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Hello ya'll!
I'm relatively new to this and I've recently gotten a 20 gallon tank. I have a couple of questions concerning the order of setup as well as some stocking help. (I'm sorry if some of them seem obvious. I've never done a planted tank, and I've never truly cycled a tank before.)
Setup order:
1) I know I have to cycle the tank before adding fish, but do I have to wait for the cycle to settle/complete before I add plants? Will putting them into an uncycled tank hurt them, or will it disrupt the cycle to add them?
2) Can I start the cycle and add the plants in the middle, or would that be an issue? (I didn't get the plants yet because I didn't know what to do.)
3) Should I wait to add my decorations? I've got a large piece of driftwood I'm putting in (I still have to soak it so it sinks and removes the tannin and whatnot) and I don't know if it'll disrupt the cycle when adding it in. (Plus, I plan to attach plants to the wood, so.)
4) If I add the wood before the tannin is all gone and the cycle is complete, will it hurt the cycle?
5) Should I put my heater into the tank while cycling? Will this help or hurt in any way?
Stocking:
Currently, I know I'm getting a betta. (Everything that follows is a 'if the betta is nice to other fish' sort of thing. If he has issues, I'll just get him his own tank and work from there.)
I'm leaning toward getting 1 zebra/tiger snail and, perhaps, some otos (3-6 of them because they're schooling) to work on cleaning.
1) Would I be able to add anything else to this tank, or would it be overstocked?
1a) If I added anything, it would be some type of small tetra (4-6 of whatever, if they're schooling). I know neon, cardinal, and ember tetras are all quite small, but are there any other suggestions? Maybe something that doesn't school?
2) Are there any foreseeable issues with getting both the snail and the otos? Is it worth getting both, or would one be more beneficial than the other?
3) Can I add the snail/oto's at the start (after the cycling and with the betta/other fish), or do I have to wait until there's algae already showing up?
More about the tank:
Substrate is fine gravel/sand (it's called sand, but feels more like crushed aquarium gravel).
I'm using a sponge filter (for the first time; I've only used hang-off ones before).
If I can get my hands on them I'm going to be adding Java moss, Java ferns, and some sort of swordtail and anubius. (All supposedly easy plants. I also have root tabs to offset the gravel substrate. Still need to get a liquid fertilizer.)
That should cover all my questions! I really appreciate any help! Thanks!
I'm relatively new to this and I've recently gotten a 20 gallon tank. I have a couple of questions concerning the order of setup as well as some stocking help. (I'm sorry if some of them seem obvious. I've never done a planted tank, and I've never truly cycled a tank before.)
Setup order:
1) I know I have to cycle the tank before adding fish, but do I have to wait for the cycle to settle/complete before I add plants? Will putting them into an uncycled tank hurt them, or will it disrupt the cycle to add them?
2) Can I start the cycle and add the plants in the middle, or would that be an issue? (I didn't get the plants yet because I didn't know what to do.)
3) Should I wait to add my decorations? I've got a large piece of driftwood I'm putting in (I still have to soak it so it sinks and removes the tannin and whatnot) and I don't know if it'll disrupt the cycle when adding it in. (Plus, I plan to attach plants to the wood, so.)
4) If I add the wood before the tannin is all gone and the cycle is complete, will it hurt the cycle?
5) Should I put my heater into the tank while cycling? Will this help or hurt in any way?
Stocking:
Currently, I know I'm getting a betta. (Everything that follows is a 'if the betta is nice to other fish' sort of thing. If he has issues, I'll just get him his own tank and work from there.)
I'm leaning toward getting 1 zebra/tiger snail and, perhaps, some otos (3-6 of them because they're schooling) to work on cleaning.
1) Would I be able to add anything else to this tank, or would it be overstocked?
1a) If I added anything, it would be some type of small tetra (4-6 of whatever, if they're schooling). I know neon, cardinal, and ember tetras are all quite small, but are there any other suggestions? Maybe something that doesn't school?
2) Are there any foreseeable issues with getting both the snail and the otos? Is it worth getting both, or would one be more beneficial than the other?
3) Can I add the snail/oto's at the start (after the cycling and with the betta/other fish), or do I have to wait until there's algae already showing up?
More about the tank:
Substrate is fine gravel/sand (it's called sand, but feels more like crushed aquarium gravel).
I'm using a sponge filter (for the first time; I've only used hang-off ones before).
If I can get my hands on them I'm going to be adding Java moss, Java ferns, and some sort of swordtail and anubius. (All supposedly easy plants. I also have root tabs to offset the gravel substrate. Still need to get a liquid fertilizer.)
That should cover all my questions! I really appreciate any help! Thanks!
