# Tank For 2 Year Old Son



## PBiddy412 (Jul 16, 2014)

Hey all!

I am jumping in here to ask what the best method would be for a tank that is going to be in my son's room. He loves fish and goes crazy at the pet store. Its also a project for me before I jump into eventually getting around to a 75 gallon that is waiting for a basement to be finished. 

I'm thinking I'll probably go with a 20 gallon long as this would be about as big as I can go for his room. Also not sure which method would be best for a beginner. I want low maintenance tank. I see the walstad method but it confuses me as far as capping and using miracle gro. Then I'm also completely oblivious to the type of plants to use along with the different lights. If someone gave me a list of items to get, I'd probably be able to do it but just seems like so many different routes to take.

As far as stocking, I wanted a school of fish or something active for him during the day as well. I always have been a fan of the corys!

Looking forward to your responses and links are welcomed! Just make sure its it laymens term. I feel dumb researching this stuff as I never actually figured out how my 75 gallon is going to go when I bought the tank and asked questions!

Thanks in advance.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

Well you have come to the right place! I think if you can search around for the best local store in Pittsburgh you can probably get some good advice in store, however informing yourself here is the best 

I would probably recommend just getting a used tank, filter setup, and heater on craigslist (or if you can find a good deal new go for it, but I am a fan of the used market, especially for a first tank - the next more living room show tank can be something more expensive, no?) then you could get some sand or gravel as substrate at a fish store or just pool sand and soil at a hardware store. I mean capping soil with sand is cool and all but not super necessary. If you just want to do low tech and use plants that are easy going you probably dont need to do anything special for them. Soil sometimes can make things messy and gravel cleaning needs to be a bit more careful with it.

I would say do things on a budget with this first tank and learn some things that you can carry over to your 75 gallon plan 

So a used tank/filter/heater (maybe even stand)... perhaps get a new but cheap LED setup (for instance the beamworks lights, you can get something good with those that also have a switchable moonlight setting which I am sure your son will like at night with the blue effect). Beamworks for example are easy to find online and quite well made for the money... I swear I don't work for them hahaha, I recently got one of their lights for my 35 and am pretty happy with it - at least as far as budget setups go I think they are a pretty good value.

Just go to a fish store and get a sand/gravel substrate and maybe some rocks and driftwood to scape with, maybe tie (eg fishing line) on some various anubias plants to the driftwood and maybe some easy mosses like java moss or something (which every store should have). Then get some easy background stem plants like ludwigia or various of the tall grass looking plants. Finally some java ferns and crypts would also be great and easy. Consider maybe getting a bottle of seachem flourish and flourish excel however they are not necessary! Excel is nice though because it also makes preventing algae quite easy - though light cycle is quite important there too without co2.

As for fishes I would say that in a 20g you could definitely do a small school of cories! They are fun to watch! Also maybe a school of zebra danios or something would be nice, they are not shy and quite active so maybe good entertainment for your son. Then maybe some nerite snails and eventually a couple assassin snails (you'll probably get pond snail eggs on your plants) then why not a few cherry shrimp - they are easy and funny little creatures to watch! Or maybe even a dwarf orange crayfish, I bet your son would really like those little crays, they are pretty easy to keep, though can have problems molting in certain water parameters and maybe with cories could have trouble feeding.


Good luck with the rest of your research


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## Dead2fall (Jun 4, 2014)

2 year old + electrical devices + water + own bedroom = a recipe for disaster imo. Very curious age. For a tank in a two year old's bedroom I'd keep it simple and safe with just a fish bowl personally. Not saying you don't watch your child, but God forbid he/she wakes up early or in the middle of the night etc. and decides it's fish tank play time. Not trying to put the idea down, I think it's great to get them into the hobby but personally I'd be afraid to do it. They're only gonna start climbing, exploring and testing more as they age.


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## brooklyngal (Feb 12, 2011)

I'd recommend getting a canister filter if this is for a bedroom, they're by far the quietest filter IME.

There are cheaper options for lighting but personally I'd go with a finnex stingray; I think 1 over a 20g long would be enough for low/lowish medium light and I really like the 2 I have on my 40g. they're a very sleek looking fixture and a pretty good price too.

