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>why is a 20g high a bad place to start?


I originally thought that a 20g-high tank was 20" wide; but a 20g-high is 24" wide, while a extra-high has a 20" width. When buying lights, you'll have a much easier time finding fixtures in increments of 12".

My first reef tank was a 29g, which I think is a perfect starting size, but a finding 30" lights at the time was a pain.


>Im not looking to go BIG. i already have big for fresh water, and thats where im sticking since i have this tank as an extra and want to make use of it.


Just pushing the concept that the larger the tank is, the more stable it is. Go with largest tank your available space and finances allow.


>I plan on educating myself as much before i start, so i know where to start as well, so all opinions are great, thanks!


Awesome starter book: The New Marine Aquarium: Step-By-Step Setup & Stocking Guide


>And as far as patient, yes i plan on it. Looking for something that will slowly become a beauty, and something i can just sit back and watch life take over really. I plan on maybe 2 or 3 fish if that, small, a few shrimp or a star fish, and some coral, but i realize there are fish that destroy coral so im learning which are good which arent.


One of my beliefs is if you want a fish tank, build a fish tank. If you want a reef tank, build a reef tank. Try to pick fish based on how they can help maintain your reef, not just look cool. I love me some gobies and blennies.

Think about starting with soft corals. Zoonathids, Green Star Polyps, leathers and mushrooms are all great starting corrals.


>Why do you say bare bottom to start with also? I also want to have this as a self filtration tank also, that requires less maintenance once its stable and set.


I like bare bottoms because they're very easy to clean. If you really want to have substrate, I would still recommend going bare until after your rock is fully cured.

Oh, cool, gotcha! Man, so many ideas... it'd be cool to have a 5 - 10 gallon betta fish tank. They're so curious about their surroundings and so colorful that I feel like they would keep a child's attention...

Or, if you had the space, a giant (like > 60 gallon) fancy goldfish tank. They're so peaceful to watch, and have great personalities. Plus, if you take care of them well, they live practically forever! And apparently can learn tricks

A friend of mine recently set up a 20 gallon long with some glofish for her daughter. It's pretty sweet - provided you're into the 'fake' look hahaha! For what it is, I think it looks neat, and her daughter is mesmerized.

The nice thing is that these fish are all pretty hardy :)

The API Master Freshwater test kit is the go to for most aquarium-keepers here. They work better/more accurately than strip tests. Your list is pretty good in terms of what to measure.

Please be careful that you do this in a way that doesn't harm the fish.

For goldfish, you should ideally have a 20 gallon tank for just 1 fancy goldfish and a high flow filter because goldfish are messy. Instead, I'd recommend zebra danio. They're hardier, more active (which means more fun to watch), and you could have many in a 20 gallon tank, but you'd still need a filter, as well as a heater since danio are tropical.

How much time does she have before the project is due? People here tend to advocate for a "fishless cycle" since ammonia and nitrites are toxic to the fish and will stress them. If you have a couple months, I would do a fishless cycle where you add ammonia and you watch for the bacteria to develop to turn that ammonia into nitrites and nitrates. If you have less time but know someone with a tank or a local fish store, then you can ask for filter media from an established tank which will help jump start the cycle, then you might be looking at under a month (depending on how much filter media you get).

If you really want to do "fish-in cycling" the zebra Danio are pretty hardy and can probably handle it, but this subreddit doesn't tend to support fish-in cycling since the ammonia and nitrates can be bad for the fish, so again, try to ask for filter media from a friend/store.

If she wants some other stuff to talk about/try to create a plan to measure: plants use nitrates from the aquarium water. Maybe study aquaponic systems and compare a plant watered with plain water compared to a plant watered with nitrate-containing aquarium water. Still requires a cycled aquarium though :)

Feel free to ask any other/follow up questions and I'll do my best to help!

Add some of the filter media from the old tank into the new tank, that will help get the good bacteria into the water. Don't put any fish in there until you can test the water to make sure the levels are correct. Adding some Seachem Stability can also help start the bacterial cycle if moving some filter media and rocks doesn't do it for some reason (it should though). I have had good luck, when cycling a new aquarium, to "feed" it as if there were fish even if there are none. Just putting in a tiny amount of food, about what you would give a fish if it were in there, gives the bacteria something to eat and coupled with the filter media from an established tank should get your new tank cycled completely within a week or so. Having a test kit, or at least strips on hand to check water levels every so often is good just to make sure that the tank is doing OK and then if something does go wrong you can see what it is, so I would buy your own supply if you can. If the betta is doing good in the old tank I would leave him there until you can make sure the new tank is safe for him. Also, you can join us over at /r/bettafish if you want to share pics of him or are looking for betta specific advice.

