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Start with the tank

The right gear
foryoursetup.

Four answers about the tank (size, planting, livestock, experience) narrow the filter, light, substrate, and CO₂ choices. Check the room-to-water temperature gap before choosing heater wattage.

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20 gal

a common planted-tank size

50–100W

depends on temperature lift

Tune

light from the tank's response

A lush, expertly planted aquarium with moss, Anubias, and warm light filtering through water

Matched setup

AquaClear 50 · Aqueon 50W · Fluval Plant 3.0

20-gal high-tech, community fish, intermediate

How a planted tank fits together

Size first. Then livestock. Then plants and light.

Tank volume and room temperature frame heater sizing. Livestock changes the filter's intake and flow requirements. Tank dimensions and the plant list shape the light choice. Injected CO₂ is optional, not a prerequisite for a useful planted tank.

Tank size sets the baselines

Use tank volume, the coldest normal room temperature, the target water temperature, and the exact manufacturer's range. The same tank can need a different heater in a colder room.

Plants set the light spec

Tank length determines coverage, depth changes how much light reaches the bottom, and the plant list sets the useful intensity. Start conservatively, then adjust from plant and algae response.

Livestock changes the filter choice

Shrimp and fry need an intake-safe path. Bettas need calm resting areas. A community tank can use more circulation when the return is adjustable and every inhabitant can move comfortably.

Most-asked questions

The picks people came here for.

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Tank size and livestock move every one of these answers.

Best Filter for a 20-Gallon Tank

AquaClear 50 for the straightforward HOB pick, Fluval 107 for hidden hardware, or sponge filtration for shrimp and fry.

Best Light for a 20-Gallon Aquarium

Match the fixture to tank length and depth: 30 inches for a 20 long, or more reach for a 20 high.

Best Aquarium Heater for a 20-Gallon Tank

Choose 50W or 100W from the room-to-water temperature lift, then confirm the exact maker's range.

Best Filter for a Shrimp Tank

Use a sponge filter by default, or fully protect a HOB or canister intake and diffuse its return.

Do Shrimp Need a Light?

Shrimp do not need a dedicated lamp. Choose light for the plants and control the schedule for tank stability.

Best Filter for a 10-Gallon Tank

AquaClear 30 for a community tank, gentler flow for a betta, or an intake-safe sponge filter for shrimp and fry.

Choosing between two specific setups? Browse theside-by-side comparisons.

Browse by category

Every category, in depth.

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Flow, media, silence.

Reliability above all.

What your plants eat.

Active or inert.

Choices, tradeoffs, control.

Numbers over guesses.

Match to your setup.

Timers, shears, tools.

Start here

The long-form guides.

Starting from zero. Going low-tech. Building a shrimp nano. When you need a full plan, not a single pick.

Starting a planted tank

Tank, filter, heater, light, substrate. The order they matter, and the picks that won't bite you later.

Low-tech planted tank setup

Equipment, setup order, plant choices, the first month, and a weekly routine without injected CO₂.

Nano shrimp tank setup

How to build a 5–10 gallon shrimp tank that stays stable and keeps babies alive.

The fastest path

Four questions. One setup.Yours.

Tank size. Planting level. Livestock. Experience. The setup that matches those four: filter, heater, light, substrate, and CO₂.

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