question

20% water change will still cycle the tank, don't worry.

Bare floor is ok but gravel is one of the places that bacteria go, so if your going to add it eventually, just get it now.

No filtration is very bad, that is where the bacteria would build up. If this was a 2nd tank you were looking into, then it is still bad because the water will get too dirty too fast.

No heater for a few days is ok if your ambient temp. is around 75-80 all the time.

That is lame those stores don't take things back. My petco gives you a little yellow paper that states dates bought, you have to bring that. LFS takes them for 2 weeks. Both my petco's are pretty good with fish, but I am the one asking the questions, they don't ask how I am going to house things. Then again a not so local FS sold me a clown loach and the hood to a 15g tank in one purchase, they had to think that size tank wasn't good for the loach. Though the LFS I trust(ed?) said that they do fine in 10-20g tanks, that they had 6 adults in a 29g (I think). Oh well.
 
PS- Now that I've seen your post, dumbo, I'm wondering why the store employee didn't ask you about your tank size and how long it was set up, etc.
When I ask people this stuff at work they sometimes look at me like, 'Why are you grilling me?' but I think if whoever waited on you in the store had done their job properly they wouldn't have let you get those fish to begin with. It is not all your fault, and I'm glad you are concerned enough to try and do damage control...good luck.
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It was probably part my fault as I didn't really ask. I used to keep a fancy betta [a friend moved and left him to me] in a 1 gallon tank for a long time. All I did was feeding him every couple of days and change about 50% of water every week. He didn't even have an air pump or a filter.. nothing.. so I knew nothing about a proper tank with less hardy fish. I should have asked the store assistant question before buying!

What I'm gonna do is to keep changing 1/5 of water everyday and test the water. I did it just now and the platies seemed much happier.

I'm getting a new tank with no hood [another $10 10-gallon tank and a $7 air pump]. I will put some gravel in and move the cory and blackskirt tetras in there.. I hope with only 3 fish in there the water won't turn bad very quickly. Will get other gadgets.. filter, heater and live plants piece by piece a little later. Luckily it's summer!

Thanks a lot for your advice.

Dumbo
 
If you're going to pic up another 10g tank and an air pump, I'd recommend getting a sponge filter as well. For a mere $5 you could get a good sponge filter and use the air pump to run it. This will provide biological and some mechanical filtration after you establish the bacterial colony.
 
Raskolnikov said:
If you're going to pic up another 10g tank and an air pump, I'd recommend getting a sponge filter as well. For a mere $5 you could get a good sponge filter and use the air pump to run it. This will provide biological and some mechanical filtration after you establish the bacterial colony.
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I'd also reccomend that, and I"d use some squeezings of filter media from one of your other tanks to help jump start the cycling process.

Emily
 
Good news, bad news, and questions

Good news - most of my fish are still alive!

Bad news - I lost the two sunset platies. One was suicidal and jumped out of the tank. I left the cover off because I'm changing water like everyday. I didn't know platies jumped. Thought it was only a trademark of bettas. The other died from difficult pregnancy I think. When she came home with me, she had a huge belly.. and I had no clue how pregnant she was. The other day I was out and when I came back her belly was flat.. but I couldn't find little fish anywhere.. maybe the baby (babies?) was eaten or something. Then the mommy started swimming on her side and sank to the bottom of the tank. She died the next morning. :(

I've also bought a $5 sponge filter for the new tank. I have questions though. It was a filter from Smallworld.. one with carbon on top and sponge at the bottom. On the package it said change the cartridge every 2-4 weeks. I thought we were supposed to keep the sponge relatively dirly for bacteria colony. If I keep using a clean cartridge, how will it affect my tank?
And another question, is this filter okay with a 10 gallon tank, capacitywise.

Thanks!!!

Dumbo
 
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A sponge filter...i dont think so never heard of any high performence sponge filters tho. What kind of sponge filter is it? is it a power head attatched to a sponge? the way you described it sounds like a in water canister filter cause i never heard of a sponge filter needing replacement.

Sorry to hear about your passed away fishes tho.
 
TipStylez said:
A sponge filter...i dont think so never heard of any high performence sponge filters tho. What kind of sponge filter is it? is it a power head attatched to a sponge? the way you described it sounds like a in water canister filter cause i never heard of a sponge filter needing replacement.

Sorry to hear about your passed away fishes tho.
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I don't think it's high-performance. It's like the cheapest kind on the rack. This is what I bought.
Smallworld sponge filter and I'm supposed to pull out the plastic box inside the frame and put a new one in every once in a while.

They said it was for a small tank. I'm putting it in a 10-gallon. I hope it works..
 
NO, i suspect that filter is not going to do it for your 10 gallon.
better than nothing for now.
dont change the cartridges or anything.
I will find a picture of the cheap sponge filter that i think people were talking about.
next time you post, could you please list what fish you have again?
Besides having a tank that is cycling ,you have ,i think way too many fish.
that means a whole lot more ammonia and nitrites in the water, which means fish losses. It also may be why your fish jumped out.
Good for you for all the water changes and for working hard at getting the fish better conditions.
If you could get a private fish store to take any of them in exchange for credit, that would help you.
 
zazz said:
I will find a picture of the cheap sponge filter that i think people were talking about.
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I was referencing something along these lines:

a_HydroSponges0-5A.jpg

http://www.jehmco.com/PRODUCTS_/FILTRATION/Hydro-Sponge_Filters/body_hydro-sponge_filters.html
 
here are a couple of pages to look at:
http://honors.montana.edu/~weif/firsttank/sponge.phtml
http://www.franksaquarium.com/sponge_filters.htm ( scroll down, my lfs sells these yellowy ones even cheaper these will work much better than what you have)
I know you want to start with Just the cheapest most essential elements ,so, maybe this will help.
Filtration, in your tank, is much more important than air bubbles.
Lukily you can use your airpump to run a sponge filter!
The most important type of filtration is ''biological filtration".
I think the first link above might talk about that.
The carbon and floss and things that get replaced on filters, those serve diferent purposes.
They remove floaties (AKA particulate matter, thats 'mechanical filtration') or they remove certain chemicals(chemical filtration)...
none of that is essential for you right now.
The basic thing you are trying to do is grow a nice healthy bacterial filter to handle the ammonia. Thats why I said dont replace anything on your little filter. let it all serve as nice surface area for bacteria. (Although they will grow on any surface in the tank, the water flowing through the filter allows more to grow there, thats what we want).
If you see that the filter seems to be clogging up, you can take the cartridge off and try swishing it around in the TANK water that you take out at water change to clean it. Don't rinse it under running water in the sink because the chlorine in the water will kill your good bacteria.
This will help you get the most out of your little filter, But I'm afraid you will still most likely want to get a cheap sponge filter.The one you have is designed for something under 5 gals i think.
google DIY sponge filter and see f you dont find someting...
keep up the good work and all those water changes. :thm:
sorry if This is repeating info u already have.
 
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