10 Gal first-timer

[DeSudet]

Scenario: Our 6 year old received a Top Fin Goldfish Starter Kit (10g) from Grandma. Now the Mrs and I are trying to get all our ducks in a row before we even start spending money. The kit included a variety of water additives that I've not had much chance to look at yet, a basic over-the-back filter, sample fish food.

After browsing AA for a bit, I've come to a few decisions that I wanted to run by the experts(read AA members).

No heater. The temps in the house are in the 60f(winter)-80f(summer) range, which should keep the water itself in a reasonable range year round. OR should I get a heater?

Sand vs. Gravel? Everything I've seen so far has pushed me away from my initial thoughts of a basic undergravel filter. Sand is looking awfully good right now. I've learned that sand needs to be stirred... what alternatives are there?

Plants? None live.

Decorations: What I've picked up so far is that the fish really don't care what's in the tank with them and that decorations are more for the people.

Fish, etc.: Regardless of everything else, a snail or two(mts unless they're too pricey) and/or a leopard cory are absolutely in. I've always been partial to bettas, but variety is high on the Mrs' list. Any suggestions?

Water testing: We won't be filling it until we have a better idea of what's going into it. Please let me know if there's a specific pH, KH, PO4, etc. that would be ideal for the fish you might recommend.

Thoughts? Advice?

 

[Japola44]

No heater. The temps in the house are in the 60f(winter)-80f(summer) range, which should keep the water itself in a reasonable range year round. OR should I get a heater?

No heater is fine for just gold fish, but if you want the fish you listed below a heater is a good idea. 25watt heater would work well in a 10gal. Don't forget a thermomter.

Sand vs. Gravel? Everything I've seen so far has pushed me away from my initial thoughts of a basic undergravel filter. Sand is looking awfully good right now. I've learned that sand needs to be stirred... what alternatives are there?

MTS will stir the sand for you. Sand is also easy to clean and i think it looks nice. Just make sure you don't kick it up into the filter intake.

Fish, etc.: Regardless of everything else, a snail or two(mts unless they're too pricey) and/or a leopard cory are absolutely in. I've always been partial to bettas, but variety is high on the Mrs' list. Any suggestions?

You can keep a betta in the tank as long as you don't keep fish that look like them. For a 10 gal tank I think the basic rule of thumb of keeping 1" of fish per a gallon is a good idea. I think some tetras would be nice.

Water testing: We won't be filling it until we have a better idea of what's going into it. Please let me know if there's a specific pH, KH, PO4, etc. that would be ideal for the fish you might recommend.

A pH between 6.5 and 7.5 is good for a lot of fish. You should be also concerend with ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels. I would suggest getting the AP master test kit its around $20-$25.

 

[DeSudet]

I realized a few minutes before your reply that tetra and pleco were what I was thinking of, not betta and cory.

I've also been reading some of the articles:
- Will be testing the water once it's cycled (using the cycle booster that came with the kit) and choosing fish based on that pH.
- Will be adding some crushed coral to the substrate for a pH buffer.

Current questions:
- Does substrate depth matter much? Which is better on the whole: a thick or thin layer?

 

[dubleshortlatte]

Hmm, I'm a novice, too...but from what I hear, I would say no on the pleco...they grow to be quite large, so it'd need to be moved to a larger tank in a while. Good luck!

 

[DeSudet]

I remember my grandmother had a pleco in a 10-12 gallon tank for years and it never seemed cramped or too large. A cory or 3 would be fine though, yes?

 

[coolchinchilla]

you can get a pleco that stays on the smallish side. A common pleco gets 12 inches or more. A bristlenose pleco gets 4 inches long.

 

[Guest]

i reccomend you go browse the article section.. these two are great to start with:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=21
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=15


you can not keep goldfish in a 10 gallon tank so yes you will most definitely need a heater!!! The pH i wouldn't really worry about becuase its not going to stabilize until AFTER Your cycle is completed and at that point weather its high or low you can start looking at what fish will thrive in your water conditions, however most fish can adapt to most pH ranges.

the main test kits you want are Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate. You can get a freshwater master test kit from online at www.petsolutions.com for about 15.00 plus s&h.

Most people recommend doing a fishless cycle becuase that is the safets for the fish. You can get pure ammonia from some place like ace hardware... or any hardware store.
If you are going to get a pleco.. get a small one like a bristlenose or clown pleco. A common pleco will get to big for your tank. If you need fish ideas check out my signanture and see waht's in my 10 gallon. you can also check out the profiles on www.liveaquaria.com

 

[Guest]

oh and by the way... i have a sand substrate in my 10 gallon and i LOVE it. I also have all live plants wich are a lot of fun too and great for the water quality. As was stated, MTS do a great job of keeping the sand stirred up for you. Ive also got pics in my gallery and you can browse the gallery here to get ideas.

Have fun!!!

