10 gallon planted tank

[woodyblueeyes]

Good afternoon,

I'm going to setup one of our ten gallon tanks with a new game plan, and I want as many suggestions as you guys can come up with.

10 gallon long tank
Penguin 150 power filter
150w heater
penguin mini powerhead
hood with 2 18watt aqua glo plant/fish flourescant lights

Ok, that's the hardware I'll have to start with. I'm interested in either buying or building a CO2 setup.

I don't want the colored gravel as a substrate, I want a substrate that will enable me to grow plants better.

As far as residents, I'll probably go with the following:

6 zebra danios
6 endlers
1-2 cherry barbs
a plecco
2 shrimp
2-4 snails
maybe a FW crab

The rest is all up for discussion and suggestions, so I'd like yours please???

[Ems]

That's a bit too many fish for a 10Gal. Perhaps limiting the amount of danios and endlers would fix that problem.

[woodyblueeyes]

That's a bit too many fish for a 10Gal. Perhaps limiting the amount of danios and endlers would fix that problem.


Ok, what about this...take out the endlers and put in a Betta...how would that work??

[Ems]

For the amount of fish, it would be the most you could have, but I don't think barbs and bettas get along very well, I've never kept barbs so I could be wrong. Also the pl*co may get too large for the tank, so possibly a couple ottos instead? And also I haven't had experience with FW crabs, but I once saw a crayfish (or whatever they are) eating a betta alive at a store :( , so make sure the crab wouldn't do that to any of the others.

[Karnaaj]

Ditch the pleco entirely. Even the smaller species are too big for a 10g. If you are going to go planted you don't want to go with a biowheel filter, it agitates the water surface causing the CO2 to dissipate. Pay a visit to this website Rex Grigg (http://www.rexgrigg.com/) and this forum Planted Tank Forum (http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/). Pay particular attention to the lighting requirements of a small tank on Rex's site, I think you'll be surprised.

Your heater is far to powerful for a 10g. Drop down to a 75w or maybe even a 50w if the room the tank is in is kept fairly warm.