another newbie with newbie questions about a new tank

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bcmakesiteasy

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Messages
36
Hi all, this is my first post on these forums and i'm also new to the whole aquarium scene :fish2: Here is my situation:

I bought a 1.5 gallon tank (a huge mistake, i know) that came with a crappy in water whisper filter. I bought the decor, gravel and all that as well. Me not knowing too much, not doing any research, and buying the tank kit on a whim, I bought a few guppies and put them in only to find them dead within a day or so :huh: After further research, I figured out that I need to cycle the tank properly before doing all that. (I will be following the fish less cycle guide once I get my new tank). I have decided to scrap this 1.5 gallon tank and buy a 10 gallon starter tank, and do the fishless cycling.

My question is: Can I use the gravel, and decor and put it into my new 10 gallon tank? I realize I have not property cycled this small tank, yet I have done water changes and decholorinated the water, as well as left the filter on with my heater for almost a week now. Would it speed up the process of cycling? Also, I plan to buy the top fin or aquaculture cheap 10 gallon starter kit and i Know the filter isnt the best, and i plan on changing out the bulbs as to florscent as well. I am on a tight budget and I know the filter these kits come with arent the best, and i was wondering if it would help if I used the power filter it comes with, and my old small in water whisper filter to supplement the filtration..would this make any difference?

Sorry for the essay guys! any help would be appreciated!
:brows:
 
Welcome. You said the fish died so has there been an ammonia source in the 1.5g to keep the little bit of BB alive? If not then it won't make a difference in the 10g tank. If you're going 10g I'd push to go with a 20g if at all possible, it'll give you more stocking options & the footprint isn't usually much bigger.
 
I'm a bit pressed for space, I didn't want something too big to take up my room in my apt. How much bigger is a 20 gal? And how much more would it cost me? I do have some ammonia build up from some of the fish dying, and i think I tried feeding them once or twice. I also forgot to mention I bought two other ones the next day in which they also died a few days later :/ My research came a little too late for them unfortunately as I was trying to lower ammonia levels with water changes and they seemed to be doing well but were dead by the end of the next day.
 
Also, I plan to buy the top fin or aquaculture cheap 10 gallon starter kit and i Know the filter isnt the best, and i plan on changing out the bulbs as to florscent as well. I am on a tight budget and I know the filter these kits come with arent the best, and i was wondering if it would help if I used the power filter it comes with, and my old small in water whisper filter to supplement the filtration..would this make any difference?
 
Usually the difference from a 10 to 20 gallon tank is about $10, give or take. I also recommend the 20 gallon, if you go with the 10 you are going to wish you went with the 20 in a month.

20 gallon tanks come in different sizes:

[FONT=Arial, Arial, Helvetica]20 High - [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Arial, Helvetica]24" x 12" x 17"[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Arial, Helvetica]20 Long - [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Arial, Helvetica]30" x 12" x 13"[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Arial, Helvetica]20 X-High - [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Arial, Helvetica]20" x 10" x 24"[/FONT]

compare that to a 10 gallon that is 20" x 10" x 13"

A 20-XH has the same footprint as a 10, but twice the volume of water.

A 20 high (or common 20 gallon tank) has a slightly larger footprint, only 4 inches longer and 2 inches wider.

If you can't find a price you agree with at the store look on craigslist.
 
you guys convinced me to go get a 20 gallon..currently looking for a good deal on craigslist. What's a good deal for a 20 gal tank + hood and light? Also, can anyone answer my question about using my old gravel/decor from my 1.5 gallon to my new tank? I dont think it is cycled, but would it speed up the process if i did add it in?
 
You can definitely add the substrate and deco from your other tank maybe even filter media if you get a new filter. It can't hurt to do it and if there is any beneficial bacteria it well help cycle the tank faster. Starting out you definitely want to take it slow. Good luck and be patient oh yea welcome to the forum.
 
