For 20 Gallon Long Fans -- What Should My Setup Be?

[Jennifer V]

Hi All! 

I impulse purchased a 20 long -- know the feeling? Ha! I have no idea how to cherry pick the right parts and set it up. I haven't set up a tank from scratch ever. I've only used those kits that come with everything. So, my question is, what's your setup? Or even better, what is your dream setup knowing what you know now? Lights, filters, heaters? I'm planning to make this a cory tank, hopefully with pygmies and maybe pandas, shrimp and snails. Looking for suggestions there too. 

Here's my current list:

Filter: two medium ACO sponges with air stones

Pump: ACO dual outlet

Lid: no clue

Heater: two ACO 50 W heaters and an ink bird. Want to keep the temp around 74 degrees. 

Light: ACO 30 inches? Planning to have mainly lower light, lower maintenance, "beginner friendly" plants -- swords, crypts, anubias, buce, maybe some susswassertang. What else is cool to try for a tank that size that doesn't require CO2?  

Timer: ACO 

Substrate: Eco Complete in the back capped with gravel -- have had a lot of luck with us -- and sand in the front and middle. On the fence about the sand but I keep reading it's great for cories. Maybe the fine gravel @Guppysnail recommends instead? ~ 40 pounds, ~ 2-3 inches of substrate 

How am I doing? What should I change? 

I've done so much research over the past year and a half or so that I feel totally confused. 

Thanks for your guidance! Appreciate you all! 

 

[Guppysnail]

One thing I’ve learned about Cory cats. They need clean substrate. Make sure however you set it up you can at least surface vacuum. No problem at first but over time the excess gunk causes Barbel infection and fungus issues on the Cory. 
 

I like my melini (bandit) Cory with my Pygmy Cory more than I liked the pandas. The bandits do the group hover and midwater swim a lot like the Pygmy but the pandas stay floor and glass surf. 
 

Looks like a good start. Cory are messy eaters. I highly recommend the addition of a HOB for mechanical filtration and flow with 20-30 ppi sponge with Cory. It also helps eggs hatch without fungus in the tank with more flow. Cory like flow just not to strong with the Pygmy. 

[Jennifer V]

On 6/12/2023 at 6:42 AM, Guppysnail said:

One thing I’ve learned about Cory cats. They need clean substrate. Make sure however you set it up you can at least surface vacuum. No problem at first but over time the excess gunk causes Barbel infection and fungus issues on the Cory. 
 

I like my melini (bandit) Cory with my Pygmy Cory more than I liked the pandas. The bandits do the group hover and midwater swim a lot like the Pygmy but the pandas stay floor and glass surf. 
 

Looks like a good start. Cory are messy eaters. I highly recommend the addition of a HOB for mechanical filtration and flow with 20-30 ppi sponge with Cory. It also helps eggs hatch without fungus in the tank with more flow. Cory like flow just not to strong with the Pygmy. 

Love the idea of getting bandit cories instead. I've never used a HOB so that'll be a fun dive into R&D. Think I should go with fine gravel instead of sand? Sand is so hard to clean. 

Edited June 12, 2023 by Jennifer V

[Lennie]

On 6/12/2023 at 3:49 PM, Jennifer V said:

Sand is so hard to clean. 

I think sand is much easier to clean. the dirt just stays on top and you slightly vacuum the top with a hose and boom, all gone! I love to maintenance my sand tanks rather than others 😄 Also cories LOOOOOVE fine sand a lot. but it isn't great for plants in general as sole substrate. What I do is, I fill the bottom with some dirt, roottabs and lava rock  or aquasoil, and cover it with sand so plant roots grow freely. Fine gravel is easier to grow plants on. Or, I partially plant some places with aquasoil, and cover everywhere else with fine sand. Fish love to play in fine sand for real.