move the fish to a cup with clean water (bottled water ideal, or if its tap water, let it sit an hour or two to adjust to the room temperature)

then, empty that fish tank using a small bucket or cups of water.. whatever u have to do. then when its light enough to carry, dump the rest of the water outside or in the toilet and wash the tank real good in the tub. u can use bleach if u want, but make sure u rinse it for a full 5 minutes with water to make sure its clean. Any leftover cleaners can kill the fish.

look on amazon or at walmart for a cheap power filter. they are easy to use and work great. example: https://www.amazon.com/Tetra-Whisper-Power-Filter-Three-Stage/dp/B001CHXJSK/

you hang it right on the edge of your tank. it'll replace the built-in filter, and it will work fine with what you have. you'll never have dirty water again and since u only have 1 fish, you'll only have to change the filter floss a couple times a year. make sure you dont overfeed the fish. only feed enough, so that everything is eaten within 5 minutes. if there is food left over after 5 minutes, you are feeding too much

good luck

Using a water test kit! Absolutely necessary for fish-keeping. You can get them at most pet stores, but they're cheaper on Amazon. Make sure you get a LIQUID DROP kit, not paper test strips. The paper strips are horribly inaccurate.

Don't worry about the pH, what you need the values for are ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates. The only safe value for ammonia or nitrite is 0ppm. Anything higher is harmful and can cause a lot of issues with fish and their tanks, including cloudy water. Same goes for nitrates, but nitrates are safe up to 20ppm. You still want to keep them as low as you can though.

In the meantime, do lots of partial water changes. If your water is that cloudy, I can almost guarantee it's a water quality issue, and doing water changes will help reduce the levels in your tank into safer measures, and in the process clear things up.

Okay I see what your seeing now.

Okay so edit up in this bitch! OP, I read your strip wrong. Badly wrong.. You have no nitrite and no nitrate present in the tank based on this strip. Which means, you have noooo cycle at all started. You have "new tank syndrome" also known as your tank ain't cycled. (How long have you had this tank? Have you ever cycled a tank before?)You have no beneficial bacteria eating the poo and pee as it breaks down! And no ammonia test on this strip so we can't even tell for sure how bad the fish are. You need to get a master fresh water testing kit from either a pet store or from Amazon.. These come with little bottles of chemical plus little test tubes. Super easy. And 100% more reliable. Get yourself some seachem stability and if you don't already have a water conditioner/dechlorinater, get some seachem prime while your out shopping..all this should cost you about...50$ or less? I provided a link to the api master test kit. Apis a very reliable brand. I have their set as well. I posted links at the bottom of this comment for Amazon.

Follow what I said above about cycling. This is technically going to be fish present cycling, since at this point I'm sure you have a lot of fish and no other place to keep them so let's do this ;

Daily; Test water with master kit. You only have to test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. (Uonless you are using RO water, your pH should be fine for the fish you have. The pH on the strip is about average. The strips really only seem to be good for pH to be honest.), if you have any ammonia or nitrite values, replace the water with fresh dechlorinated water, add beneficial bacteria and then test again the next day until ammonia &nitrite are 0 and nitrate finally shows up. Once that shows, you're cycled and can proceed to just test weelyl or bi weekly and do 50-75% water changes biweekly or monthly depending on how high their nitrate levels are. Try to stick to less than 40ppm and change it if that goes higher.

But since you have no nitrate value at all, you have no cycle. Which means the fish are probably in an early stage of chemical burns due to high ammonia levels. Theyee gills are burning and are having trouble breathing. But since the test strips do not have ammonia on them as a testing option, we don't know how bad it is. We can only assume based on how they are acting.. OP please do a 75% water change of your tank today and continue with 50% changes daily until your cycle is built up to keep your fish from dying.

Master test kit
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000255NCI/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1549134324&sr=8-3&keywords=master+freshwater+test+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=51FQhbpfB0L&ref=plSrch

Seachem stability ( beneficial bacteria)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002APIIW/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1549134417&sr=8-2&keywords=seachem+stability

Seachem prime ( water conditioner/dechlorinator)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00025694O/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1549134471&sr=8-3&keywords=seachem+prime&dpPl=1&dpID=41Q0rRc8NML&ref=plSrch

( You can get the smaller bottles of seachem but it's better to get the 500ml price wise due to the fact you'll always need them. Total cost of all this, on Amazon at least will be about 49$ + tax)

You shouldn't add new fish without quarantining them - especially when you suspect there's an issue in the tank. Don't add any more right now.

When in doubt, water changes are a good idea so that was a good move.

Is the tank temperature okay and is it possible you forgot to use a dechlorinator to treat tap water? Could any chemicals have been introduced from your hands, aquarium equipment, room sprays, etc.? Are the filter and heater working, and is the filter media overdue for a cleaning?

You should really get a water testing kit. The $22 API test kit is better than strips and more cost-effective long term. A fish store can test your water for free too. Without testing you can only guess what's happening in the water, and something's clearly wrong. I'd bring in a sample ASAP and pick up a test kit.

