20 Gallon Aquarium Update
The aquarium has been up and running for about two weeks. Time for an update.
We went to the pet store and bought a few things.
In my opinion, everyone needs a gravel vacuum. It’s great to use when changing water because not only does it remove water, but it also cleans up any uneaten food, poop and who knows what else that settles down in the gravel. It’s a must have. The one I bought is a bit different than wat I had as a kid. What I had before was basically a hose with a wide mouth. Unfortunately, the entire hose was cracked. But anyway, I bought is a syphon hose. I haven’t used it yet and there’s no reason for me to think it won’t work.
The next we picked out a couple snails. We have two, I may get two more in a few months. Snails are fun to watch but they do serve a purpose. Algae is an aquarium’s enemy. But only if it’s left unchecked. Algae growth does indicate healthy water which, in turn, is good for the fish. But too much will deplete the oxygen level. The snails I bought are Nerite snails. They are great algae eaters. And they stay relatively small. As the months go on, I may add two more, but we’ll see what the algae growth is. I don’t know if it’s right or wrong, but I’ve always used the rule of one snail for every five gallons of water.
Next, we move on to the fish. And as I said in my previous post, I’m mixing tropical fish with goldfish. I’ve never had a problem with that setup in all my 30 plus years of keeping aquariums. I had my two older boys with me and they helped pick out the fish. We ended up with five GloFish tetras. These are “engineered” fish not found in the wild. They make for a very nice addition with their bright colors and are very hardy. Good for beginners.
How are the fish doing you ask? Good question. One of the GloFish tetras died the first night. When I put in the tank it looked a little slow and “off”. Maybe it got injured or maybe it was the shock of a new place? Either way I didn’t have high hopes it would make it through the night. That’s ok. I can get a replacement. The other fish are doing fine. The new ones have adapted. The goldfish and zebra tetras have settled in after a few days of fighting over new territory. The water stays at a constant 73 degrees. The fish are moving around just fine.
I’ll probably get a replacement GloFish tetra and maybe two or three more zebra tetras. Any more than that will get overcrowded, I’m afraid.
That is all!
