20G Live Plant Tank Setup

[WishboneRulz]

I just bought a 20 gallon tank today (the largest I could reasonably fit in my apartment). I am looking to set it up as a live plant aquarium and I have some questions about what is needed and what is possible. It has been a while since I have maintained a tank, and it will be my first live plant tank, so sorry if some of the questions are too beginner-y.
1) I would like the tank to run as quietly as possible (since it will be in my small kitchen/dining/living/TV room). Do underwater filters tend to run quieter than HOBs, and could you suggest a specific unit? Also, do I need an oxygen pump when using live plants? If so, what are silent/quiet options?
2) Is a UGF necessary or even recommended with live plants? I have read conflicting thoughts on this. Do plants do a good enough job eliminating waste on their own? Would having shrimp help cut down on waste if there is no UGF? (A side question: does having shrimp cut down on the number of fish you can put in an aquarium, following the 1" per gallon rule of thumb?) Also, if there is no UGF, is there any advantage to using sand as opposed to gravel as a substrate?
3) What is a good plant to fish ratio for optimal balance?
4) Any other tips would be awesome!

Thanks in advance.

 

[arcab4]

welcome to MFT!

i think you'll be okay with HOB filters. As long as the water level is high enough, you won't get the water fall sound. So if you use an auto top-off to fill your tank, you shouldn't ever have to worry about the sound.

i wouldn't use an UGF with live plants. plants will help stabilize your tank parameters for sure. You can have shrimps in your tank with live plants. I personally love shrimps with planted tanks. check out the amano shrimps for your tank. they'll help with algae too. also for your size tanks..check out otto cats too.

i would go with substrate for live plants. it'll let them root better and get better nutrients.

i don't think you can go wrong with alot of plants. just make sure you have the right lighting combination for the plants you pick. you might need to use co2 if you have too much lighting.

and since it's a new tank...make sure you cycle the tank before adding any fishes.

 

[WishboneRulz]

Thanks for the advice. I was also looking at an external canister filter like a Fluval 306 and keeping it in the base cabinet. I have read they are quite silent.
Also, any thoughts on whether or not having shrimp counts as fish on the 1" of fish per gallon rule? Can they be disregarded when figuring how many fish to stock?

 

[arcab4]

external canisters work great too. and they're super quiet. just remember to also keep the water level above the return so you won't hear any waterfall sound.

the fluval 306: http://amzn.to/1MJRong
or even the
Eheim canister filters like this one: http://amzn.to/1XVJgGe

I've had my eheim for like over a decade now i think and it still runs great.

i personally don't count shrimps as part of the 1" of fish rule (but that' rule is also debatable).

 

[WishboneRulz]

Awesome. Thanks very much! I'll work on getting hardware and plants this week so I can get a cycle going.

 

[arcab4]

what's the dimensions of your tank? is it the 15 gallon tall? or the regular size one.

 

[WishboneRulz]

It is a 20 gallon, 24" length by 12" width by 16" height.

 

[arcab4]

what kind of plants are you looking to keep?

if it's low lighting plants (don't be scared off by low lighting plants..some are awesome to keep in the tanks and will tolerate up to alot of abuse sometimes) such as anubias, java fern, etc...then you can consider like an LED lighting system. that will also eliminate the use of co2 which is more advanced.

take a look at this led lighting: http://amzn.to/22Eflt0

i used an off-brand light similar to that and was able to keep the low light plants fine. even had a madagascar lace plant survive too.

 

[WishboneRulz]

I already have a 24" double bright Marineland LED bar with moderate indirect sunlight all day. I was hoping to go without a fancy CO2 rig, though some of the DIY CO2 emitters look pretty simple. I was thinking I might use one at first until I get it fully stocked with fish.

I haven't picked specific plants yet, but I'm open to suggestions. I definitely have my eye on some microsword grass up front, though I am less familiar with larger plants.

 

[arcab4]

vals are good background plants. microswords are good up front but if you don't have enough light, they tend to grow taller to reach the light they need.

 

[FreshyFresh]

Welcome wishbone!

20H's are a little more challenging to plant than a 20 long, but it's no big deal. If it's your first planted tank, I'd go with java fern, java moss, anubia and cyrptocoryne. None of them need tons of light, ferts or forms of CO2 added.

 

[WishboneRulz]

I just wanted to thank everyone for the help and post some pics of my finished tank. It only has 3 leopard danios in it right now so I'll be adding more in the next few weeks. But I'm happy with how it came out.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Very nice! I love the driftwood. You've got a nice natural arrangement between that and the rocks and the overall aquascape.

 

[WishboneRulz]

Thanks Caps! Yeah I grabbed that driftwood as soon as I saw it at my LFS. It has a nice dead tree stump look. And I'm hoping the rock pile becomes the hideout spot for my future shrimp.

 

[arcab4]

that looks great..actually..really great. looks natural. like how you incorporated bunch of different things into the tank. can't wait to see how it looks like when it's filled in more!

 

[WishboneRulz]

Thanks arcab. I have experience in zoo exhibit design so it was a fun project. Though I am unfamiliar with aquatic plants so I'm not sure how they will fill out. I'm a little afraid I put too many in and will end up removing some as they fill out. But that wouldn't be the end of the world.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

You actually want to start with plenty of plants (like you did) as they will start using all the nutrients right away, so they aren't available for algae. I thought "tree stump" with your driftwood as well. Is it on a base or just balanced well in the substrate?

 

[WishboneRulz]

That is good to know then.
The driftwood has no base. It is sitting on the bottom glass and the substrate is filled in around it. But it actually balances itself. It used to have some kind of root-like structure on the bottom but I had to cut it off because it made the piece too tall for the tank. Some of the extra pieces of wood in the tank are from those.
The driftwood is turning the water a nice yellow. I knew it could do that and I wasn't sure I would like it, but I think it actually gives a great look. And it will help balance my high pH local water to boot.