RoseyCometAquarium
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2012
- Messages
- 8
What could I do to improve my tank?
My 10 gallon tank
- Thread starter RoseyCometAquarium
- Start date
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KaylNeko
Aquarium Advice FINatic
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2011
- Messages
- 766
Do you have future plans for the comet as it gets bigger? He's going to outgrow your ten gallon, unfortunately. Other than that, it looks good. I like the shells. Personally, I would add plants. I'm partial to lots of plants. 
Amazon sword, anubias, java fern, maybe a floating plant or java moss--fish really seem to enjoy swimming in and out of the leaves.
Amazon sword, anubias, java fern, maybe a floating plant or java moss--fish really seem to enjoy swimming in and out of the leaves. RoseyCometAquarium
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2012
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- 8
Can i have some more care and info about those plants like water temperature, lighting, subsrtate stuff like that? I really only leave my lights on for like 1 hr a day so I want to get a plant with low light requiuremts but my lighting hours can always go up so can you give me some more info about the plants? Especially substrate
absolutangel04
Daphnia are People Too.
Even low light plants will need more than an hour of light a day. You could always get a timer that way the lights will come on even if you're not there.
Anubias and is easy to grow. A lot of the sword plants get way too big for a 10g tank, Amazon sword for example can reach 2 feet tall. Plants are pretty flexible about temperature, so if your tank is within the basic standard tropical temps (72-80), then you will be fine. For substrate, it depends a bit on the plant, but most rooted plants do fine in gravel or sand.
Anubias and is easy to grow. A lot of the sword plants get way too big for a 10g tank, Amazon sword for example can reach 2 feet tall. Plants are pretty flexible about temperature, so if your tank is within the basic standard tropical temps (72-80), then you will be fine. For substrate, it depends a bit on the plant, but most rooted plants do fine in gravel or sand.
I'm not trying to be rude, but I do want to give it to you straight since I think maybe you got some bad information when you bought your tank. If you really want to improve it then either rehome some fish or get a much, much larger tank.
I counted, I think, 8 or 9 rosy reds in there. They get to 2-3 inches and I personally wouldn't even have that many in a ten gallon. Then of course there's the comet. Comets can grow to a foot long, having it in a tank that small is going to stunt it considerably and shorten it's life.
Plenty of people make the same mistake, the important thing is what they do when they learn better. Sure you probably got these guys out of the feeder fish tanks but they still need taken care of. I am sorry if this sounded rude, but it's the truth.
I counted, I think, 8 or 9 rosy reds in there. They get to 2-3 inches and I personally wouldn't even have that many in a ten gallon. Then of course there's the comet. Comets can grow to a foot long, having it in a tank that small is going to stunt it considerably and shorten it's life.
Plenty of people make the same mistake, the important thing is what they do when they learn better. Sure you probably got these guys out of the feeder fish tanks but they still need taken care of. I am sorry if this sounded rude, but it's the truth.
KaylNeko
Aquarium Advice FINatic
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2011
- Messages
- 766
I didn't count the minnows...with that many, c leed's right. If it's just the minnows and lots of water changes every week, it may be doable...just a lot of work. Is it possible to upgrade to a 55 or a 75 gallon? That would give your comet (just the one) room, and give you room for a larger school of minnows (and more plants! *lol* )
All the plants I listed are low light plants--it if was a light that came with a hood, it'll be fine. If not, give us the wattage and we'll tell you if it'll work. You'd be best served keeping the light on for at least 8 hrs a day unless the tank gets a lot of natural sunlight (but then you'd be fighting algae...tank light's simpler ). Absolutangel's right about the timer. You can get one pretty cheap if your light plug has two prongs--I got mine from Walgreens for 5 bucks. To get a 3 prong, I had to get it from Petsmart, but it was still only, like, 10 bucks.
Your gravel will be fine for them. Anubias, java fern, and floating plants don't need substrate anyway, and the sword plants will grow just fine--a root tab every 3 or 4 months would help it grow, but not strictly necessary. They can be kept in a ten gallon--just trim the leaves off that get too tall. Water Wisteria would also be an option--again, just keep it trimmed down to the height you want. Their preferred temperatures are pretty broad, so no worries on that--the only issues you might have is if you keep it above 85 or so, and you need to be not doing that anyway because of the fish.
If it's just the minnows and lots of water changes every week, it may be doable...just a lot of work. Is it possible to upgrade to a 55 or a 75 gallon? That would give your comet (just the one) room, and give you room for a larger school of minnows (and more plants! *lol* )All the plants I listed are low light plants--it if was a light that came with a hood, it'll be fine. If not, give us the wattage and we'll tell you if it'll work. You'd be best served keeping the light on for at least 8 hrs a day unless the tank gets a lot of natural sunlight (but then you'd be fighting algae...tank light's simpler
). Absolutangel's right about the timer. You can get one pretty cheap if your light plug has two prongs--I got mine from Walgreens for 5 bucks. To get a 3 prong, I had to get it from Petsmart, but it was still only, like, 10 bucks. Your gravel will be fine for them. Anubias, java fern, and floating plants don't need substrate anyway, and the sword plants will grow just fine--a root tab every 3 or 4 months would help it grow, but not strictly necessary. They can be kept in a ten gallon--just trim the leaves off that get too tall. Water Wisteria would also be an option--again, just keep it trimmed down to the height you want. Their preferred temperatures are pretty broad, so no worries on that--the only issues you might have is if you keep it above 85 or so, and you need to be not doing that anyway because of the fish.
