I'm looking to set up a 10G planted tank for a client. I'm looking at trying to light with 2 power compacts for around 5-6W / gallon. I'd like to add Co2 to the tank and am looking for an easy option. First off, do I even need any? I'm pretty sure I do. I do not want to make a DIY system because it will look really ugly. Also I'll only be trying to maintain the tank once a week since it is for a client. Finally I do not want to spend a ton of money on a system. Thanks for the help.
Easy CO2 Maintenance for 10G Planted Tank
- Thread starter johnstires
- Start date
I think it's stupid to have a whole system just for a 10g tank. A DiY would not look ugly at all, you just put it in a cabinite or something similar and your set.
Would I even need to add Co2 to a tank that size? If I do make a DIY Co2 generator, how big of a bottle do I need for 10 G? It seems like 2L per 25-30G is the standard. I'm not looking for an expensive presurized system, I'm looking for something good for 10G tank that is not DIY if possible. Or is there something I can put in the substrate? Or will water changes take care of it? Basically I'm trying to do something as low tech and natural as possible. Is there anything natural (like fish) that I can put in a tank to increase Co2?
Last edited:
If you're looking for an easy maintenance tank, you may want to stay away from 5-6wpg lighting. That is extremely high lighting and will definetely need pressurized co2 and frequent fertilizer dosing. Not to mention alot of pruning to keep the growth under control. In a 10 gallon sized tank, you'll have your hands full if you only maintain it once a week. I would go with a low-med high light(1.5-3wpg) tank and skip the co2 addition. Use Flourish Excel if you have to. It's much more practical if you don't want to use DIY, as co2 systems are a bit much for a small 10g tank. Anubias, crypts, java fern/moss would all be great plants to use.
Thanks slappy. The main thing I'd like is to be able to get a fully planted tank. I'd also like to be able to have a little bit of a choice when it comes to types of plants. Where can I get 30W of lighting for a 10G tank? I've checked ABH, which everyone seems to like, but i'm looking for more than a retrofit, I'd need the whole set up, kinda like the custom sealife hood I have for my 10G Reef. I've heard of people using 2x15W HO. What size do those come in and where is it best to find them?
Look into Hagen's CO2 system. Same as the DIY system, but not DIY 
You'll need to hide the reactor behind plants, although it's not bad-looking. If you go with Flourish excel, that needs daily dosing, or a few times a week. A pressurized system would be overkill for a 10-gal.
As someone else mentioned, 5-6 wpg is way too much. I wouldn't go higher than 3, but no lower than 2. That way you have a decent choice of plants, you can try pretty much anything. With more light, it will be harder to control; faster growth, more fertilizers, possibly harder to fight algae if you don't keep up on the ferts.
It's pretty much impossible to find a ready-made hood for a 10-gal that comes with the right size PC bulbs. I've never heard of one. What I use is a 2 x 13W PC retrofit from ahsupply.com, built into a Hagen hood. Most 10-gallons use that. You can't get a 2-bulb NO strip for that size thank. If you go with a 20 gallon, you may have better options.
Low light is an option, but you will be VERY limited in your choice of plants, and growth will be very slow. You will need very little fertilizers, but CO2 would still help.
Go for a good substrate - most people would recommend Seachem's Flourite. One bag will be enough for a ~2 inch bed. It won't substitute for CO2 though. And get smallish, non-destructive fish.
Edit: what's the custom sealife reef hood you're talking about? If it uses PC bulbs, can you get them in a different colour temperature? From what I know, reefs need a lot of light, but in a different spectrum. So would it be possible to get the same hood, but with bulbs in the range of 4500-6000 K? Again, don't go for more than ~3OW though.
You'll need to hide the reactor behind plants, although it's not bad-looking. If you go with Flourish excel, that needs daily dosing, or a few times a week. A pressurized system would be overkill for a 10-gal.As someone else mentioned, 5-6 wpg is way too much. I wouldn't go higher than 3, but no lower than 2. That way you have a decent choice of plants, you can try pretty much anything. With more light, it will be harder to control; faster growth, more fertilizers, possibly harder to fight algae if you don't keep up on the ferts.
It's pretty much impossible to find a ready-made hood for a 10-gal that comes with the right size PC bulbs. I've never heard of one. What I use is a 2 x 13W PC retrofit from ahsupply.com, built into a Hagen hood. Most 10-gallons use that. You can't get a 2-bulb NO strip for that size thank. If you go with a 20 gallon, you may have better options.
Low light is an option, but you will be VERY limited in your choice of plants, and growth will be very slow. You will need very little fertilizers, but CO2 would still help.
Go for a good substrate - most people would recommend Seachem's Flourite. One bag will be enough for a ~2 inch bed. It won't substitute for CO2 though. And get smallish, non-destructive fish.
Edit: what's the custom sealife reef hood you're talking about? If it uses PC bulbs, can you get them in a different colour temperature? From what I know, reefs need a lot of light, but in a different spectrum. So would it be possible to get the same hood, but with bulbs in the range of 4500-6000 K? Again, don't go for more than ~3OW though.
Last edited:
johnstires,
You can have that plush, fully planted 10g that you are describing with 3wpg. If you go to 5wpg you will have your hands full and if you get to 6wpg you will have more problems than Martha Stewart.
You can get 3wpg with two of those 15w under cabinet florescent lighting units. A cover/hood is easy to build.
Excel is a great way to introduce carbon to a 10g without any hassle at all. It works great in a small aquarium.
HTH
PP
You can have that plush, fully planted 10g that you are describing with 3wpg. If you go to 5wpg you will have your hands full and if you get to 6wpg you will have more problems than Martha Stewart.
