Hi! Looking for advice on freshwater tank

[iVintage87]

HI! Ok so as in my other thread I said I thought a tank would be a nice addition to my room as something calming and nice to look at etc.
So now since that night I have looked into both saltwater and freshwater tanks.
I decided freshwater would be better since I don't have really any experience in keep a fishtank.
I'm looking at maybe a 10 to 15 gallon tank. Nothing really large yet I would like to get more experience under my belt before I start venturing off into bigger tanks.
I have also been reading about the difference between planted and not planted but fake plant tanks...I decided I think I want to try a planted tank, it just seems like it would be worth the extra time and effort.
So with that said here comes my first questions....

1.what are some good hardy, low light plants for a tank of the 10 to 15 gal size? (I've seen a lot of suggestions but then some people say disagree)

2. Is soil necessary? If I was to do A planted tank what kind of tank substrate should I use?

3. HOw about good hardy fish for a beginner?

4. Equipment for a 10 to 15 gallon?

Anything I'm forgetting?
As for equipment I saw this site....is it missing anything?
Freshwater Fish Aquarium Setup

 

[joy13]

Good plants for low light tanks is java fern, anubia, java fern, african fern and crypts. The only one that is planted in the substrate is the crypts from the group that I suggested.

Soil isn't necessary, I use a light dusting when I start a new tank I want to put crypts in right away. If you are going to do stems at some future time it is worth putting in something like fluorite to begin with.

A good hardy fish is really going to depend on the size of tank and what kind of water you have.

Go with the biggest tank you can afford and have room for. It will be more stable and give you a bigger variety of options.

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

HI! Ok so as in my other thread I said I thought a tank would be a nice addition to my room as something calming and nice to look at etc.
So now since that night I have looked into both saltwater and freshwater tanks.
I decided freshwater would be better since I don't have really any experience in keep a fishtank.
I'm looking at maybe a 10 to 15 gallon tank. Nothing really large yet I would like to get more experience under my belt before I start venturing off into bigger tanks.
I have also been reading about the difference between planted and not planted but fake plant tanks...I decided I think I want to try a planted tank, it just seems like it would be worth the extra time and effort.
So with that said here comes my first questions....

1.what are some good hardy, low light plants for a tank of the 10 to 15 gal size? (I've seen a lot of suggestions but then some people say disagree)

2. Is soil necessary? If I was to do A planted tank what kind of tank substrate should I use?

3. HOw about good hardy fish for a beginner?

4. Equipment for a 10 to 15 gallon?

Anything I'm forgetting?
As for equipment I saw this site....is it missing anything?
Freshwater Fish Aquarium Setup

1. Here is a list (with some pictures) of low lights plants that don't require much work and would work good in beginner aquariums.
PlantGeek.net - Plant Guide

2. You can use any substrate you want in planted aquariums, just some substrates give more benefits to plants then others. Since yours is going to be a low-light setup, spending extra money on specialized substrates might be a waste because your plants won't use as much anyways. You can just go by personally choice. Natural looking stuff is normally the best looking.

3. Some fun and suitable fish your planted aquariums and smaller aquariums (10G-15G) are small schooling fish like tetras, raboras, danios, dwarf rainbow fish, ect. Also if you go with live plants like you said before, a school of either 5-6 otto catfish or 2 BN plecos would be good to control algae and use them for a clean up crew for extra food.

4. For equipment, you should have a filter (Should get an HOB Powerfilter), a heater (smallish one, I think about 50W-100W), an airpump(optional, only run at night if you have live plants) a good light for your plants (since you are going low light, I would suggest about 20W lighting over your tank.)

Here is a list of equipment I would use for a 10G:

Filter: Aquaclear 20 Power Filter
Aquaclear 20 Power Filter at Big Al's Online

Heater: Aquarium Systems Visi-Therm Stealth Heater-50 Watt
Aquarium Systems Visi-Therm Stealth Heater-50 Watt at Big Al's Online

Airpump (optional): Tetra Whisper 10 Air Pump
Tetra Whisper 10 Air Pump at Big Al's Online

Lighting: All-Glass Single Strip Light- 24"
All-Glass Single Strip Light- 24" (Black) at Big Al's Online

Bulb (You'll need special plant bulb): Zoo Med Flora Sun Max Plant Growth Fluorescent Lamp
Zoo Med Flora Sun Max Plant Growth Fluorescent Lamp - 18" (T8) at Big Al's Online


Hope that helps you start off, give you an idea.

 

[iVintage87]

Thank you both so much for all the ideas. As far as algea eaters go along with the fish would something like some cherry or glass shrimp be ok too? I think the cherry shrimp would add some pretty color.

 

[joy13]

It really depends on the fish you are planning most fish will look at shrimp as something to eat.

 

[iVintage87]

I was thinking either tetras or danios or maybe a little bit of both...

 

[joy13]

Small tetras would be fine you won't have many small shrimp but the adult shrimp should be ok. I know a betta isn't usually a good idea with shrimp mine waited until the ghost shrimp molted and then ate them.