 

[Fishyfanatic]

You've received great advice so far. I have to appload you for doing your research before jumping in head first without a clue as to what is going on. It's great to see people do that. Alot of us just jumped in head first and came to AA with major tank crashes.

Fishless cycling is definately the way to go. You'll need a good test kit like the AP Freshwater Master Test Kit. www.bigalsonline.com is a great place for ordering cheap. Plus, right now they have free shipping so you'll definately save money compared to going to the lfs.

A school of Tetras, a few Cories, and a dwarf pleco would be ok as long as you keep up with the weekly water changes. When you purchase the pleco, do not purchase one just labeled Pleco. Specialty ones like the BN is what you should aim for.

I also agree on the sand, it is a great substrate. When I started on AA it wasn't really big but now it's catching on and it seems like just about everyone has a tank with sand substrate. It's so easy to clean and maintain.

The "cycle boosters" do not work unless it's Bio-Spira. If you go the fishless route with pure ammonia the tank will cycle faster than cycling with fish.

 

[Japola44]

Does substrate depth matter much? Which is better on the whole: a thick or thin layer?

I think but a good depth is between 1 and 2 inches(correct me if i'm wrong)...its better to be deeper if you get live plants.

 

[Guest]

whatever looks attractive to you concerning the debth. I like to keep mine about 2-3" deep but that's just my preference. Makes it easier when planting and aquascaping even with fake plants.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Live plants prefer a deeper substrate so the roots have a place to grow. But if you aren't keeping live, then whatever depth you like will be fine.

 

[BillD]

You could dispense with the heater if you choose the right fish. Neon tetras like cooler water, as do many corys. Plecs are a dirty fish, regardless of size. A ccouple of oto cats would be a better choice in that small tank. Stay away from livebearers (or get only males or you will soon be overrun with babies.) If you don't have plants gravel depth is not a cocern; put enough to make it look good to you. I don't think you need to add crushed coral to the substrate. As far as plants go, try some low light varieties such as Java fern, and annubias. Decorations may not be that important, but fish do relate to structure. Some fish need hiding places to feel more secure, some don't care. Good luck. Just be aware, that this hobby can be addictive.

 

[Guest]

I really think you need the heater to keep the temperature stable. Temperature fluctions even from day to night aren't good... and anything below 70 is definitely not a good environment for tropical fish. Id suggest you keep it around at least 72-75.

 

[DeSudet]

Final result:

between 1 and 2 inches of sand
Large castle decoration with lots of room for shy fish
couple smaller decorations (Gator and treasure chest{air stone under the chest})
And I hate to say it, but with a 5 and 6 year old nagging us, we had to put SOMETHING in the tank:
- 3 mystery
- 2 black mollies
- 1 silver molly
- 1 black molly fry(no charge)

PH: 7.6
Ammonia, Nitrates/ites: Nil
Temp: 76 (and slowly rising to 77-78 with a 100W heater)

Pictures to follow as available

 

[Guest]

well you are going ot have to do daily 50% water changes now to keep the ammonia and nitrites from burning the fish and causing permanent respiration damage. you are in for a loooooong cycle. If you can get some biospira from teh LFS that would be great... or some seeded filter media. Otherwise you may lose some fish. You should've started with just 1 or 2 fish if you are going to cycle with fish.

 

[Guest]

what do the "mystery" fish look like? Its really not a good idea to buy fish if you don't know what they are, you don't know how big they will get, aggressivieness.. etc.

 

[DeSudet]

Mystery SNAILS Ash 2 black and 1 gold.

The tank came with Bio-Spira, which we have used, and since these are the first fish in the tank, I poured a little bit of the lfs water in, hoping it might help a smidge. A little being just a small splash, not the whole bag.

 

[Guest]

the bacterie isn't in the water... and its really not a good idea to add foreign water because you don't know what disease will be in it.. but a splash probably won't hurt anything. The biospira is very good that you added that... you had me worried there for a second.. and im glad they are mystery snails not mystery fish!!!

Still.. keep a close eye on the paramaters as you don't want to have any spikes. With a close eye... you shouldn't have any problems. But make sure you don't add any more fish until you start seeing NitRATES.. that is a sing that you actually are cycled. As long as ammonia and nitrITE stay at zero and you have NitRATES showing up you should be goood to go.

 

[DeSudet]

errr... I bought a test kit and have been checking the tank, but either I'm doing something wrong, the test strips are no good, or the Bio-Spira that came with the tank didn't work After a little under 24 hours with 3(4 counting the 1/4 in. fry) mollies and 3 snails(one of which is now officially named 'Chip' due to an unfortunate gravitational incident), I'm not registering ANY ammonia/nitrites/nitrates. The kit was a Mardel complete, the only one I could find that included everything I wanted to test for. I've followed the instructions to a Tee, but the 3 results I need to see aren't registering. Is this normal 1 day in?