Filter for a ten gallon tank and cycling questions

[sarah5775]

I plan on getting a ten gallon tank next week. I already have a heater (though its a little big for a ten gallon, I think I can just turn it low) I was wondering what kind of filter would be best. I'm thinking a whisper ten or maybe twenty, a regular hang on the back filter. Is there a better filter for less than 25 dollars? Also, I do not intend it to be a planted aquarium. Is it ok to have it without a light, or would that adversely affect the fish?

Also, about cycling. I'd like to speed up the cycle by adding some gravel from my established tanks.

Ok- A really stupid question. My Whisper 30 filter bag will probably not fit in the filter I get for the ten gallon, so can I just float it in the water for a few days to seed? I'm sorry, that is a very stupid question but I really don't know. Or do I take carbon out of the filter bag and use that to seed? Please let me know.

I am moving over some of the fish from my overcrowded 29 gallon. I was planning on moving the four neons to the ten, and also my female (non-pregnant) molly. I know a ten gallon tank is small for a molly, but I have to separate her from my rapidly growing baby male. That way I can keep him, (I'm really attached, he was my first fry) but I don't have to worry about keeping another one to make a trio of three. (which would be nice, but no room) I have to keep this female because she is very old and half-blind and my lfs won't take her. Plus I've had her a long time, since I started, and she's sweet.

I'm keeping the five black longfin tetras and four barbs in the 29 gallon (the lfs won't take them, says they are too old because I had them for a year) but I was wondering if I could fit a platy or two (same sex) in the ten gallon tank with the molly and neons, or if I should leave it at that. I also might want to leave some room in the future for some kind of algae control, be it a snail or two (though they aren't doing much of a job in my 29 gallon) or a few ottos. Although maybe in a non-lighted tank it won't be a problem. It still would be nice to have a snail or some kind of bottom dweller, but not necessary.

I have found in my experience that mollies and neons are delicate fish so they would be bad to move to an unestablished tank. Should I move them when I seed the tank, test the water every day, and be prepared to do a lot of water changes, or is that too risky?

That would leave me:

10 gallon

4 neons
1 molly
(1 or 2 platies)?

29 gallon

5 black longfin tetras
4 gold barbs
1 molly
4-6 platies
Hopefully several ottos

Is that better?

 

[theotheragentm]

AquaClear. They're quite inexpensive from PetSmart.com or you can print out the price and price match in store. A large heater should be fine. It will just heat up the tank faster than a smaller heater.

You should wait until the tank is fully seeded before adding fish always. Mollies generally do better in brackish water. Research seems to indicate that is because the salt neutralizes nitrates to some extent. I remember reading that somewhere, but maybe I'm just making stuff up. That being said, Mollies can survive in freshwater, but my experience indicates it has to be kept immaculately clean or else you end up with fin rot and fungus. So on top of it being a better idea to wait until the tank is fully seeded no matter what, it goes double when dealing with Mollies.

 

[sarah5775]

What do you mean by fully seeded? Do you mean cycled? I am assuming if I add gravel with the bacteria I will need some kind of ammonia source. Should I put in fish food or a piece of shrimp in and wait for the water stats to be right before I put in the fish? I'm sorry if I'm being dense. I can also add aquarium salt, but would the neons be ok in it?

Can get the aquaclear.

 

[theotheragentm]

Yes, I mean fully cycled. Sorry for the confusion. Are you moving the existing filter over? If you do that, you can add fish right away, but slowly. Coupled with the gravel you will be moving over, you should be moving a sufficient supply of bacteria. Then you can run the AquaClear when you get it side by side for another week or so to let the bacteria colony develop on that.

 

[malloc]

AquaClear. They're quite inexpensive from PetSmart.com

I keep seeing people recommend these from petsmart.com, but I can't find them on the website!
Can you post a link? This is not the same as the powerheads, is it? That's all I see on there.

http://www.petsmart.com/global/prod...t=aquaclear&In=All&previousText=aquaclear&N=2

I found the filters in the store, but they're much more expensive. There's a $5 off orders of $20 for petsmart.com right now, so I'd like to order one of these filters =) (see http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?t=483204 for coupon)

thanks!

 

[An t-iasg]

That's strange...I can't find the AquaClear HOB filters on the website either.

 

[7Enigma]

Let's see if this works:

http://www.petsmart.com/global/prod...82&itemNo=5&In=Fish&N=2030059+4294966852&Ne=2

I'm pretty sure that won't work but go to petsmart.com, click on Fish, click on filtration/circulation, along the left side of the page click on Aqua Clear (under brands), then click on Aqua Clear filters by Hagen. For a 10 gallon tank I would recommend the Aqua Clear 30 (more filtration than needed but you can lower the flow and have a larger bioload capacity).

HTH