Fresh Water Fishes

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Yes you definitely need a heater unless you are going to just keep cooler water species(like White cloud minnows for example). Also don't keep the light on 24hrs a day. Fish need a night period too and can become very stressed if you keep the lights on all the time. Plus 24hrs light will cause big algae problems.

I also recommend buying test kits for atleast Ammonia and Nitrite. A nitrate test kit is important too but ammonia, and nitrite are the most important as they are the most deadly part of the nitrogen cycle.

Most "cycle" products dont' work at all as the bacteria is dead. If you really want to use this type of product look for Seachem stability or Biospira. I"ve never used them myself but I heard they are 2 of the better ones. Also Biospira needs to be kept refrigerated, so don't buy it if it hasn't been.

If you aren't fishless cycling make sure you add fish SLOWLY, 1-2 every week or so. Also make sure you are monitoring your water conditions(ammonia, nitrite) and doing water changes as needed. The cycle process can be hard on fish and you need to watch the water quality.

Since its only a 20g you need to stick to small species. An angelfish isn't well suited for a 20g as they get too big and aggressive. Smaller tetras, livebearers, cories, etc. You could possibly do a center piece fish like a dwarf gourami or something too. Just make sure you dont' overstock it, a 20g can't fit too many fish, especially if you aren't doing live plants.
 
best way to cycle a tank...throw a peice of raw shrimp in it wait 3 weeks and test the water


i love discus and oranda goldfish. ima big aquarium nut but recenty shut down my discus tank and just have a panda cory breeding tank and 2 saltwater tanks that are tied together in the sump
 
degrassi wrote:
Yes you definitely need a heater unless you are going to just keep cooler water species(like White cloud minnows for example). Also don't keep the light on 24hrs a day. Fish need a night period too and can become very stressed if you keep the lights on all the time. Plus 24hrs light will cause big algae problems.

I also recommend buying test kits for atleast Ammonia and Nitrite. A nitrate test kit is important too but ammonia, and nitrite are the most important as they are the most deadly part of the nitrogen cycle.

Most "cycle" products dont' work at all as the bacteria is dead. If you really want to use this type of product look for Seachem stability or Biospira. I"ve never used them myself but I heard they are 2 of the better ones. Also Biospira needs to be kept refrigerated, so don't buy it if it hasn't been.

If you aren't fishless cycling make sure you add fish SLOWLY, 1-2 every week or so. Also make sure you are monitoring your water conditions(ammonia, nitrite) and doing water changes as needed. The cycle process can be hard on fish and you need to watch the water quality.

Since its only a 20g you need to stick to small species. An angelfish isn't well suited for a 20g as they get too big and aggressive. Smaller tetras, livebearers, cories, etc. You could possibly do a center piece fish like a dwarf gourami or something too. Just make sure you dont' overstock it, a 20g can't fit too many fish, especially if you aren't doing live plants.
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no live plants here... i know its a small fish per gallon of water. Thats what the pet store told us
 
fuzz16 wrote:
best way to cycle a tank...throw a peice of raw shrimp in it wait 3 weeks and test the water


i love discus and oranda goldfish. ima big aquarium nut but recenty shut down my discus tank and just have a panda cory breeding tank and 2 saltwater tanks that are tied together in the sump
Click to expand...
i always wanted a salt water tank but i heard they are hard to take care of....
 
fuzz16 wrote:
best way to cycle a tank...throw a peice of raw shrimp in it wait 3 weeks and test the water


i love discus and oranda goldfish. ima big aquarium nut but recenty shut down my discus tank and just have a panda cory breeding tank and 2 saltwater tanks that are tied together in the sump
Click to expand...
Shrimp isn't really the best way to cycle a tank, adding pure ammonia is. Its quicker as you start with a high concentration of ammonia right off the start, instead of having to wait for the shrimp to start decomposing. Also with pure ammonia you can also be sure your tank is cycled to be able to cope with a specific(high) ammonia level and you can add all your fish at once at the end.

I fully fishless cycled my 90g in 12days and added a heavy stocking level of africans right off the bat. You wouldn't be able to do that with shrimp or the classic "with fish" cycling method.

But the shrimp version of fishless cycling is still better then using and killing fish.

I LOVE panda cories! They are one of my favorite cories :) Have you ever kept any laser cories? They sure are beautiful but so dang expensive!
 
*cringe* Please do not ever listen to "what the pet store told us." We know they don't give good advice for rabbits; they don't give good advice for fish, either. Pet store advice is largely the reason why most people's fish die prematurely.

