Want to build a proper aquarium...

[Taellie]

As I said, once the plants are obviously growing, you can add the Betta. Fast growing plants tend to start growing within a few days, depending what you acquire.

This method avoids adding any ammonia, so you can forget that. Ammonia can kill plants if too much is added, so I never recommend ammonia with live plants. There is no need anyway, once the plants are showing signs of growing.

Alrighty then... good to know thank you for your help! Is there anything else I should be mindful of going into this?

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[Byron]

Alrighty then... good to know thank you for your help! Is there anything else I should be mindful of going into this?

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I have been assuming the fish will be a single Betta, and with live plants. I don't recommend fish in non-cycled tanks without live plants, but the fact is that even without the plants, a Betta in a 20g tank is not going to produce more ammonia than could be dealt with by new nitrifying bacteria; but get the plants growing and you're set to go.

 

[Taellie]

I have been assuming the fish will be a single Betta, and with live plants. I don't recommend fish in non-cycled tanks without live plants, but the fact is that even without the plants, a Betta in a 20g tank is not going to produce more ammonia than could be dealt with by new nitrifying bacteria; but get the plants growing and you're set to go.

That's the plan And a 50% water change once a week? I think I used to do 20% twice a week, but I remember now...

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[Byron]

That's the plan And a 50% water change once a week? I think I used to do 20% twice a week, but I remember now...

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I do minimum 50%, but in most tanks it is more like 60-65%. For example, I calculated that my 90g actually holds around 70 gallons when you factor in the substrate, wood and rock that displace water, and I change 40 gallons or sometimes a bit more every week. Provided your parameters (GH and pH especially) are reasonably similar between source water and tank water, this will benefit the more you change.

I sometimes do less when there are very few (or no) fish in that particular tank. You cold manage fine with say 1/3 of the tank, but somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 is what I would suggest here as minimum.

 

[Taellie]

Sweet I can't wait for the new year, as soon as I get my paycheck I'm setting my tank up, haha. Will post pictures and updates

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[Taellie]

Alright, here we go... The large tank is 25" long, 10" deep, and 12" tall. The small tank is 8" long and deep, and 10" tall.


I'm definitely doing two planted tanks, and currently have the small one running with just water and a filter to see if it still works properly, because as it turned out all the rest of my old supplies are pretty much busted so ah well. Will have to invest in new equipment, probably for the best anyway. Hopefully the small filter in the small tank at least will work out.

Below are pictures of the two tanks, now that they've both been clean thouroughly because they were a mess previously.

So here's what I'm wondering... What's the biggest fish I can put in a 15 gallon tank? All the fish I really love(Arowana, bala shark, hahaha, in my dreams...) clearly need something significantly bigger, but I've always liked the thought of having a "bigger" fish... So if I stock my 5gal with a betta, what could I put in the 15gal? Either a couple larger fish, or maybe a fish that can live by himself... I dunno. Any suggestions?

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