 

 

For pygmys, I would suggest a big group, 15 or more, and tank bred ones. You can see why here:

 

 

As much as I love pygmys, I thought mid column would be alive with them. Well, it wasn't. It is fun to watch them wiggle around sometimes, but they prefer to take a nap rather than swimming in general 😄 

 

So if you are not aiming this as a breeding project, I would also consider some mid column swimmers to make the tank feel more alive

[Jennifer V]

On 6/12/2023 at 7:26 AM, Lennie said:

I think sand is much easier to clean. the dirt just stays on top and you slightly vacuum the top with a hose and boom, all gone! I love to maintenance my sand tanks rather than others 😄 Also cories LOOOOOVE fine sand a lot. but it isn't great for plants in general as sole substrate. What I do is, I fill the bottom with some dirt, roottabs and lava rock  or aquasoil, and cover it with sand so plant roots grow freely. Fine gravel is easier to grow plants on. Or, I partially plant some places with aquasoil, and cover everywhere else with fine sand. Fish love to play in fine sand for real.

 

 

For pygmys, I would suggest a big group, 15 or more, and tank bred ones. You can see why here:

 

 

As much as I love pygmys, I thought mid column would be alive with them. Well, it wasn't. It is fun to watch them wiggle around sometimes, but they prefer to take a nap rather than swimming in general 😄 

 

So if you are not aiming this as a breeding project, I would also consider some mid column swimmers to make the tank feel more alive

Fabulous info! Ok, you sold me! I'll get sand and just plant root feeders around the sides and back. 

What other fish do you suggest to liven up the tank? I just adore cories but I may be willing to try a mix of fish. My tanks right now are one pea puffer tank and one snail/shrimp tank so I've never had a variety. 

[Guppysnail]

On 6/12/2023 at 8:49 AM, Jennifer V said:

Love the idea of getting bandit cories instead. I've never used a HOB so that'll be a fun dive into R&D. Think I should go with fine gravel instead of sand? Sand is so hard to clean. 

Yes I hate sand but love the jungle river gravel sand from Carib sea. It is like gravel in ease of vac but sand in most stuff stays on top. I cannot recommend it enough. 

On 6/12/2023 at 9:33 AM, Jennifer V said:

What other fish do you suggest to liven up

You will not need more. These two are so active together. A school of each makes an incredibly lively tank. Try those first and let them settle in since you do not want to add to many all at once. Then if it’s needs livened up (get 10-12 Pygmy and 8 bandit I promise it won’t need livened up) 

[Lennie]

On 6/12/2023 at 4:43 PM, Guppysnail said:

Yes I hate sand but love the jungle river gravel

See! We all have unique likings

 

that's what makes us different 😄

Choose your side @Jennifer V!

 

Team sand or team gravel! 😄 

Jennifer thinking about sand and gravel: 

 

On 6/12/2023 at 4:33 PM, Jennifer V said:

What other fish do you suggest to liven up the tank? I just adore cories but I may be willing to try a mix of fish. My tanks right now are one pea puffer tank and one snail/shrimp tank so I've never had a variety. 

I keep mine with sparkling gouramis. they are colorful and lively. Always curious, have funny territory dances, and they Croak!! 

They are so unique. If you will have sightblocks and lots of plants etc. Maybe 2males:4-5f? They dont school, but they are social. They also like to have their own territory.

 

Maybe besides sparkling gouramis, some small rasboras? Maybe a big school of chili rasboras, or green kubotai rasboras?

[Guppysnail]

On 6/12/2023 at 9:54 AM, Lennie said:

Choose your side

The jungle river is sold as sand. It’s more like a large grain sand 🥰 best of both. 

[hawgs911]

Here is my 20L that has been set up about 1 month.

