# 20 gallon stocking questions from a first timer



## kroum (Jul 10, 2012)

First of all, greetings!

My name is Kroum and I only recently got into this fine hobby.

My setup is a 20 gal kit from aqueon. Had I done some research before buying it, I would have probably chosen a different brand.

It has been set up and running for just over 2 weeks with two guppies to cycle it. I used an instant cycle product (colony) an hour before putting the fish in and prime to treat my tap water. Ever since then, I have been monitoring the water conditions daily. My tests as of today show no ammonia, a barely registering reading for nitrites, and a low level of nitrate.

I started thinking that the surface area for bacteria growth in my aqueon filter was insufficient, so I tried adding some extra filter media before and after the filter, but that just made it overflow. So, I went and bought a pen-plax cascade 200. This should be overkill, but I have heard that there is no such thing as too much filtration. I have been running both filters in tandem and will continue for another month to allow for bacteria growth in the new filter.

Sorry about the rant, but I wanted to give you guys a rundown on my setup.

I think that I can begin to stock the tank. (But I am open to being dissuaded for the right reason.

How does this sound for the long term: 2current guppies, 10 neon or cardinal tetras, 5cory cats (dwarf?), a dwarf gourami, a couple of shrimp, and a couple of snails. I also want to plant the aquarium, as densely and as lushly as my skills and lighting allow me.

I am open to suggestions or substitutions. I want a peaceful community which is as self-sufficient (cleaning and changing water) as is practical in a 20 gallon tank.

Also, what would be the correct sequence and timing for populating this tank?

From what I have read, it should go: guppies(already in) neon tetras, corys , shrimp, gourami, snails, but I am afraid that if I get the tetras first, I may overwhelm the bacteria in my tank and have rapidly rising ammonia... at the same time, they should be in groups of 6 or more.

Any suggestions, hints, advice???

Oh ya, my tap water has high 8> pH >7.6, has 0 total hardness, but ~180ppm total alcalinity/buffering capacity.

Thanks in advance guys. I'm really glad to have joined this community.


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## Hadstuff (Jul 16, 2012)

*sounds good to me*

I think your stocking should do well. but if you really want to make your aquarium look good, and filled up, add a ton of live plants, and add many schooling fish, like Neons. What i did with my 20 gallon was have 2 Blue Ram Cichlids, 5 Tiger Barbs, and 1 red tail shark. It gave me a perfect amount of coloration, and not too much movement so you could enjoy each individual fish. ( this was a 20 gallon long)


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

First off, welcome both of you to Tropical Fish Keeping forum.:wave:

There are several important issues within your two posts, so I will comment on what I see. First, definitely plants. I won't bog this post down with the benefits, but they are considerable.

Which leads me to the filter. Plants filter better than any gadget we can buy, so let them do it. Minimal filtration on planted tanks is much better. And it is indeed possible to over-filter any tank...not so much that too much filtration is detrimental (though it somewhat is with respect to water current and fish) but that it is unnecessary. Bacteria can only function well in specific water flow and within certain parameters. Too much flow (which usually occurs with "over-filtration") can impede the bacteria since they can only take up so much ammonia and nitrite. Kroum, what filter came with the tank? I might suggest using it, when I know what it is.

Now to the fish stocking. Here you both have problems.:shock: A 20g is no where near sufficient space for the intended fish (Kroum) or what you (Hadstuff) have now. I'll discuss the latter first, but before that I'll point you to our fish profiles under the second tab from the left in the blue bar across the top of the page. Most of the usually-seen fish species are included, and the data for each includes water parameter requirements, tank size, minimum numbers for shoaling fish, and any compatibility issues. I will briefly mention the issues in my following comments, but please check the fish profile for further detail. When you see the name shaded, you can click on that for the profile; if the common or scientific name used in the profile is typed exactly identical in posts, it will shade as a link.

Red tailed shark is not a community fish. It attains 5 inches, needs a 4-foot tank at minimum, and no substrate fish with it. Profile explains all this.

Tiger Barb are similar; they need a larger group (8 minimum) and in their own 30g tank. If any other fish are to be included, the tank must be considerably larger than 30g. More in profile. They may not have done it yet, but i can all but guarantee they will target your rams in time.

There are proven scientific reasons for minimum numbers and tank sizes, which I won't get into now, or this post will be a book in volume. So on to Kroum's fish list.

