10g

[Chad]

Hi all...I'm being given a 10g tank today. Supposedly it is coming with all the stuff (filter, heater, etc...). Anyway, really didn't want a 10g but it's all I'm able to get right now. This will be my first tank and I want to do it right (cycling included).
My question is...what do I stock it with?
I want to make sure I put in a couple of oto's and a couple of shrimp for the cleaning crew. Beyond that, was thinking about zebra danio's. They don't get too big, do they? Can't really find anything in the Species profiles on this site about them.
I have also thought about Neon Tetra's since they are fairly small fish, but aren't they hard to keep for newbie's? I should get a fairly tough fish to start with, dontcha think??
Any other suggestions? I will probably stick to the fake plants for now until I'm more confident in what I am doing.

Thanks in advance!
Chad

[OrionGirl]

Danio's will fit into a 10, but may drive you crazy--they are very fast swimmers, alwasy zipping around. In a 10, it may be too much.

A dwarf gouramie and 3-4 small cories (pandas or skunks) would be nice. Or, replace the gouramie with 4-5 cherry barbs.

[tomm10]

Congrats on your first tank!

First, consider how you will cycle your tank. Cycling your tank refers to establishing a colony of beneficial bacteria that will break down the ammonia that your fish produce as waste into Nitrites and then into nitrates. You have three real main choices here.

Fishless Cycling- Unless, like me, you are horribly impatient this is the method I would recommend. When you fishless cycle you set up your tank but don't put in fish at first. Instead you add small amounts of pure ammonia to the tank daily. The ammonia provides a food source for the bacteria so they can multiply and grow to the numbers needed to sustain the fish you'll be adding.

Fishy Cycling- This is old school and is done by adding only a couple of fish to the tank and allowing their waste to seed the bacteria colony. The big drawback here is that during the cycle the fish will suffer from high amounts of ammonia and nitrites. In fact, you could even lose some fish.

Bio Spira- If you are impatient and want fish right away, this is the way to go. Bio Spira is a little packet of the beneficial bacteria your tank needs. You add it to your tank then drop in all of your fish. The main drawbacks here are that Bio Spira is between $11 and $15 for a dose to treat a 30 gallon tank and sometimes you can get an inneffective batch forcing you to get more.

If you have a freind with an existing healthy tank you can do a poor man's Bio Spira type of cycling by getting some filter material from the existing tank and dropping it into yours.

As far as fish are concerned, danios are great fish to start with. they are hearty and entertaining. You might want to start with a group of four and then look around for other fish. Shrimp won't affect your bio load much and ghost shrimp are generally very cheap. You can get a few of those to help clean up the overfeeding you will almost certainly do at first.

Get a test kit so you can monitor your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph levels. You should be doing this just about daily for the first few weeks. You should also be prepared to do water changes every day while your tank cycles in order to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels down.

A gravel vacuum and a couple of 5 gallon buckets (one for fresh water and one for the old tank water) are invaluable for a 10g tank. You should also test your tap water (let it sit for a while in a cup then test it) so you know what your base is. It ma y test differently in the tank. This will also help you notice if there are any nitrates or ammonia in your tap water.

Well, I guess I went on a little bit there but I know I wish I had been told alot of that before I charged in and started my tank. Good luck!

[Chad]

Thanks for the advice all! I like the idea of the cory's. Think I may wait on the danio's until I have a bigger tank!
I was also thinking about platy's. They don't get TOO big (2.5 inches)...maybe 3-4 of those, a couple three small cory's?

I am going to try the fishless cycling. My LFS isn't completely sold on it but doesn't see any harm in it. There is a sticky here somewhere that really details the process so will print it out and keep it handy! I am hoping that the tank I am getting really does come with everything I need so I can spend the money on getting the test kits. The lfs will test it for me but with twin toddlers at home with me it's hard to bring them in all the time!


Chad

[TKOS]

That is all great advice. Another option on stocking would be any school of 4-5 smaller tetras like neons, glo-lites, black neons, emporer, or silver tip along with some sort of bottom feeder like cories or even khulie loaches.

[Anne L.]

Chad, if you read a couple of my posts, you'll see that I'm almost finished a fishless cycle in a new 10 gallon tank. It's been a month so far and I'm almost done.

I used an ornament from a coworker's tank for starter bacteria and used straight ammonia to cycle the tank because I don't have access to biospira.

I bought both an ammonia test kit and a nitrite test kit. I don't have a nitrate kit yet, but am planning to get one as my cycle is almost complete. It's been interesting to watch as the levels change over the cycle. I also think it's worth it to have the kits so that you can test the water periodically to prevent problems.

I'm a real newbie at this, so take my advice for what it's worth, which may not be much. :)

[Chad]

Another question - if I remember correctly, don't Platy's need a little salt in their water? If this is true, will this affect the cory's at all?
Dang, I wish I could find where I saw the part about salt. I know I read that somewhere!

Anne, how long did you keep the ornament in there? Did you just keep it or use it for a few weeks then give it back? I have a friend that keeps fish and I could probably borrow one from him.

