Newbie with a 10 gal

[wyomoose]

Ok I have a 3 year old son who can't have a dog or cat but loves animals and fish. We got him a 10 Gal which I am going to take care of. I have never had a tank before so I went by the local pet store and here is what they sold me.
lamp cover with 2 15 watt bulbs
Hagen aqua clear 20 power filter
under gravel filter with an air pump (I think he called this a bio filter)
fish food
water treatment stuff to treat tap water
gravel
glass covers
I think that is about it. I set it up tonight but haven't added any fish.
Is this a ok set-up? One thing I read the in posts here was a recommendation for a tester kit, what kind should I buy that is inexpensive but good? I am very new and didn't want anything too fancy yet, but I wanted something I could maybe build on abit. I think there is already lots of advice on what to stock it with but any suggestions are welcome. Any advice or help is welcome.
Thanks
Moose

 

[R&L]

Let me be the fist newbie to welcome you to AA.
The fist thing the pros here are gonna say is to take out the underground filter.
It's old technology, and is bad.
The AquaClear 20 is perfect for the 10 gal.(I have one on my 10gal)
DON'T put fish in yet. They will tell you to do a fishless cycle with ammonia or a fresh shrimp. There is an article that explains the cycling of the tank.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/article_view.php?faq=2&fldAuto=15

I wish i had known about it before i set mine up with fish and it took about 7 weeks and 4 lost fish to cycle.I never knew a 10gal could hold 250 gals but thats about how much it took with all the water changes to keep the rest of the fish alive.

Get the AP master test kit to test your water. Write down your results on a log.(you need these readings when asking any questions on here)
LISTEN to the people that have fish next to their name.
More fish=less headaches for you.

I'm sure that you'll get lots more valuable advice soon to come.

 

[Viperboy]

Well R&L hit some of it on the head:

First off IMO i would remove the undergravel filter and take it back if you can because with the AC20 you will not need it and like he said they are getting out of date. Next i would make sure that you rinse all the gravel off in hot water through a strainer along with any decor you have unless its driftwood which is another story.
Then after adding the gravel and decor i would fill up the tank with water to make sure it holds well and does not leak. Im not sure what water conditioner means but if its a dechlorinator this would be the time to use it .. and i strongly recomend Prime as the main dechlor. After all that is done set up your filter and make sure you put some of the tank water in it so it is primed and when you plug it in it starts filtering water.

Now your ready to start your fishless cycle which is explained in the link that he provided above. I recomend using a pure Ammonia source which i got at Ace Hardware or probably any hardware store ... make sure its pure and when you shake it no bubbles form at the top. On the test kit side i would also say to get the AP master freshwater test kit .... it is what i have been using and like it quite a bit.

With those 2 15watt NO over a 10gal you could possibly grow some lower light plants if you wanted to including java moss, java fern, and crypts probably, and maybe some others that someone more experience will chime in and advise you on.

But welcome to AA!!!! and I HTH!!!

Ray

 

[Elle2]

Welcome from another newbie! My fishless cycle just finished yesterday after 3 weeks and I got my first fish today. The folks here at AA are a patient and helpful bunch. Have fun!

 

[SCFatz]

I love when they show up before adding fish.SOOOooo much smarter then me lol.

Can't disagree with anything I've read so far.The one thing thats going to be difficult to get your thinking around is the cycle...or at least it took a while to fully sink in for me as it was a completely foreign concept.

The one key thing here is not to add fish until you fully understand.We'll help with that...your going to have questions and they are going to be the same ones we all had lol.No worries.

I do not see a heater on the list...tropicals will need one.

Do you know anyone who already has an established fish tank already?Its possible to transfer the ever precious bacteria with filter media/gravel ect.

Welcome to AA!! and ask away...we all did at some point.

 

[Elmware2000]

what kind should I buy that is inexpensive but good?

Most things for aquariums seem pretty expensive, but when you use it, you will find that it really goes a long way. eg: Some Ph test kits can cost approximately $10. That would be a lot of money for a test, but they usually have something like 100 tests. That's like $0.10 per test. Even a container of fish food seems pretty expensive for that tiny thing of food, but fish don't eat as much as us, so depending on how many fish you have, that small container might last you a year.

As for test kits, there are cheap ones which don't cover as wide of range. They will work, but if your Ph is way out, it won't give you any idea how much you are out because the range is so short. These are usually the solutions that are only yellow and go green if the Ph is neutral. A good kit will cover a wider range so that you will know that your water is not only acidy or alkaline, but you will get a better idea how much. These solutions usually go red if it's way too acidy or blue if it's way too akaline. Otherwise they will go yellow to green if it's not too far off.

I use Hagen brand Wide Range Test. They cost about $12 CAD and are good for 100 tests.

Tetra used to have one which was good for 50 tests. I don't know if they still make them like they used to 15 years ago, but they used to cost about $8 CAD at the time.

I've heard that quick dip test are not very reliable or accurate.

 

[QTOFFER]

Welcome to AA, wyomoose!

Congrats for asking questions BEFORE getting fish.
You've gotten great advice above.

I'd like to re-emphasize the need for a heater and a thermometer- you'll probably be keeping tropical fish, and they need a STABLE temp of 76 - 78°F. Even if your home is warm, the temp usually dips during the night.

You got an excellent filter in the AC20. I would ditch the undergravel filter because it's not necessary. Keep the air pump - most 3 yr olds like bubblewands and air-operated ornaments.

Get LIQUID test kits for pH, ammonia, and nitrate. They cost 10 - 15 dollars, but last for a long time. You can save $$$ by getting these online. Big Als.com and DrsFosterSmith are two reputable online stores.

Good luck, and keep those questions coming!

 

[Gena575]

A tip that I haven't seen mentioned (those already mentioned are good ones BTW!): If you have a Petsmart, go to their website. Find the item you want to buy and print off that page. The store will honor their online prices in the store if you bring in the printout. For example, the Aquarium Pharmacuticals freshwater master test kit costs about $28 in the store. On the website it is $14 or so. Quite a savings if you ask me!