Mixing livebearers that need medium hard or harder water with fish that prefer soft water is not good; there is very little "middle ground," depending upon species, so someone loses and that means stress and poor health and shorter lifespan. You mention soft water, we need to know the number for the GH (general hardness), which you should be able to ascertain from the water supply people, they may have a website. If the water really is hard, forget livebearers (guppy, etc).

I would avoid dwarf gourami; the poor health of this species today is a real risk; more on this in the profile. The Honey Gourami is better. But with any gourami, you have to be careful of tankmates. Gourami are slow sedate fish, and should not be combined with active swimming fish or those remotely likely to fin nip. And this gets us to many tetra. Rasbora make good companions.

The high pH will be trouble for cardinal tetra, and less for neon tetra. The GH is relevant here, so I'll leave this until we know the number. Corys are fine, though you might want to bypass the "dwarf" species which are more delicate. Check the profiles, many species are included.

I'll leave it at that for now.

Byron.


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## kroum (Jul 10, 2012)

Thank you both for the replies.

Byron, my general hardness reading is 0. The fact that I have a water softener may have something to do with it.

The guppies are already in the tank, but I don't want to plan the tank around them. I will return them if I must, but they seem to be fine so far. 

The filter that came with the tank is the aqueon quiet flow 20 I believe, and the replacement is the cascade 200.

I don't quite understand your comment about the bacteria. The filter is designed for a specific water flow and the bacteria live inside the filter media and the surfaces of the filter. There the water flow is slow and always the same, depending on the design parameters of the filter. I was lead to believe that the bacteria in the water itself is negligeable compared to that in the filter and the substrate. I would appreciate a more thorough explanation. The cascade has a flow rate control dial, so if needed, I can decrease it.

The dwarf gourami and the dwarf Cory's I put in there because I don't want any fish that grow to be large. I want them to have plenty of room to swim around even as adults.

The numbers were also just precursory. I want the tetras to be happy, that's why I had 10. Maybe 8?

The gourami is in there because I want the tank to have a centerpiece which is brightly colored and a little bigger than the rest of its tank mates. Again, I am very open to suggestions.


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## kroum (Jul 10, 2012)

Had stuff: your tank sounds kind of violent. I think that cichlids are gorgeous fish, but they tend to be violent, no?

I want a peaceful community.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

kroum said:


> Thank you both for the replies.
> 
> Byron, my general hardness reading is 0. The fact that I have a water softener may have something to do with it.
> 
> ...


I'll just pick up on a couple issues. First, the GH and guppies. What is the GH of the tap water before it goes through the softener, if you can access this? Some softeners remove mineral salts (thus lowering the GH) but add other salts in doing so, making things worse. It would help to know how this softener works.

Centerpiece fish in a tank as small as a 20g is not easy. But instead of the Dwarf Gourami, which has health risks, there is the similarly-colourful Honey. My view on 20g tanks is that it is best to stay with small fish as one can provide a more natural environment. And this is critical.

To the filtration. Filters perform 2 or 3 functions depending upon the type. First is mechanical filtration, which is simply moving the water through fine media to remove suspended particulate matter. This is keeping the water clear, which is different from clean. Sponge filters do this admirably; and in larger filters the fine mechanical filtration is achieved by filter pads/floss media. In canisters we also have large chunks of ceramic disks and similar media to grab larger "stuff."

Second aspect is biological. All filters perform this, simply because nitrifying bacteria will colonize such surfaces. Live plants can do this task well, so there is no need to "encourage" biological filtration since it is competing with plants which use this as a nutrient source. One aspect is ammonia. Plants need nitrogen, and most aquatic plants prefer ammonium (a non-toxic form of ammonia) and are faster at grabbing the ammonia/ammonium than bacteria, so they grab most of it. Not only does this remove the ammonia, but nitrite is not a by-product.

Third function of filters is chemical filtration, such as carbon and other products that may detoxify or remove ammonia, etc. With plants this is totally un-necessary as these products remove beneficial nutrients and the plants lose out.

More water flow through the filter might improve the mechanical aspect, although this is debatable. It is possible to have so much water movement that the filters cannot remove everything, and the water will be less clear. All this water movement is also stirring things up, preventing the particulate matter from settling into the substrate where it is vital to the health of the aquarium. And it weakens plants that are unable to assimilate sufficient nutrients if the water flow is too fast. [You can begin to see how all this is inter-connected.]