Thanks!
Chad

[TKOS]

Platies do not need salt. they live perfectly fine in plain fresh water. 3-4 will be great in a 10 gallon tank. Becareful when choosing them to get mostly females or all females. Too many males will fight for females attentions. Of course they may also begin breeding quite a bit as well. They are a colourful fun fish though and I enjoy mine.

some people think live bearers need salt but only mollies are brackish water and they still live fine in fresh. Liev Bearers tend to like hard water but for platies pretty much anything goes.

[DEmigh]

Originally posted by Chad
Anne, how long did you keep the ornament in there? Did you just keep it or use it for a few weeks then give it back? I have a friend that keeps fish and I could probably borrow one from him.


Any underwater surface from a mature aquarium will be well populated with the desired bacteria. The greater the surface area, the greater the population, so a handful of gravel might be better than an ornament. You can keep the gravel in a nylon-mesh bag if you want to give it back (or if it doesn't match your gravel).

As to duration on either the gravel or an ornament, the longer the better, to a point. Even just a quick dip, or overnight would get you started, but the population will grow faster if all of the bacteria on the ornament get to reproduce for a couple of weeks. After a couple of weeks, the bacteria in your own aquarium will be going strong enough that your giving the ornament back won't make much difference.

Sorry to jump in, just putting in my two cents :)

[Anne L.]

Chad, I've still got the ornament in there (about 3 weeks) but I'll be giving it back fairly soon.

If you can get a cupful of gravel or so from a friend, that would even be better. I couldn't do that because my friend didn't have a lot of gravel to start with for some reason.

It seems to have worked, though.

Good luck - this place has walked me through the fishless cycle and I have had absolutely no experience with aquariums at all.

Kudos to this forum and its participants - what a fabulous resource.

[adblair]

I think that whatever you get out of your friends tank needs to stay wet with some aquarium water to keep the bacteria from dying. Someone correct me if I'm wrong....

[125gJoe]

Aren't Cardinal Tertras hardier than Neons???

At least that is what I have found .........

http://www.angelfire.com/pq/piaba/images/card123.JPG

[Anne L.]

What I did with my friend's tank ornament is kind of funny. He brought it to work in a large plastic ziploc bag full of tank water, inside a black garbage bag. So I had this ice cream pail with a garbage bag sitting inside it in my office for the day.

When I got home that evening, I dumped the tank water into my tank and put the ornament in it.

Silly, huh, but it worked.:p

[PumaWard]

I agree with Joe, cardinals are probably better for a newbie, although neons seem tough to me as well. Glowlights are another good option as well as other neon-like tetras like January tetras.

[Chad]

Thanks again for all the advice. I think what I would like to do barring any opposition from those that know better is this:
3-4 Platy's - females for now to keep the population down!
3 Panda Cory's
Oto's and shrimp.

How does that sound? Too much bio load?

I think the neon/cardinals will wait until I have some more experience. Maybe another tank will have to be found!! :D

I'll keep in touch with the cycling since I'm bound to have questions.

Chad

[belmont0182]

you could also think about getting some white cloud minnows...around here adults are $1.50,but i found some fry that are used as feeders for 8 for $1. they are really cool

[TKOS]

I love my white clouds. I have 5 and 3 cories in my 10 gallon with lots of ferns to keep them happy. I find keeping the temp around 70-72F keeps them the most active.

[Aquarius0015]

3-4 Platy's - females for now to keep the population down!

Just because you won't have any males doesn't mean that there won't be babies. Female platies are often sold pregnant, and if I understand correctly, they can store sperm for a while. But you shouldn't have a problem as they eat their own fry.

Edit: One more thing! Do not buy platies that have clamped fins if possible. It is an indicator of questionable health in most fish, but in my limited experience it is quite pronounced with platies.

[Chad]

By clamped fins you mean all clumped together?

[Slappy*McFish]

Clamped fins are when the fish has all it's fins closed tight against it's body as opposed to a healthy fish who spreads it's fins out.

[Chad]

Well, my ready made setup went out the window! The person I was getting the tank and stuff told me they had everything. Well, in reality all they had was a tank, stand, and a filter that they can't find. She told me that they had killed everything they ever put into the tank. Well, with no heater, no lights, plants, and probably not a very good filter, it's like - DUH!!!! No wonder they killed all the fish (and frogs). So, I'm back to square one. I have a 10g and an 18g with no equipment. The 18g doesn't have a hood. ARGH!!!!!!!!
Ah well, I will continue to research unti the day comes when I have the money to do everything right. Hopefully that will come with a decent size tank!!
Thanks for all your helpl!

Chad

[OrionGirl]

Don't give up hope. You could run a very nice unplanted, unheated tank. You would still need a filter, but for less than $25, you can pick up an AquaClear 100, or the mini--shopping online is cheaper! Look at http://www.bigalsonline.com/ (Big Al's) And See how cheap you can get it.

White clouds, a hill loach, and a paradise fish would thrive in an unheated tank if the room stays above 65. It would still need to be cycled, but the lack of light and heat would not be a problem.

