Need some advice

[FergFamFishi35]

Hi there everyone,
I wanted to jump on for a very big reason, my boyfriend and I our about to make a huge transition for our two current fish . First we are moving them into a 20 gallon tank with live plants . We are adding in a few of their favorite things from the current tank a volcano and fake grass . Next we are going to add a few new fish that are similar breed, a shrimp and 2 baby guppies .
We could use some tips to help prevent them from being to stressed out

 

[Tacocat]

Welcome to TFF!

What type of gravel/substrate do you have for the new tank? If you want live plants you need to have nutritious substrate otherwise the plants won't get enough to survive and will die soon after. You will also want to invest in some floating plants as it will allow your babies I believe to feel more comfortable. What type of plants do you plan on getting and what do you have now? Also, due to this tank being 20 gallons, you will be able to add more fish to this tank, parameters and wallet permitting. I wouldn't put in the fake stuff if I were you, but that's just personal preference. You will want to add some stem plants though as they will provide shelter and comfort. Ludwigia is a good choice.

Also, do you perhaps have a test kit?

EDIT: oops I didn't read the part about new fish lol - you will still be able to add more to the tank though, as 20 gallons is a lot, but avoid overstocking.

 

[Colin_T]

Welcome to the forum you how to train your dragon fan

Put a picture on the back of the tank to make the fish feel more secure.

Mixing black and white gravel, in different areas looks good now but it will eventually mix unless you put a physical barrier between it.

Have some floating plants like Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta) to provide some shelter form the lights and give the baby livebearers somewhere to hide. You can also plant Water Sprite in the gravel.

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Did you move the old filter into the new tank?

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TURNING LIGHTS ON AND OFF
Stress from tank lights coming on when the room is dark can be an issue. Fish don't have eyelids and don't tolerate going from complete dark to bright light (or vice versa) instantly.

In the morning open the curtains or turn the room light on at least 30 minutes (or more) before turning the tank light on. This will reduce the stress on the fish and they won't go from a dark tank to a bright tank instantly.

At night turn the room light on and then turn the tank light off. Wait at least 30 minutes (or more) before turning the room light out. This allows the fish to settle down for the night instead of going from a brightly lit tank to complete darkness instantly.

Try to have the lights on at the same time each day. Use a timer if possible.

 

[FergFamFishi35]

Welcome to TFF!

What type of gravel/substrate do you have for the new tank? If you want live plants you need to have nutritious substrate otherwise the plants won't get enough to survive and will die soon after. You will also want to invest in some floating plants as it will allow your babies I believe to feel more comfortable. What type of plants do you plan on getting and what do you have now? Also, due to this tank being 20 gallons, you will be able to add more fish to this tank, parameters and wallet permitting. I wouldn't put in the fake stuff if I were you, but that's just personal preference. You will want to add some stem plants though as they will provide shelter and comfort. Ludwigia is a good choice.

Also, do you perhaps have a test kit?

EDIT: oops I didn't read the part about new fish lol - you will still be able to add more to the tank though, as 20 gallons is a lot, but avoid overstocking.

We have everything we could find at petco , Bluetooth lights with changing light setting throughout the day,we plan on getting similar fish species to what we have already and debating between just adding one ghost shrimp or 2 , also we got a completely new 20 gallon tank with a filter , and all the supplies . we tried finding as much plants as possible, wasn’t a huge variety we were also looking to add hornwort once we find it .

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Welcome to the forum.
As other respondents have suggested, the real need is for live plants, (preferably over plastic).
There are very few aquarium fish that will thrive in large, open expanses of open water.

Plastic plants may look pretty, but aside from providing somewhere for beneficial bacteria to sit on, that's all they're really good for. They're usually too hard to facilitate easy swimming through and hiding behind. Real plants are obviously much softer and they also help oxygenate the water and process your fish waste.