• Aqueon tank
• Aqueon glass lid
• "China Special" 100W Heater
• 2X Aquaneat "up to 20 gallon" sponge filters
• 2X USB air pumps
• Finnex Planted Plus 24/7 30inch 
• Fluval Stratem Substrate

I dont see anything wrong with your setup.  Substrate is a personal choice.  I like Eco-Complete personally and find dark substartes to show less dirt.  You could add powerhead to your setup if you feel you need more flow left to right but I used the smallest one I had and it was WAY too much flow 😂

 

Edited June 13, 2023 by hawgs911
words are hard

[Jennifer V]

On 6/12/2023 at 7:43 AM, Guppysnail said:

Yes I hate sand but love the jungle river gravel sand from Carib sea. It is like gravel in ease of vac but sand in most stuff stays on top. I cannot recommend it enough. 

You will not need more. These two are so active together. A school of each makes an incredibly lively tank. Try those first and let them settle in since you do not want to add to many all at once. Then if it’s needs livened up (get 10-12 Pygmy and 8 bandit I promise it won’t need livened up) 

Oh that's great news! I was hoping to just keep it a cory tank. And I looked up the gravel sand and really like that too.

On 6/12/2023 at 7:54 AM, Lennie said:

See! We all have unique likings

 

that's what makes us different 😄

Choose your side @Jennifer V!

 

Team sand or team gravel! 😄 

Jennifer thinking about sand and gravel: 

 

I keep mine with sparkling gouramis. they are colorful and lively. Always curious, have funny territory dances, and they Croak!! 

They are so unique. If you will have sightblocks and lots of plants etc. Maybe 2males:4-5f? They dont school, but they are social. They also like to have their own territory.

 

Maybe besides sparkling gouramis, some small rasboras? Maybe a big school of chili rasboras, or green kubotai rasboras?

That cartoon was literally me thinking about my substrate! Ha! I might go with the sand gravel and mix it with some sand to lighten up the color a little bit, so both! 

On 6/12/2023 at 3:01 PM, hawgs911 said:

Here is my 20L that has been set up about 1 month.

• Aqueon tank
• Aqueon glass lid
• "China Special" 100W Heater
• 2X Aquaneat "up to 20 gallon" sponge filters
• 2X USB air pumps
• Finnex Planted Plus 24/7 30inch 
• Fluval Stratem Substrate

I dont see anything wrong with your setup.  Substrate is a personal choice.  I like Eco-Complete personally and find dark substartes to show less dirt.  You could add powerhead to your setup if you feel you need more flow left to right but I used the smallest one I had and it was WAY too much flow 😂

 

Beautiful tank! Thank you so much for sharing. This is very helpful! 

[Jennifer V]

On 6/12/2023 at 6:42 AM, Guppysnail said:

One thing I’ve learned about Cory cats. They need clean substrate. Make sure however you set it up you can at least surface vacuum. No problem at first but over time the excess gunk causes Barbel infection and fungus issues on the Cory. 
 

I like my melini (bandit) Cory with my Pygmy Cory more than I liked the pandas. The bandits do the group hover and midwater swim a lot like the Pygmy but the pandas stay floor and glass surf. 
 

Looks like a good start. Cory are messy eaters. I highly recommend the addition of a HOB for mechanical filtration and flow with 20-30 ppi sponge with Cory. It also helps eggs hatch without fungus in the tank with more flow. Cory like flow just not to strong with the Pygmy. 

I'm thinking of getting a Seachem Tidal 35 HOB. Thoughts? What else do I need to know about running a HOB? Never had one before. 

[Lennie]

On 6/13/2023 at 7:54 AM, Jennifer V said:

I'm thinking of getting a Seachem Tidal 35 HOB. Thoughts? What else do I need to know about running a HOB? Never had one before. 

@nabokovfan87 can share his opinions and experience regarding seachem tidals. 

I personally love AquaClear a lot. But I guess it has restarting issue due to most people there using rimmed tanks, so the Hob stands much higher than the water level, so in case of a power out, the water inside the motor part drains so once powered up, it works dry. I use 3 aquaclears in my bedroom tanks, and my tanks are all glass to glass. I dont have this issue personally. 
 

Only one tend to have magnet stuck inside the motor, so sometimes it needs manually to be touched on the motor part to restart.

