Hiya! Multi-question Time..

[Mogymog]

ook, first question is about tank Weight, so heres the question... how do they get tank weights? Like I was looking at a site, and I'm gonna be using a 20L gallon, and it said full weight is 282lbs. And I dont get how they do that. I mean, if you only put in 18 gallons thats 160lbs.. And maybe 20-30lbs of rock, thats say 190. Decor isn't that much, say another 20lbs.. and fish don't really add much. So, how do they come up with 280? I'm totaly confused on that.


Second question.. Fish species to stock! ... k, so after I've got my 20L up and cycled. Was thinking about what to put in. Thinking maybe like.. half a dozen neon tetras, are tetras really as frail and sick prone as I've read? some cories if I can find any for the bottom, a golden mystery snail maybe.. and a crowntail Betta.. Any ideas on, any exact numbers for those?

And if not tetras or atleast neons. What other tetras and their numbers, or perhaps I should go back to Harliquen Rasboras and what numbers? .. boy, planing stockings is hard! Yet, also fun..

And, if you wanna sugest other species, all I got around is a few petsmsarts and a petco. Theres only like 1 mom/pop store like 10 miles away, but have never been so know nothing about it. So, I'm kinda limited, to species.

 

[lyotim88]

you have to take into account the weight off the tank itself(the glass) plus about 8.3 lbs/gal this site lists the tank as weighing 25 lbs empty and 225lbs full, so i'm not sure where you heard 280. As for the stocking: i don't think you can keep neons with a betta--betta's are best kept alone. And 10 miles!? that's nothing! lol i travel to the other side of the island for fish.

 

[Mogymog]

Eh? I had a betta for about a 1 1/2 years with a couple of Harlaquins.. so I know you can keep them with other fish.

 

[lyotim88]

it is possible but not really reccommended. And harlequins are not the same as neons

 

[waterdrop]

Hi Mogy and welcome to the forum!

Its great that you're getting started early thinking about your stocking. It can take a lot of iterations before you finally decide. Usually you've got plenty of time to do this during the month or two while you are fishless cycling to make the biofilter functional. Keep noticing fish in the store or pictures that you like (smaller fish that can fit in a 20g of course) and write them down, then research them (search on internet and here and note the environment they like and other characteristics about them.)

Rasboras and neons/cards are both popular and common community tank members. They happen to be opposites in terms of when you introduce them to a new tank. The rasboras (Harlequins) are among the very best fish for first introduction to the tank right after the cycle. The neons/cards are among the worst, in that we usually recommend that you wait 4 to 6 months -after- the cycle, to let the tank "age" that much longer. Whatever it is that makes the tank safer for them seems to be not about the cycle but about that total time after a tank was first started.

~~waterdrop~~