Which 20 gallon tank should I get for Glofish?

Hi guys, this is going to be my very first aquarium and also they are going to be my first pets =X
My 6 years old son has been asking for a glofish aquarium for quite while now....and as you know I finally gave in XD
So started to do some reading at at first, then I realized how complicated fishkeeping actually was for a newbie like me.

But I want to try my best to do things right, but it's so hard now shopping and getting experts advice from the pet store with COVID
so I've come to you.

First of all, the fishes: we have settled on glofish Tetras (the long fins ones if they are availble)

The tank:
I've been browsing and browing for days, looking for the right tank. I googled "best 20 gallon aquarium tank" and there are just so many options out there on the internet
but I've cut it down to these three, I don't know which one is better.

Fluval Vista 23 Gallon Kit
https://fluvalaquatics.com/us/product/vista-aquarium-kit-23-us-gal-87-l/

- This one is on sale at my local pet shop
- But it's not on any of the "top 20 gallons aquarium" list from my google search but it's not really a 20 gallon either XD
- Lights: 8000K LED with Soft-Start feature – gradually illuminates
I wonder if I have to or if it is even possible to change the LEDs because I dont know if the ones they are providing are Blue and White
but have a feeling they are only white
- Filter : Aquar Clear Filter, I believe is a good one from my all my readings and also going through post from the forums, I saw many people recommand it
- Thermomether: LCD thermomether (which I don't know what it means)
- Water conditionner Fluval Aquar Plus, water cycler Fluval Cycle Biological Enhancer, fish food, fish net
- I wonder if i could go up to 6 fishes here since it's a 23 Gallon

The two others are well known I think

Marina 20 Gallons Aquarium Kit
Marina Aquarium Kit 20 gallons
- This one is also on sale at my local pet shop
- Lights : 20G LED incorporated on aquarium canopy
(is it a blue and white or only white?, and is it possible to replace only the light for a white and blue LED)
- Filter: Clip on Marina Slim S20
- Same conditioner and bacteria supplement than the Fluval Vista, net, fish food
- The bad reviews on amazon are : the glass broke at the same place for many so I'm not sure, maybe because of the delivery or manufacture defect

Aqueon 20 Gallon Led Aquarium kit

- This one I have to buy from Amazon with delivery, it might damage the tank.
- Lights : Cool white LED
(is it possible to only change the lights for a white and blue LED)
- Filter: QuietFlow 10 LED PRO power filter with red LED light to indicate cartridge change
- Preset Heater 100W
- Stick-on thermometer
- Water conditionner, fish food
- The bad reviews on amazon are: many people have their LED on the hood burned and it might be dangerous and cause fire

I know there are missing equipments I should get to complete these tanks if buy one of these 3, don't worry I'll make sure to get them

Open for any tank suggestions that are not listed above!

Also Open to customise one if you ll help me choose the right equipement for it =)

I have many many many more questions but it's alreayd a very long post, one step at the time =)


Thanks!!!

 

I would personally recommend the aqueon 20 gallon tank kit. I've had it for 2 years now and really love it. I suggest doing tons of research before buying the tank though. there is soooo much to know fish keeping. Learn about the nitrogen cycle, filtration (the 3 types) how to not overfeed fish, diseases to watch out for, how to deal with algae, etc. Its truly a great hobby to get yourself and your kids into. And please do your research on how to care for the type of fish you are buying. But all and all good luck, the tank isn't the most important choice, so don't stress about it. good luck!

Hi guys, this is going to be my very first aquarium and also they are going to be my first pets =X
My 6 years old son has been asking for a glofish aquarium for quite while now....and as you know I finally gave in XD
So started to do some reading at at first, then I realized how complicated fishkeeping actually was for a newbie like me.

But I want to try my best to do things right, but it's so hard now shopping and getting experts advice from the pet store with COVID
so I've come to you.

First of all, the fishes: we have settled on glofish Tetras (the long fins ones if they are availble)

The tank:
I've been browsing and browing for days, looking for the right tank. I googled "best 20 gallon aquarium tank" and there are just so many options out there on the internet
but I've cut it down to these three, I don't know which one is better.

