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Hello!
I currently have an empty 20 gallon long aquarium that was previously used for a turtle. I want to convert it into a fish aquarium, so I need to get a hood, filter, and heater for the tank. Any suggestions for the type of hood, filter, or heater I should get? I also need some stocking suggestions for my tank in terms of how many of each I should put in

Fish that I might be interested in:
-tetras (peaceful ones that won't nip long fins of the centerpiece fish)
-rams
-angelfish
-gouramis
-cories
-rainbowfish

I would like to have two schools of two types of schooling fish (does not necessarily need to be tetras)

Thanks!

You need hood, filter, heater, gravel, thermometer, and test kit (to see where you are in the cycle).

I like Aquaclear hang on back filters. I use only foam in mine, but I add carbon after using any meds.

I like Visi-therm and Hydor heaters. The general rule is 5 watts per gallon, so you will need a 100 watt heater.

The choice is really yours on what type of equipment you get. There are many types of filters: HOB, internal, cannister (external), and the list goes on. Cannister filters are good, but more expensive than HOB. I would get a filter that is rated for a tank double your size (i.e: one rated for atleast 40g). Overfiltering is better than underfiltering.

For stocking I suggest:
6-8 Harlequin Rasboras (schooling cyprinids...very pretty red color, and they are hardy)
6-8 Lemon tetras
6-8 Habrosus cories
1 Honey Gourami

Angelfish need atleast a 29g tank for one. Larger than that is really better.

*Kristin*

Thanks! I am pretty familiar with tank setup already (I also have a 10 gallon that's been running for about 8 months) so I have the aquarium pharmeceuticals test kit already. I just wasn't sure about what brands of equpiment I should get (my ten gallon was a kit so I didn't choose the equpiment) So do you think the following will work?

Setup:
-AquaClear Filter
-Heater (not sure yet about what brand)
-Hood (not sure yet)
-thermometer
-Black Top Fin Gravel
-Plants: Amazon sword?? (what are some other easy care plants)

Stocking:
-6-8 lemon tetras (can they be any kind of tetra?)
-6-8 harlequin rasboras
-3-4 Bronze cories OR 4-5 Panda cories
-3 otos
-1 Honey Gourami (can this be replaced with a ram, dwarf gourami, sparkling gourami, or betta?)

Your setup looks good. Just make sure the gravel you get is small, like 2-3mm in size, if you want plants.

An Amazon sword will get too big for a 20g. Those plants get huge. Rosette swords are a smaller alternative. They are cute and also easy to care for. They are also called Tropica swords.
The kinds of plants you can have depends on the lighting. If you can get around 2 watts of light per gallon (meaning you would need a fixture or hood that can put out 40 watts of fluorescent light), then you could grow some types of stem plants, cryptocorynes, java fern, anubias, dwarf sagittarius (good foreground plant), etc. Java fern, java moss, anubias, and some crypts will grow in around 1 watt per gallon.
I like Coralife Aqualight fixtures. I have them on 2 of my tanks, and will be getting one for a 38g I will be setting up soon.

Cories are shoaling fish, so they need lots of friends. The general number suggested for shoaling and schooling fish is 6. More than that is actually better.

Pandas especially do better in larger numbers. If you wanted them I would say the minimum should be 8. I have 6 in my 29g and they are very shy. In larger numbers they feel more comfortable, so I am trying to locate more.

The Honey Gourami was just a suggestion. It can be replaced with a DG, Sparkling gourami, Ram, or betta. Rams are bottom fish, while gouramis tend to stay mid-surface. Be careful about adding a betta. Their personalities differ so you could end up with an aggressive one. Also, if you decide to choose another type of schooling fish, make sure its not a fin nipping type (if you go with a betta).

I suggested lemons because they are pretty interesting tetras, pretty hardy, and not aggressive. I wouldn't add just any tetra because some are fin nippers and wouldn't let a bettas tail go untouched. Also, if you choose more active tetras, they could stress out a slow gourami. Its all about choosing compatible fish, so once you decide you have to have a certain fish, then build your stock around that.
Also, go to your LFS, if you haven't recently, to see what your options are. You may find a type you absolutely have to have. Then you can see what will live happily with that type of fish.
Ottos are good for algae. Just make sure you add them after you have established algae and your tank is finished cycling. They can be sensitive, but if conditions are right for them, they are fine. They like a planted tank, with a constant algae supply. Mine won't even eat algae wafers, so I'm lucky I have algae growth all the time, so they won't starve.

Sorry I've written so much info. If you have any more questions, ask away!/:'

*Kristin*

For my centerpiece fish, I don't know if I should get a ram or gourami--which ones are hardier (my pH is about 8) and can rams or gouramis be kept in pairs? Also what are some other possible tetras that won't bother gouramis? Thanks!

anyone?

Gouramis are more e to internal parasites and other problems....but that doesn't make them more hardy. Its really a matter of preference.

A pH of 8 is a little high. The tetras may not like that too much.

Types of peaceful tetras are: lemons, rummynose, head and tailight, pristella, neons, black neons, cardinals, glowlights, and flame (von rios).

Stay away from serpaes, buenos aires, and black skirts, they are some of the nippy tetras.

Here is a stocking list that would work with a gourami and a ram:
8-10 peaceful tetras
8 habrosus cories
1 Bolivian Ram (hardier than Germans)
1 dwarf gourami (smaller than other gouramis)
3 ottos (if you get algae)

If you stick to one school of fish, you could fit in a gourami and a ram. Bolivians are hardier than German rams. Males are more colorful. I would stay away from a pair because if they breed, they may be aggressive towards cories.

Plant the tank and the fish will be happy./:'

*Kristin*

Thanks! But would it still work if I break the 8-10 tetras into two schools of two different tetras OR have one school of tetras and the other school of harlequin rasboras?

A 20 long is not huge, and you would probably be a lot happier with the overall effect of just one, larger school.
And about your PH, if you try to get some bogwood, it naterally lowers the PH in your tank by releasing something into the water, or at least did in mine.

I would go with Black Neons for your tetras, they ROCK. They're really hardy, they are really colourful ( the metallic yellow/green) active, and interesting to watch.

Like BNF said, a 20g isn't big. Two small schools along with the other fish you will be putting in there will not be visually appealing.

Tetras and Rasboras need to be in groups of atleast 6. So if you had two schools of 6 fish each, it would looked strange. One large school would look better. Its up to you though. If you want two schools of 6 fish then go for it. I wouldn't put any more than 8 in a school though, since you want a gourami, a ram, and cories.

Bogwood and malasian driftwood are natural pH decreasers. So add some to the tank and it will give you a better pH for tetras.


*Kristin*

Thanks. Also, what's the best substrate to use for those plants you recommended? Will regular gravel work?

Small 2-3mm gravel will work. Eco-Complete is a black plant substrate. Flourite is a reddish colored plant substrate. If you don't want the specialized kinds, small gravel will work. That is what I have in my 10g and 29g tanks.

*Kristin*