Everyone has a different kind of substrate they like, personally I prefer sand. Sediment sits on top of it instead of falling through the cracks of gravel, making it easier to remove, and its really fun to watch cories sift through it. I use washed playsand and really like it.

I've never actually done a dirt tank so I can't speak firsthand, but one of the reasons I didn't dirt my 40g was I didn't want to worry about needing to plant so densely from the beginning. Looking around it didn't seem like it was an option to have a dirt tank and still have an open sand area. I wish I had now that I decided I want a full plant carpet, but at the time it was the right choice.

Plants I'd suggest are wysteria, pennywort, rotala rotundifolia or indica, bacopa (caroliniana is one of my new favorites, monnierii is supposed to be hardy but did very poorly for me), dwarf sag. If you're going to dirt the tank you want a lot of heavy root feeders like crypts and swords. Red tiger lotus is another good plant but it does tend to take over tanks I've heard, certainly the one in my 40g lives up to that, sends up a lot of floating leaves. Definitely also plan on a lot of floating plants for a dirted tank (I like to use them in all tanks, regardless); hornwort is a good one for sucking up nutrients in the beginning, I really like to look of things like frogbit, dwarf water lettuce and red root floater.

cories would be a really good choice for a kid's tank- they're super active. I have 4 trilineatus in my 40g that's in my bedroom and they're really fun to watch when I'm laying in bed. I'm planning to up the numbers to at least 8 and might go for a different species with the next 4. If it were me I'd do 6-8 cories, some small schooler like neons or micro-rasboras or ember tetras and a betta.


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## NotCousteau (Sep 25, 2014)

That sounds like a fun project. Kids just love a nice tank.

I'd echo andrewss' advice and say: Keep it simple and dirt-free with this tank and worry about dirting your 75. I think you'll do yourself a favor by keeping one of these tanks very, very simple and affordable.

That said, gravel or sand with root tabs should be sufficient to grow a nice amount of easy plants like java fern, crypts, anubias, anacharis, val, moss and others. 

brooklyngal also has great advice about the filter. Canisters are much quieter.

For fish, I'd pick something with some size, activity and flash for a child, who might not have the patience/focus/eyesight(?) to appreciate subtle, small fish. I'd pick something like a school of harlequins with an accent fish like a paradise fish or a pair of dwarf gouramis. Or a school of golden or odessa barbs.

I have a 10 gallon with some smaller, slow fish (rice fish, formerly one badis badis, formerly one betta, two khuli loaches that are always hiding) and a 33 gallon with a big school of highly active silvery native minnows (dace and shiners) along with some darters, and kids are always drawn to the activity of the minnows and the darters, all of which come right up to inspect you when you walk by. That kind of "interaction" is fun for kids, I think. (Full disclosure: I have no kids of my own.)

I think you'd want to pick some nice, bold fish that are not going to care if your kid smashes his face against the glass. Maybe even do a pair of dwarf cichlids?

Good luck! Also, don't feel dumb! There's a lot of information out there, and some of it is overly complicated or completely irrelevant depending on your setup and goals. Things can be as easy as you want them to be. You can have a great deal of success without all of the tricks, gadgets and unreasonable costs.


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## Betta132 (Nov 29, 2012)

Make sure there's a very tight lid that your kid can't reach. Don't want a kid playing with stuff in the tank. Also, make sure your kid knows not to mess with the tank, tug on the cords, or that sort of thing. 
Danios and cories would probably work well, plus maybe a bolder variety of dwarf cichlid or something. Maybe a few nerite snails, too. Or maybe get a 30g and keep a fancy goldfish? They're wiggly and bold.


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## kimchilee (Mar 2, 2015)

Dead2fall said:


> 2 year old + electrical devices + water + own bedroom = a recipe for disaster imo. Very curious age. For a tank in a two year old's bedroom I'd keep it simple and safe with just a fish bowl personally. Not saying you don't watch your child, but God forbid he/she wakes up early or in the middle of the night etc. and decides it's fish tank play time. Not trying to put the idea down, I think it's great to get them into the hobby but personally I'd be afraid to do it. They're only gonna start climbing, exploring and testing more as they age.


totally agree.


