new setup...what to get?

[sir_dudeguy]

I've got a few 10 gallon tanks layin around, and i've decided that its time to set one up. It would just be a freshwater tank (duh..i posted in here).

anyways, i've got a couple wisper 20's. I've got a hood somewhere that holds 2 incandecent bulbs, so i bought 2 of those 10 watt mini compact fluorescent bulbs that screw into a regular fixture. well, i cant seem to find the hood, but i've got lamps i could use.

anyways, what should i use it for? iv'e got a bunch of smallish rocks that might be a good cichlid type setup, but are there any cichlids besides rams that would do good in there?

also, i got some play sand today for the sub.

would 20 watts on a ten gallon be enough to grow some plants? i'd think not many...

but i dont know what fish i should do...i dont want any of the normal fish...bored of them. i want something odd/abnormal, whatever...and i dont really want puffers. Kribs arent that odd, but i kinda like them, would a pair be good for a 10?

oh and what do i put in the filter? never used whispers before

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I think a pair of convicts would work. But once they start breeding, you'll hae babies galore, lol.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

do they tear up plants? i'd liek to keep some if its possible

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Not sure on the plants if they would tear them up. Maybe someone else will have the answer.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

what should i put in the filters? anything? or should i just use em' for flow, and let the plants be the filters?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

You still want to have biomedia in the filter, or maybe a sponge if it fits. Cichlids are a little messy. If you go with cichlids, I would probably want to upgrade the filter first.

Have you thought about a mated pair of Bolivian Rams? They love planted tanks, and will breed pretty easily.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

im still thinkin bout that a bit. and as for the filter...i've got the 2 of them, so thats better than just the one. On the whispers, can you just put in filter media like biomax for fluval filters? just dump some of that in them? i wouldnt thnk so, but just checkin.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

If you can get biomedia in a bag for the filter, it would work.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

i've got a bag of carbon (aquaclear bag) and another of some amonia reducer i think? they're both by aquaclear...but those you woulndt want to run all the time would you? not as the main media anyways.

anyways, i've just finished rinsing all the sand and rock and everything.
i've kinda just made the ghettoest stand ever...a milk crate, 2 cinder blocks on top, and som bords on top of those for the tank to sit on. lol

i'll try to put up some pics in a little bit if i can figure out the cam. right now i've got just the one whisper on there, because the other one i was kinda experimenting with it, and i drilled a hole in the back of it...not big at all, just the size of airline, but i gotta figure some way of clogging it so it doenst leak.

 

[toddnbecka]

A dab of epoxy will plug the hole. I have a 10 gallon planted tank with cherry shrimp and snails, actually pretty cool.The shrimp and snails don't eat live plants, just dead or decaying ones, so they keep it pretty clean for me. Sponge filter, also has a small HOB, but I rarely use it since I put riccia and duckweed in the tank. It does fine with just the sponge anyway.
If you want cichlids for a 10 gallon, the shell dwellers from Lake Tanganykia are the best bet. Not as delicate as rams, and won't eat plants either, though they may dig up rooted plants. Lamprologus multifasciatus, 1m/2-3f will spawn, and they tolerate fry in their territory w/out eating them. Hard, alkaline water, pH 7.8-8.2. I use epsom salt and baking soda to treat my tap water, it's only 7.4.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

i was thinkin shell dwellers too, but they're expensive here...like 20 bucks a pop i think...might have even been more. And none of the stores ever have them, and the one that would order them is getting rid of fresh alltogether lol. and for that baking soda thing, can you do that for saltwater too? my pH is only 7.7 in my tank right now, but i havent changed water for a while so it'll prolly go up once i do.

I found the hood for it, but i havent taken a pic of it w/the hood, so i'll wait till the morning to post a pic of it. I found one of my bogwood pieces too, and a plastic plant...it looks pretty cool right now, and it really reminds me of a river type tank...
so anyone know of a cool river fish that can go in a 10?

thanks
mike

 

[toddnbecka]

Order the shellies online, they're usually around $6-7 each. If the weather isn't bad, 2 day shipping would be fine, much cheaper than overnite.

Any river fish I can think of, except maybe darters or madtoms, would be too big for a 10.

 

[czcz]

I think your plan of using the Whispers for current and plants as biofilters is great. If you can get more light it would help, because with 2 10w screw-in CF you'll likely only be able to support low light slow growing plants, somewhat limiting your stocking options. White clouds do well in current. With a Whisper on each side you may be able to support a Hillstream loach, though ideally they would have more room. Cherry barbs also do well in current.

I don't think you have to worry about the pH.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

never heard of darters or madtoms...
and as for the light, i just found out that my fixture can hold up to 50 watts!!! i was so mad, because i thought it was only 20. I could be having 5 watts per gallon...oh well, i'll get some of the more powerfull lights.