Fluval Vista 23 Gallon Kit
https://fluvalaquatics.com/us/product/vista-aquarium-kit-23-us-gal-87-l/

- This one is on sale at my local pet shop
- But it's not on any of the "top 20 gallons aquarium" list from my google search but it's not really a 20 gallon either XD
- Lights: 8000K LED with Soft-Start feature – gradually illuminates
I wonder if I have to or if it is even possible to change the LEDs because I dont know if the ones they are providing are Blue and White
but have a feeling they are only white
- Filter : Aquar Clear Filter, I believe is a good one from my all my readings and also going through post from the forums, I saw many people recommand it
- Thermomether: LCD thermomether (which I don't know what it means)
- Water conditionner Fluval Aquar Plus, water cycler Fluval Cycle Biological Enhancer, fish food, fish net
- I wonder if i could go up to 6 fishes here since it's a 23 Gallon

The two others are well known I think

Marina 20 Gallons Aquarium Kit
Marina Aquarium Kit 20 gallons
- This one is also on sale at my local pet shop
- Lights : 20G LED incorporated on aquarium canopy
(is it a blue and white or only white?, and is it possible to replace only the light for a white and blue LED)
- Filter: Clip on Marina Slim S20
- Same conditioner and bacteria supplement than the Fluval Vista, net, fish food
- The bad reviews on amazon are : the glass broke at the same place for many so I'm not sure, maybe because of the delivery or manufacture defect

Aqueon 20 Gallon Led Aquarium kit

- This one I have to buy from Amazon with delivery, it might damage the tank.
- Lights : Cool white LED
(is it possible to only change the lights for a white and blue LED)
- Filter: QuietFlow 10 LED PRO power filter with red LED light to indicate cartridge change
- Preset Heater 100W
- Stick-on thermometer
- Water conditionner, fish food
- The bad reviews on amazon are: many people have their LED on the hood burned and it might be dangerous and cause fire

I know there are missing equipments I should get to complete these tanks if buy one of these 3, don't worry I'll make sure to get them

Open for any tank suggestions that are not listed above!

Also Open to customise one if you ll help me choose the right equipement for it =)

I have many many many more questions but it's alreayd a very long post, one step at the time =)


Thanks!!!

If you have any questions, lmk I have some experience myself and I could try and help you!

 

Thank you so much Sam for your input,

I'll keep in mind that aqueon is a great tank, the only problem here is I have to order it on Amazon since my local pet shop doesn't seem to have it (It's hard now with COVID, because I can only rely on their online website). But I actually have a question on the Aqueon tank, do you have any problem with the hood and the lights? I've read some reviews concerning the hood being filmsy and the lights burning =X

Nitrogen cycle :
I've read about it and omg it sounds so complicated at first, but slowly I'm starting to understand. So from what I understood:
1 - I'll first need a water conditioner like then Fluval Aqua Plus
2 - Turn on the aquarium (all the equipment)
(I'm not sure if this should be done before or after the water conditionner step)
(How long do I need to wait until I can start with the cycling process?)
3 - Cycle the water with Fluval Aqua Biological Enhancer which are coming with the aquarium kit
4 - Wait 4-6 weeks.
5 - Test the water with a master test kit until PH=6.5-8, NH4=0, NO2=0, NO3=5-40
6 - Acclimate fishes for 15-20 min, then add aquarium water every 10 min until bag is full
7 - Add fishes
(Do I add the fishes with the bag water or only the fishes?)
then make more tests after I add the fishes because of NH4 spikes.
(Let me know if I'm missing anything out, I know it's only theory now, I ll probably post for help once I'll actually have to do it!)

Filtration:
All I know for now is i shouldnt replace the filter media unless it's coming appart because of the good bacterias living in it. If i have to replace it, I should add a second in it next to the old one for a month before retrieving it.
Only the Carbonate media should be replaced every month or so.

