first 10g tank for son

[slvrcvc]

I recently bought a 10g tank that included all the basics. So far I've had it for two days. The tank was for my 9 yr old son and since I didnt know much about aquariums I've already made some mistakes in setup (thankfully to the advice and stickies on this forum I'm in the process of correcting and improving the health of my water immensely).

I did some intensive research and used the search on this board and feel comfortable planning to stock the tank but would like to hear what the experts have to say about my particular choices.

I was planning on getting a betta, 4 neon tetras, 2 corydoras, and 2 ghost shrimp. I have a feeling I'm pushing the limits here but I'm willing to eliminate a corydora and the shrimp if necessary.

some alternatives I'm ok with are; swordtails, catfish, another type of tetra. I'd like to keep the betta most since I really think they are pretty and need to rescue them from that little plastic cup!

So if someone could comment on my setup or give more advice I would be very thankful.

Right now I'm just trying out my new freshwater test kit for the next few days to make sure everything is balanced this time.
(I made the mistake of taking a friends advice and plopped in some feeder goldfish on the first day... and still in the process of getting the setup correct).

 

[TKOS]

Well I am glad you have read through the stickies.

As for the stocking the betta is a good start. Neons are great as well but be aware that they are generally considered a weak fish. So if some die don't assume it is your fault, it may be the stock. 4-5 would be a good number for a small tank. Cories need buddies. I would suggest getting three of them, I wouldn't add any less. Got for peppered or spotted if possible as they seem to stay a little smaller, pygmies stay the smallest but I have never seen them. Albino and bronze get slightly bigger.

The ghost shrimp will not cause much problem as regards to the bio load.

If you add some easy to care for live plants like crpyts, or java fern it will help as well. Water Sprite or Hornwort are also good choices.

Testing the water and doing lots of water changes will help keep your 10 gallon in good shape. Also with higher bioloads, reduced feeding will help keep the water quality better as well. 2 times a week don't feed the fish. They will survive fine and the tank won't have too much buildup.

The temp will be a comprimise. The betta and cories don't like it quite as hot as neons but keeping it around 78F should be a good way to go.

 

[kikuchiyo]

Defintely get more cories; three at least, four is even better.

TKOS said neons are rather delicate (and they defintely tend to be), but there is a drip procedure (basically putting the neons in a bucket with the water they came in and then dripping aquarium water into the bucket for an hour or so) that evidently helps a lot in getting them acclimated. I've heard cardinals (which are a bit bigger but look like neons ) are hardier. Rummy nose or glow light tetras might be another option (if they'll fit in the aquarium).

Another interesting addition might be one or two African Dwarf Frogs. They're interesting buggers and with enough hiding places they'll be very happy in your 10 gallon. ADFs, cories, and even the betta (from time to time) will defintely benefit from a cave or a small clay plant pot or two at the bottom of the aquarium to hide in.

Hope that helps.

 

[glassfish]

I am still a newbie, but wanted to add this in...

I think corys are sensitive too, aren't they? Esepecially for cycling a new tank?

I love the corys! I have 11 dwarf corys (split into two schools for two tanks) and they are adorable! Their max size is about 1".

I waited until my tanks cycled before adding them, and I lost one 12 hours after adding, probably due to a difference in ph (0.4)between the store and my tank. I acclimated over ~1.5 hours but still lost one.

The other 6 I just got today for my big tank, and I did a very gradual acclimation (~3 hours) so I hope all goes well...!

Just my 0.02


PS - I use a product called Nitromax if I ever get a a spike - works great! My Dad recently set up a 29 gal - he cycled the tank in 8 days using Nitromax.
(standard disclaimer - not affiliated with Nitromax in any way, just a happy customer)

 

[slvrcvc]

this is great advice and thank you. I'm going to go for the betta, 4 corys, and 5 neon tetras for now. I never thought about the ADF's but I will take a look at them at the lfs

its funny this tank was for my son but now I'm really into it and wish I had gotten a 20g instead. maybe thats my next step maybe a 30g if I can convince my wife hehe.

I'll take pictures soon and once things are going well and thanks for the advice about acclimating the tetras.

 

[TKOS]

I you want to add frogs then I would suggest dropping the cories. The frogs still produce a lot of waste, as much as any fish of a similar size.

As for cycling the tank, I assume you have read about both fishless and fishy cycling. Fishless is definatley the way to go these days, but if you go with a fishy cycle then add the neons last, and add only a small amount of fish at a time. Add the betta first and do water testing. If ammonia and nitrite start to build do a water change to get rid of them. I would wait for a couple of week sand then add the cories. Follow the procedure. But do not add the neons until ammonia and nitrite levels are staying at zero by themselves.

 

[LongTime]

Originally posted by slvrcvc
its funny this tank was for my son but now I'm really into it and wish I had gotten a 20g instead. maybe thats my next step maybe a 30g if I can convince my wife hehe.

Face it Dad, you are hooked! If you go for a 20 look for a 20 long instead of the high. You will have more surface area and swimming room.

What filter do you have for the 10?

 

[tomm10]

Originally posted by slvrcvc
this is great advice and thank you. I'm going to go for the betta, 4 corys, and 5 neon tetras for now. I never thought about the ADF's but I will take a look at them at the lfs

This sounds like a good plan. You can get the ghost shrimp too but I would warn that they're fairly difficult to keep alive. The only luck I've had with them is to add iodine (marine iodine no the medical stuff) to the tank. It helps them molt which is generally the period they're most vulnerable at. Of course, at $.29 a piece they're not much of a risk to experiment with.

Tom

 

[happychem]

4 cories, 5 tetras and a betta... hmmm, looks a little on the heavy side to me. But really, that's just MO.

For plants, definitely go with some 'easy' ones like java fern/moss and crypts. But be sure to get some stem plants in there too. Something like watersprite, hornwort, wisteria, etc. IME the slow growing plants like java fern do a lot better with some nutrient hogs around to eat up the excess.

 

[silentskream]

what do you mean by "nutrient hogs"? i'm in the fishless cycling my tank and preparing to go buy some plants to help pull the nitrites down.. are there some plants that "suck up" the nitrites faster/better? i was told to get java fern, but it sounds like i should get something else too?