Another Newbie Question

megalodon82

AC Members
Jan 1, 2005
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I don't have a tank, I don't have a filter, I don't have anything. However, I'm thinking about starting an 20g aquarium and i was interested in getting a Mollie and a Guppie. My question is can I have just one Mollie and Guppie in my aquarium or should they be in groups? Secondly, I think im going to use the fishless cycle to start with and I'm probably going to have to use gravel from a potted plant. If this is the case how do I deal with the excess soil thats on the gravel? I don't know what rinsing the gravel will do the bacteria. Any help is appreciated, thanks.
 
Megalodon! I love them things! I collect shark teeth here in Charleston SC (you can literally find them in creek beds around here!)

You *can* keep one of each in a 20. But you can keep alot more, probably a solid dozen of both, safely. I'm not sure why you'd want to use potted plant gravel in your tank, given then billions of other sources out there (other than you've read that potted plant soil contains the same bacteria that cycle a tank). Just get regular aquarium gravel or some pea gravel at the local Lowes/Home Depot, and rinse well. Soil in a tank will cause you quite a headache. A fishless cycle is easy, but I'd personally buy/catch 6-10 small crawfish to use to cycle the tank, they are very hardy and are usually cheap.
 
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