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## PBiddy412 (Jul 16, 2014)

brooklyngal said:


> I'd recommend getting a canister filter if this is for a bedroom, they're by far the quietest filter IME.
> 
> There are cheaper options for lighting but personally I'd go with a finnex stingray; I think 1 over a 20g long would be enough for low/lowish medium light and I really like the 2 I have on my 40g. they're a very sleek looking fixture and a pretty good price too.
> 
> ...


This I think is closest to what I want to do along with using sand. Your suggestions for the fish stocking is spot on too with what I was thinking! I just talked to my mother too and I forgot she still had my 20 gallon long stored in the attic. I'll find out if it still has a filter, heater, and hood tomorrow. I'll also be looking into the beamworks and stingray. I saw the stingray at the pet store and thought it was sleek looking. 

Thanks for looking out too. I personally don't think it will be an issue in his room. Anything is possible though as you say, they climb and explore. (EDIT): After typing anything is possible, this is going to go into another room.


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## Dead2fall (Jun 4, 2014)

Haha.. Good plan. Mine turns 4 Sunday.. I still don't think I'd put something bigger than a gallon or two in his room. A plastic one at that.


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## PBiddy412 (Jul 16, 2014)

Well I have been looking into the lights and noticed different models putting out different lights. Also been looking on amazon and seems the price for beamswork and stingray is about ten dollars apart if I'm looking at the right models. I'm assuming I'll need a 30" as that is usually the length of a 20 gallon long. Just curious which light is better. I know nothing about PAR but it seams the beamswork has good PAR.


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## dpod (Sep 16, 2014)

Dead2fall said:


> 2 year old + electrical devices + water + own bedroom = a recipe for disaster imo. Very curious age... They're only gonna start climbing, exploring and testing more as they age.


When my little brother was a toddler, he thought the fish in our tank looked hungry.

So, he went downstairs, climbed up on top of the refrigerator, grabbed a bag of potatoes, and dumped them in the tank.

My mom came in later and thought they were a bunch of new rocks :hihi:

That said, I'd agree with everyone who suggested cories, and add that platies are always a good idea. They're active, brightly colored, and very very very friendly. I guarantee that they would come to the front of the tank every time the kid goes to watch them.

For a total set-up, I'd get:

Tank (20g) with top and stand
Basic fluorescent light that comes with the hood OR LED light (Finnex Stingray or Beamworks)
Heater (75-100W)
Canister filter
Pool filter sand or small gravel, enough for 2" of substrate

a big driftwood log for a centerpiece
some interesting rocks to make caves up front

Anubias
Java fern
Spiral Valisneria

~6 small corydoras (NOT bronze or albinos, they grow too large)
3-4 platies (in a ratio of 1:2 male to female, or all female)
6 zebra/leopard/pearl danios
2 nerite snails

Tie the Anubias and java fern to the driftwood (and rocks, if you want) with fishing line or rubber bands and plant the Valisneria along the back wall of the tank. If you want, you can get root tabs to put under the Vals, but it probably won't be necessary. They can usually get enough nutrients from fish food.

I'd go for this bunch of fish because they're all hardy, cheap, and active. What more could you ask for as a kid? Every layer in the tank will have something going on, with the danios swirling and schooling, the platies poking around and chasing each other, and the cories wiggling all over the gravel. Nerites do a fantastic job of keeping the glass clean in a tank, and you can find some very pretty ones. Everything should be low maintenance, the plants will be easy to rearrange, and it'll be a nice, lush green tank with plenty of activity.

hope that helps!


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## Jcstank (Jan 3, 2015)

My 4.5 year old has a 5-gallon planted with two neon's in it. Its cheap, easy to care for, and simple. Kids that young wont know/care for the difference. Best part is it takes me 10 minutes to do a water change. You could also put in one Betta too. 

I say keep it simple because he's just 2.


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## PBiddy412 (Jul 16, 2014)

It's also a project for me with my son in mind as well. It's why I'd like to put a little time into it.

Also just found out my 20 long at my mom's was cracked at the bottom. It'll be back to looking at Craigs list or for deals at the pet stores. I've also decided I'll get a Finnex led light along with their canister filter. Both had good reviews. I'm also leaning towards black sand. Love the look of it plus I love green and black together. 

