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Boy oh boy, where do I start. It's been a long time since I've had fish. I had fish as a kid, but it was usually one goldfish in a 2 1/2 gal tank. It's been years since I've set up a tank and I want to do it right. My husband and I are finally getting things situated in the house we bought this summer and we're getting ready to set up our 20 gal tank. I have the usual starter stuff, tank, top w/ light, gravel, some decorative rocks and some fake plants. And I also have the undergravel filter thing. Whoopie. I want to set this up nice and I want to do this right. And I want to do it so the fish don't croak not too long after putting them in. So I have a lot of questions. Should I get some real plants and include them? If so, what kind? I have no idea what kind of fish will be best. I'd like to have some colorful fish and not the usual goldfish. Also, this will be a freshwater tank. I don't know anything about setting up a saltwater tank, let alone keeping it going. Also, do we need an algae eater? If so, what kind is the best? Maybe it depends on the kind of fish we get also. Is colorful gravel ok or should we use something different like sand or something else? What is best? Also, should we fill the tank with filtered water and not tap water? Is there something I should put in the water to kill anything that shouldn't be in the water...or do I need to add stuff to the water to make it right for the fish??

As you can see, I have a lot of questions. I just want to be sure to set the tank up right so it stays that way for a long time...and not kill the fish. This board looks really helpful and I think I'll feel better getting answers here than from someone at a store.

Thank you!!!!

Hi there,
when you were a kid, the goldfish probably croaked all the time because A) 2.5 g is not anywhere near enough space for a fish that grows to 10-14 inches in length and B) ammonia spikes probably killed it. Goldfish if cared for properly can live up to 30-40 years.

Anyway, the first thing you need to know about is the Nitrogen Cycle. Heres a great article. Lets start with it, you read it and then after that ask questions if you have any. Then after that we can start workin toward what you want for fish and plants.
Live plants are definitely way better for fish.
Also, I wouldnt use that undergravel filter. Toss it in the recycling bin and go buy a Hang on the Back filter. Penguin, Cascade, and Emperor are all really good.
Go for one that filters up to 40 gallons, that will give you proper turnover rate.

So heres that article, read that first so you dont get overwhelmed later.

http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/begin-cycling.html

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Thank you for the article. I had read a little about cycling, but that article makes more sense. I don't really remember a whole lot about having fish as a kid. It was mostly small goldfish and an occasional angel fish. So, not much! I'm anxious to get our 20 gal up and running. I'll go with what the article says and go thru the cycle and get one or two common fish and go from there. And I'll also go with a different filter.

Hi,
As far as the plants are concerned, you can add them
immediately, even before the fish, while the tank is
cycling.

Here is a good starter series (found here on FP) that
will answer many of your concerns and questions:
http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/threads/13454.1.htm?37#

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

I don't think you can recycle a UGF (maybe donate it to a museum...) silly how you cant recycle some things and you can others ....

Anyway, back on topic....
Yep read up on the cycling, make sure you have a test kit, I'd suggest the master test kit, you may not use all of it but it's useful to have at 2am. Of course you might use all of it, especially if you like playing chemist .

A 20 gallon is a good size to start off with, much MUCH better than a 10 gallon. A few tips though:

+Pick out the fish that will work with your Ph, dont' try to ajust it all the time

+Stay on the small side for fish, better to give them the room they need rather than have them cramped

+Stay on the light side of stocking, better to increase slowly rather than have a mass die off

+Live plants are great , but do require their own research and time, again start easy and go from there.

Finally, as was mentioned, goldfish are a big no no in tanks as planned for fish. If you're rescuing them from someone that can't handle them and have plans to get them to a proper sized pond ASAP they can stay for a week or so....

Instead of cycling the fish with "common" fish as you mentioned, why not try a fishless cycle? Here's a great article]http://www.fishprofiles.com/articles/article.aspx?id=31[/link] on a fishless cycle you can do. It can also be done with fishfood. If you really really need to have fish in the tank now, try getting some zebra danios, or white cloud mountain minnows (WCMM's are some of my favs ) as they're hardy, small, active and will work well in a 20 gallon. Also look to pick up some low light plants like java fern (it gets tied to driftwood or rock not planted in the gravel) or hornwort (it's a floating plant) as they will help minimize the effects of the cycling. Oh, and while we're at it, here's a list of [link=good beginner fish.

Welcome to the site and back to the hobby hope we get you hooked.

^_^

Thank you for the info on starter fish and plants, that helps me a lot!!