Change of plans and need some resommendations

[straick]

After a lot of reading, and a small problem, I've changed my original plans. A new tank is in order(only because I really don't want the risk of a leak due to needing to redo all the seams on the tank I have right now).
With where I want to set it up at, a 10 gallon is all that I can really have, both from a space standpoint and a weight standpoint. I'm planning on getting one of the "starter" kits that come with tank, filter, hood and all. Noise levels are actually a concern of mine(my maine desktop is setup to be almost completely silent), and as such, how loud are most aquarium filters?
I'm also planning on doing a fishless cycle, and am wondering which is better, using straight ammonia(nothing but NH3 and H2O) or dropping in a raw shrimp?
Also, I don't trust my tap water, so I distil all the water I drink. As such, I don't my new friends swimming around in water that I don't trust, but I don't know if distilled water is safe for fish. Any advice here?
I do know that fish need air even though they live in water, but can you put in too much air? I have 2 air pumps right now, a new Vibra-Flo1 and a Aqua Culture MK-1504. Do I just use one, or can you safely use both so that I can spread out the air coming in better. As far as the air stones go, I have 2 brand new ones that can be hooked end to end that I would like to use.
Finally, any fish recommendations? Currently, I would like to have more than one type of fish in my tank once all is said and done, but I also don't want them killing each other.
Down the road, I might get a live plant or two, but as of right now, I'll just use the fake ones.
Thanks.

 

[arangarajan93]

Hi. I also own a 10g tank. It is only about 1 month old. I am fine with one air pump. I've stocked up:
1 iridescent shark, 2 plecos(1 common and another unknown), 1 tiger barb, 4 tinfoil barbs(2 albino and 2 normal), 4 mbuna cichlids( 1 blue and 3 orange), 2 rosy barbs and 1 catfish(i dunno the name).
I won't worry about the size of the fishes when they grow. I ll exchange them to new ones when they grow big.

 

[James_in_MN]

With where I want to set it up at, a 10 gallon is all that I can really have, both from a space standpoint and a weight standpoint. I'm planning on getting one of the "starter" kits that come with tank, filter, hood and all. Noise levels are actually a concern of mine(my maine desktop is setup to be almost completely silent), and as such, how loud are most aquarium filters?

I own the Aqueon 10g kit, purchased at PetCo. The Aqueon Quietflow 10 that comes with it is quieter than my PC fans. I think that if you stick with the major brand HOB filters (Aqueon, AquaClear) you shouldn't experience too much noise.

I'm also planning on doing a fishless cycle, and am wondering which is better, using straight ammonia(nothing but NH3 and H2O) or dropping in a raw shrimp?

I'm doing a fishless cycle of my 10g with pure ammonia. You should be able to find some at your local hardware store; I bought mine at Ace Hardware. If you try to find some, make sure that it doesn't have any surfactants. A good test would be to shake the bottle and see if it forms a bunch of bubbles; if it does, you don't want it.

Also, I don't trust my tap water, so I distil all the water I drink. As such, I don't my new friends swimming around in water that I don't trust, but I don't know if distilled water is safe for fish. Any advice here?

Get the API Freshwater Master Test Kit and test your tap water. My guess is, your tap water will work just fine, and you shouldn't need to buy any RO water to fill your tank with.

If you can't seem to find the API kit, look for the Tetratest Laborette Kit.

I do know that fish need air even though they live in water, but can you put in too much air? I have 2 air pumps right now, a new Vibra-Flo1 and a Aqua Culture MK-1504. Do I just use one, or can you safely use both so that I can spread out the air coming in better. As far as the air stones go, I have 2 brand new ones that can be hooked end to end that I would like to use.

In my opinion, you don't really need to use air stones for your tank. Agitation at the surface of the water caused by your filter will add enough oxygen to your tank for your fish. I don't have air stones in either of my tanks (20g high and 10g) and don't intend to add one any time soon.

 

[James_in_MN]

Hi. I also own a 10g tank. It is only about 1 month old. I am fine with one air pump. I've stocked up:
1 iridescent shark, 2 plecos(1 common and another unknown), 1 tiger barb, 4 tinfoil barbs(2 albino and 2 normal), 4 mbuna cichlids( 1 blue and 3 orange), 2 rosy barbs and 1 catfish(i dunno the name).
I won't worry about the size of the fishes when they grow. I ll exchange them to new ones when they grow big.