Any good sites to buy from would be great. Im use to the pet stores but they either don't have what I want or it is to expensive!


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## caique (Mar 16, 2012)

Kens Fish is good, he is in Tounton MA.

A Eheim 2215 would work well on a 20 long, a Cobalt Neo Therm is a unbreakable heater also one of the best heaters available.

Always better to over filter IMO.

Check out the corydoras habrosus.


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## ichy (Apr 6, 2015)

My son has had a tank in his room since day one. He is now a BIG fish nut and now that he is a young adult it is a blast to share a hobby with your kid.

That said..kids at that age just love the fish! They dont care that the Cryp is growing or not...

So the setups I used for him when he was young were VERY simple. Under gravel filter, and heater, plastic plants. Then I let him pick out the fish he liked and found interesting. If he wanted a Sponge Bob neon no fishing sign in there, so be it!

Must have done something right, he's a bigger tank nut than me, and wants to get into the freshwater biology program at school!


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## Clayman (Jan 7, 2015)

This is the reason I got into aquariums! I decided I would use a fish tank for a night light in my children's room, they're 2 and 4. I originally did a tiger barb tank and now it's planted. I built a non accessible stand and hood with lag bolts into the wall studs in case they tried to climb up it. They know now after a year or so not to mess with it. And now there's two tanks in their room. Both fully covered and stands that hide all wires inaccessible to anyone but me. My kids love it.


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## PBiddy412 (Jul 16, 2014)

caique said:


> Kens Fish is good, he is in Tounton MA.
> 
> A Eheim 2215 would work well on a 20 long, a Cobalt Neo Therm is a unbreakable heater also one of the best heaters available.
> 
> ...


I really like the Corydoras Habrosus. Nice colors to them (Salt and pepper) and they grow to 1 inche. That is perfect!


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## PBiddy412 (Jul 16, 2014)

I think this is the setup I plan on going with after reading/researching a bit:

20g Long Tank
Petco or Petsmart Black Aquarium Sand
Current Satellite Plus Freshwater LED 24-36 Inch (I like the gimmicks / still debating this)
Eheim 2215 Canister Filter (Good reviews so thanks for that recommendation caique)
Cobalt Neo Therm Heater 100 Watt (Good reviews also, so thanks again caique!)

That setup is a bit pricey but I think it will be worth it.

For stocking, I know I want the cories and I'm definitely liking the idea of danios. Was another favorite of mine growing up and they are also active. I'm just curious if a betta and a few snails would work into this setup? I did like your recommendations to Dpod. 

Once I get the equipment down and ordered, I'll start looking into plants and decorations. I didn't realize how pricey it would get for a 20 gallon long. I might be over killing it with my equipment choices though!


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## Betta132 (Nov 29, 2012)

Bettas and danios don't mix. The danios are too hyper and upset the betta, plus they often go after the fins. Even short-finned bettas don't do so well. 
Snails, sure. Snails don't care.


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## PBiddy412 (Jul 16, 2014)

Betta132 said:


> Bettas and danios don't mix. The danios are too hyper and upset the betta, plus they often go after the fins. Even short-finned bettas don't do so well.
> Snails, sure. Snails don't care.


You know what, I'm a ding dong! I knew this already! Needed reminded I guess.


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## caique (Mar 16, 2012)

PBiddy412 said:


> I think this is the setup I plan on going with after reading/researching a bit:
> 
> 20g Long Tank
> Petco or Petsmart Black Aquarium Sand
> ...


 
You can't really overdue equipment, the first heater I had was a Jager and I forgot to unplug it when doing a water change and the glass broke in my tank. Why would they sell a heater that breaks glass into a tank if it is not submerged absolutely ridiculous.

Make sure that you don't use eco complete for substrate with the little cory's it will destroy the barbells.

I also have a Current Satellite Plus Freshwater LED 24-36 Inch over my 20 long it is my Orange Eye Royal Blue Tiger tank this is not a great light for anything high light . I have Subwassertang, Blyxa Japonica, java fern, ( Needle leaf & Windolov), Anubius ,Hornwort it works great. I have a Eheim g65 and a 60 gallon sponge filter, talk about overkill.


