HELP!

lucy10203

lucy10203

AC Members
Oct 14, 2006
89
0
0
Surfer's paradise-FLorida
hey guys, this is my first time posting in the freshwater side. I have a saltwater tank but, i lent my 20g tank to my boyfriend and he wants to setup a freshwater (doesnt like saltwater...) so, i have absolutly NOOOO idea on how to operate a freshwater tank. He wants to get plants, so what type of lights will he need, gravel, soil...etc? also, what would i need to start up a freshwater? i know you need a heater, filter, maybe some powerheads..etc?? And i heard that you need to clean the gravel. how does that work?? im a complete newb to this so any suggestions are welcome. i just dont want to commit any mistakes by doing something that you would only do in a saltwater tank.. and another thing, what is the p.h in a freshwater tank..?:help::help::help:
p.s, we havent started yet, but were planning on going to the local lfs on friday and putting in the water and gravel stuff..
 
since its going to a planted 20g lets start with the basics.

Needs some decent light, 40w-60w of CFL light.
use play sand found at lowes and home depot.
Look at CO2, Yeast or pressurized works, (I'd prefer pressurized, but expensive initially)
For the filtration, I would look at getting a canister filter, such as a Rena XP1 or a DIY canister filter (PM me for more info)

And best of luck with that.
 
Just like a SW, a FW tank needs to be cycled before you add fish. FW fish are less demanding in the fine details of water but the priciples are the same. You take care of the water and the fish almost take care of themselves. What you might consider low light in a SW would be very high light in a FW. Generally planted tanks will be run with 2 to 3 WPG of light. The substrate depends on what you are growing. Many of the plants get their nutrients from the water column so for those, the substrate is whatever you prefer for appearance. Be aware that you do not want the higher pH that you might want in a SW tank so avoid substrates that tend to bump it up unless you have very soft water. Some plants are root feeders and those need a fertile substrate. For substrate suggestions, I would post in the planted tank forum. Although many of us here have some plant experience, the real experts show up there much more often.
 
Thanks everybody for your suggestions! keeping the regular filter, what kinf of plants can you keep? were not looking to get the most delicate plants, we want the good ol hardy ones lol.. but i think itl be easier to just get fish and then later on add the plants.??
 
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