20 Gallon Tank Starting my tank all over again, need some advice!

As sad as this is to admit I think I’m going to have to start my tank all over again :[
I’ve weighed all the pros and cons and there’s too many cons! First of all I started this tank without the necessary preparations such as: missing appropriate supplies, not having enough knowledge on how the nitrogen cycle works, and major hanging on the sides of the tank that worried me constantly.






In just the first 2 weeks of the cycle I went through 4 bacteria blooms. All throughout the images you can see as well that with every bloom that’d clear up it would all set behind the spider woods base. Along with the filter being so gimmicky and only coming with 1 thin carbon filter pack that got stopped up within 2 days of the cycle.
My plan was to order everything I need to start this tank completely over so I could shut it off, take everything out, get an appropriate stand for the tank and move the tank to the stand and start it over.
but here are my questions: is the best option starting this tank over or is it salvageable? The slime on the driftwood and my water levels getting lower everyday is very concerning. If the best option is starting over how do I save my plants in the tank? I have Java ferns and they’ve already begun sprouting. Any advice is greatly appreciated!!

 

The slime on your driftwood is biofilm, completely harmless and will eventually go away. You can take it out and scrub it or add some snails to eat it if you want but it won't hurt your tank or future fish. My guppies are actually eating some in my new tank.

If you add a prefilter sponge on the intake of the hob it will prevent it from getting gunked up.
You can also replace the carbon with an ordinary sponge (I got mine in a pack at the dollar store?. Those will both hold more beneficial bacteria than a flimsy carbon pad and last longer. They're also super easy to clean when eventually needed.

As for the water getting lower...do you have a lid on the tank? Is the room humid? You're not finding water underneath the tank right?

 

Yes I do have a lid on the tank and no it’s not a humid room. I will say however, this tank is set up in my siblings room since it’s her tank and she likes to have her room cold with the ceiling fan on. She rarely turns it off. I’m not sure if that affects anything though. Also no! No leaking from what I’ve seen.

 

Not sure what could drop the water that drastically then. Are you doing weekly water changes? I always put more in than I take out but my tanks are in a humid room.
What's the temperature of your tank? Maybe your heater is malfunctioning and you didn't notice?

 

How long does it take for the water to drop that far? If your doing weekly water changes and refilling to the top when you refill, you must have a leak.

Also, a humid room will decrease the amount of water lost to evaporation, not increase.

 

Are you fish in or fishless cycling? If fishless what is your ammonia source?

I would dig deep for lots of patience and just continue on from where you are. Add water to replace the water that has evaporated. I top my tanks off almost daily during the summer months. If you have no fish in this tank just continue adding ammonia as needed and the tank will cycle. The cloudy water will eventually clear up. It may be unsightly but it isn't hurting anything. You may need to upgrade your filter if the one you are using came in kit form.

Bio-film/fungus is going to grow on new wood in a tank so even if you start over you will still have to let it run its course.

I have no idea what you mean by "major hanging on the sides of the tank"