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## shloken38 (Aug 17, 2012)

I second Kens Fish. You can get everything you need on there and get free shipping. His prices and service are excellent. As far as the light, I actually bought a Coralife T5 fixture from Kens. The 30in is $45. You can also pick up the heater, filter, food (his food is awesome), Seachem Prime and an air pump right from there. You can't go wrong with his prices and free shipping (for orders over $49). The only thing you'll have to pick up from the store is the substrate and tank. Me, personally, for a low tech setup I would use the light I mentioned, 1 bag of eco-complete and 1 bag of black sand to cover the eco-complete. I grow all kinds of plants with this setup.

Also, I have a 3 and a half year old and have had tanks since before he was born. He pays no mind to the tanks unless I'm working on or staring at them. He'll just sit and watch with me. He was the same when he was 2. Guess it depends on the kid.


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## PBiddy412 (Jul 16, 2014)

Picked up the 20 long today along with 20 pounds Petco Black Aquarium Sand (Only had 1 left). I think I'll try the eco-complete and cap it with that. I think I'm just going to order the rest from Kensfish. To many good words about them.


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## ichy (Apr 6, 2015)

PBiddy412 said:


> Picked up the 20 long today along with 20 pounds Petco Black Aquarium Sand (Only had 1 left). I think I'll try the eco-complete and cap it with that. I think I'm just going to order the rest from Kensfish. To many good words about them.


is the dollar sale still on?


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## PBiddy412 (Jul 16, 2014)

Nah its not. I just missed it.


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

:hihi:THIS can happen:hihi:

I bet urine is being used to help cycle the tank:hihi:


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## PBiddy412 (Jul 16, 2014)

Haha that was a good laugh for this morning! I hope I never find my son doing that! Lol

EDIT: Just editing due to the fact that I've seen everywhere not to use eco complete with sand. I'll probably just go straight sand. I'm planning on ordering the items for KensFish today. They are out of Eheim Canister Filters though . 

Think I'm going to stick with the Satellite Plus as well. I don't know of a better light for the price with all the gimmicks with it.


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## caique (Mar 16, 2012)

You could try BigAls ask him if he will match Kens fish prices.

Its worth a try, when did Ken say he would have the 2215 back in stock.

Here is the best fish food on the market IMO Almostnaturaltropicalfishfood. This guy has been in the hobby for 35 years and is giving back, his name is ED.


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## PBiddy412 (Jul 16, 2014)

Bigals appears to be out of stock too. I haven't called any to verify when the filters will be back in stock. I'm about to look around for a SunSun Filter now.


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## PBiddy412 (Jul 16, 2014)

Finally ordered some equipment from kens. Got the following:

Current Satellite Plus Freshwater LED 24-36 Inch 
Ken's Premium Tropical Fish Flake 1/2 lb 
Cobalt Neo Therm Heater 100 Watt 
API Freshwater Master Test Kit 
Seachem Prime 500 ml 
Eheim 2215

EDIT: It appears I didn't hit submit yesterday. Work has me tired. That's going to be my excuse. Anyways, I got the Eheim 2215 today and all is on the way! Can't wait. I'm going to be looking into places to get driftwood and plants and decide which plants I want to use from the recommendations. Then I'll get the tank setup, post some pictures, and then get it cycled hopefully! Thanks all for the help so far. I appreciate it.


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

Eheim make less noise.Even the smaller canister filters ,they're silent.And they last.
Got a Liberty 2040 HOB for almost 4 years now ,has been running non stop ,no problems.
The splashing of the water makes more noise than the filter itself.
And by the way ,it was bought second hand from a lady who had used it on a goldfish tank.....who knows how old that thing is.......


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## PBiddy412 (Jul 16, 2014)

I actually got the Eheim 2215. Actually got it all setup yesterday! Just looking for plants and driftwood now. Then cycle and fish!


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## rebelbuck1993 (Sep 3, 2014)

PBiddy412 said:


> I actually got the Eheim 2215. Actually got it all setup yesterday! Just looking for plants and driftwood now. Then cycle and fish!