Definitely read up on each species individually on reputable websites, and also read up on things like cycling, planting, etc. if you want any success in fishkeeping. Especially look up proper social groupings; people often keep schooling and shoaling fish in insufficient numbers and it is very stressful to them.

My favorite fish to keep are Bettas and Goldfish, though I also have a fondness for Chinese Algae Eaters (do NOT let the pet store sucker you into buying one, however; they are poor community fish).

I presently have 20 bettas of my own as I used to have a betta sanctuary; most are over four years old presently. They each have 3g tanks, though I wish it was 5g and plan on doing this with the last ten as the numbers here die down. I have a 75g tank with four special-needs fancy goldfish (one is blind, two have one eye, one has no upper jaw), and a 300g with three common goldfish. I also have two weather loaches (I know it should be more; having trouble finding a source of healthy ones!), a baby koi with no tail who will live in the 300g until he outgrows it, a chinese algae eater who lives on his own in a 20g, and a deformed convict cichlid in a 10g (for now; he's a baby).
 
Ren I would love if you started a new thread and shared some photos of your fish :)


 
God ye americans have totally different names for your fish, As far as I can tell a Beta would be called a siamese fighter fish in Ireland or am I incorrect?

If I'm right I currantly have 1 in with plety and some guppies! and two plants that need some major trimming lol!
 
paul2641 wrote:
God ye americans have totally different names for your fish, As far as I can tell a Beta would be called a siamese fighter fish in Ireland or am I incorrect?

If I'm right I currantly have 1 in with plety and some guppies! and two plants that need some major trimming lol!
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Yes, Bettas are also known as Siamese fighting fish.
 
hmm ive kept a lot of different types of fish, but panda cories seemed to work best with the discus. tried a couple lazer cories...just couldnt handle the high temps at all.
i got a lot of throw aways when i worked as a assistant manager at the pet store, or i got fish SUPER cheap and go tot special order mine to and pay price. so i got to try a lot of different rarer fish. the apistos were fun
 
luvthempigs wrote:
paul2641 wrote:
God ye americans have totally different names for your fish, As far as I can tell a Beta would be called a siamese fighter fish in Ireland or am I incorrect?

If I'm right I currantly have 1 in with plety and some guppies! and two plants that need some major trimming lol!
Click to expand...
Yes, Bettas are also known as Siamese fighting fish.
Click to expand...
yes that is correct
 
NO goldfish in a 5g tank. Fancy goldfish need a minimum of 20g, and common goldfish should be kept in ponds. Fancy goldfish grow to 8-12," commons 12-24,"and both produce a large volume of waste & have high oxygen needs. A5g is utterly inappropriate for them & will kill them years before their potential 15-20+ year lifespan.

Please, carefully research EACH species you consider.
 
RandomWiktor wrote:
NO goldfish in a 5g tank. Fancy goldfish need a minimum of 20g, and common goldfish should be kept in ponds. Fancy goldfish grow to 8-12," commons 12-24,"and both produce a large volume of waste & have high oxygen needs. A5g is utterly inappropriate for them & will kill them years before their potential 15-20+ year lifespan.

Please, carefully research EACH species you consider.
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ooops.. then what would be good in a 5 gallon?? A betta
 
I love Fancy Goldfish, they have great personalities. I know one in a 20 gallon is recommend and then 10 gallons per fish from that point on. I'm wondering though, would two in a 20 gallon be suitable with powerful filtration and diligent water changes?
 
mistyjr wrote:
RandomWiktor wrote:
NO goldfish in a 5g tank. Fancy goldfish need a minimum of 20g, and common goldfish should be kept in ponds. Fancy goldfish grow to 8-12," commons 12-24,"and both produce a large volume of waste & have high oxygen needs. A5g is utterly inappropriate for them & will kill them years before their potential 15-20+ year lifespan.

Please, carefully research EACH species you consider.
Click to expand...
ooops.. then what would be good in a 5 gallon?? A betta
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Yes a 5g is perfect for a Betta.
 
Yup, definitely go for a betta. But you will need a heater; I know you mentioned keeping the light on 24/7, but this does not produce a natural day/night cycle. It will stress the fish badly, especially a dark loving fish like the betta.

You should check out http://www.ultimatebettas.com before you get a betta; you don't need to join to read our articles. The Betta Talk section has one of the best care sheets on the web :)
 
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