10 gallon planted tank log

[jakeras]

Hey everyone. So today I decided to start a log on my 10 gallon (soon to be) planted tank. Its going to have as of now 1 either dwarf or honey gourami, and 8 neon tetras. Its going to be getting a new hood and new lights, a diy co2 system, and maybe a diy wet/dry filter along with the HOB I have now.

 

[jakeras]

Day 1
Here is the tank on day 1. It has the hood that came with the tank along with the incandecent lights that came with it. I have a top fin 20(?) Watt heater, and a top fin 10 gallon HOB filter. The substrate is gravel with flora-max underneath. A bubble wand is in the middle providing air.

 

[jakeras]

Day 5
So yesterday I was helping a member of my church move, and he had a ten gallon tank. He said if anyone wants it, take it, but if not, I'm killing all the fish and trashing it
So I took him up on it, and after a little persuazion to my dad, I'm picking it up tomorrow. It is terribly overstocked, and I'm planning on giving away the fish on craigslist or the classifieds on here as soon as my account is 15 days old there is 2 angels, 1 tiger barb, a betta, 5 neons, and 1 skirt tetra.

 

[jakeras]

Day 6
Alright, got the new tank! He said he hasn't cleaned tje tank in a very long time. In the process of moving it we kicked up just a little bit of sludge so as I think I've said, its horrificaly over stocked. I think there's 2 angels, a betta, a tiger barb, a skirt tetra(?), 4 neons, and an oto. Right now I've got the hob and the undergravel filter that the tank already rad, along with my hob filter. I think I put the tank in backwards. So the plans for this tank: replace the gravel with floramax underneath my larger gravel, get a new light for the hood (old one died about 6 months ago he said), get rid of most of the current fish, put plants in, and, I guess this should have been first, clean it.

 

[cgthebeast]

That's so sad, I'm gals you saved them though. Uou can keep the betta an neons if you want so there's a plus

 

[jakeras]

Day 7
I got the gravel and underground filter out last night. The water has cleared, mostly. I gave the betta to my sister for her 1.77 gallon goldfish kit. I'm kinda sad I have to get rid of the angels, tho. And the tiger barb. I have a question: what is the little grey fish in the second picture? I don't think its a tetra.

 

[jakeras]

Day 8
I put the underground filter back in last night. I'm going to try it out before making a judgement on it. I put my gravel in. I also put in a rock and a plastic[] plant. I've heard enough about UGF's to know that live plants won't work with it. I want to get a planted 5 gal. Going somtime though to make up for it. I got a powerhead going on the UGF now, might go for airstone though, the powerhead is too bulky and ugly. Did a 50% water change. The Water is a little cloudy from new gravel. I thinl I'm going to put some of the fish up on craigslist tonight for free. Why don't the fish I want ever work together:/ oh well. I'm gonna miss the angels.oh and btw, the new light doesn't work. I know that those fuse or what ever they are are sold at petsmart. Would a new one of those help?

 

[Fishfur]

It is hard to tell, the pic is not clear enough. From what I can see it does look like some kind of tetra, there are many, many species. Penguins have that back stripe. If you can manage a clearer pic it would help a lot.

 

[jakeras]

It is hard to tell, the pic is not clear enough. From what I can see it does look like some kind of tetra, there are many, many species. Penguins have that back stripe. If you can manage a clearer pic it would help a lot.

Here's a better pic.

 

[jakeras]

I took out the undergravel filter. I decided I would rather have plants then a filter that has 75% bad reviews. And the powerhead was ugly. I also took out the plastic plant. Put down some floramax with gravel on top. I messed around with my filter too. I did just have a small bag of ammo carb under pilyfill, but I found a spone thing in my old filter that works as a wall to keep the polyfill from clogging the propeller. I think the pourpose of the sponge is to have a place where bb can live, because the carbon inserts were supoosed to come out once a month. I also took the sponge thing from a different filter not bing used and put it behind the first sponge to house more BB.

 

[Fishfur]

I am not certain, but it has a basic tetra body shape. I think it is likely a tetra, but I am not sure which one it might be. I don't keep them and there a lot of them now .

 

[jakeras]

Day 10
I went to my LFS today, and got a new starter for my light and a light. I also got my first plant, a water wisteria. I picked up a fluval algae magnet too. I have to say I like this new light. So I have been reading a book, called "the alternative aquarium: a more robust habitat" or somthing like that, and it says some things that make sence. Its basically a handguide to an extremly low-tech aquarium, and I might try it out. Throughout the book it showed a 5 gallon aquarium being set up, and this tank had no filter and feedings like once every 2 weeks. This tank had a colony of tubifex worms and scuds as its main food supply, with bi-weekly veggie feedings. It makes a lot of sense in my head.

 

[jakeras]

Day 11
I went to my LFS today and picked up a windelov java fern. I also moved the wisteria.