You will fall in love with the eheim 2215 i have one on a 40B tank and it is amazing, ps drop the black carbon pad from it(not good for plants) also once the white floss pad gets dirty do yourself a favor and just get a roll of filter floss and cut out your own. Put the ceramic rings first then the blue sponge bio balls then floss. Or ac filter foam then floss after the bio balls
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=870201&page=3


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## PBiddy412 (Jul 16, 2014)

Here is everything I got:









I thought I got Prime but somehow I had Excel in my shopping cart when I finished. 

This is the filter hooked up. Looks weird on the 20 gallon long because the intake tube is so long.









I think I have it hooked up right. I cut three pieces off and then attached the flow nozzles to both the intake and output connection by a 4 inch green tube. I then ran tubing to the their correct part and then for the spray bar used a 2 inch green tube to connect that with the curved piece. If you are able to follow me with that description! I might just get the sand in the tank and put water in it to see if it works while I await for plants and decorations. 

I don't know if I should do that or wait for the plants to get her along with the decorations so I can cycle the tank properly.

Thanks rebel for the links btw. I appreciate it. I've been reading everything I can this past 2 weeks.


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## SueD (Nov 20, 2010)

Did the tank come with a glass top? If not, you will need one of those too. And don't forget to go back and get the Prime. You can just get this at a Petsmart. For cycling, will need some ammonia - no detergents or anything else added.


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## PBiddy412 (Jul 16, 2014)

Began cycling the tank yesterday. Everything is running smoothly and the Eheim 2215 is so easy to use and quiet as can be. I have the heat up, the ammonia around 4ppm and letting it do its thing now. 

I did get prime also and used prior to adding ammonia. I just need a lid now which no one seems to have 20L in their stores oddly. I'm also still waiting on plants. 

This is a list of plants I had recommended to me: 

1 - Limnophila Indica 
2 (3)-Anubuas Petite
2 (3)- Bucephalandra Blue Green (Love the look of this plant)
30 - Marsilea Crenata
2 -Echindorus Vesuvius
8 -Java Needle Leaf Fern
2 - True Dwarf Sag
1 - Peacock Moss
1 - Hygrophila Corymbosa Compacta

From what I've seen, all will do fine in low light. Also waiting on rocks and driftwood still.


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## PBiddy412 (Jul 16, 2014)

Just updating. Finally got something to work with:










I like it. I hope it grows and becomes successful. Still cycling though but nice to have it scaped for now. I'm not an expert and I don't care about thirds so this setup works for me! lol


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## big b (Jun 3, 2015)

Nice tank. I just would like to say to that person that suggested a plastic 1 gallon, I don't think that would have worked. A 2 year old could easily put their hands in the fish bowl, put fish food in the bowl, or pick up the bowl and possibly drop it. What are those rocks with all of the holes in them? i might have to get a small one for my 5 gallon that I will set up in the near future.


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## ichy (Apr 6, 2015)

20L is a great tank.


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## big b (Jun 3, 2015)

I have to say that that is true. You have the layout of a 29 gallon tank but it is shallower.


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## PBiddy412 (Jul 16, 2014)

Alright I'm back!

Been letting the plants grow a bit after I tried ammonia burning them. I misread information on cycling with plants and that its not necessary. I got the parameters under control and been dosing a little excel at night. 

I also found two friendly snails crawling around. They seem to be eating the little bit of algea that is on the tank walls and plants. 

Once my ammonia gets back to zero, I plan on stocking this tank. My wife and son liked the Angel Fish however I had to give her the bad news that they would not fit in the 20 gallon long. 

For me personally, I know I want Cories. I also like the dwarf puffer fish. My son likes schooling fish as he goes nuts when they all move around. The prior suggestions are good. I'm just trying to get a few more ideas.

As far as the type of rock that this is. I'm not sure. I got it from Bartohog. If you need plants, he has plenty and they are beautiful on arrival. Not so beautiful after being in 4ppm ammonia for a couple days! lol


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## ichy (Apr 6, 2015)

Put a nice school of tiger barbs in there!

AND post up a picture!


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## rebelbuck1993 (Sep 3, 2014)

a bunch of neons with corys are a good fit, i have 14 neons in a 33long with 3 corys a dwarf neon gourami, and two sae


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