 

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/12/2023 at 9:54 PM, Jennifer V said:

I'm thinking of getting a Seachem Tidal 35 HOB. Thoughts? What else do I need to know about running a HOB? Never had one before. 

The tidal 35 is difficult to recommend. Honestly.

I have just about perfected the darn thing and mine is sitting inside of a Ziploc bag in the stand as an emergency QT tank setup.

I would only recommend the 35 specifically for use as a purely polishing filter in a tank without fish in the top section of that tank.

In order to "prefilter" that HoB you're literally talking about a massive chunk of foam around an entire pump/skimmer housing. That setup isn't feasible for most, but it is basically mandatory to protect a lot of fish that swim in the middle and top sections of the water column.  I had the tidal 55-75 take out my barb colony one by one as they slept, which is absolutely why I mod my filter now, and I would never trust the 35 near a fish as a result.

Alright, so... In a 20L the optimal method is going to be a HoB on the end of the tank. That way the output goes across the length of the tank and gives you that better circulation. Given that setup it does mean you have to make or find a lid that fits that situation. Lastly, given that the normal versatop lids don't actually fit the 20L and 29G dimensions, this is a win-win if you can get it setup that way.

If your preference is to have the filter in the back of the tank, normal position, then that is fine too. Just make sure the substrate is heavy enough so that it doesn't end up in your pump. (very fine sand will do this and light aqua soils can get easily pushed around, exposing the front/bottom glass.

..... alright, so what is a halfway decent HoB that "works"?

Aqueon quietflow is good, but it really has longevity issues and isn't the best one to mod. It's a small space and difficult to set up easily.

Tetra works and it's easy to mod, but it's a bit more of an older design. Not a flaw in some sense, but just keep that in mind.

Aquaclear (and the fluval versions of that filter) will have a pump shaft failure leading to a variety of issues. This is a high wear item and for some reason it's never been addressed. The lid makes a lot of noise. Setup is easy, materials though are classic and not in a good way.

The marineland comes in two forms, normal and pro. The pro has WONDERFUL features and it is one of the only HOB that actually has a prefilter designed specifically for that product. Not only does it have the option for an external filter, it has the option for an internal one as well. Pump is in the tank, flow control, I like it. A lot. The only concern is longevity. Similar to the aqueon the pump attachment method is not the best. With careful hands this isn't a concern, but it's the one knock I have.  The non-pro version is an older design and doesn't have new features like a pump in water and some of the newer options. With regards to the older models, the main issue is that the pump is not replacement.  It was designed at a time when the mindset was cartridge and replace when broken. They've taken the time to offer a better design, thankfully.  Time will tell how the pro version holds up.

Some others to check out is that each big box brand is releasing their own standard and pro versions of their own versions of hang on backs. I have zero idea what is best, but take a look at those and see what you think. The majority of them look like aquaclear replacements and use the same faulty pump setup and poor materials. Cheap, but not effective.

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/12/2023 at 5:34 AM, Jennifer V said:

Substrate: Eco Complete in the back capped with gravel -- have had a lot of luck with us -- and sand in the front and middle. On the fence about the sand but I keep reading it's great for cories. Maybe the fine gravel @Guppysnail recommends instead? ~ 40 pounds, ~ 2-3 inches of substrate 

Contrasoil with a cap is pretty awesome.

On 6/12/2023 at 5:34 AM, Jennifer V said:

I've done so much research over the past year and a half or so that I feel totally confused. 

Unfortunately this happens. The main thing is to sort out what you want and the. Everything else falls into place.

On 6/12/2023 at 5:49 AM, Jennifer V said:

Sand is so hard to clean. 

The right sand is SO EASY to clean. I vac mine like it's gravel. It's heavy enough to work. Caribsea Crystal River. There is 2-3 others that are the same size that would work as well. Jungle something is one of the others.

On 6/12/2023 at 6:43 AM, Guppysnail said:

Yes I hate sand but love the jungle river gravel sand from Carib sea. It is like gravel in ease of vac but sand in most stuff stays on top. I cannot recommend it enough. 