Your tank is WAY overstocked. Also, some of the fish you have in it shouldn't be in a tank smaller than 55 gallons.

common pleco - max 12+ inches
tinfoil barb - max 12 inches
iridescent shark - max 2+ feet

Keeping them in that 10g tank stunts their growth, which is bad for the fish. Also, the amount of fish you stocked in that tank won't be good for the fish either.

Also note that the cichlids you have are territorial, which can be bad, especially in an overcrowded tank.

Please, for the sake of those poor fish, either get a much bigger tank, or take some of those fish back.

 

[arangarajan93]

I've already mentioned that, when the fishes grow big, i ll trade them.
I had 12 cichlids in my tank. 8 died, because they are very sensitive to my tap water. I ll remove the remaining too. And i don't believe in overstocking. Still with these fishes, it seems that i have few more place in my tank. They all move freely too. Currently i don't have enough space for a big tank. So we may move to a new house in few months. So then only i can buy a bigger tank.

 

[James_in_MN]

I've already mentioned that, when the fishes grow big, i ll trade them.

It would be wiser to just put fish in your 10g tank that can thrive there, rather than buying fish that will quickly outgrow your tank. Also, stunting their growth will likely lead to health problems for the fish.

I had 12 cichlids in my tank. 8 died, because they are very sensitive to my tap water.

There could be a whole host of reasons why the cichlids died. What are you using to remove the chlorine from the water before adding it to your tank? Is your tank fully cycled? What are the ammonia/nitrIte/nitrAte readings for your tank (using a liquid test kit)?

Also, since those are aggressive fish, they could have killed each other, especially in an overcrowded environment.

I gave you my recommendations, but you seem to be reluctant to follow them. PLEASE solicit other people's feedback on these boards on what you should do about all of the fish you have in that 10g tank. It's just not healthy for the fish.

 

[jenatron]

And i don't believe in overstocking.

 

[straick]

The over stocking and some fish needing more space than others is why I'm asking.
That, and I don't trust the little cards saying how big/how much room a fish needs once fully grown at the stores. I want everyone happy, not just me.
As far as comp noise, you actually have to look at the comp or screen to see if it's on and running, it's that quiet.

 

[James_in_MN]

The over stocking and some fish needing more space than others is why I'm asking.
That, and I don't trust the little cards saying how big/how much room a fish needs once fully grown at the stores. I want everyone happy, not just me.

That's why these boards exist. The people here are a great resource for anyone new to aquariums. Feel free to ask any questions that come to mind as you set your aquarium up.

As far as the types of fish you can put in a 10g, most tetras will work. If you wanted a clean up crew for the bottom of the tank, either shrimp or cory cats would be fine.

You could use AqAdvisor (link in my sig) as a starting point to plan out what you were thinking of putting in your 10g tank, then bring that stocking plan back to the boards here for feedback.

As far as comp noise, you actually have to look at the comp or screen to see if it's on and running, it's that quiet.

Exactly. That's why I gave you that comparison. My Aqueon Quietflow 10 is that quiet; my PC fans are actually louder than it is.

 

[ejaramillo01]

+1 to James, great advice.

Straick, you should plenty of options for your tank, a 10G tank, considered small, still have a lot of options to be a beautiful community tank, or a single type fish, all depend of what you want. I encourage you to read about the fish that you start to like, then ask questions here and a lot of people will help you here to figure out the best option.

I also believe that arangaranja tank is overstocked, and not in the path for a long term viability.

 

[carey]

Hi. I also own a 10g tank. It is only about 1 month old. I am fine with one air pump. I've stocked up:
1 iridescent shark, 2 plecos(1 common and another unknown), 1 tiger barb, 4 tinfoil barbs(2 albino and 2 normal), 4 mbuna cichlids( 1 blue and 3 orange), 2 rosy barbs and 1 catfish(i dunno the name).
I won't worry about the size of the fishes when they grow. I ll exchange them to new ones when they grow big.

Those mbuna african cichlids are def aggressive. i have a whole tank full of them. A 55 gallon and even thats too small. LOL

 

[arangarajan93]

Ya, i definitely gonna remove my cichlids next week. But they are not aggressive in my tank.

 

[Kat1103]

I have a aqueon 5 gallon and the filter is super quiet. I would also agree with getting the API master test kit. It is way more accurate than test strips. It has helped me a lot with cycling my tank. Good fish for a 10 gallon could be guppies, neon tetras or maybe a betta. I recently just put a betta with my 2 guppies and they get along fine.

 

[arangarajan93]

Hey i am a nice and friendly guy only!!! I am new to this hobby!!! I dunno much about this!! And mind your words!!!