Feeding:
Feeding only around 24h after the fishes are added, then once a day, no more than what they can eat up in 1-2 minutes

Diseases:
I haven't read about all the possible diseases yet! But that it is important to watch out for anything unusual about their behaviour, color, scales, fins.

Algae:
I havent got the time dig much into this for now (already so much reading to do XD), but I've quickly browsed some videos and text and mostly I have to be careful with the lighting, sunlight, and I'm not sure yet about the other other parameters, will read more when I have the time I promise =)

Thanks again!

I would personally recommend the aqueon 20 gallon tank kit. I've had it for 2 years now and really love it. I suggest doing tons of research before buying the tank though. there is soooo much to know fish keeping. Learn about the nitrogen cycle, filtration (the 3 types) how to not overfeed fish, diseases to watch out for, how to deal with algae, etc. Its truly a great hobby to get yourself and your kids into. And please do your research on how to care for the type of fish you are buying. But all and all good luck, the tank isn't the most important choice, so don't stress about it. good luck!

 

So first off, there are 2 aqueon tank kits. There is the one youre talking about, and another one for a little more money. I have the slightly more expensive one, which comes with a hard plastic lid and a higher quality light.
Its hard to see, but the lid and light are much better quality.

Now, i actually upgraded to a glass lid about a month ago, and im very pleased with it. I also upgraded the light and got a Nicrew G2 Led, which I love. But if youre looking to get everything in a kit, go for the Deluxe Aqueon Led Kit (I think thats what its called)

Thank you so much Sam for your input,

I'll keep in mind that aqueon is a great tank, the only problem here is I have to order it on Amazon since my local pet shop doesn't seem to have it (It's hard now with COVID, because I can only rely on their online website). But I actually have a question on the Aqueon tank, do you have any problem with the hood and the lights? I've read some reviews concerning the hood being filmsy and the lights burning =X

Nitrogen cycle :
I've read about it and omg it sounds so complicated at first, but slowly I'm starting to understand. So from what I understood:
1 - I'll first need a water conditioner like then Fluval Aqua Plus
2 - Turn on the aquarium (all the equipment)
(I'm not sure if this should be done before or after the water conditionner step)
(How long do I need to wait until I can start with the cycling process?)
3 - Cycle the water with Fluval Aqua Biological Enhancer which are coming with the aquarium kit
4 - Wait 4-6 weeks.
5 - Test the water with a master test kit until PH=6.5-8, NH4=0, NO2=0, NO3=5-40
6 - Acclimate fishes for 15-20 min, then add aquarium water every 10 min until bag is full
7 - Add fishes
(Do I add the fishes with the bag water or only the fishes?)
then make more tests after I add the fishes because of NH4 spikes.
(Let me know if I'm missing anything out, I know it's only theory now, I ll probably post for help once I'll actually have to do it!)

Filtration:
All I know for now is i shouldnt replace the filter media unless it's coming appart because of the good bacterias living in it. If i have to replace it, I should add a second in it next to the old one for a month before retrieving it.
Only the Carbonate media should be replaced every month or so.

Feeding:
Feeding only around 24h after the fishes are added, then once a day, no more than what they can eat up in 1-2 minutes

Diseases:
I haven't read about all the possible diseases yet! But that it is important to watch out for anything unusual about their behaviour, color, scales, fins.

Algae:
I havent got the time dig much into this for now (already so much reading to do XD), but I've quickly browsed some videos and text and mostly I have to be careful with the lighting, sunlight, and I'm not sure yet about the other other parameters, will read more when I have the time I promise =)

Thanks again!

Im going to try and give you a basic guide on how to set up a tank.

Get your tank kit, substrate, decorations and anything else you need at the start that is non living.

Set up your tank how you want to without water first. So filter, heater decorations, substrate, etc.

Fill the tank up with water and then add dechlorinator.

Get your filter and heater going to make sure they work.

Now what I did when I set up my tank was I added benificial bacteria from a bottle to the tank. You can buy this from lots of places.

