Hi everyone!
I set up my first tank yesterday, I got it from someone who wanted to get rid of it. My aquarium is 3’x18”x21” (55gal) and I am going to plant it. My tap water after dechlorination has a ph of 7.8, a gh of 0, and a kh of aroun 200. I got the tank for 120 dollars and it came with a wooden stand, fluorescent light, aqueon quiet flow 75, tetra whisper air pump 300, and a top fin heater. I have purchased an aqua top 200w, a aquatech 30-60 filter, air stones, <1mm natural gravel substrate, azalea root driftwood, root tabs, liquid fertilizer, one cryptocorne wenditii, three needle leaf java fern, and an adhesive thermometer.
(The aqueon filter’s impeller will turn 360 degrees and then stop so we replaced it and I haven’t read a single top fin heater review that says it works for more than a month before breaking)
(If anyone knows how I could fix the aqueous filter I’d really appreciate it because I would much rather use it than the aquatech)
I put the water in the aquarium and planted the plants before I used the dechlorinator so I am worried that all the bacteria has died, it’s been almost 12 hours and the water is still too cold to register on the thermometer and I don’t know if the low temperature will kill my plants, the ph is a lot higher than I need it to be and I’m not quite sure how to fix that, the water is still super cloudy despite my rinsing of the substrate before putting it in the aquarium, and my java ferns won’t stay attached to the driftwood when I tie them.
(My end goals are to have a heavily planted tank filled with various cryptocornes, Java moss, Java ferns, and water sprite. The fish I’m planning on keeping are 3 pearl gouramis, 6 Kuhli loaches, 9 five banded barbs, and 12 pearl danios)
(Plus a few mts)
Okay so those are my concerns, now for some questions that aren’t necessarily as urgent. What kind of caves should I get for Khuli loaches, how long should I cycle an aquarium before I introduce the first of my fish, can I keep a trio of pearl gouramis or should I choose a different amount, in general are the fish I have in mind compatible or peaceful around one another, will these foods(ebay.to/2wYxdpc and ebay.to/2Lj0e2f) and supplementary live daphnia provide my fish with enough nutrition, and how long does it take for plants to fill out a tank?
(Btw I tried the community creator and it says everything is ok but I’m not sure how accurate it is)
Thank you so much for any help you can offer!