1000%

[Guppysnail]

On 6/13/2023 at 12:54 AM, Jennifer V said:

I'm thinking of getting a Seachem Tidal 35 HOB. Thoughts? What else do I need to know about running a HOB? Never had one before. 

For a first time hob the tidal needs a lot of modification that other filters do not. 
I like aquaclear. It’s good right out of the box. I do replace the carbon and ceramic with 20- 30 ppi sponge though and add a prefilter sponge. That makes the aquaclear a powerhouse. Aquaclear has adjustable flow so I have never needed to baffle the flow. 

[Mary W.]

For a lid - the Aqueon glass lid sized for the 20L works perfectly and is easy to use - sturdy but not too heavy.  I have a Tidal 55 HOB on my 20L (bit of overkill but that's what I got) and it fits with the Aqueon lid (on the back of the tank obviously not the side!).

Re the pygmy corys, once they're comfortable in the tank, big enough and you have enough (dozen or so) they will be all over the tank and are just delightful.  When they're young or you only have a few, they're shy and stick close to the substrate.

Re your plants, everything you have listed is great but especially to start with consider something fast growing to help compete with algae - maybe pogostemon stellatus octopus or anacharis, both of which can be grown as floaters to start.

Good luck and have fun!  20L is a great choice -

[Jennifer V]

On 6/13/2023 at 12:32 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

Contrasoil with a cap is pretty awesome.

Unfortunately this happens. The main thing is to sort out what you want and the. Everything else falls into place.

The right sand is SO EASY to clean. I vac mine like it's gravel. It's heavy enough to work. Caribsea Crystal River. There is 2-3 others that are the same size that would work as well. Jungle something is one of the others.

1000%

What does Crystal River look like? I'm thinking of mixing something with Jungle River to lighten it up a bit color wise. What are the benefits of something like Contrasoil versus something like Eco Complete? Does is break down into fine soil? My vision is to have something capped with heavier gravel along the back and halfway up the sides so I can plant larger root feeders back there and a finer river of substrate running through the middle and sides in the front so the cories have sand to play in. Hard to describe but I don't have any photos to illustrate what I mean. It might be too complicated in the end. Sometimes things work on my head but not in real life. 

[Jennifer V]

On 6/13/2023 at 8:27 AM, Mary W. said:

For a lid - the Aqueon glass lid sized for the 20L works perfectly and is easy to use - sturdy but not too heavy.  I have a Tidal 55 HOB on my 20L (bit of overkill but that's what I got) and it fits with the Aqueon lid (on the back of the tank obviously not the side!).

Re the pygmy corys, once they're comfortable in the tank, big enough and you have enough (dozen or so) they will be all over the tank and are just delightful.  When they're young or you only have a few, they're shy and stick close to the substrate.

Re your plants, everything you have listed is great but especially to start with consider something fast growing to help compete with algae - maybe pogostemon stellatus octopus or anacharis, both of which can be grown as floaters to start.

Good luck and have fun!  20L is a great choice -

Thank you for the suggestions! I didn't even think about getting some fast growing plants and I love the look of the PSO. I haven't had any luck with stem plants yet, but every tank is different and I'm up for trying anything. Same with anacharis but again, every tank is different. 

Good to know about the lid. That was a big question mark for me. Customizing a lid feels a bit above my pay grade at the moment. Is a lid required for cories? I would assume so if they're very active and I like the benefits of having lids. With the sponge filters and HOB, I may end up needing to customize the lid so the HOB can sit on one side or the other. Did I get that right @nabokovfan87? 

 

[Lennie]

On 6/16/2023 at 1:25 PM, Jennifer V said:

 

Good to know about the lid. That was a big question mark for me. Customizing a lid feels a bit above my pay grade at the moment. Is a lid required for cories? I would assume so if they're very active and I like the benefits of having lids. 

I kept my sterbais without any lids and problem for 1.5 years. Then, when they started breeding and glass surfacing as a school, I found one male dead on the floor one morning.

