Stocking questions

Lefky

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I currently have a 20g tank with gravel substrate. The only live plant I have so far is an Amazon Swords and a moss ball adding liquid plant fertilizer weekly with a root tab monthly. I plan on adding much more plants as well. The fish I currently have are 1 angelfish, 1 hatchetfish, 4 neon tetras, and 4 corydoras aenus. I plan on re homing most of these fish to have just 2 GBR (F and M pair), 8 Cardinal Tetras, and 6 Corys. I have to change it up because my water temp is high due to the fact that I live in a desert. The water temp is around 78-82F. The water condition is: 0 NO2 and NO3, ~7.5PH (adding driftwood eventually to lower for corys), and since I use strips I am going to purchase an ammonia test kit in a couple days. The water is a milky white and I have brown algae rapidly spreading across the gravel in my tank. I purchased a liquid to clear it up but I think it may be too much for the fish, unless its fine with a weekly dose of that and fert? I am buying a timer for my lights to be on 10h daily. I also have the filter that came with my tank but I am moving to a aquaclear 50 as soon as I run out of filter pads for my current one (2 more pads left). Is there anything I should change? If anyone requests I can add my plant list below. Thank you!
 
First, do not use the water clarifier any more. This stuff is harmful to fish, it will bind their gills together. The white cloudiness is probably a bacterial bloom, common in new tanks but can also appear in established tanks due to an increase in organics.

Second, the light is probably on too long; 8 hours daily should help. This may be part of the cloudiness issue, and the algae.

What plant fertilizer are you using? This could be another factor.

There is likely nothing wrong with the current filter, so save that money for the present.
 
First, do not use the water clarifier any more. This stuff is harmful to fish, it will bind their gills together. The white cloudiness is probably a bacterial bloom, common in new tanks but can also appear in established tanks due to an increase in organics.

Second, the light is probably on too long; 8 hours daily should help. This may be part of the cloudiness issue, and the algae.

What plant fertilizer are you using? This could be another factor.

There is likely nothing wrong with the current filter, so save that money for the present.
I currently use API leaf zone from petsmart. I put the fish I plan on getting into aqadvisor and it said I would need a bigger filter (a 50g) for my tank.
 
I currently use API leaf zone from petsmart. I put the fish I plan on getting into aqadvisor and it said I would need a bigger filter (a 50g) for my tank.

The physical space is the important factor for fish. If the space is adequate to provide for their requirements, the filter is secondary. And there is a lot of myth about filters/filtration in this hobby; any filter can only do so much when it comes to nitrification. I do not use more than a dual sponge filter in a 20g to begin with, and I have this also in my 29g and 40g tanks as well. A filter providing more current is needed if you have fish requiring this water movement, but that is not the case here with rams, cardinals, and cories.

API LeafZone is not a complete fertilizer for aquatic plants, it only has iron and potassium so the other 15 required nutrients are not included. And while these do occur in fish foods, they may not be sufficient or in balance. Iron can cause worse problems for plants if overdosed.
 
The physical space is the important factor for fish. If the space is adequate to provide for their requirements, the filter is secondary. And there is a lot of myth about filters/filtration in this hobby; any filter can only do so much when it comes to nitrification. I do not use more than a dual sponge filter in a 20g to begin with, and I have this also in my 29g and 40g tanks as well. A filter providing more current is needed if you have fish requiring this water movement, but that is not the case here with rams, cardinals, and cories.

API LeafZone is not a complete fertilizer for aquatic plants, it only has iron and potassium so the other 15 required nutrients are not included. And while these do occur in fish foods, they may not be sufficient or in balance. Iron can cause worse problems for plants if overdosed.
What do you recommend I use for the list of plants below?
 

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What do you recommend I use for the list of plants below?

Seachem's Flourish Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium is what I have been using for over ten years now. Another much the same is Brightwell Aquatics' FlorinMulti.

You have a lot of plants for a 20g tank. I don't know what light you have, but some of those need brighter light than some others, which is always tricky.
 
Seachem's Flourish Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium is what I have been using for over ten years now. Another much the same is Brightwell Aquatics' FlorinMulti.

You have a lot of plants for a 20g tank. I don't know what light you have, but some of those need brighter light than some others, which is always tricky.
The current light I have came with the tank (picture below of everything). I plan on buying a timer for the light so it can be on 8h a day.
 

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Edit: Realized the description doesnt say anything about the light; what light should I get for these plants? And what plants will work for the light? My list of fish that I want is changing, which I am trying to find warmer water fish for a 20g, any ideas(78-84F)? I was thinking Corys, Cardinal Tetras, and GBR. Not sure what else will be ok with that hot of water.
 
