Decisions, Decisions, ==== Help!

[Noahsfish]

Glad if I could help . Oh, and by the way, the names "fishaholic" and "fish fanatic" are just titles automatically put there from posting, our actual usernames are right above.
Cheers.

 

[Bigman]

Oops sorry Noahsfish and EchOo,  I did say I was a beginner lol......

I should have known really as no one has yet called me 'New Member' haha
 
But seriously, your help and advice is much appreciated
 
Regards
Tony

 

[dgwebster]

I had 1 in my first tank which was 24"x15" width/depth. This very forum was where it was recommended when I was a beginner and I can say this:

For swimming room, 3' is preferred but at 3" long, at worst it has 4x its body length in the shortest swimming direction: I feel this is adequate for a single fish.

My tank was fairly heavily planted with plenty of hiding places and zebidee was seen easily out and about snail hunting with the light on during observations. He also never touched my shrimps, but at all my tank snails! When it comes to the borders for what is acceptable for a particular fish, people will always sit either side of the fence.

 

[Noahsfish]

I believe I was on this forum when I asked about zebra loaches a while back. I remember people advising me against putting any in my 20 gallon. You can successfully keep a zebra loach in your size tank, but it's far less than ideal. Ideally it'd be in a 30 gallon with 6-8 of it's own kind, but it doesn't work out like that sometimes..it's kind of like keeping a betta in a 2.5 gallon, a very lonely betta. Anyways, since you seem set on a zebra loach I'd say just go for it, a little trial and error won't hurt You. Also, what type of filter and substrate do you have?

 

[dgwebster]

Lol how times do change

You make a valid point though on substrate and filtration. These do impact the type of fish you should stock in your tank.

 

[Bigman]

Hi guys,
 
The filter is a Marina S15. It came with the tank. Seems to be doing very well at the moment I must say...
Substrate is 1" of Tropica Plant Growth substrate all over, topped with 1" of aquarium sand, again all over. About 10% of that has a thin layer of white gravel on top.... just for looks really...
 
Tony

I've just had a thought.... If I do get a loach and it looks all sort of sad and lonely, then maybe I can persuade the Mrs to let me get a larger tank!   Mmmmm that could work
 
Tony

 

[laurac94]

I have 2 marina s20 hang one ones on the back of my marina 160, they are the worst filters I own, I would recommend getting another filter for it, you have to replace one of the slot in media every couple of weeks and it can become very expensive. They are also really awkward to clean too.
Look at the fluval filters or tetratec for small ones that will do your tank.

 

[Noahsfish]

For some of my tanks I just use cheap aqueon hang on the back filters. What I do is take out the carbon cartridge and use ceramic media instead. Also, on all my tanks I have sponge filters running for the extra airflow/back up filtration.

 

[Bigman]

Thanks laurac94, I'll bare that in mind. I use to have a Fluval years ago in my cold water set up, great little filters, but  I've got no room for an internal filter in this tank....so I may have to put up with the Marina external filter for now even if I have to get a larger one.
 
Regards
Tony

Mmmm airflow..... now there's something I've not thought about.....
 
Do I need aeration in a planted tank? I already have a Co2 set up bubbling away, but no air..
 
Tony 

 

[ech0o]

I use an s10 on my 5 gallon, i'm not sure why you would be replacing the filters every couple of weeks, at the most you would only need to rinse them in some excess tank water to get the muck off of them.  It isn't the best filter but it surely will work for now!
 
The filter you will want when you get a chance to upgrade will be the AquaClear, you could even overfilter with a higher model, but they really do the best job for hang-on filters for smaller tanks.  
 
Sounds like your substrate is set up to grow some moderate-high difficulty plants, you going to run any additional lighting or just what comes in the Marina setup?

 

[Noahsfish]

What plants do you have/plan on getting?  It'd be sweet if you could post pictures.  For air ou can do a few things.  Either go buy an air pump, airline tubing, and an airstone. Or, buy an air pump, tubing, and a sponge filter (better idea).  Or, Powerheads, don't see why you'd need them if you don't have weather loaches or a similar fish.  To increase oxygen lower the water line of the tank so the filter splashs the water harder, adding oxygen.

 

[Bigman]

Hi echOo (got the name right this time

)
 
At the moment I'm running with the standard lighting that came with the tank, although I did change the original Sun Glo tube to a much 'whiter' one, however both are only 15 watt units.
It's early days for my plants as yet, but they look ok at the moment even though I do have some floating plants that are shading the others a bit. So being honest, I'm expecting to upgrade the lighting sooner rather than later.as I expect I'm barely making 1 watt per gallon....
 
I'm just waiting for some moss to arrive, after which I will try and post a picture or two of my tank as it is at the moment....pre fish.
 
Regards
Tony..... 

 

[Bigman]

Hi Guys, it's me again
 
Plants.....
 
Pogostemon helferi
Bacope amplexicaulis
Alternathera cardinalis
Amubias barteri
Echinodorus bleheri
Salvinia natans
Alternanthera reinecki 'mini'
Java moss
 
and I just waiting on some Willow moss to arrive
 
Regards
Tony

 

[Bigman]

My tank as it is today 07/07/13 (Reflection is my son - he has one of those new phones that does everything !
 

 

[dgwebster]

I like! Tank that is.