starting a 10 gallon tank (was given to me)

[choupic]

I have a Saltwater tank that has been up for over a year. Now I would like to start a small fresh Water tank...

Questions,,,,
1. Where do you find pool sand for bottom...
2. Cycle-- is it the same as in salt water all test needs to 0 out
3. Plants-- what do you need to keep them going
4. Do I need a shimmer?
5. Lighting ---how much for a 10 gallon

Best fish for a ten gallon ?

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[theotheragentm]

Pool filter sand is available in any pool supply store.

For your bioload, you want your ammonia and nitrites to read 0 and your nitrates to be under 40 PPM generally. Lower is better for your fish. You can test your water with the AP Master Test Kit.

For plants, check out the planted forums. There are stickies up top that are still way over my head.

No skimmer is necessary.

Lighting depends on your plants you select. Check out the plant forums and ask there.

 

[choupic]

So if I don't do real plants then all I need is tank, sand, fake plant/structures, test kits,basic lighting

What about flow or bubles what would I need for that?

 

[David14259]

Welcome to FW!

If you are going for a planted tank, I recommend using Eco-Complete instead of pool sand. It is a bit pricey, but for a 10gal, you should only need 1 bag, and its worth it IMO.

You will need a filter, probably a HOB. You probably want to shoot for 2-3 WPG (Watts per Gallon) of light. I prefer compact fluorescent bulbs.

If you are going for high light, you should also think about some sort of CO2...either DIY or a pressurized system. If you don't want to get into CO2 and adding fertilizers, you want to shoot for a lower WPG.

To cycle a tank, you want to add an ammonia source of some type, I like the ammonia from ACE Hardware stores (info in the planted forum). Add some seed bacteria and dose the ammonia daily until your ammonia and nitrite levels go down, and nitrate goes up.

For a 10 gallon, there are a lot of fish choices, you can do tetras, guppies, danios, ....

 

[David14259]

So if I don't do real plants then all I need is tank, sand, fake plant/structures, test kits,basic lighting

What about flow or bubles what would I need for that?

If you dont want real plants, any light is fine, plain sand or gravel is ok. You'll need a heater, a filter, and you can add an airpump and airstone if you'd like.

 

[choupic]

Ok how long does a cycle take in freshwater...It took over a month in saltwater...And can I add a raw shrimp like saltwater to start the cycle..

Also I can use my same ro/di unit I use for my saltwater tank..

 

[theotheragentm]

Cycling will vary. I think if you do a search in these forums, you can find a log of people's cycles. You can use raw shrimp to cycle the tank. A tip someone in these forums gave to everyone one time was to put the shrimp in a bag with holes. That way you don't have to touch the shrimp when you want to pull it out.

 

[David14259]

I STRONGLY suggest getting seed bacteria to put in your new FW tank for the cycle. This can be some gravel from an established FW tank, some dirtly old filter material, etc. Your LFS might sell sponges from their filters or other material. Placing the seed bacteria in the tank will greatly speed up the cycle.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I would suggest using pure ammonia instead of the raw shrimp. It's faster, won't cloud the tank, and you don't have to look at a decaying shrimp. Plus, it doesn't smell like the shrimp method does.

All you need for a non plated tank is a filter and heater. For asthetic purposes you can add any type of substrate (I prefer pool filter sand mixed with black sand), decor, fake plants, lighting, and bubble ornaments. For a filter I highly recommend the AquaClear. They are by far my favorite and are silent. They come highly recommended on this site.

 

[LandGhoti]

Also I can use my same ro/di unit I use for my saltwater tank..

My two cents: no need for RO/DI here. Like Fishyfanatic said, filter and heater. And an air pump/air stone or bar if you want bubbles.

 

[choupic]

Are their any plants that you don't need a co2 system.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Yes, there are many. I'd ask in the Planted Forum for recommendations.

 

[choupic]

Is this a good unit for a 10gal http://www.petsmart.com/global/prod...1175545353689&itemNo=8&In=Fish&N=2030112&Ne=2

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Yes, that is the filter that I recommend.

 

[choupic]

Very cheap nice " :~0

 

[choupic]

Whats a base ph and temp to aim for....

 

[PrettyFishies]

7.0 and temp depends on the type of fish...probably around 76 is a good target for most

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Don't worry about the pH. It's not important unless it's too low or outrageously high.

 

[choupic]

Wow freshwater seems easy compared to my saltwater. Hope to fill it up tonight and start the cycle...I have it soaking in vinagar and water to give it a cleaning..

 

[supermazz9]

I would suggest using pure ammonia instead of the raw shrimp. It's faster, won't cloud the tank, and you don't have to look at a decaying shrimp. Plus, it doesn't smell like the shrimp method does.

True enough, but you better be damn sure that you're using "pure" ammonia. There's too many horror stories in here, of folks believing they"ve got pure ammonia only to wake up the next morning with a tank full of bubbles. "But it said pure on the bottle! BTW, what are surficants?" There's no risk attached with the raw shrimp, and the slight smell and mess go away fast enough.

I'm not endorsing one way or the other...just saying.