Now after this, I waited a bit and then bought my fish. I gad 3 deaths in the first month, but I might have done some other bad things that caused those.

Setting up a new tank is something I woudl research hoe to do, as I have no need to follow those steps now. If I set up a new tank now, I would just added some cycled filter media to the tank. But, in your case, do some research on that.

After the tank is cycled, you can add some fish. Make sure to test the water very frequently at this stage and do large water changes if things dont look too good.

Heres a great article on cycling a new tank.
Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle
Here are some other things.
Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle Forum

If you have a faucet near you tank that has the right type of connector, use a python no leak water change system. Very helpful and saves you from the whole bucket thing.

I would say do a 50% water change once a week once you have all your fish.

To save you some money on your filter, here is what you can get. Scratch the carbon cartridges, those are a rip off. Get an aqua clear 50 filter foam. Some bio rings. And a filter intake sponge. I use these on my aqueon quiet flow, and they work great. You should still buy the replacement ammonia sponges that come with the filter.

So basically, put some bio rings in the bottom of your filter. Then put the aqua clear sponge on top of those. The intake sponge goes on the intake tube of your filter. and the ammonia pad stays where youre supposed to put it.

The intake sponge, aqua clear sponge and bio rings will last a very long time. Just clean them in tank water from a water change to clean them up. You can do the same with the ammonia pad, just replace it once it starts falling apart.

I may have misses some stuff, but I hope this helps you. You seem like a good guy, getting your kid (and yourself) into the hobby. If you have any more questions, just ask me, I'll try to help you the best I can!

 

Oh my god, can't find the Deluxe version anywhere on the internet that delivers in Canada. I called my local store and asked about this deluxe kit, and no one has it. Guess I can't buy Aqueon, because I don't wanna risk burning my house with the Amazon version =X

Any thoughts about the Fluval Vista 23 gallon or the Marina?ead:

I'm sad, because the deluxe version you showed me looks great =(

So first off, there are 2 aqueon tank kits. There is the one youre talking about, and another one for a little more money. I have the slightly more expensive one, which comes with a hard plastic lid and a higher quality light.
Its hard to see from this picture, but the lid and light are much better quality.

Now, i actually upgraded to a glass lid about a month ago, and im very pleased with it. I also upgraded the light and got a Nicrew G2 Led, which I love. But if youre looking to get everything in a kit, go for the Deluxe Aqueon Led Kit (I think thats what its called)

Nice! I ll write down these advices to complete my notes and will check out your link tomorrow
Thanks! =)

Im going to try and give you a basic guide on how to set up a tank.

Get your tank kit, substrate, decorations and anything else you need at the start that is non living.

Set up your tank how you want to without water first. So filter, heater decorations, substrate, etc.

Fill the tank up with water and then add dechlorinator.

Get your filter and heater going to make sure they work.

Now what I did when I set up my tank was I added benificial bacteria from a bottle to the tank. You can buy this from lots of places.

Now after this, I waited a bit and then bought my fish. I gad 3 deaths in the first month, but I might have done some other bad things that caused those.

Setting up a new tank is something I woudl research hoe to do, as I have no need to follow those steps now. If I set up a new tank now, I would just added some cycled filter media to the tank. But, in your case, do some research on that.

After the tank is cycled, you can add some fish. Make sure to test the water very frequently at this stage and do large water changes if things dont look too good.

 

Oh my god, can't find the Deluxe version anywhere on the internet that delivers in Canada. I called my local store and asked about this deluxe kit, and no one has it. Guess I can't buy Aqueon, because I don't wanna risk burning my house with the Amazon version =X

Any thoughts about the Fluval Vista 23 gallon or the Marina?ead:

I'm sad, because the deluxe version you showed me looks great =(

I'm sorry to hear about that. I can't personally recommend the other 2, but I can tell you that Fluval is one of the best brands in the hobby. But at the end of the day, I'm sure both are good quality. Hope you find something you like!

Nice! I ll write down these advices to complete my notes and will check out your link tomorrow
Thanks! =)

No problem hope this helps! If you need any more help, let me know!