The current light I have came with the tank (picture below of everything). I plan on buying a timer for the light so it can be on 8h a day.

LED is not something I am conversant with when it comes to aquarium lighting (still using T8 tubes) but that looks like it should be OK.
 
LED is not something I am conversant with when it comes to aquarium lighting (still using T8 tubes) but that looks like it should be OK.
What fish do you think can live with GBR's? (and how many males and females should I get, if they need a pair?). Also same question for the plants? My current water is: 0 NO2 and NO3, ~80F and ~7.5PH. I cannot test ammonia just yet as I am buying a master test kit this week.
 
Apologies for the barrage of questions, just want whats best for the fish :)
 
What fish do you think can live with GBR's? (and how many males and females should I get, if they need a pair?). Also same question for the plants? My current water is: 0 NO2 and NO3, ~80F and ~7.5PH. I cannot test ammonia just yet as I am buying a master test kit this week.

First on the GBR. To live peacefully in a 20g tank, you can have either a single ram or a bonded pair. Rams must select their mates and bond; if not, they may or may not get along well, and if not (usual when not bonded) the female will be dead before very long. It is usually relatively easy to spot a bonded pair in a tank of several rams. Observe the fish carefully for several minutes while remaining still so the fish behave normally; males will be continually charging one another, the females will be searching for food from the substrate. If one of the males allows one of the females to be close to him without any attempt to push her away, that is likely a pair that has or could bond.

As for tankmates, there are some. Main issue is temperature; the common or blue rams must have warmth, 80F minimum, so you are good there. Fish that tolerate this well include cardinal tetras. These live in the lower half of the tank like the rams, so they will get in one another's way, but a group of six or seven cardinal tetras should work out.

I would not consider substrate fish. For one thing, fish like cories will easily devour the eggs or the fry at night if the rams spawn (unless you don't want fry anyway, then this is not an issue). Most cories cannot last at such warm temperatures, but if the fry is not an issue you could have a group of five or six Corydoras sterbai. These will tolerate warmth if iit is not too excessive better than most all others cories.

Fish for the upper level is not so easy. The tank space and the warmth both factor in here. There are two surface fish I often suggest, and both will manage with 80F. The Marble Hatchetfish, Carnegiella strigata, in a group of 7-8.

Or the Rocket Pencilfish, Nannostomus eques, also in a group of 7 or 8. Floating plants is a must for these or they will be stressed.
 
First on the GBR. To live peacefully in a 20g tank, you can have either a single ram or a bonded pair. Rams must select their mates and bond; if not, they may or may not get along well, and if not (usual when not bonded) the female will be dead before very long. It is usually relatively easy to spot a bonded pair in a tank of several rams. Observe the fish carefully for several minutes while remaining still so the fish behave normally; males will be continually charging one another, the females will be searching for food from the substrate. If one of the males allows one of the females to be close to him without any attempt to push her away, that is likely a pair that has or could bond.

As for tankmates, there are some. Main issue is temperature; the common or blue rams must have warmth, 80F minimum, so you are good there. Fish that tolerate this well include cardinal tetras. These live in the lower half of the tank like the rams, so they will get in one another's way, but a group of six or seven cardinal tetras should work out.

I would not consider substrate fish. For one thing, fish like cories will easily devour the eggs or the fry at night if the rams spawn (unless you don't want fry anyway, then this is not an issue). Most cories cannot last at such warm temperatures, but if the fry is not an issue you could have a group of five or six Corydoras sterbai. These will tolerate warmth if iit is not too excessive better than most all others cories.

Fish for the upper level is not so easy. The tank space and the warmth both factor in here. There are two surface fish I often suggest, and both will manage with 80F. The Marble Hatchetfish, Carnegiella strigata, in a group of 7-8.

Or the Rocket Pencilfish, Nannostomus eques, also in a group of 7 or 8. Floating plants is a must for these or they will be stressed.
Do you think I could do 1 maybe 2 GBR’s with a pair of Honey gouramis with corys?
 
Do you think I could do 1 maybe 2 GBR’s with a pair of Honey gouramis with corys?

Maybe. Combining gourami and cichlids is generally not a good idea as they are so similar in territorial defending, but here they are in different levels in the tank, though this is such a small space that this may not matter to them.
 
Maybe. Combining gourami and cichlids is generally not a good idea as they are so similar in territorial defending, but here they are in different levels in the tank, though this is such a small space that this may not matter to them.
I think the tank will be planted enough for them.
 

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