I think you'll know a good deal when you see it but some say $1 or 2 per gallon for used. The main thing with buying used is to really check out the seals to make sure they are in good shape. if possible have the seller have it filled with water so you can see if it leaks if not definitely fill it when you get it home & leave it filled for at least 24 hrs to make sure no leaks, do it outside or in the garage to be on the safe side. Petco sometimes has a dollar per gallon sale so you might keep an eye on them if they're in your area.
 
awesome! thanks for the advice guys :) So i'm currently looking for either a 20 gallon or 29 gallon...how big is the difference in size and the difference of types of fish I can in between the two? Maybe some good beginner fish? I also want a tank with partial sand/gravel, along with half real plants and fake plants.
 
If you have a Petco near you there is an Aqueon 20g kit that comes with everything on sale for about $60. The 29g kit is $100. There is also a Tetra 20g kit with LED lights for $100. If you get something on craigslist I would pay much more than half of what you can get a brand new one for.

The 29 will give you way more fish options than the 20 will. It will allow you to have slightly larger fish or larger schools depending on which direction you take.
 
Well i am sort of on a budget, and this is my very first tank. I feel as if the 20 gallon would be a good starter for me and maybe in the future i'll get somethign bigger. I'm planning on putting the 20 gallon in my room, and anything bigger might be pushing it. And I will be checking out petco today!
 
What is your budget exactly? I know this is your first tank and all, but I've seen it all too often.. This hobby is rewarding and also somewhat addictive. I'd get the largest tank you can fit within your budget and space in your room. Also, a lot of folks that start with fish-only tanks start to venture into live plants as well. There are good beginner fish and plants and i think the Aqueon 25g kit that comes with a plant suitable T5 light fixture is a great buy and would offer you the flexibility.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3623645&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No
 
I would say I would want to get everything I need for a good 20 gallon setup including decor/filter/heater and the tank/hood for under 100 bucks..is that realitic?
 
The décor is whats gonna end up costing you a lot. For substrate you can go with play sand or pool filter sand. Usually runs less than $10. Those little decorations are pretty expensive and driftwood isn't cheap either.
 
The décor is whats gonna end up costing you a lot. For substrate you can go with play sand or pool filter sand. Usually runs less than $10. Those little decorations are pretty expensive and driftwood isn't cheap either.

Luckily from my 1.5 gallon (which i am going to take apart), I have about three decently sized plastic plants I bought for about 3-4 bucks a piece at walmart. I have a package of red gravel, and I have a heater that is supposed to heat up to 10 gallons..(would you suggest I get another one of these for a 20 gallon, or just get a new one that is strong enough to heat a 20 gall plus?) I just made a deal with a guy on craigslist for a 20 gallon with hood/light, stand, filter, and some decor (which I dont plan on using) for only 40 bucks! :flowers:cool:
 
Cool deal! Post up some pics as soon as you get it set up. As far as the heater goes it may work for you. If your house is in the 65 degree range I think you will be able to get away with it.
 
Wolfsblood is right the stuff that goes into the tank can cost more than the tank. What I've done is get the basics I needed & then over time as things have gone on sale or I have extra money, I purchase them. Depending on how big of a hurry you're in, you can sometimes get things cheaper online through amazon, petsolutions.com, Drs Foster & Smithjust to name a few. I've bought things from Petsmart really cheap because they had a flaw, I bought a really nice & big tree stump/root looking thing for less than $15 because it was on sale & had been damaged so they discounted the sale price, original price was almost $40. If you are going with a fish less cycle not all the decor needs to be added right away & it'll give you some time to space out your purchases. Definitely get the substrate & maybe a couple real/silk plants, then add a cave or two or whatever decoration you want while the tank cycles. Setting up my 10g tanks each cost over $100 & that was with buying the 10g kit On sale. The initial set up ain't cheap & then you keep finding ways to improve. :eek:)
 
The décor is whats gonna end up costing you a lot. For substrate you can go with play sand or pool filter sand. Usually runs less than $10. Those little decorations are pretty expensive and driftwood isn't cheap either.

I just did my 55g in sand, I went to lowes and got play sand, paid about $3.50!
 
Same with me. I had to rinse it like 100x times though. I cant find pool filter sand anywhere. The only kind they have at pool supply stores near me is mixed with zeolite and like $50 for 20lbs.
 
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