Ok so comments and tips are more than welcome
Right now i have a 20 gallon long tank with 2 marineland 100 biowheel filters.
The tank is "semi" planted meaning i have 1 ludwigia, 1 java fern and 1 other plant which just looks like grass. The tank is completly cycled and all the nitrate and PH levels are good. The tank has been up and runnning for about 6 weeks with biweekly water changes of about 1/3 of the tank. The plants have only been in for about 9 days but they seem to have rooted extreemly well. The java fern decided that it wanted to attach itself to some of the tank decore but is thriving. The only issue i may have is that i might be overstocked.
1 black widow tetra
2 Bala Sharks
5 cherry barbs
5 red eye tetras
2 corys
I know that once the plants have established themselve there is no need for the activated carbon in the filter pads. Right now i have one filter on each side of the tank, one with the active carbon in it and one with out.
The mistake i feeel that i made was i went with decorative gravel. If i could go back i would. I know this will limit me to the types of plants i will be able to grow successfully. I have a 20 watt 10k light that was recomended to me by a friend who has much more experience than I. He told me that becuase the tank is long and not deep the light will penetrate easier and anything much stronger than what i have will cause excessive algea build up.
Im gonna get pictures up ASAP. All the fish are aleart and attentive, they dont seem stressed at all, the corys dont like the ligght that much but have made the adjustment. The plants seem to have new growth but not at the rate i would like, maybe becuase they are only planted for 9 days but so far so good.
Im open to any sugestions regarding plants that would work well in gravel and any comments on cherry shrip becuase that is what im considering to keep the algea under control
Right now i have a 20 gallon long tank with 2 marineland 100 biowheel filters.
The tank is "semi" planted meaning i have 1 ludwigia, 1 java fern and 1 other plant which just looks like grass. The tank is completly cycled and all the nitrate and PH levels are good. The tank has been up and runnning for about 6 weeks with biweekly water changes of about 1/3 of the tank. The plants have only been in for about 9 days but they seem to have rooted extreemly well. The java fern decided that it wanted to attach itself to some of the tank decore but is thriving. The only issue i may have is that i might be overstocked.
1 black widow tetra
2 Bala Sharks
5 cherry barbs
5 red eye tetras
2 corys
I know that once the plants have established themselve there is no need for the activated carbon in the filter pads. Right now i have one filter on each side of the tank, one with the active carbon in it and one with out.
The mistake i feeel that i made was i went with decorative gravel. If i could go back i would. I know this will limit me to the types of plants i will be able to grow successfully. I have a 20 watt 10k light that was recomended to me by a friend who has much more experience than I. He told me that becuase the tank is long and not deep the light will penetrate easier and anything much stronger than what i have will cause excessive algea build up.
Im gonna get pictures up ASAP. All the fish are aleart and attentive, they dont seem stressed at all, the corys dont like the ligght that much but have made the adjustment. The plants seem to have new growth but not at the rate i would like, maybe becuase they are only planted for 9 days but so far so good.
Im open to any sugestions regarding plants that would work well in gravel and any comments on cherry shrip becuase that is what im considering to keep the algea under control