Maybe upgrading to 10g - filter & cycling questions

[goodeyesniper]

Hi,

I was thinking of upgrading my tank to a 10g tank. I can either buy a 10g tank and hood from PetCo and then a separate filter or I can buy the Aqueon 10g aquarium kit.
Is the Quiet Flow 10 that comes with the kit any good or should I just try to buy the other parts separately?

As for cycling, could I just move all of my substrate and decorations to the new tank and rub the filter on them to seed them more, or would I have to cycle the tank separately before the move?

Thanks!

 

[New]

It depends cost wise, but usually buying "kits" are the better deal...though often the included filters are awful. As for seeding, put your filter media from your cycled tank jammed in with your new media in new filter, and some BB is in substrate so i would add some of that too.

 

[TheCrazyFishLady]

Filters will be over-rated when it comes to the tank they should be on. A good rule to go buy is double your actual tank and use that filter. A Quiet Flow 10 is not going to be suitable for a fully stocked 10g, normally. They aren't the greatest filter, IMO either.

The more important question is what are you going to have in this tank? Say, you have just a betta, then a box-kit is perfect.

If you are looking for a cheap 10g, check out Craislist, or go to Petco. They have their dollar/gallon sale going on.

 

[goodeyesniper]

Currently I have a betta, an apple snail, and five ghost shrimp.
If/when I get the 10g, I was thinking of buying a small school of neons or clown loaches. I don't know how many more fish I could put in with that tank though.

Would you say it's best to buy the tank, hood, and the filter separate then?

 

[New]

u could prob do a betta, ur shrimp and snail and a school of a SMALL tetra, like neons, NO clown loaches in that small of a tank (IMO)

 

[goodeyesniper]

I though loaches were okay in a 10g?

 

[New]

kuhli maybe like 3 of them

 

[goodeyesniper]

Would I be maxed at the loaches, betta, snail, and shrimp?

 

[TankMan]

Yes. I think with that you would be fully stocked.

 

[goodeyesniper]

What about a group of corys?

 

[bruinsbro1997]

What about a group of corys?

You have to choose either between a group of small cories or a group of khuli loaches. Not both.

 

[TheCrazyFishLady]

You could do pygmy cories, and that's it. All the others need a bigger tank. Kuhli loaches are neat, but I would prefer cories. They are just the cutest little things.

 

[goodeyesniper]

Okay cool

Would I be able to move all my decorations, water, and substrate over without having to worry too much about cycling the new tank? Obviously I'd keep an eye on the parameters for any spikes, but my colony would just grow, without much danger to my fish right?

 

[TankMan]

The addition of filter media and the decor/substrate from your previous tank would GREATLY decrease the time the tank needs to cycle, if not cycle it instantly (I think).

 

[goodeyesniper]

awesome.
sorry for all the questions, but would I be able to add more snails/shrimp with the addition of the cories/loaches or no?
I hear loaches eat snails so if I added a snail, would I be creating a natural food source or them?

 

[New]

i know they eat pond snails, not positive but i don't think they eat the big ones like mystery snails