Currently I have a 20 gallon (maybe 25 gallon) fish tank. It was given to me for my birthday already set up (minus the fish).

Anyway, currently I have 2x mollies, 2x platies, 2x tetras, and a female beta.

I was curious, could I add more fish? If so, what's a good tank mate.

Furthermore, I also wanted to add a live plant. Would this be a good idea, and if so, what kind? Currently we just have fake plants, but I would like to add some more life to my tank.

Typically the rule is 1 inch of fish per gallon. I would calculate it with the adult size of every fish. Plus you also have to consider how much room your substrate and decorations are taking up. As far as compatibility goes, I have no idea

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Frontosa Fanatic

Good morning jta...

If the tank hasn't been running long, then I'd stay with the current number of fish and see how everything runs and how well the fish do too.

Plants are always a good idea. You can start with the easy ones, like Java fern and Anubias. Maybe some of the Cryptocoryne varieties and some Pennywort. These generally do well in a number of water conditions and are undemanding about lighting.

Make sure you're replacing half the tank water and servicing your filter equipment weekly. That's very important to the health of your tank and everything in it.

After the tank has been running for a few months, you could consider adding some small bottom feeders, like Albino Corydoras, three or four at most. They're very peaceful fish and generally make good tankmates for other fish.

B

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Low Tech Water Building Keeper

This might be a silly question, but can I purchase the plants right away? I'm aware that if I add too much to the tank at once it may upset the balance and various processes that are occurring to break down ammonia and other chemicals.

Furthermore, when I added the female betta to my tank I noticed that it and the dalmatian molly chased each other intermittently for an hour. That behavior has all but ceased. Should I not worry about that?

Hello jta...

No such thing as a silly question, only silly mistakes. You can get your plants into the tank any time. Unlike fish that can't tolerate toxins in the water, plants will do well in acidic water. Plants like ammonia, nitrites and nitrates in the water. You won't upset the water conditions by adding plants, just the opposite. The plants will help filter the water.

I've never kept Bettas or Mollies. Mollies aren't the best fish for a beginner, because they're more sensative to poor tank conditions then the other "Livebearers". Livebearers also like a little aquarium salt added to their water, but they will adapt without it.

It appears the chasing was just a temporary thing, hopefully it has stopped. General harrassing in fish can be harmful.

The best time to add the plants would be during a large water change. With the water level low, it will make planting much easier. Remember that Java fern is attached to something porous like driftwood or lava rock. Attach the plants with black sewing thread. Anubias is generally attached to a piece of driftwood or you can just sent it down on top of the gravel. It will grow either way.

Let me know if you need some help.

B

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Low Tech Water Building Keeper

I agree anubias and Java fern are a good idea and I would get rid of the plastics, also leave the light on for round 12 hours per day. More fish are OK but you have to put the work in, regular water changes and good filtration are a must, but learn how to preserve you filter bacteria when you clean it.

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Chris
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Because of unemployment and a low graduate school load I am pretty much around the fish tank for good portions of the day. As for water changes, I have been doing small but frequent changes because I only own a 2 gallon bucket (clean water) and 5 gallon bucket (dirty water- this bucket use to be used for trash). So I have been doing 2 2 gallon changes per week...I hope this isn't bad. Furthermore, I hope it doesn't seem like I'm being odd by utilizing two buckets. I just assumed it was a good idea.

Also, I already had a plethora of aquarium testing stuffs: dipsticks, a chemical testing kit, and so on. So if there is any bad water quality I would have noticed. I sort of inherited some testing stuff from some friends who got rid of their aquarium, and some I purchased on my own.

Since your tank is newly set up, it's probably still going through the Nitrogen Cycle - you can search 'Nitrogen Cycle' on the forum and read up on the specifics. So, for now, I wouldn't add anymore fish, as the filter and gravel are trying to build up bacteria so you can have a healthy aquarium.

During the cycle, do not vacuum the gravel or clean the filter. Doing this will clean out the good bacteria that you are trying to grow. You're going to need a test kit (strips are very inaccurate - liquid tests are the way to go), so you can monitor the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates during the cycle. If the ammonia or nitrites rise, you are going to have to do partial water changes so your fish don't die.

Be careful with female Bettas. They can be just as aggressive - or more so sometimes - as the males are.

Don't use the 1" of fish per gallon rule, as it's quite out dated. If you think about it, after you put gravel, plants and decorations in the tank, you no longer have the gallonage you first thought. When planning fish, find out the ADULT size of the fish and if they need to be in a group! This will help you to figure out how many/what kind of fish you can keep. I can't express enough how important it is to research your fish before bringing them home! (So many people have gotten caught up in the moment and brought home fish that are going to grow waaay to big or that are too aggressive, or even just brought home 1 or 2 when they need to have 6+.)

Having a filter that is rated for a tank larger than what you have will also help you be able to have a few more fish and keep them healthy. You can never over filter a tank, but you can under filter it!

Live plants are a great addition. Fast growing stem plants (any of they hygros - giant, polysperma (dwarf), difformis (wisteria) - or plants like Elodea and hornwort will help eat up ammonia and nitrates. Java Fern and moss balls are also easy to keep, as are swords and many crypts.

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20g Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981
36g Bow Front Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981

Hi, I would go for bigger water changes than 10%, 30 would be better, see if you can get some empty aquarium salt containers from your fish store, they have tight fitting lids and are great for conditioning your water in.

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Chris
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