The Planted Tank Forum banner

20 Gallon High Planted

810 views 0 replies 1 participant last post by  Frank K 
#1 ·
This was my dad's old 20 Gallon High tank, he then gave it to me. Pretty much it had high nitrates, lots of algae, no heater, bad lighting system, and it was under filtered. Recently brought the tank under control, invested in new equipment, new plants, and cleaned it all up. Please tell me what you think of it and what I can invest in or do better.

Equipement:
Aqueon Quiteflow 50--bio-balls, coarse sponge, pre-filter sponge, and carbon (will soon start using more bio media and a finer sponge instead of carbon)
Aqueon Pro Heater 100 Watt
Whisper 40 Aerator
80 GPH Water Pump
Thermometer

Recently upgraded filter from Aqueon 30 to the 50
Bought a heater--the tank never had one and it is set at 79 degrees
Aerator has been around for a while
Bought the 80 GPH water pump for extra circulation

Plants:
Adult Amazon Sword
4 Juvenile Amazon Swords
Lots of Anubias Barteri
Water Wisteria

Recently bought the amazon sword which also produced runners that are now planted
Anubias had been around for quite a while
Bought Water Wisteria online and shipping damaged it, but it is slowly recovering

Fish and Inverts:
2 Female GBRs
2 Male GBRs
8 Tiger Barbs
1 Chinese Algae Eater
1 Julii Cory Cat
2 Nerite Snails
A few whisker/ghost shrimp

German Blue Rams are doing fine... Behaving healthy and eating, recently noticed them pooping clear poop, but after switching to New Life Spectrum Thera and dosing Herbtana and Artemsis Immune Boosters the clear poop is nearly all gone. One female German Blue Ram is quite aggressive and chases the other submissive female around as well as the males--but everyone is eating so looks like its not to detrimental. Tiger Barbs behaving healthy and a few females would rest at 60 degree angles when inactive, but after changing food and giving some cucumber barbs rarely rest at such angles during the day--I have only observed it a few times during the day. Chinese Algae eater is 6 years old and looks like he has maxed out at 4 1/2 inches. No more Julii Corys at my LFS or at any big box stores around me, so I can't make a school. Snails are happy and shrimp help clean up any excess food.

Water Parameters:

pH: 6.8
Nitrate: 5-10
Ammonia:0
Nitrite: 0
General Hardness is medium

I use a pH indicator. The API Master Test Kit for Nitrate. A strip test for everything else.


Feeding:
Staple food is New Life Spectrum Thera
Sometimes I drop in some Aqueon Tropical Flakes
Once every other week freeze dried Blood Worms
The week without blood worms I give some freeze dried brine shrimp.
 
See less See more
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top