Petco isn't the best of resources for either the budding or experienced fishkeeper and if that's your only option, then I suggest you start to look on-line for live plant sales. There's lots of info in here about what would be good for a tank.
I'd really recommend that you take the opportunity to set the tank up properly, before adding any more fish.
Remember that you're going to have to clean the substrate on a fairly regular basis in the future, so you could consider adding a slope to the substrate, from the back down to the front. This would allow any waste to flow downhill, to the front of the tank, where you'll find it easier to suck up and out.

Currently, be very cautious NOT to overfeed your fish, because at the moment, with all of that light entering the tank and the lack of real plants, you're asking for a huge algae problem and your pretty plastic will soon look less than pretty.

 

[Rocky998]

Hi there everyone,
I wanted to jump on for a very big reason, my boyfriend and I our about to make a huge transition for our two current fish . First we are moving them into a 20 gallon tank with live plants . We are adding in a few of their favorite things from the current tank a volcano and fake grass . Next we are going to add a few new fish that are similar breed, a shrimp and 2 baby guppies .
We could use some tips to help prevent them from being to stressed out
View attachment 146211View attachment 146212

Eyy HTTYT fans! Love it! Im sure they'll love their new tank! Be sure to cycle (Im sure you're familiar with that)

 

[FergFamFishi35]

Welcome to the forum you how to train your dragon fan

Put a picture on the back of the tank to make the fish feel more secure.

Mixing black and white gravel, in different areas looks good now but it will eventually mix unless you put a physical barrier between it.

Have some floating plants like Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta) to provide some shelter form the lights and give the baby livebearers somewhere to hide. You can also plant Water Sprite in the gravel.

-------------------
Did you move the old filter into the new tank?

-------------------
TURNING LIGHTS ON AND OFF
Stress from tank lights coming on when the room is dark can be an issue. Fish don't have eyelids and don't tolerate going from complete dark to bright light (or vice versa) instantly.

In the morning open the curtains or turn the room light on at least 30 minutes (or more) before turning the tank light on. This will reduce the stress on the fish and they won't go from a dark tank to a bright tank instantly.

At night turn the room light on and then turn the tank light off. Wait at least 30 minutes (or more) before turning the room light out. This allows the fish to settle down for the night instead of going from a brightly lit tank to complete darkness instantly.

Try to have the lights on at the same time each day. Use a timer if possible.

Hi there. So we plan on getting hornwort, we can’t find any other plants that would look good.also any recommendations on where to get a price to divide up the white gravel with the soil ? Also where do you get your plants from?

 

[Rocky998]

Hi there. So we plan on getting hornwort, we can’t find any other plants that would look good.also any recommendations on where to get a price to divide up the white gravel with the soil ? Also where do you get your plants from?

Have you looked at the java fern sp. Or the anubias sp. They are beautiful plants! Slow growers as well!

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

This post might be helpful.

I've used both slate and wood to divide substrates.

 

[FergFamFishi35]

Have you looked at the java fern sp. Or the anubias sp. They are beautiful plants! Slow growers as well!

I will look into it today, this is my first time doing a 20 gallon and with doing a tank with live plants , we have been checking the levels in the water with the strip and it’s at ideal levels. Also have heard that waiting 3 weeks before adding the fish to the tank is necessary? Was sure if that is true or not

 

[Tacocat]

I will look into it today, this is my first time doing a 20 gallon and with doing a tank with live plants , we have been checking the levels in the water with the strip and it’s at ideal levels. Also have heard that waiting 3 weeks before adding the fish to the tank is necessary? Was sure if that is true or not

You definitely should wait for the tank to be cycled(info here), unless you plan on doing a fish in cycle, which info you will also find in the link. However, if you're dumping the old tank or not using it, you can take the old filter media and add it to the new tank, which will speed up the cycling process. In fact, once you do that you can move the fish into there, as the bio load will be the same.

EDIT: Make sure for java ferns and anubias you don't plant them. Their roots need to be exposed, as they will rot if placed in the substrate. For this you can just superglue them to the hardscape of your choice.