If it's a male Betta fish, I would NOT recommend putting anything else in the tank with him, your results may vary but Betta's are by and large solitary fish. Don't know about the snail, but you may run the risk of introducing disease/fungus to him by putting snails in his tank. Leave him alone, put a plant or two in there, and keep his water clean and he will be happy. I highly recommend feeding him Hikkari pellets (follow the directions and do NOT overfeed!).

Good luck!

It's mostly prefrence, I like sponge filters because you don't have to keep buying new filter cartridges. The only disadvantage I can think of is sponge filters keep their beneficial bacteria colonies while cartridge filters loose those colonies every time the filter cartridge is replaced.

This is the filter I use for my 20G community tank and I love it. Aquarium Air Pump Sponge Bio Filter,Upettools Silent Mechanical And Biological High Density Foam Purifier Filtration Fish Tank Water Fall Air Pump. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J4JYC5Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_q3RDDb0B33BJG

Ok, I'll go ahead and let ammonia drop to 0 ppm before dosing it back up again.

For the filter, I probably should've done a bit more research. The filter cartridges seem to be both filter floss and carbon filtration. So, in replacing the cartridge, I'd be throwing out a substantial percentage of my bacterial colony, right? However, the filter does have a biowheel spinning out front, where supposedly a large percentage of the colony is housed. I would hope that changing the cartridge won't set back the cycle too much.

Here's a link to the finnex one:
https://www.amazon.com/Finnex-Max-300-Digital-Aquarium-Controller/dp/B007480AP6/

Also here is a link to my current second choice of hydor:
https://www.amazon.com/Hydor-Hydroset-Thermostat-Digital-Display/dp/B0006JLPEK/


Like I said on the post looking for people who might have experience with these and could recommend one over the other, or another one entirely.

You could get something like this to test all your water parameters, it is more accurate than the strips. Make sure you shake the nitrate test bottles really well like the instructions say. Anytime your fish are sick the first thing to look at is water parameters, after that is ruled out you can move on to other things.

get a hose of some kind and just drain it in to a bucket. I'd suggest this. There are cheaper ones, but something that attaches to the sink will be the easiest. If you don't have it, like I said a hose and bucket and boom there ya go. OR just take a longer hose and run it outside.

You can also just wear dish gloves that go up to your elbows...

this is what i meant by biobag, i meant i biomax lol i just have this and a sponge in my filter.
http://www.amazon.com/Hagen-A1373-Aquaclear-70-Gallon-Biomax/dp/B000A7709M/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1310421612&sr=8-4

I've used the Rena automatic feeder for about 4 years now. The main reason I bought this one is because it has a light sensor you can turn on so that it doesn't feed at night and it has a small heater built into the drum so that the food stays fresh.

http://www.amazon.com/Rena-707-LG100-Automatic-Feeder/dp/B000ICNMA0

Ahh, I see. They really don't need that much support on the bottom. The glass is really strong as long as the weight is evenly distributed.

Now you have me wondering if it's possible for a long tank to bow and break if you pick it up from the ends. Too bad Mythbusters is done.

https://www.amazon.com/Hikari-Tropical-Sinking-Catfish-Loaches/dp/B00025JZAE?th=1 This stuff will sink and takes a while to dissolve. Fish out the leftovers after maybe 2 hours because it will be a lot for so few fish.

this kind, hooks up to a sink:

​

https://www.amazon.com/25-Foot-Python-Aquarium-Maintenance/dp/B000255NXC

I was looking at those but the cascade is the same price.... Cascade CCF3UL Canister Filter For Large Aquariums and Fish Tanks - Up To 100 Gallons, Filters 265 GPH https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002DJ9NY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_RrURDbG3PD113

water parameters refers to your ammonia levels, pH, nitrate and nitrite levels. Things u test for in you water that could lead to disease if not under control. You can use an API Test Kit to test your parameters.

Easiest way to do water changes I've found is with a water siphon with faucet adapter. here is a "cheap" one on amazon

African Cichlids are very territorial. Don't waste your money on other varieties of fish without doing research.. those cichlids will kill them most likely. I've had Jack Dempsey co-habitat.

give them several places to hide, rocks and pots plants are cheap/easy decor.

Pic of my late fish tank RIP little buddies

Does he seem to be in distress? Sometimes when I watch people jog at the track they have a funky gate. Doesn't mean there's something necessarily wrong with them, it's just how they move. It could be that you got a cooky betta buddy.

If you have a water parameter testing kit (http://amzn.com/B000255NCI)? If not you may consider getting one. It'll tell you if there's something wrong with your water making your fishy swim weird. Did you use dechlorinator? Maybe upload a video and we can see a bit better if there's anything wrong with the lil guy.