 

[iVintage87]

how big do cherry and ghost shrimp normally get? the pictures looked pretty small to me..but I'm probably wrong

 

[joy13]

I have some yellow ones they are about 3/4 of an inch long. Ghost shrimp are a little bigger. I just got mine this weekend the person I got them from had rasbora with them there was no little shrimp but the rasbora were in breeding condition probably from all the baby shrimp. BTW the yellow and cherry are just color variations of the same shrimp. If you aren't sure if your fish will eat shrimp go with something like a ghost shrimp they are a lot cheaper than the cherry.

 

[iVintage87]

alright, that sounds like a good idea. I'll start with a ghost shrimp and see if they eat him. shrimp aren't social are they? LOL I know that seems like a silly question I dont remember reading anything about them being social...but from keeping hamsters and especially my monitor I have learned that not everything you read even on informational sites are absolutely correct. It's always better to ask people with experience keeping.

 

[dinokath]

Welcome to the hobby and the forums Vintage!

My $.02:

- Just because you are new to the hobby doesn't mean you should do a small tank. In fact, a small tank is MUCH less forgiving that a larger tank. Reason is because you have more water to dilute the 'mistakes' in a larger tank vs. a smaller tank.

- If cost is a factor, yes, you will spend a little more on a larger tank, but it will be well worth it. You still need to get all of the same stuff, but just a little more/larger with a bigger tank.

- I think your choice is superb! I love my tanks. I have a 55 gallon I just converted to a planted tank and a 10 gallon I am setting up for a planted shrimp tank. I have been keeping fish for like 25 years and have learned more from this forum than anywhere else on the net.

- Danios and tetras are great first fish. Be sure you read the cycling articles and follow those to the letter. After that, run with whatever you think works for you.

Be sure to take your time and read and learn. The forums are great for bouncing your ideas/understanding and whatnot on the hobby off of other people. Read the info, think about how you want to apply it to your situation and then post here for others to bunk or confirm your thoughts. Remember, there are 1000 different ways to acheive the desired results and just because one person does it that way doesn't mean it will work for you.

Of course, there are some constants that you will have to follow, with proper cycling being one of those things. You can get by without doing it right, but you will be killing fish, and that ain't good. I take my fish keeping pretty seriously. Whether it is a $1 fish or a $50 fish (which I have NEVER bought! I think $10 is the most I have ever dropped on a fish!), you made a deal with those fish to provide the best possible care and environment for their happiness. Of course, it is kinda tough to tell sometimes when a fish is going to crash, but you'll learn what to look for.

Sounds like you are on your way! Post here and post often and everyone will give you thier $.02 on what you have to say or think!

Enjoy!

Dean

 

[iVintage87]

Thanks Dean, yeah I haven't even gotten my tank yet. I've been reading stuff and checking out some youtube videos about keeping freshwater planted tanks. Figured a forum would be the next best move with some experienced keepers. I'll keep the bigger tank in mind. Within the next week or so I plan on going to some stores and just checking out prices and what not on some tanks, equipment and plants. But I still don't think I'm going to get anything yet. Till I'm positive on what I want then its the tank, equipment, decor and plants first.

 

[joy13]

You will find there is some great deals on plants on this forum. A lot of places actually sell plants that aren't aquatic that will just stop growing and mess up your tank. If you can get a package deal on plants and pay for just one shipping it will make a big difference on price and it will give you a good assortment of plants as well.

When deciding on fish make sure they are plant friendly and not plant eaters.

 

[iVintage87]

does shipping not hurt the plants at all? I always thought shipping would be rough on plants

 

[joy13]

Not at all, just keep an eye on the weather. I try to get mine during the spring. Heat packs are always an option in the winter too. Shrimp ship well too. Crypts will usually melt when changing tanks but if left alone they spring back usually bigger and better than before.

 

[dinokath]

Well, think about it. At the LFS, the plants are shipped in. They don't deliver them in big tanks of water and not every LFS has a local aquatic plant grower nearby. Shipping is fine, I would splurge and get the next day shipping and arrange to have it delivered to your work if possible so they don't sit on your front porch all day long roasting! For a small tank though, it may be cost prohibitive to do online plant shopping as the shipping cost would outweight the overall cost savings (but you get a wicked great selection of plants to choose from)

 

[iVintage87]

Well I actually work from home, so missing a shipment isn't a particular problem. If I was to order the plants online, should I wait till the day they come in to start setting up my tank or set it up and start cycling with just water? Cause from what I have seen on the net I've seen it both way actually empty with no water and they plant then fill halfway adjust and fill all the way or fill halfway and plant and fill all the way then cycle. Would it be ok to start cycling before getting the plants?

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

Just to add in on the shrimp. I have yellow shrimp avaliable for sale and they are awesome little guys.

The adults get up to an inch long and mine get a very deep yellow color to them. I normally suggest if you want shrimp to have a shrimp only aquarium but normally tetras, danios, and other fish that are small with small mouths do fine with them.

 

[dinokath]

I have read that a planted tank cycles well. Sadly, I have not done it so I cannot speak from experience, but I do know that if you have fish in the tank during your cycle that the plants will help keep them safe(r) by absorbing and using up the nasty stuff that harms the fish.

 

[iVintage87]

Yeah I heard on many places that cycling with can be done but isn't the best way of going about it. So my plan is tank and plants, algea eaters then fish....that is best right?