 

Pics of my peacocks always begging for food....and couple photo bombs by the shrimp and BB goby.

 

Beautiful tank and fish!

 

Was out fishing the other day and couldn’t help myself...have another minor rescape in mind. I can replace my fake rocks and if I don’t use the driftwood, I can sell it or maybe use on my puffer tank build. The driftwood both have holes in them which look great.