So I would highly recommend a lid. Also as you probably know, cories take a gulp of air from surface sometimes, and they may get way too excited while doing that, being a bit too flashy.

Lid is always the safer choice👍🏻

[Jennifer V]

On 6/16/2023 at 7:12 AM, Lennie said:

I kept my sterbais without any lids and problem for 1.5 years. Then, when they started breeding and glass surfacing as a school, I found one male dead on the floor one morning.

So I would highly recommend a lid. Also as you probably know, cories take a gulp of air from surface sometimes, and they may get way too excited while doing that, being a bit too flashy.

Lid is always the safer choice👍🏻

Excellent points! Lidded tank it is! 

[jasper5150]

Definitely recommend a lid. Reduces evaporation and stops jumpers. 
 

I’m using Activ-Flora black substrate in my new tank. Easy to plant and mulm stays on top. Easy to clean

[Jennifer V]

On 6/16/2023 at 11:10 AM, jasper5150 said:

Definitely recommend a lid. Reduces evaporation and stops jumpers. 
 

I’m using Activ-Flora black substrate in my new tank. Easy to plant and mulm stays on top. Easy to clean

Should I use that instead of Eco Complete? Which color do you have? 

Edited June 16, 2023 by Jennifer V

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/16/2023 at 3:18 AM, Jennifer V said:

Crystal River

Crystal river and Torpedo beach are both lighter.  They are white / beige color.

They do have one other..... https://caribsea.com/freshwater-substrates/

Carolina Creek that might be perfect for what you're looking for 🙂



This is Torpedo Beach:



This is Crystal River:

On 6/16/2023 at 12:43 PM, Jennifer V said:

Eco Complete?

Eco Complete is essentially lava rock with some stuff added to start the tank off with nutrients.  It's not a traditional aquasoil type of media.  It will hold gunk over time, but equate that to gravel.  Many people will use Eco complete or Seachem Flourite and mix that with something like ADA amazonia, Landen's Aquasoil, Fluval Stratum, UNS contrasoil, etc.

On 6/16/2023 at 3:25 AM, Jennifer V said:

Good to know about the lid. That was a big question mark for me. Customizing a lid feels a bit above my pay grade at the moment. Is a lid required for cories? I would assume so if they're very active and I like the benefits of having lids. With the sponge filters and HOB, I may end up needing to customize the lid so the HOB can sit on one side or the other. Did I get that right @nabokovfan87? 

I don't think a lid is required for corydoras.  For corydoras only tanks, you can just keep the waterline lower (below the rim) and they should be ok.  Some HOB require the lid to be right up towards the top, so that is where you can have a corydoras jump on you.  I have only seen a fish jump when water is bad or when they are chased and trying to escape.  I always run a lid on all of my tanks due to evaporation and all that.  If you cannot get a lid, plastic wrap is highly used in the hobby and works perfectly.  🙂

Edited June 16, 2023 by nabokovfan87

[jasper5150]

On 6/16/2023 at 12:43 PM, Jennifer V said:

Should I use that instead of Eco Complete? Which color do you have? 

I have the Eco Complete in my 20 gallon. The grain size is much larger, crushed volcanic rock. Gives lots of area  for BB but a little rough for Cory’s. Mulm is less visible since it can go between the grains. Planting is a bit more difficult. Here is the tank with the Eco Complete

Here is a look at the Activ-Flora in my other tank. Finer grain size allows for easier planting. Mulm and detritus sits on top.  Easier to clean but looks dirty quickly  

[Peaceful Fish]

I had Tidal filters and did not like the skimmer. Just collected food before the fish can get to it.  I recently put a Tetra IQ 30 to add a little water flow to my 55 gallon running 2 sponge filters. I like the IQ. Super quite. I just don’t use the cartridge or plastic grid that comes with it. I just run it with sponge in the media compartment and intake.  The Tetra IQ 30 was only $18.  Has the motor in the tank which is what I prefer.