(Not So) Quick Questions

[DarkFalcom]

Ok so the internet (my usual go to for info) is failing me right now so I have a few questions...here goes:
 
 first you should know:
 I have a 20ish gallon freshwater tank currently, I have had it somewhere between 4-6 years.
It was overstocked but at the time of its creation I was like 10 and didn't research enough to know better.
All fish are doing fine though there have been 3 deaths total spread way out over about 5 years mainly do to the penguin tetras fighting I think.
 
Here are the questions...
 
1. I just got a new tank hood with a full spectrum fluorescent light, It made the tank look so awful that I need to renovate it immediately.  Different or new fish are out of the question but what easy plants could I use? ( I was thinking perhaps Anubis of Java if i could find it or swords if they will work, tank is also by a window).
 
2. I have a feeling that alge will love the new light so what would help with that...perhaps a couple of mystery snails
 
3. Im starting to think that my in tank 20g filter just isn't that good so, any not so expensive recommendations that I might be able to pick up at say Petco or Petsmart that are a bit more efficient and would allow me to raise the water level a bit?
 
Before this I may do a full water change and then re-aclimate the fish, does this sound like a good Idea, the tank is quite dirty under the gravel?
 

 

[RCA]

1. The plants you have opted for are good plants, they must be attached to something though and not put in the substrate.

2. Before answering this, What fish do you currently have in the tank?

3. What filter are you currently using? Be aware that if you plan a new filter you need to run the old one in parallel for a few weeks or risk a "crash" which will kill the fish. You also, need to seed the new media.

I would not reco., a full w/c.

What is your normal maintenance schedule?
What substrate do you have?
Any chance you can move the tank away from the window?

Any pictures of the tank as it is now?

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Yjos plants can be planted in the substrate. However, you can not bury the rhizome, this must be left above the surface. If the rhizome is planted it will rot and the lant will die. oc course the plants may be attached to wood or rock as well. Only dwarf sword varieties would work as swards get big. I had a few outgrow a 50 gal. tank and finally had to change to the dwarf varieties- compacta is a dwarf amazon and parva are even smaller.
 
Shop online for filters look here and here:
http/www.kensfish.com/   and    http/drsfostersmith.com/
 
Consider AquaClear- good versatile hang on. Look at the 50 (aka 200) which is a 200 gph.
 
That dirty under the gravel is ideal plant food, leave it alone. Also some of your good bacteria lives in the gravel and messing aroundd with a big clean wound help this at all. Sword and other rooted plants will love the gunk in your substrate.
 
The is no need for a special huge water change.
 
if you change filter you will need to save your old bio media. If it can work/fit, it can go into the new filter. Even some of it in the filter will help a lot, the rest can go in a bag (or float) in the tank for a few weeks to allow the bacteria to recolonize the filter as they gradually leave the old media via not reproducing as well there as they will in the new filter. The bacteria do not actually move, they just stop growing in one place and start in another because the new place is a better home.

 

[DarkFalcom]

1. The plants you have opted for are good plants, they must be attached to something though and not put in the substrate.

2. Before answering this, What fish do you currently have in the tank?

3. What filter are you currently using? Be aware that if you plan a new filter you need to run the old one in parallel for a few weeks or risk a "crash" which will kill the fish. You also, need to seed the new media.

I would not reco., a full w/c.

What is your normal maintenance schedule?
What substrate do you have?
Any chance you can move the tank away from the window?

Any pictures of the tank as it is now?

pics will be up on youtube tomorrow, i will post a link
 
The tank is overstocked ( I didn't know when I made it)
 
3 long finned black skirt tetras
1 long finned red minor tetra
1 penguin tetra
1 dojo loach and
3 cory cats
 
 
The filter is a Whisper 20g in tank filter and I want a filter that is not in the tank so the water level can be raised to help the fish.
 
Substrate is med. sized natural pebbles ( can be bought at Petco, the natural looking stuff that isn't dyed)
 
Maintenance schedule was lacking but improving vastly as I start to improve on the tank. I will now change the water way more often as I will be transitioning filters.
 
 
 
I have started the tank renovation, progress and links to pictures are at      20G Renovation    .
So far I have a piece of sterilized (boiled) driftwood with some java fern and Anubis on it and the fish are already choosing it over the cave decoration as a hang out spot 

so looking good on that.
Possibly this weekend I will continue to add a few more plants and perhaps another piece of driftwood as well as a few real rocks so the tank will no longer have artificial decor in it.
 
And sorry, but I cannot move the tank away from the window.  Its not right next to it but rather a few feet away and one of the narrower sides of the tank is facing it.  No where else to put it though and parents wouldn't likely approve of moving it anyway (I am only 16 after all, every decision still has to go through them 

)
 
Thanks for the reply and hopefully I can make this tank better for the fish ASAP