You can get 3wpg with two of those 15w under cabinet florescent lighting units. A cover/hood is easy to build.
Excel is a great way to introduce carbon to a 10g without any hassle at all. It works great in a small aquarium.
HTH
PP
OK, I'm gonna give this one a try, and let you know how I'd do a "low-tech" 10 gallon tank. I'd first go with the simplest methods available. If you must go with 3+wpg, then get a small hagen "Nutrafin Natural Plant System". It's the right size for the job, and it clips neatly onto the back of the tank. It looks pleasant enough to not be an eyesore.
Personally, since you can only mess with it once a week, I'd go without any CO2 addition and go with no more than 2wpg for light. The whole setup can be done fairly cheap, too. Just get a standard INCANDESCENT light fixture, which usually come with two screw in light sockets. Dr. Foster + Smith (and many other locations) sell All Glass brand "Mini Compact Bulbs". These are the screw-in, compact flourescent bulbs and are 10 watts each. Since you can use two of them, You will have 2 wpg. In that small (shallow) of a tank, you shouldn't have any problems with all but the most demanding of plants. I would also add a fine layer (small handful) of about 2mm thick layer of peat moss to the bottom of the tank, and then cover with your choice of substrate. I'd go with one of the more expensive, but nutrient rich varieties (Flourite, Onyx, EcoComplete, etc.)
I'd use Crypts as the groundcover (many different varieties look good) and stick with Java Fern, Anubias, Java Moss, and then throw in some stems for accent points. Feel free to adjust this as you like, but my point is to stick with very hardy, non-demanding plants. This will make it seem like you really know what you are doing in the "client's" eyes. Also, I'd do the standard of stocking first very heavily with stem and floaters, then slowly adjust the tank as you aquascape. This will help knock out that algae phase that everyone hates so much. For fish, I'd stick with majorily small algae eaters. I have really been enjoying my Florida Flag Fish since I've gotten them, and they look great for algae eaters. They are one of the few who chomp down black beard and hair algaes. They been doing some serious lawn mowing in my tank! I'd also get one or two Ottos, also.
This setup would probably be very "user-friendly" and not require much more than water changes on a decent schedule. You could probably do 25% every week and you may not have to worry about ferts at all! This tank can be so low maintenance that you can do without a heater if the room temp stays in the low 70's steadily. The FFF are natives and Neons could be added (about 6 of them) which like temps in the 73-ish range just fine. Even the smallest heaters take up quite a bit of space in a small 10 gallon tank!
Personally, since you can only mess with it once a week, I'd go without any CO2 addition and go with no more than 2wpg for light. The whole setup can be done fairly cheap, too. Just get a standard INCANDESCENT light fixture, which usually come with two screw in light sockets. Dr. Foster + Smith (and many other locations) sell All Glass brand "Mini Compact Bulbs". These are the screw-in, compact flourescent bulbs and are 10 watts each. Since you can use two of them, You will have 2 wpg. In that small (shallow) of a tank, you shouldn't have any problems with all but the most demanding of plants. I would also add a fine layer (small handful) of about 2mm thick layer of peat moss to the bottom of the tank, and then cover with your choice of substrate. I'd go with one of the more expensive, but nutrient rich varieties (Flourite, Onyx, EcoComplete, etc.)
I'd use Crypts as the groundcover (many different varieties look good) and stick with Java Fern, Anubias, Java Moss, and then throw in some stems for accent points. Feel free to adjust this as you like, but my point is to stick with very hardy, non-demanding plants. This will make it seem like you really know what you are doing in the "client's" eyes. Also, I'd do the standard of stocking first very heavily with stem and floaters, then slowly adjust the tank as you aquascape. This will help knock out that algae phase that everyone hates so much. For fish, I'd stick with majorily small algae eaters. I have really been enjoying my Florida Flag Fish since I've gotten them, and they look great for algae eaters. They are one of the few who chomp down black beard and hair algaes. They been doing some serious lawn mowing in my tank! I'd also get one or two Ottos, also.
This setup would probably be very "user-friendly" and not require much more than water changes on a decent schedule. You could probably do 25% every week and you may not have to worry about ferts at all! This tank can be so low maintenance that you can do without a heater if the room temp stays in the low 70's steadily. The FFF are natives and Neons could be added (about 6 of them) which like temps in the 73-ish range just fine. Even the smallest heaters take up quite a bit of space in a small 10 gallon tank!
Wow! Thanks for all the options. This is alot to digest. I'm glad to have such varies opinions, the more the better. Right now I'm leaning towards spending most on the lights. Probably a custom hood from ABH (It should look nice) with 2x13W bulbs. Then i'll use the onyx seachem maybe around 20lbs (i like DSB). The Excell is a good option and I think once a week will be perfect along with a 1-2G water change. I'm not really one for fertilizing, I tend to think less is better. As for fish I'm going to go with one school of tetras as a focal point. If there are any other fish that are benificial to a tank (algae eaters, bottom feeders), I may add 1 or 2. As for the aquascaping, I haven't come to the exact plants I want, but I've seen amano takashi's work and I aspire to make a tank half that nice. I'll probably only have 3-4 varieties of plants, mostly with creeping ground cover, a few tall plants to offset and 1 off color plant. But I'll cross that bridge after I figure out the hardware I need for the tank. That is the most important. This is so exciting! I've been into reef tanks so long I forgot how gorgeous freshwater tanks are. Thanks again for the opinions. i'd love to hear more about how people would go about setting up this 10G tank.