 

[jenatron]

Hey i am a nice and friendly guy only!!! I am new to this hobby!!! I dunno much about this!! And mind your words!!!

I do agree we shouldn't be aggressive like that, but your philosophy on tank-keeping is cruel. Being new is no excuse for the way you deflected good advice.
You are overstocking, whether you "believe in it" or not. You shouldn't overstock bio-load wise, which you are, because it will lead to water quality issues. You shouldn't over-stock territory wise, which you are as well, because it will lead to aggression and unnatural behavior. And you shouldn't over-stock by adult fish size either, for a load of reasons. If you're a nice, friendly guy, treat your fish with care and respect. Right now you're not.

 

[Homedog98]

Distilled water is bad for fish... Too acidic. Chances are your tap water is fine. Definitely get the API master kit and test it first though, just to check. I also like the aqueon quitflow, and I have one on my tank, and I don't even hear it! But get a filter rated for twice the size of the tank, so your tank can handle more bioload. I'm not even gonna get involved with the violence going on in this thread, just state my advice and keep my opinions to myself.

 

[straick]

Can we please keep the agression down. There's already too much of it in the world.
I'm going to take some of my tap water in to have it tested to see if it's safe for fish(once the chlorine is removed). My problem with it might actually be the chlorine(grew up with well water).
As far as getting a filter for twice the tank size, that makes sense, but I thought that the filters were sort of designed for a certain size of tank.
I have been looking at a lot(and I do mean a LOT) of pictures of different fish to see if any catch my eye, and I do like the bettas and angelfish, I also like the way the tetras look, but I'm not sure on species or if the two will even get along, or if they won't outgrow what I have space for. Are there any fish out there that will get along well with others that look like regular catfish(I've always had a soft spot for them), but as adults would still be happy with what I have?
For the tank ornaments and gravel, how do you clean/wash them before you put them in? I already know that soap is out of the question, and pretty positive that bleach is also because of the chlorine.
Something tells me that I might end up heavily reinforcing my desk in the future to support a larger tank. Time will tell.
I know, a lot of questions, but the only stupid question is the question not asked.
In calling around to local fish shops, I might have found a decent one. A place called Something Fishy over in Scotia. When I asked about recommendations, they told me that it would be better to come in and talk to them with a sample of my tap water. They also reminded me that once setup, don't add all your planne fish at once so that the bioload doesn't exceed the tanks capacity.

 

[BigJim]

Take it easy here people.

arangarajan93, none of those fish belong in a 10g. It's best to plan a tank and buy fish based on their potential adult size. Many people purchase fish with the intention of trading them when they get too big for the tank or buying a bigger tank, but that rarely happens. Most of the time the fish end up stunted, living in a cramped dirty tank. You'd be best off returning all your fish and getting a school of small tetras.

straick, I would avoid a starter kit. Most of the time the included filter is junk and you'll end up replacing it anyways. I guess it depends on how sensitive you are to noise. For a 10g, I'd recommend an AC20 HOB filter. I think they're pretty silent, but some people hate all HOBs because they're noisy and go with canister filters. A canister is much more expensive though.

I like the ammonia dosing method. It's more precise and less messy.

Do you have a reason for distrusting your tap water? Have you tested it? If it is truly bad and you use distilled water for the tank, you need to add buffers to prevent pH swings. Seachem makes buffers that you mix in until you reach the desired pH.

I don't use any air pumps on my aquariums. They're noisy and unnatural. My fish get enough oxygen from the water agitation and my plants.

My suggestions for fish:
6 neons or cardinals or glowlites
5 cories - get a small species like pandas or julii

 

[Homedog98]

To answer the catfish question, cories would be great! I like the orange lasers, but lots of people here like the pandas. To wash the stuff, condition a bucket of your tap water with prime water conditioner and scrub the ornaments with a toothbrush in there. With the gravel, do the same thing, but then just dump it in a strainer to get all the crud out. Sorry, but no angels for that sized tank. I'd go with black skirt tetras, and some male guppies. (unless you want babies, then go with just females) the reason for this is because female guppies can store sperm in their bodies for three months, so even with just females, it's possible to get some fry. A Betta might work, but it all depends on the specific fish.

 

[straick]

BigJim, the reason for my distrust in my tap water is that I don't feel so great after drinking it(maybe chlorine, maybe something else). My solution was to just build a small still and distil pure water from it at home. Also, I'm not currently planning any plants, but I might add some in the future.
Homedog98, what do yo mean by it depends on the specific fish? I had a feeling on the angelfish growing too big.