Biological filtration is not helped by more flow than what is relevant to the aquarium, meaning the volume, aquascape, and fish load. The nitrifying bacteria colonize surfaces, everywhere in the aquarium. There is far more bacteria in a healthy substrate as in any filter. And Nitrosomonas bacteria can only exist at the level comparable to the ammonia, so more and more filtration achieves nothing if the tank is balanced to begin with. Studies have proven that Nitrosomonas and Nitrospira bacteria cannot assimilate the ammonia/nitrite from the water if the flow is beyond their limit. A good filter will be rated to specific tank sizes; and this means that a tank of that size that is stocked in balance with everything else will be best filtered by that particular filter size. In this as in so much of life, more is not better.

If you'd like to go further with this, I think the time has come to refer you to an article which I wrote and that appears in our Freshwater Article section:
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/freshwater-articles/bacteria-freshwater-aquarium-74891/
This should provide a better comprehensive view, but feel free to question.

Byron.


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## Hadstuff (Jul 16, 2012)

it has been 3 years, and there are no problems with any of it. The only fighting being done is the Ram Cichlids defending territory, which is healthy for them. plus, the Tiger barbs are going to be moved soon, as i plan to restock the tank


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## kroum (Jul 10, 2012)

Thank you Byron. I am beginning to understand what you are getting at and I will definitely read the article you linked.

I will test my tap water from the spout in the back yard when I get home from work. That does not go thru the softener I don't think. The softener I have is indeed a salt based one.

About the filter: the flow rate can be varied, so I can decrease it. My goal right now is to populate it with bacteria. Later on, I can remove the aqueon filter and decrease the flow rate on the cascade as needed.

I do want plants. I do not want this to become a full time job, however. So I would rather have a few hardy, low light plants and deal with the low ammonium and trace minerals than risk rapidly rising ammonia an nitrite levels that kill my fish from insufficient filtration. At least this is how I see it with my limited knowledge. Please correct and/or educate me if my reasoning is flawed.

The independent aquatic store I plan to get my fish from uses the same tap water (sans the softener) that I have and their neon tetras as well as their guppies seem healthy, energetic, and colorful.

I thought the purpose of the plants in a tank was to take some of the nitrates away and make the ecosystem healthy for longer periods without water changes.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Hadstuff said:


> it has been 3 years, and there are no problems with any of it. The only fighting being done is the Ram Cichlids defending territory, which is healthy for them. plus, the Tiger barbs are going to be moved soon, as i plan to restock the tank


This may well be an example of what sometimes happens when the fish's needs are not met. In some cases, aggression is worsened, but in others, the fish are not able to act "normal" and just manage. And the shark should be growing larger, if it is not then it has been stunted by too small a space.

I'm sorry, but i cannot change nature. Neither can you.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

kroum said:


> Thank you Byron. I am beginning to understand what you are getting at and I will definitely read the article you linked.
> 
> I will test my tap water from the spout in the back yard when I get home from work. That does not go thru the softener I don't think. The softener I have is indeed a salt based one.
> 
> ...


On a simple planted tank, check my 4-part series "A Basic Approach to the Natural Planted Aquarium" stickied at the head of this section. I can respond to any questions that may come from that. The photos of my tanks [click the "Aquariums" tab below my name on the left] are all based on this approach. This will also answer, at least partly, the issue of ammonium/nitrate.

Byron.


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## Varkolak (Jun 9, 2012)

I have similar water as you, i assume your on a well also so I'll say what I do. First off use the water from the outside spigot to keep all the minerals for your plants, I am in love with my 5 golden honey grouami even if my beautiful males are stuck guarding eggs where I can't see them in the back. With them I have 17 harlequin rasbora, 2 longfin chocolate BN, and 6 kuhli loaches. If you wanted a similar tank I highly recommend a male and female golden honey gourami and 7-9 harlequin rasboras. With them you can do any kind of BN pleco you wanted or the dwarf corys you mentioned earlier. The gouramis don't mate like live bearers so once the male gets the female to have her eggs he takes them up into his bubble nest and guards it alone and doesn't bother her at all. My females are the showcase of my tanks because the males are rarely seen once they start guarding but when they do its vibrant. My avatar is 2 of my females fighting for dominance


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## kroum (Jul 10, 2012)

Thanks warewolf !

