This tank, its lid and its stand
- Tank format
- Aqueon Standard 20 gallon high; 24¼ × 12½ × 16¾ in outside
- Empty tank weight
- 25 lb
- Matching lid or top
- 100129024
- Lid fit
- 24 × 12 in, for the 20 high format
- Matching stand
- We haven’t matched a stand: use one the maker approves for this tank.
These sizes are for the Aqueon Standard 20 gallon high; another brand’s 20 gallon can differ. Lids fit a tank model, not a gallon number.
Box sizes won’t tell you if a lid fits: measure the ledges the lid rests on, the openings either side of the center brace and the space for the strip at the back. Check the lid is the one made for this tank before you fit it.
Work out the filled weight → Add your substrate, rock, equipment and stand to see the total on the floor.
Sold as a kit
Aqueon and Tetra sell this size as a starter kit. Here is what is in each box, in the maker’s own list, and what you still need before fish go in.
Aqueon Rectangle LED Kit, 20 gallon high
Item 100117860.
In the box: glass aquarium, low profile LED hood, QuietFlow power filter, filter cartridge, submersible preset heater, premium fish food sample, water conditioner sample, fish net, thermometer, setup guide.
The heater is preset to 78 °F with no dial: right for most tropical fish, too warm for goldfish and other cool-water fish. Aqueon doesn’t give its watts; for 20 gallons in a 70 °F room its chart gives 100 W, so check the heater’s label against that.
Its filter takes the Medium Aqueon replacement cartridge, so budget for replacements.
Aqueon’s page for this kit, read .
Aqueon Starter Kit with SmartClean filtration and LED, 20 gallon
Item 100552048. Aqueon doesn’t say which 20 gallon shape this is, but it lists the kit at 27¼ in long, too short for a 20 long (30¼ in).
In the box: glass aquarium, low profile LED hood, SmartClean internal power filter (size small), EcoRenew filter cartridge (size medium), submersible preset heater (50 W), premium fish food sample, water conditioner sample, fish net, thermometer, setup guide.
Its heater is preset to 78 °F too. Its 50 W is under the 100 W both Aqueon’s and Fluval’s charts give for 20 gallons in a 70 °F room, so in a cooler room it may not hold 78 °F.
Its filter takes the Medium Aqueon EcoRenew cartridge, so budget for replacements.
Aqueon’s page for this kit, read .
Tetra Complete LED Aquarium Kit, 20 gallon
Item NV84004. Tetra lists it at about 24 × 12 × 16 in, the 20 high’s shape.
In the box: glass aquarium, low-profile hinged hood with white LEDs, Tetra Whisper PF 20 Power Filter, Tetra Large Bio-Bag filter cartridge, 100-watt heater, thermometer, fish net, Tetra AquaSafe water conditioner sample, TetraMin food sample, setup guide.
Its 100 W heater is what the makers’ charts give for 20 gallons in a 70 °F room. Tetra doesn’t say whether it is preset or has a dial: check the box, and the water with the kit’s thermometer.
Its filter takes the Tetra Large Bio-Bag cartridge, so budget for replacements.
Tetra’s page for this kit, read .
Tetra Goldfish LED Kit, 20 gallon
Item NV33831 A. The same tank as the Complete LED 20, by Tetra’s measurements.
In the box: glass aquarium, hood with white and red LEDs and a feeding port, Tetra Whisper Internal Power Filter, Tetra Large Stay Clean filter cartridge, Tetra Goldfish Flakes sample, Tetra AquaSafe water conditioner, setup and maintenance guide.
No heater, and goldfish don’t need one: they live at room temperature. A thermometer isn’t in the box either. By the rule on our fancy goldfish page, 20 gallons for the first fish and 10 more for each one after, a 20 gallon tank holds one fancy goldfish, and they do best in company: two need 30 gallons. Common and comet goldfish need 75 gallons or a pond.
Its filter takes the Tetra Large Stay Clean cartridge, so budget for replacements.
Tetra’s page for this kit, read .
Still to buy with any of these kits: a water test kit, a full bottle of water conditioner (most of these kits hold only a sample), gravel or sand, and plants and decor.
What to buy, in order
Buy the lid made for this tank (see below) and a stand built to carry it full, with room to open the cabinet and reach your equipment.
Check stand and lid fit →Choose gravel or soil and how deep you want it, then work out how much to buy from the inside size of the tank. Bags of different substrates weigh differently, so a pounds-per-gallon rule is only a rough guide.
Work out how much substrate →Check the filter is rated for 20 gallons and that its intake reaches far enough down the 16¾-inch tank.
Compare filters →A sponge filter needs an air pump, airline and a check valve; choose a pump strong enough for your water depth. A hang-on-back or canister filter doesn’t need one, though a battery air pump makes a good backup in a power cut.
Set up an air pump →Decide the water temperature your fish need and how cold the room gets. Size the heater from the maker’s chart and your actual water volume, and check it with a separate thermometer.
Size a heater →Check the light spans your tank and how it mounts. For plants, compare PAR at your water depth where the maker publishes it; watts alone don’t tell you how much light reaches the bottom.
Check light fit →Get a kit that tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH; most master kits leave out GH and KH, so add those if your fish need them. Dose conditioner for new water by the bottle’s label.
How to test your water →Choose a siphon long enough to reach the bottom without leaning in, and check the route to the sink or drain before filling.
Choose water-change tools →Keep plugs dry and labeled, with a drip loop on every cord as the manuals show. If you add a battery backup air pump, test it before you need it.
Set up the power safely →
Then set it all up, step by step, and cycle the tank before you add fish.
Checkmarks aren’t saved when you leave the page; print it to keep them.
Measure before you buy
- The tank’s outside size and the stand it needs.
- The inside size up to the waterline, and how much room gravel and rock take, for your actual water volume.
- The rim trim, the gap to the wall, the lid openings and where the light mounts.
- The cabinet opening, the hose route and room to lift out filter media.
- How you’ll carry water, the bucket size and where the outlets are.
With those numbers, use the water volume calculator and the electricity cost calculator. The first-year cost calculator keeps a line for every supply, even before you know its price.
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