Getting started, exploring the unknown

[Knappy1]

Hi all,

I’m looking to start my first fish tank and first planted tank to boot, so am happy to hear all advice (I’m not one to ignore inconvenient advice).

TLDR
The short story of my ambition is to create a ~100L (20 gallon) tank with a planted carpet, coconut cave and moss covered bonsai tree. Akin to this
Currently looking at stocking with Rasboras and a Betta as well as considering options on shrimp and a dwarf pleco.

About me
I’ve just moved into my own house and now have the space required to set up a tank, the only previous experience I’ve had is my step dads Fluval edge. Hoping to keep things to a low budget so not looking at anything too fancy and still learning the hobby so again nothing too advanced in the fish and plant department.

Tank
The first issue I’ve come across is selecting the right tank. For simplicity and budget I’m thinking about an all in one package. My current choice leans towards the super fish scaper tank 90. The dimensions look good and the light is 32w which puts it at about 1.6w/gal, is this sufficient to sustain a Monte Carlo carpet? The issue with the all-in-one packages is that either the light or filter aren’t good enough and to replace them reduces any value in the package.
Leaving the option of buying everything separately, which becomes a bit overwhelming. All pond solutions has some decent sized tanks and reasonably priced compared to the Aquarium Gardens that I’m not sure I can afford at the moment, maybe one day. But I’m a little lost when it comes to choosing a filter/light that has the necessary quality without breaking the bank. So please let me know personal recommendations. If an all in one cost ~£150 my budget lies around that price point for equipment, the advice I hear is not to break the bank with the first set up.

Equipment
As mentioned above, I’m overwhelmed with the options of light/filter, hence why I’d lean towards an all in one. But if anyone has recommendations for budget equipment that have good results I’m all ears. The idea of light spectrum and par ratings means little to me.
I guess as I’d like the tank to look good and an option that is discrete appeals but then quality is often lower or price higher…
My current opinion is a regular HoB filter and heater will be the best way to go. I don’t think CO2 is necessary until I get more experience.

Substrate
Having read a lot of, sometimes conflicting, posts I’m leaning towards ADA aqua soil but using this substrate can be costly... I’m hoping not to have to buy more than one bag anyway. I’m sure a lot of people here will suggest dirt, which I’m not against but the worry of getting something wrong and harming the tank makes me think I should stick to certified goods.
Something I was interested in, was how people segregate different substrates. For instance, I’d like a soil substrate with an MC carpet but also want a white sand path dissecting this. Will the plants eventually send runners into the sand and take over my path, does this need to be blocked or will the plants shy away from poorer substrate?

Stocking
I’d like to see a nano school in the tank, but shy away from tetra’s as they seem a bit ‘common’. That being said I do enjoy an ember/cardinal. My thought is a rasbora; harlequin/lamb chop/galaxy(CPD).
The focal point to the tank has to be a betta! Although I don’t know about colour/tail, I obviously want a spectacle but not at the risk of fin nipping. I considered a pair of Apistto/Ram instead of a Betta but don’t think they make the same impact. I’ve read that a Betta likes to sit on leaves, will they sit on the moss tree or do I need to consider some stem plants?
I also find Pleco’s fascinating especially bristlenose but think they’ll be too big for a 20 gal. Any dwarf pleco recommendations that are readily available in the UK and cheap? Would a pleco tear up a carpet?
I’d also like shrimp but heard that they may end up as betta food which can cause issues for the betta. Has any found any issues here? I’d be introducing the shrimp before the betta so they can start at least one generation.

Plants
The last thing to mention is plants! I’d like a carpet and understand that Monte Carlo is the way to go for a low tech tank. With a DSM the best way to establish that if low tech. So any advice on DSM is welcome.
I’d like a moss tree and this will likely be xmas moss but I’d also like any input on the idea of coral moss (mini pelia) I couldn’tfind much online. Would a pleco enjoy the ‘driftwood’ tree or do they only enjoy bogwood, not sure what material they use to produce the standard items you can buy online.
I’m concerned that if there’s only a carpet and tree there won’t be enough plants to soak up all the nutrients from an aqua soil. So will I need to plant more plants and will this ruin the ‘zen’ vibe of the tank.

the last thing to mention is I’ve looked at the water cycle and will not be adding any fish straight away, I’ve seen people suggest aqua soil will start to cycle during the DSM but I think waiting for the tank to settle after a month is still ideal.

Sorry for the flood of questions, but I don’t want to start off on the wrong foot and make an errors before my journey begins.
I’ll be sure to blog my experience if people are interested.

 

[Zeus.]

The short story of my ambition is to create a ~100L (20 gallon) tank with a planted carpet, coconut cave and moss covered bonsai tree. Akin to this

Doable, but has many pitfalls esp on a budget and no CO2. Although I started with a 500l and carpet no budget and it cost thousands. My second tank I picked up second hand Picked up a Scaping Bargain if had everything for a high tech setup - CO2, lights, filter ,plants, shrimp, and the 50l open top is a great tank to start with IMO.
Second hand tanks/setup tend to to be good valve for money, a small scratch on tank soon lowers the price, plus scratching tank is a bit like alloy wheels on new car - kerb them all on day one and get over it. Son spotted tank for sale on face book - two hour round trip and the bargain was in my kitchen, nice easy tank to work on and move.