Byron: I just finished your 4 part article on live plants. I think I will be OK with my filter if I simply take out the active charcoal element and replace it with a same size piece of filter floss to retain particulate. Only issue is that because it flows over the water like a "cascade", it will still disturb the surface.


So, I made a mistake and bought orange gravel. I would much prefer black or dark grey. Is there a safe technique of replacing the gravel once the tank has fish in it?

Is it basically, take the fish out, replace gravel, run filter for a while to take care of stirred up sediment,and then put fish back? Can I get away with removing say half of the gravel and putting the new gravel over it?


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## kroum (Jul 10, 2012)

Update: 

In tested the water prior to it going into the softener and the hardness is between 150ppm and 250ppm, the buffering stayed the same and the pH was closer to 7.4-7.5

I went to the store and bought one anubius and one bunch of java moss... I regret the moss since it started flying around, and haven't the faintest how to make it pretty.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Kroum, answering your last two posts.

On the gravel, do it now; better to get it done with so the tank can start settling biologically. I would recommend playsand; it is very inexpensive (the cheapest substrate you can get), plants grow very well in it, and substrate fish love it (some need it). I use Quikrete Play Sand from Home Depot; Lowe's I believe also carries it. They call it "tan" but it is a mix of black/gray/white/tan and looks like the sands in the Amazon streams. I have now changed 5 of my 7 tanks to this sand, and another is about to change over.

On th water, I definitely recommend using pre-softener water. A GH of 8 to 9 dGH will help your plants, and this still results in soft water so soft water fish will be fine. The pH being a tad lower is better too; this suggests something in the softener being added to the water, so best to avoid that.

Filter, are you up for replacing it?;-) You can go with the present one (can it be adjusted for less flow?) but something simple would serve you better. I only use sponge filters in tanks under 50g. A dual Elite is what I have on my 20g and 29g, connected to an air pump. Another alternative is a Fluval U1 which is a sponge with a motor which avoids an air pump. I have one like this by Eheim in my 33g, but sadly Eheim don't make these any longer.

I mention these issues because it is easier to get all this ouot of the way before fish arrive.

Byron.


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## kroum (Jul 10, 2012)

Byron, is A zoo plant grower bed substrate a good option? I found a new local store with the largest aquatic plant selection I have yet to find in my area and all their planted tanks use this. The black color is very visually pleasing to me.

I think I will follow your advice and tear everything down, change the substrate, plant it, and try to either reintroduce the guppies or return them to the store and start fresh.

How long must the planted tank "run" before I can put the fish in? Just long enough for the water to clear up? 

Which plants other than anubius and java moss do you recommend for a beginner?


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

kroum said:


> Byron, is A zoo plant grower bed substrate a good option? I found a new local store with the largest aquatic plant selection I have yet to find in my area and all their planted tanks use this. The black color is very visually pleasing to me.
> 
> I think I will follow your advice and tear everything down, change the substrate, plant it, and try to either reintroduce the guppies or return them to the store and start fresh.
> 
> ...


I'm not familiar with that named substrate. If you can give me a link to some data I will have a look, I might see something pro or con. But without trying these things it is sometimes difficult to comment. I will say that i have use Flourite in one tank, and wold never waste the money again. This is the tank that I will be changing over to playsand this month, after 15+ months of poor plant response (worse in fact than in my sand-only tanks). Not worth the money in my view. Plus, some of these are hard on substrate fish.

You can set up a new tank with fish on day 1 if you have it well planted. This means lots of plants, including several fast growers like stem plants and particularly floating plants. As this will be your first, I wold go easy though. You will want to put the existing fish (if any) in a spare temporary tank, nothing fancy, while you change the main tank. So they can be returned a few at a time. Keeping wood or rock from the main tank wet in the temporary tank helps, as bacteria will be on this if it is not washed or allowed to dry.

Sword plants (Echinodorus, several species are in our profiles under substrate-rooted plants) are easy, don't get the large species for a 20g. Ceratopteris cornuta is my favourite floating plant. Brazilian Pennywort is a nice stem plant, also grows nicely floating, and only moderate light unlike most stem plants.

Byron.


