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.
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.