I dont wanna put a loach in that small of a tank...well the only loach i would would be a kuhli. I've got 4 of them in my othre tank right now, so i could move them to this one, but i'd have to get a way to make the hood stay on all the way, as these ones have already escaped.

I'd like to get some more info on those darters and madtoms, and if anyone knows a link to the shell dwellers online that would be great.

Well, heres the before and after pics of my tank...and its only been one day and i changed a bunch lol.

http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i295/sir_dudeguy/?action=view&current=IMG_0498.jpg

http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i295/sir_dudeguy/?action=view&current=IMG_0500.jpg

http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i295/sir_dudeguy/?action=view&current=IMG_0511.jpg

http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i295/sir_dudeguy/?action=view&current=IMG_0512.jpg

Lemme know what you think!

 

[QTOFFER]

Aren't the wattage guidelines based on normal output fluorescent tubes? I thought I read somewhere in the planted forum that 10 W from a CF lamp has a higher light output than 10W from NO fluorescents. So, 20W of CF might be considered moderately high light.

 

[czcz]

Looking good sirdudeguy. The desklamps appear to be very wide and you should be able to stick the high wattage (and larger ballast) screw-in CFs in there. If you move forward with plants as biofilters, add a ton more plants before introducing fish. (You do not need to buy more Anacharis -- it is a fast grower and you will have more than you need with a little time.) Two 15w screw-in CFs should support most ~medium light plants while avoiding the need for CO2.

QTOFFER, 20w CF outputs more light than 20w NO, but with most screw-in (incandescent fixture) CF bulbs the bulb shape (restrike), poor angle to the water, and poor reflector quality of the fixture loses much of the usable light. The screw-in CFL lights are hard to figure out and are not treated as comparable to traditional "true" CF.

You may find it interesting that one of the biggest benefits of the new measurement "lumens per sq in" comes in part from wpg breaking in small tanks. While 2wpg CF over a 50gal is med-high light, it over a 10gal is not.

HTH

 

[sir_dudeguy]

thanks. and i dont have those desk lamps on there any more...i found the hood wich has the 2-bulb fixture in it, so i got that on there now...the last 2 pics show it with that....and that plant in there isnt real either. You said something about anacharis...was that the plant you were talkin about? if so, i think i would need to buy more of it, as that one wont grow lol... I just put that in ther to see kinda what it would look like. And how is 2 wpg over a 50 gal. med-high, while 2wpg over 10 gallon is not? I believe you, i'd just like to know how there is a difference.

so basically, i still havent started on the filter yet. i think i will use the biofilter type, with just the whisper(s) as my flow...and should i just put one on there? i know plants dont like high current most of the time.

and any more suggestions on fish is cool...i'm leaning towards shellies, but i dont know how they'd do w/plants in there, and it would look kinda weird w/them in there too...not really what they are found in in wild i dont think.

thanks

 

[czcz]

Heh. Yeah, try Anacharis, it looks similar to that and is easy to get. It isn't light demanding either. Looking at the pic again, maybe its plastic green Cambomba? Dunno, but another you may be able to grow and looks similar, but is not (as far as I know) as forgiving of light as Anacharis.

Here's links about how wpg breaks on small tanks (and very large tanks), and more accurate ways to measure light across tank sizes.
http://woo.gotdns.com/Aquarium/Lighting.htm
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=72491
http://www.rexgrigg.com/mlt.htm

Sorry, I misinterpreted "river tank" as a very fast current tank. One Whisper 20 should be plenty.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

ya, i havent desided if i want a fast river tank, or the speed its at now. I just said river because the way it turned out was kinda...well river lookin i think (wouldnt really know..i live in arizona where rivers are kinda sparse lol)

I could add the additional whisper 20 too if i wanna go full river (fast)
Kuhli loaches are a river fish right? would a couple or 4 be good in a 10?

last, where would i find some good prices on shellies?

and thanks for the links
mike

 

[toddnbecka]

Here's a link to a site strictly about shellies:
http://www.shelldwellers.com
And a link to a really good cichlid forum, lots of info on shellies there too:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com
Check out the "Links" at cichlid-forum for retailers, there are bound to be several w/shellies currently in stock.
Another place to find shellies f/s, and tons of other fish, plants, etc.:
http://www.aquabid.com

I checked out the pics, some MTS would be useful to stir the substrate, to prevent anaerobic pockets from forming. Some java fern would be useful, it doesn't require high light, and absorbs nitrates like a sponge. It isn't a rooted plant, so it can be attached to a rock or piece of driftwood.