 

[Karmicnull]

I'll comment on a few of your questions. I have a low tech tank with a Betta, Copper harlequins, shrimp and Otos, and they all rub along just fine - but like you I read that it was not a sure thing with a Betta and shrimp. To maximize my chance of success, I made sure the shrimp colony was well established before the fish went in, and I put the Betta in a couple of weeks after everyone else. I also have a densely planted corner at the back where the shrimp can hide. Although in practice the Betta goes hunting through it for shrimplets on a regular basis. I also picked a blue Betta, as I saw a couple of anecdotes around Bettas being more likely to take exception to similarly coloured inhabitants. This may be apocryphal, but it was easy to do just in case! Harlequins do prefer softer water (see seriously fish for details), and if Essex water is anything like London or Cambridgeshire, it will be pretty hard (I cut my tap water 50/50 with rainwater for the Betta tank).
HOB should be fine as a filter - with a Betta in there you don't want high flow, which also means no CO2 injection, so you're good there.

Can't comment on DSM, but you're absolutely on the money with planting up the tank, letting it settle for a month or so and then gradually introducing livestock over time. That's the effortless way of maturing a planted tank.

For soil there are lots of options outside of ADA and dirt! JBL and Tropica both do decent aqua soils, and there are plenty of others out there. If you want a sand path you will need to separate it from soil areas with rocks and/or planting - otherwise soil will inevitably migrate into it. If you google you'll see loads of different ways people have done this. Also there's a scientific thing I can't remember the name of which basically proves that bigger granules will always rise to the top, so there's no point capping coarse-grained soil with fine grained sand; the soil will surface over time! I discovered this with Osmacote fertilizer balls which I am perpetually shoving back down into the sand .

My other tank has a Bristlenose in it (it's 130L tap water only) and he is brilliant at keeping the glass clean, but you don't see him much as he is nocturnal and shy. It works for me, ymmv. Might be a bit on the big side for 100L, though. Also Bristlenoses need wood to gnaw on.

One observation - Iwagumi and variants thereof are actually pretty hard to do, and even more so in low-energy tanks. You may find as a first scape you would be better off going for something more heavily planted to cut your teeth on, and then once you've learned what works for you, rescape and go for the carpet-cave-bonsai.

Cheers,
Simon

 

[Knappy1]

Doable, but has many pitfalls esp on a budget and no CO2. Although I started with a 500l and carpet no budget and it cost thousands. My second tank I picked up second hand Picked up a Scaping Bargain if had everything for a high tech setup - CO2, lights, filter ,plants, shrimp, and the 50l open top is a great tank to start with IMO.
Second hand tanks/setup tend to to be good valve for money, a small scratch on tank soon lowers the price, plus scratching tank is a bit like alloy wheels on new car - kerb them all on day one and get over it. Son spotted tank for sale on face book - two hour round trip and the bargain was in my kitchen, nice easy tank to work on and move.

The budget isn’t set, but with other house expenses to occur I don’t want to be unnecessarily frivolous. Just to note ~£150 was to cover a tank & light that I hoped was reasonable, I expect it will be at least doubled if I include the substrate/hardscape/filter/fish/plants etc. I was going to say that deal sounds one in a million, but I looked on FB market place and saw this - was too far for me but I will definitely keep my eyes peeled for any bargains closer to home, I’m certainly not against second hand.

 

[Knappy1]

I'll comment on a few of your questions. I have a low tech tank with a Betta, Copper harlequins, shrimp and Otos, and they all rub along just fine - but like you I read that it was not a sure thing with a Betta and shrimp. To maximize my chance of success, I made sure the shrimp colony was well established before the fish went in, and I put the Betta in a couple of weeks after everyone else. I also have a densely planted corner at the back where the shrimp can hide. Although in practice the Betta goes hunting through it for shrimplets on a regular basis. I also picked a blue Betta, as I saw a couple of anecdotes around Bettas being more likely to take exception to similarly coloured inhabitants. This may be apocryphal, but it was easy to do just in case! Harlequins do prefer softer water (see seriously fish for details), and if Essex water is anything like London or Cambridgeshire, it will be pretty hard (I cut my tap water 50/50 with rainwater for the Betta tank).

Thanks Simon, always good to hear of successful anecdotal experiences, before trying the same thing. Hopefully I can replicate your success. I’m happy to go blue with my Betta (I was worried I wouldn’t see the red against the green of a planted tank anyway being colour blind!) I heard Betta will change/develop more colour with age/after rescue, I assume this isn’t as drastic as changing from blue to red? I think that answers my question of keeping the tank zen or planting out the back of the tank as well, sounds like all life will thrive with more plants.