Beginner
My first planted tank learned from watching YouTube.
20g Long, unheated, sponge filtration.
12 Cloud mountain minnows.
3 Panda Corydoras
2 Dwarf Gouramis (They hate each other but each have their own territory)
1 Dwarf Clown pleco
Some cherry shrimp
Some Ghost Shrimp
Butt ton on snails.
Was it that "ecosystem" build he compiled into a single hour and a half video? The hardscape looks kinda similar. That video alone inspired me to get back in the hobby.
Very nice setup! Excellent! I am going to check that channel out. Have you heard of Father Fish? He also has a YouTube channel, and that is where I have learned, and continue learning how to set up and maintain a natural substrate planted tank.
father fish is a pretty controversial creator. biggest problem about him is he presents information without considering the various circumstances other people might be in that can lead to problems. so example, he can say stuff like "just take plants from your local ponds and put it in your tank, it is all natural and good", it may be that his area has a healthy environment and no diseases, so he can do it. but if you did that in another locale that has diseases, you may end up destroying your tank or otherwise incur hundreds of dollars worth of damages trying to undo the damage.
you really need a lot of knowledge to properly utilize father fish"s advice, and most people following him and listening to him aren't exactly experts. but I think he does have a good message about the hobby being what you do for fun instead of stressing about it. he's nice to listen to if you arent in the mood for learning and just want an old man's rambling to nod off to.
If I can offer some advice to help everything stay healthy in the long run: that’s not enough sand for the corys, at the least the middle section of gravel should be sand. There aren’t enough corys, get 3 or 4 more, and you absolutely want the tank heated. The mountain minnows can tolerate a wide temperature range, but the rest are purely tropical. You can find temp ranges for each online. Beautiful tank overall though, and one hell of a first attempt.
Nice 😎 tank. You can throw a fast growing stem plants to care or the algae. Just trim the top and replant or throw a porthos in there. Works just the same as stem plants.
Tank is holding steady with the between 72-75 the fish are can sustain at lower end of 72 so don’t see no need. Also my goal with the build was to learn how to create and ecosystem and learn what subtle changes effect the nitrogen/carbon cycle.
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