Hello (brief intro)

[Recluse]

Hello there. Actually this is the first aquarium forum I've ever decided to join
Anyway, I'm not new to fish keeping, and have kept both warm and cool water fish throughout most of the past 20 years.
Last October I moved from my previous home in WV to join most of my family in Colorado.
All my previous fish were donated to friends back on the east coast before I moved. And now that I'm all settled in at my new home in CO., I decided to start up a new aquarium. Just a little 20 gallon subtropical tank.

I know this is a touchy issue, but I am doing what I've always done successfully...cycling my aquarium with a small number of the fish I want to ultimately stock haha trust me on this, I do know what I'm doing and actually enjoy water changes
My ultimate though tentative plan for my 20 gallon is to have 4-5 Black Skirt Tetras, 7 White Cloud minnows, and (possibly/potentially) 3 Peppered Cory cats. Not sure about the cats though, due to size and not having sand.

Right now I'm less than a week into the cycle and have 3 of the black tetras (fascinating personalities, my first ever tetras), and 2 white clouds (waiting a while to add the others, but these 2 are characters!).
Performing daily 33% water changes and everything is working out. I don't have live plants, just my usual fake ones but I think the aquarium looks quite nice, actually.

Anyway thanks for reading and I hope to both help out, and be helped out here in the future.
Take care my friends.

 

[rufioman]

Curious as to how this is working for ya in the long run! Welcome!

 

[Recluse]

Thank you for the welcome Rufioman!.
I didn't see an actual introduction forum so just thought I'd post here in the General Freshwater section.
Eventually I'll add an avatar to my profile

Yeah me too...I'm very optimistic about my little setup. I've always treated fish as the pets that they are, and not simply decorations.
The local chain store is atrocious, by the way, and I was told by the teenager working there that the two White Clouds I selected were Bloodfin Tetras. I said to her: "nope, those are your last two White Clouds and I want them" haha
WCM minnows have been and probably always will be my favorite cool water fish to raise. Extremely underrated fish.

The Black Skirt tetras, on the other hand...they are completely new to me. I researched them quite well ahead of time, of course. Ideally I would have many more than 3...but not now and at this stage of my cycle in this size aquarium.
Same with the WCMs, although hopefully they'll be getting more in stock at the store soon.

I'll keep you up to date on how things go from here on out.
Sorry I tend to ramble on and my posts will likely be the same haha.
Take care my friend

 

[dougall]

Welcome.

And testing your water should tell you if you need to change more water or not... also feeding sparingly will help.

 

[Recluse]

Welcome.

And testing your water should tell you if you need to change more water or not... also feeding sparingly will help.

Thanks for the welcome
I've really been enjoying reading the forums.

I actually enjoy monitoring the water, as well as changing it as needed (daily right now) I guess it goes back to my early days of taking samples of lakes and streams and creeks when I was obsessed with angling. Studying fish behavior, environments, diet, etc.

It's great to be here, and I'm so happy to be starting up again. I greatly missed my previous fish after I moved (but they went to trusted friends who also were experienced).
My new house seemed empty though until the past week, and even my long time companion, Sissy the cat (of the mammal variety, not the catfish haha) I brought with me across country seemed to wonder why there were no longer any aquariums to gaze into

Anyway thanks again, and I'll be taking care of my little fish friends. I promise you guys that.
I'll also definitely have some questions about black skirt tetras...their social behavior in particular.
As of right now all is well

 

[tanker]

A fish-in cycle is possible (I do not like putting the fish through it though), but to me a 33% daily change is a drag. Are you monitoring the water before and after the change?

 

[Recluse]

A fish-in cycle is possible (I do not like putting the fish through it though), but to me a 33% daily change is a drag. Are you monitoring the water before and after the change?

It only takes 15 minutes a day to change the water in a 20 gal. I never allow the ammonia to approach 0.25 when I fish-in cycle, and if it did happen, then it means I'm not doing the necessary work.
I don't recommend cycling with fish, but I've only lost one fish in 20 years during a cycle...a very sick feeder comet I tried to save.
But for those who have the time and commitment necessary for the process, it's not a chore at all. At least, I don't see it as a chore Testing the water, changing the water, not overstocking, not overfeeding and, especially, keeping the fish both happy and healthy is the key

 

[Rbishop]

Welcome to AC!

 

[Recluse]

Welcome to AC!

Thank you very much!
I'm really enjoying the forums.

 

[myswtsins]

Welcome to AC, Recluse! I am also a fishless cycle practitioner BUT fish in cycles done properly by experienced people seem perfectly acceptable too. And you seem to fit the bill there! I am a big fan of WCMMs, seriously under rated fish! I especially like the long fin/meteor variety.

Curious, do you use a bucket to change water? And have you ever kept saltwater fish?