Hello! New Tank

Read all you can about cycling and perform this before you add fish. After the tank is cycled a group of Tiger Barbs would be wonderful. they are fin nippers so you won't be able to put anything with long or flowing fins but they make a striking appearance in larger shoals.

lindz said:

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What would be easy for a first timer?

Thanks for any help!

Click to expand...

:welcome:

First rule to remember: patience is your friend. Take the time to read about how to cycle your tank, the habits and needs of the fish species you're interested in, and how to take care of plants. Most of the forums here have "sticky" topics that stay at the top: they're pretty informative. :thm:

I love planted tanks, too, but, if I can make a suggestion, get some easy to care for fish and some plastic or silk plants at first, so you can get used to feeding, water changes, filter maintenance, and such before adding in plants. Then, when you feel confident, add some easy to care for live plants: java fern, for example.

The Freshwater Newbie forum would be a great place for you to post your questions.

welcome to AC! Another suggestion would be to go to the fish store with a notepad, write down what strikes your fancy and than come back and ask if its appropriate for your tank and tankmates that would work well. Hope you enjoy it here!

Welcome to the board!

I agree with the above posters. Read up on cycling before doing anything else. This will save you alot of heartache and headaches as well as money in the long run. Also, feel free to ask questions. As mentioned above, the freshwater newbie forum is a great place to ask them and the stickies there hold lots of information.

If you want to do plants I would suggest starting off with some easy, low light plants such as Java ferns, Java moss, anubias and crypts. Once you get the hang of those you can venture into more complex plants that need fertalizers and upgraded lighting systems. The link in my sig shows you the progression of my planted tank from when I first started fish keeping (20 gallon) until a couple months ago (upgraded to a 30 gallon). (I haven't had time to update since then) This can give you an idea of the possibilites a 20gallon holds.

Hello...........:welcome:

welcome!