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## Varkolak (Jun 9, 2012)

kroum said:


> Thanks warewolf !
> 
> Byron: I just finished your 4 part article on live plants. I think I will be OK with my filter if I simply take out the active charcoal element and replace it with a same size piece of filter floss to retain particulate. Only issue is that because it flows over the water like a "cascade", it will still disturb the surface.
> 
> ...


Awesome! Most don't make the connection with my name to the Bulgarian werewolf so I'm impressed 

On other easy plants I highly recommend messaging knuggs and seeing if Lucas will sell you pack of low light plants like he did for me, got a great deal on over a dozen different plants and he's the only one I've ever seen with peacock moss and if nothing else its worth getting just a bundle of that instead of java and his prices were reasonable. Plants that worked for me from him are are peacock moss, bronze crypt, Brazilian sword, dwarf water lettuce, Hydrocotyle Umbrellata, Hygro Pinnatida, L. Aromatica and a couple I'm unsure of the name of


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## kroum (Jul 10, 2012)

Thank you Byron!

This is the substrate I am talking about:
Azoo Plant Grower Bed Substrate (Brown or Black) | Exotic Corals| Aquatic Plants | Rare Cichlids


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

kroum said:


> Thank you Byron!
> 
> This is the substrate I am talking about:
> Azoo Plant Grower Bed Substrate (Brown or Black) | Exotic Corals| Aquatic Plants | Rare Cichlids


First, if it were me, I would want to see this myself in a local store so I could feel it with my hand before buying it. Some of these are rather coarse (like Flourite and Eco-complete) and I found this an issue with corys and such. I choose F over EC primarily due to it feeling a bit smoother, or so I thought, but in hindsight it is still too coarse. I never buy substrate material without handling it.

Second, it is going to give out in just over a year. Unless you plan to tear the tank down and reset with more, I would start off with sand or fine gravel. Chances are, regardless of their claims, some fertilization will still be needed. Floating plants and non-substrate rooted plants will obtain no benefit whatsoever from the substrate, so liquid fertilization is going to be necessary to balance. And this gets down to the substrate plants anyway, with sand/gravel.

Third, it claims to mess with pH. I try to avoid adding any substances that fiddle with the chemistry unless it is essential and I have a fair grasp of it. My local water authority is now adding substances to buffer pH, and this is bad enough.

And as for prolonging water changes to one every six months, this is risky nonsense. I know this can work--with lots of plants and few fish in spacious tanks. But my fish get half the tank changed every week, and I know there are benefits. This sort of claim is just not practical.

Playsand will work as well in my view, and be much less expensive.

Byron.


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## kroum (Jul 10, 2012)

Varkolak, I missed your post yesterday, but it may have something to do with the fact that I am Bulgarian: ). Thank you for sharing your experience with those specific plants. I will keep it in mind when I start buying.

Byron, I haven't touched this substrate, but it looks semi-porous,and it is pretty fine. Probably 1mmor even .5mm grains. I really want a dark/black substrate. This is why I liked it so much in the store. I am about to go there again at lunch, and I will ask a lot more about it.

I think I'm going to do this... tomorrow after work: )I'm just sad over the 2 guppies already in the tank. I have grown attached to Ajax and Lemon...


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## kroum (Jul 10, 2012)

So, I followed through. I got the before mentioned substrate. It is like granulated porting soil. It got cloudy while I was refilling the tank, but the majority was due to poor technique on my part. I tilted the bucket too much and the force of the water flipped the plate I had laid on the bottom. Needless to say, it churned things up. Good thing I have a good filter. I put in an extra piece of filter floss where the chemical filtration used to be. I got 2 Anubis, some crypts, some stem plants and some of those green carpet like plant. I know the last needs a lot of light , but I can get extra lights . 

After the cloudiness has dispersed, I tested the water, got 0 ammonia, and nitrite, so I put the guppies back in by first mixing new water with theirs slowly over 30min. They seem OK in there. Poking around the plants looking for food: )
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## kroum (Jul 10, 2012)

I wanted to show you guys my finished tank. I use the large piece of driftwood as a diffuser for my filter. Otherwise it was kicking up more junk than filtering. 

The two guppies are still alive and doing well. I also got 6 green neon tetras, but they are all in hiding. I am monitoring the water conditions daily and so far so good. No detectable ammonia, and nitrites. Nitrates are at ~ 20ppm pH 7.5, general hardness 130ppm, alcalinity/buffering capacity really low ~ 40ppm










The only thing that worries me is that some of the stem plants have what looks like a thin black film over the leaves and stems...

