20L. Am I forgetting anything?

Mabowden

Mabowden

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Sep 6, 2007
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I'm starting my first 20L and I'm getting everything together and just wanted to make sure I have everything I need to start cycling.

My glass 20L is going to be planted and contain:

2 Dwarf blue rams, or 2 dwarf gold rams
5-7 cardinal tetras
1 (or 2?) highfin swordtail

Cleaner crew:
about 5 cherry shrimp
10 nerite snails
2 SAE's


I still haven't planned the exact plants I'm using yet.

Then the equipment I have/ in the mail is the following:

20L glass
Coralife T-5 with twin bulbs, one daylight, one acintic (each 28W) on a 14 hour timer (got the tank and lighting for $25!)
Penguin bio-wheel filter
Hagen C02 system (got one for cheap)
50W heater
One of the $6 digital thermometers
Eco-complete for my substrate
Aquarium Pharm. master test kit

I know I still need to get the "must have" ferts, but is there anything else that I'm missing?

Since I still have money lying around i think I'm going to get a black stand and canopy too.
 
A biowheel filter will not be good for maintaining your CO2 levels.

A drop checker is a good way to monitor your CO2.

You're kind of between a rock & hard place w/ the lighting. An actinic bulb isn't really helpful to plants, but replacing it w/ a plant-friendly bulb may put you in serious peril with respect to algae, especially if going w/ a yeast CO2 system...

ALso - Rams may eat cherry shrimp, and I'd go for a 75 or 100W heater (Visitherm Stealth).
 
What type of filter is good for maintaining c02?

Swordtails grow up to 6"??? From what I've heard they go to about 3". News to me..
 
Mabowden said:
Swordtails grow up to 6"??? From what I've heard they go to about 3". News to me..
Click to expand...
3 inches is less. They're likely to have been crossed with platies. But it may be a long time before you grow them to that size which only a bigger tank can easily accomplish. The last time I've seen the largest swordtail at 8 inches was 7 years ago at 7-8 years of age. I've lost contact to my friend since then.
 
ThePBM said:
get 2 50w heaters. nix the actinic. 14 hours is way too much. nix the SAEs. nix the swordtail. like someone said, biowheel bad for co2 retention.
Click to expand...

would 1 100W work? what bulb should i replace the actinic with.

If i went with fake plants, could I still do the acintic?

Should I contemplate fake plants because after all, this is my first tank?
 
One can work but always think of two for convenience. If one breaks, the other will continue to work. Another note, heat will spread evenly with two heaters covering both sides of the tank.
 
I'm thinking about just ditching the live plants altogether, and get some nice silk ones. Maybe its just too much for the first tank. Then i don't have to worry about co2, the lighting (well not as much), substrate, and the filter.

I will pick up another 50W heater though.
 
you can keep the actinic if you like the way it makes your tank look.
fake plants are fine, but real plants, even if you keep ones without co2, will make your water quality better. your fish will appreciate them too.
being that it is a first tank, however, keeping your interest is vital, so if the look of fake plants keeps your tank interesting to you, then it is definitely a good reason to go with them.
for a 20gal tank, either 2 50's or 1 100w heater will work. but since you already had a 50, it's just easier to get another 50. it's best to have 2 heaters in larger tanks but you get the same benefits in a 20.
 
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