Noobie want some advice

[LokiTheVile]

So, new to the hobbie and want to get a 20 gallon aquarium. I have my heart set on getting an amazon puffer. From what I have heard they thrive pretty well with community fish such as tetras. There are a few questions I want to know regarding what I need in the tank (plants, sand and equipment) what I should do the keep it's beak trimmed and managed, what tank mates will be compatible. How often I should clean the tank and anything you guys can tell me that will help me care for these fish.

First question I have are regarding tank mates. I know that the puffers are typically top-mid level fish, but they do venture to the bottom to search for food sometimes. I was thinking about getting a couple corydora. They would help in keeping the tank clean since puffers are messy eaters, but do you think the puffer will go after the corys? Also how well would a rainbow shark get along with a puffer? I've heard mixed things about rainbow sharks ranging from being shy and peaceful to being territorial. What is everyone's opinions?

What types of food should I feed the puffer? I know they need to eat hard shelled foods to keep their beaks trimmed, so I thought about putting ramshorn snails in to allow the puffer to hunt. Should I buy a seclusion tank and allow them to breed and toss them in at feeding time or should I just have them in the tank for a couple weeks before I put the puffer in and allow them to populate and then put the puffer in. Would it just eat all the snails? What other foods can I give it?

What types of plants and rocks should I put in there? Would wood work in an aquarium? Don't know where to start with the terrain.

If there is any advice you can give please do. I am excited to get started on my set up.

 

[FreshyFresh]

Welcome and it sounds like great plans you've got.

I'm not sure of the specific needs of the puffer you want, but keep in mind a 20g tank isn't very large at all and will limit the number of fish you can comfortably keep in there. Adding lots of rocks, wood and other decor just take away the limited space that's there. If 20g is a must, I'd get a 20g long as opposed to tall. 20 longs have a larger and better 30"x12" footprint where 20 highs are 24x12.

Plan ahead on how you intend to cycle this tank (establish a nitrogen cycle) prior to adding fish and you'll need a test kit like the API master test kit. Just dumping a bunch of fish into a brand-new setup typically results in disaster. You can do it, but it will require large daily water changes and lots of water parameter testing. Read up on the nitrogen cycle you need for fish to survive.

 

[LokiTheVile]

A 30 gallon is a possibility, but probably no larger. Thanks for the advice =)

 

[FreshyFresh]

^ Sounds like a plan. A 29g tank is also the 30"x12" footprint. The 3 tanks with that same footprint are the 20L, 29g and 37g. They all just have different heights. If you have access to Petco and PetSuppliesPlus, keep an eye out for their $1/gal sales they have several times per year.