And I still have to find a good lighting solution. I am overdoing the light right now.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Looking good there. I would just pivot that small piece of wood on the right a bit, leave the back end where it is and move the front clockwise so it is aways from the front a bit, maybe 3 inches. I think this will expand the space.

Byron.


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## kroum (Jul 10, 2012)

I took your advice and moved the small piece of driftwood and it did open the space up a bit.

Also, finally today I picked up a new lighting fixture and bulbs. I ended up going with the Aqueon 24inch double t5 fixture and two of the aqueon 6700k bulbs as well as a timer for it.

Unfortunately, some of theplants, especially the grass aren't doing well. The is some yellow, and brown on the leaves. I'm hoping the new light as well as a regular day night cycle will remedy this issue. 

Also, I am experiencing detectable levels of both ammonia and nitrites. Probably the delayed effects of the addition of the 6 green neon tetras. To combat this, I didn't feed them yesterday, did a small water change yesterday, and a 30% one today with a double dose of prime. Then I added a bottle of colony (nitrosomonas and nitrobacter). I will see how it is tomorrow and add more colony and prime if I can still detect ammonia.

Also, I have very small particles constantly suspended in the water. I am contemplating placing puragen in my filter. Any opinions on this?


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

> Also, finally today I picked up a new lighting fixture and bulbs. I ended up going with the Aqueon 24inch double t5 fixture and two of the aqueon 6700k bulbs as well as a timer for it.


Does this have NO (normal output) tubes? HO (high output) will be too much light.



> Unfortunately, some of theplants, especially the grass aren't doing well. The is some yellow, and brown on the leaves. I'm hoping the new light as well as a regular day night cycle will remedy this issue.


Are you dosing any fertilzers, and if yes, which? 



> Also, I have very small particles constantly suspended in the water. I am contemplating placing puragen in my filter. Any opinions on this?


I wouldn't use chemical filtration media in a planted tank. The cloudiness common in new tanks will clear on its own, and naturally, which is best for the bacteria establishing themselves.


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## kroum (Jul 10, 2012)

I am not currently dosing any fertilizers.

The light does not say ho anywhere so I assume, the bulbs are normal input.

Also, the light came with one 6700k bulb and one "Colormax" bulb which is visibly red-er.

Should I use this combo as it is advertised as "Great for growing plants" on the box, or continue with the 2 6700k plant growing bulbs as I have them right now?

All fish are still alive and well so far. I fed them a little right after adding colony yesterday and they were ravenous. The tetras are getting braver and spending more time moving around the tank. They even did a few passes length to length in formation. I LOVE these little guys!


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

kroum said:


> I am not currently dosing any fertilizers.
> 
> The light does not say ho anywhere so I assume, the bulbs are normal input.
> 
> ...


The combo of tubes is up to you. The plants will probably be fine under either the mix or just 6700K. So the appearance that you have to look at is yours to call.

You will need fertilizer, a basic liquid like Flourish Comprehensive Supplement by Seachem or FlorinMulti by Brightwell Aquatics. This will be for the non-substrate plants obviously, but also provide the balance for the substrate plants. This should deal with the yellowing leaves.


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## kroum (Jul 10, 2012)

OK, thank you yet again Byron: ). I will pick up some flourish: )

I am being drawn to the dark side... amazon showed me a full co2 combo (paint ball tank, adaptor, regulator with solenoid, bubble counter, and diffuser for $115... must resist!!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## kroum (Jul 10, 2012)

I wanted to update this thread:

For the last week I have had a steady 2ppm nitrites, but no ammonia, and constant nitrate. I have been adding bacteria every day, and the nitrite finally went down to just barely registering and has stayed there for 1 day, with feeding.

I also bought a ridiculous filter: Fluval G3. I run it at 30% flow rate and the charcoal replaced with filter floss. I love it. Quiet, powerful, and the water is 100% transparent.
All the fish are amazingly still alive and very well. They are ravenous every feeding time and active. I haven't seen any gasping or staying at the top. The tetras hide in the stem plants when you first approach, but in a minute or two they start wandering around, exploring, picking at things and occasionally doing some synchronized swimming back and forth.

I'm going to wait another week, overfeed the fish a couple of times to see how the ammonia and nitrites fluctuate, and then maybe add 3 more green neon tetras.


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