[TKOS]

Yes, you could easily setup a nice White Cloud tank. They really do best between 65-70 IME. So room temp is fine with the occasional cold snap or heat wave not a problem for these beauties. As a species tank you could setup the 10 gallon with an AC Mini as Oriongirl mentioned, a few easy low light plants like Java Fern and 7-8 white clouds no problem. They are cheap and hardy. Just try and find a spot to put them where the tank temp will remain the most stable (ie not a window or near a radiator).

[Uncle Bete]

Originally posted by Chad
3-4 Platy's - females for now to keep the population down!

Just 2 cents of word of warning...

1 female platy/sword/molly could have you at 20 - 40 of'em in a month.

ie. they very well could be pregnant when you bring them home, also they could have (considering there fairly small, comming from a LFS) 20 babies 3x (and if get 4, 4x that many) in a couple of months.

You could just give them away, but there/it is, so exciteing your gonna want to keep'em all lol

But anyway, have fun with'em... if your doing the fishless cycle it'll be ready for'em! :D

[Chad]

My wife came home and told me that she was going to buy the rest of the tank setup for my birthday in a couple of weeks!! WHOOO HOOO!
So, here is where I am at...
5 Platy's or Swordtails
3 Panda Cory's
5 Oto's
?? shrimp (what do you think for a 10g?)

Substrate - I hear sandy is better for the cory's??
Filter - Whisper 10
Heater - 50w
Plants - REALLY undecided
Background - ??
Cycling - FISHLESS
Of course I'll have the rest of the stuff..nets, buckets, thermometer, etc...

What do you think?

Chad

[TKOS]

Plants are going to rely on the lighting your tank has. I always suggest Java Fern for starters. It is nice to look at and practically takes care of itself.

The fish selection sounds fine. Probably 5-10 shrimp would be best.

Small rounded gravel is fine for cories. Water quality is super important for them so make sure to do lots of water changes.

The ottos should probably be bought last after alage has started to come to your tank.

[Chad]

When you say basically takes care of itself, do you mean I can put them in and basically ignore them? What kind of care do they really require? Do I need to buy fertilizer?
Another question or two - I need to buy some 5g buckets for water changes. It would seem to me that I would need more than 2 since if I have to do a major water change after my cycling is done, I would need to have either a larger bucket to hold the new water, or at least one more 5g to hold the extra water, right?
Also, do a lot of aquarists attach their power cord/surge protector to the wall or somewhere above the tank? How common is it to have water dripping down onto the power cords?

Sorry if this doesn't make sense. Didn't get much sleep last night!!

Chad

[OrionGirl]

Java ferns shouldn't be planted, especially if you go with sand. They attach themselves to rocks and wood, and feed from the water column. Fertilizing isn't needed--I honestly don't do anything special for my tank with java ferns, other than removing the tons of babies that I get. It's a really low light setup--less then 1 wpg.

I use a large tub for catching my old water--I use it on all my house plants and for trees, shrubs, and planted containers in the summer. I got mine at Home Depot--about $7, 40 gallon tub with handles. A large, new trashcan stores the water until I need it--easy to treat for chlorine/chloramines, and it's always on hand when I need it.

I use power strips that have sliding locks to close the outlets. I make there sure is a drip loop for everything coming out of the tank, and that the powerstrip is not directly below the tank. Haven't had any problems or scary moments. ;)

[Hound]

Wow that's a lot of stuff to read thru. Once your tank is cycled I'd say you need a background and some plants (fake plants are fine). The plants will give your pandas a place to hide. Not that great for viewing them, but it adds to their security.

I would think that with 3 pandas a small shoal of fish in this tank would be fine. Assuming you don't want neons or cardinals (many people including myself have these), what about lemon tetras or harlequin raspborra? I'd say about 6 for a small shoal would be ok. Never had shrimp so I won't comment on those :) .

I actually use one bucket and a 2 gallon jug. The 5 gallon bucket is for the old water and use the jug to refill. Takes a while to refill, but patience has been learned and its easier not to dump water in too fast. I would think with two 5 gallon buckets you'd be fine. That would be a 50% water change and that's a pretty decent amount. I do a 20% water change monthly myself.

I noticed you asked about power cords. Common practice is to have them loop down past where ever you have them plugged in. That way any water leakage will flow down to the loop and not to the plug. All in all good luck and happy viewing.

[Captain Hook]

Hardy plants that are tough to kill: Cryptocoryne, Anubas, Java Fern, Java Moss, and possibly Bolbitis.

Like OG mentioned anubias, java fern, and bolbitis do not need to be planted in the gravel. I have an anubias in the gravel tho and it's doing fine. You just have to make sure not to bury the "rhizome". Basically it is the base that the stems connect to, so just bury the roots.

Another good possibility for a bottom feeder would be 3 kuhli loaches. Check out a pic of them, you might be interested. They are long but thin, so not too much of a load on your tank.

I think you have a very good idea of stocking level now and have made good choices so far. I am a big fan of platies, my 2 personal favourites are all red or sunburst (yellow & orange).