What is best?

[Tenorplayer2008]

What is a good combination of freshwater tropical fish to cycle a 10-gallon tank? :confused: I would like to cycle mine, but I lost the booklet that tells me some good combinations...:sad

[Tenorplayer2008]

The tank is probably called a 10-gallon "long", for it is 2wice as long as it is wide...

[TKOS]

There is only one 10 gallon tank size to my knowledge.

Have you read the stickies in the beginning of the newbie forum on cycling a tank.

If fishy cycling is the way you are going to go then you really have to choose the fish you will end up keeping. Otherwsie what will you do with your fish.

Make sure to get some test kits for ammonia and nitrite (not nitrate though this is handy as well). If the ammonia level in the tank gets to 1 ppm or the nitrite gets to 0.25 ppm then do a water change. Never let your levels just go sky high thinking this will cycle the tank faster. It will just end up damaging or killing your fish. Only add a few fish at a time and wait for up to 2 weeks before adding a couple more. Just because a tank is cycled to 2 fish doesn't mean it is cycled, any new fish added will cause the beginning of another cycle.

So to answer your question I would have to say, what fish do you want to ultimately have in the tank?

[DEmigh]

Yours is the standard 10 gallon tank. 10*20 inches and a little over a foot tall.

Asking about cycling before you got the fish shows a thoughtfulness that your fish will appreciate. However, since you're thinking about the whole idea of cycling...

Have you investigated the option of fishless cycling? I can't reccommend it strongly enough. Cycling with fish in the tank condemns them to very poor water quality for the duration of the cycle. The bacteria that we culture when we "cycle" a tank do not require the presence of fish, only ammonia, which is TOXIC to fish.

If you're intersted in fishless cycling, do a search, or just post again in this thread and so indicate.

[Tenorplayer2008]

would water or rocks from an already established tank help? I am starting one in my room, but there is another 29-gallon long in the house, established, and running well

By the way: it is an undergravel filter...

[Tenorplayer2008]

Also: we have all of the chemicals we need here, because of the 29-long...
all the test kits...
too much food...

[DEmigh]

Yes, rocks and/or gravel from an established tank will help speed the cycle. Water from the mature tank is problematic. It will contain only a limited amount of bacteria, but will be loaded with nitrates.

The UGF isn't inherently eevill, at least not for a freshwater tank. It simply requires specific maintenance procedures.

If the 29 has any sort of removable filter media, that too will be loaded with bacteria and would help the cycle.

[OrionGirl]

A handful of gravel from the established tank will introduce the bacteria. You cna either go with a very light bio load and gradual, small additions of fish, or use the gravel as a seed, to a full fishless cycle (should be pretty quick), and all the fish on it's completion.

[Tenorplayer2008]

you seem to be in all of my topics, Oriongirl...coincidence?

[OrionGirl]

Naw, I just prattle on too much. ;)

I actually reply to a lot of threads because I really want people to be succesful in this hobby. It can take just one bad experience to burn someone.

[daveedka]

The UGF isn't inherently eevill, at least not for a freshwater tank. It simply requires specific maintenance procedures

Don't let the nay sayers scare you away from ugf's, they are a great filter, they do require maintenance and a little common sense, but no more than any other filter, and (in almost all cases) at far less cost. I moght suggest you look into Reverse flow, it is far superior, but UGF's work well either way.

Gravel from another tank is a great way to start a new tank, a filter sponge will work as well, even if you just set it in the tank and let it camp out for a while

[Tenorplayer2008]

How long have you had an aquarium, out of curiosity, OrionGirl?

[OrionGirl]

Hmmm...my family had a tank when I was a kid. I kept a few fish all through school, then dropped out for a few years. Started getting back into it about 6-7 years ago, and fianlly started learning about it 4-5 years ago. Compared to many people here, not that long at all.

[Richer]

Definately consider going the fishles cycle route... check this thread (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=26051) out... I went a bit nuts and posted some of the major pros and cons of both fishy and fishless cycling.

HTH
-Richer