Thanks and answers...
Thank you to everyone for the suggestions. Keep 'em coming!
I had forgotten about Harlequin rasboras. I had some years ago and remember liking them bunches. Danios are another fish that I LOVE, but I didn't think that I could keep sufficient numbers in a 10g. If I am wrong, and Danios are an option, please let me know.
freakindeed: The tap water and tank water hold steady at 7.2pH. I am very
careful to match the new water temp and the tank temp before I add
new water. The new, treated water was at 78, same as the tank.
Marinemom: I will look into the rasboras, they seem like a possible great
fit. At least for the time being I am doen with tetras, I knwo there are
some great species out there, but need a break.
shoe: I always treat the water BEFORE adding it to the tank. I know some
people treat after adding new, especially with a Python, but I feel more
comforatble using buckets and pretreating. I use Prime to treat water.
No to the gH, but pH matches the tank as at 7.2
My gravel is small aquarium rock and polished pebbles.
My two decorations are "manufactured," one is a rock/cave structure
and one is driftwood.
Municipal water has not changed.
Several helpful members: I am not a fan of hatchets, so their habits are
not of issue.
I will try to adopt the slow refill method, but I have no high shelf above
my tank...I will see what I can rig up, I do think that it sounds like a
more logical way to water change. How long does it take to refill your
tanks this way?
50% water changes are my norm for this tank, but I will slow it down to
30%, based on all your advice. Will this mean that I need to up the
frequency of changes?
Again, thanks for all the advice and help!
~Brandy (Mrs. Jenson
)