Using a outdated kit....

Okay, my complaint is: why didn't this show up as a new thread?!?! :irked:

Sealed 10 gallon kit. Do you mean the tank and stuff, still new in box? If so, I would read the expiration date on the water conditioner, if it's not past that, you can use it. I wouldn't use the food.

The filter should be absolutely fine, as the media should be sealed, and shouldn't be impacted by the length of time it's sealed. I'd still probably get a higher end filter such as AquaClear or Fluval (I use a Fluval C2 on my tank with my betta) simply because even though it's an additional $26 (or so, on Amazon) investment, the filters that come in kits tend to have disposable floss wrapped around charcoal for media, which is probably going to have a replace monthly instruction. Also, every time you toss the cartridge, you're tossing some of your biological filtration, as well. I've only had my C2 for 2 or 3 months, but I probably won't have to buy new media for a few years, as I don't run charcoal. If I feel a need to have something adsorb the biological stuff from the water to fix the smell or color, I'll buy a 100 ml Purigen pillow instead, for $10 or so, and that'll last years. My AC 70 has 250 ml of Purigen that I've had in there for 2 years, and I've regenerated it twice, and I probably have at least 2 or 3 more regenerations in there before I'll need to replace it.

The light bulb, I'm going to assume is a T8. Purple is an odd color, though. 8000k is heading toward the actinics, like you'd need for a saltwater tank, but it should still support some plant growth (corals apparently do photosynthesize). The bulbs are good for about a year of *use*, so just sitting in the box isn't going to impact the lifespan of the bulb. Current USA actually has a fixture that's LED, nifty (with all the little things you can do set it to do via remote control), on my shopping list (I want one for each of my 10s and my 55), and rates out as adequate for medium light plants. That said, they're about $90, I think, for the 24 inch long fixtures (right size for most 10s), and about $170 for 48 inch long fixtures, depending on where you get them.

That does look like it's a better filter than I expected as part of a kit.

The sponge as a baffle in front of the filter won't cause problems, but it may also be unnecessary. My betta, obviously smart enough to know that *I* feed him, and not my wife or kids, always comes to the "feeding corner" when I approach the tank, but ignores the girls. He routinely swims up into the return flow, rides it to the front of the tank, then wanders around. He could easily avoid the flow, but chooses not to. I'd say try removing it, and see how he does. If he seems to be struggling, put it back.

The pantyhose idea is solid, but clear instructions seem to be hard to find. Ideally, you're going to grab some media out of the filter. Gravel is kind of a last resort because it tends to have smaller concentrations of the beneficial bacteria because it doesn't get as much water flowing over it. Just hanging it in the tank is relatively ineffective, going back to less flow over/through it. You'll be much better off if you take the hose and stuff, and either put it in the return (maybe inside the sponge baffle your rigged) or in the filter itself. In fact, if the filter on your 29 uses disposable cartridges, you can try taking the one that's currently in use (provided it isn't brand new) and using that as your baffle for a while, and putting a new cartridge in to the 29.

ashncarson said:

I will try it without the sponge as well to see how he does! I bet he will love it in the tank. Does your betta have a tank mate? The pet store offered ideas but I am scared to try it. He has already once had all his fins bite off with some old fish we had (bad mistake) so they are growing back grow great and he looks good.

The 10 gallon takes a medium size cartridge and the 29 gallon has a large, not sure how to get around this.....

I plan on testing the water when I get back home late Sunday or Monday morning to see what its doing. This is all new to me, the 29 came stocked with some fish when we bought it second hand from family...so the cycle thing is new to me at least

I am hoping to get the MTS population up in this tank as we have assassin snails in 29 tank who need some more food!

Click to expand...

Well, he's got 2 bladder snails as tank mates. The trick, apparently, is not to let him see them enter the tank. He treats them as invaders then, and has killed one ramshorn and one bladder snail. Put them in at night, and when he sees them the next day, he kinda investigates them, and then ignores them. The fish I'd like to put in with him wouldn't be nippy, anyway, so injury to *him* is not a concern. That said, he's dragonscale, I think plakat, so while his tail is half moon, all of his finnage is relatively short, at least in comparison to your typical veiltail, delta, or crowntail.

Then use a used cartridge for your 29 as a baffle. Yes, it'll put some junk in the water column, but that should help get the beneficial bacteria in the water, and then into the filter.

Assassin snails are opportunistic carnivores. Yes, they like snails. No, they won't suffer without other snails to eat as long as you have algae or another food source.