Stock my 10g!

[Roan Art]

If you can add some java moss to your tank, it helps reduce the ammonia and nitrite levels, heres a link that might help with the info

Actually, any fast growing aquarium plant will help with ammonia and nitrite levels. Anacharis and hornwort are much better than java moss in this regard as mosses actually grow a lot more slowly than the other two and are more picky about the lighting they receive.

The reason the site you linked to advocates java moss is because they are trying to stick plants in little betta "containers". There's no room in there for a plant like anacharis or hornwort. No room for a bloody betta fish either, IMHO.

But I digress. You do have to watch out for algae when using plants, however.

There are sections in this Cycling Article that deal with using plants:

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64301

Roan

 

[wrigh003]

Today- no change from yesterday.

77* and sunny
pH7.5
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 5
Nitrite 0

Plants seem to be doing well, fish all look and act healthy. The platys are lingering more toward the bottom of the tank and hoovering up whatever the mollies knock off the surface of the water at feeding time. Altogether, I have decided that the silver mollies that I got must have been crossed with a pig somewhere in their past.

I'm not totally clear on what amount to feed, so I'm going with the one small pinch instead of the "1 medium flake per fish" method. I guess that's because I'm still using the sample pouch of old standby TetraMin and it's all tiny flakes. They don't seem to be leaving much if any behind, and whatever gets caught on the plants or what have you is generally gone when I go back to look a while later.

I have a HOB filter with this setup, and it generally pounds whatever floating food that I put in into TetraMist as soon as it runs under the outflow. Do those feeder ring deals work? Are they recommended?

Still haven't done a water change, since it's apparently not been needed yet. Think the plants are using up ammonia (as food) that would otherwise go to feed the bacteria?

End miscellaneous new-tank rambling for today.

A picture:

:dance2: