Hi, Hello, 10 gallon here!

[Lochnessholly]

Eek! So I'm new (and cannot seem to find the intro thread...so I shall skip it.)

I've been bugging my husband for months for an aquarium and he finally buckled and got me a nice little ten gallon. I've always been obsessed with fish and had never heard of cycling (>_< Lame, right?) and went ahead with a nice dwarf Gourami.

He's been in there two days. I treated the tank with Aquasafe two days before I got him, and the water is at a nice 78 degrees. I acclimated him using the float method for almost an hour. He has the entire tank to himself. It's a gravel tank, with a whisper (not sure if that's the brand) filter. He gets fed in the evening and seems to be doing fine. He also has a nice little rock cave to chill in along with some false plants.

Here are my questions:

1.) I've got him scheduled for a 25% water change this week, to help with ammonia and nitrate levels. I bought a bottle of stresszyme for weekly maintenance...is this a good product to use?

2.) Am I feeding him too much?

3.) Should I wait until the tank finishes cycling before I put live plants in? My husband argued that they would just die...I hate the look of the fake ones.

4.)Will he be enough to cycle the tank on his own? Or should I get him a friend?

Thanks!

 

[librarygirl]

Hi and welcome. My replies below in blue....

Eek! So I'm new (and cannot seem to find the intro thread...so I shall skip it.)

I've been bugging my husband for months for an aquarium and he finally buckled and got me a nice little ten gallon. I've always been obsessed with fish and had never heard of cycling (>_< Lame, right?) and went ahead with a nice dwarf Gourami.

He's been in there two days. I treated the tank with Aquasafe two days before I got him, and the water is at a nice 78 degrees. I acclimated him using the float method for almost an hour. He has the entire tank to himself. It's a gravel tank, with a whisper (not sure if that's the brand) filter. He gets fed in the evening and seems to be doing fine. He also has a nice little rock cave to chill in along with some false plants.

Here are my questions:

1.) I've got him scheduled for a 25% water change this week, to help with ammonia and nitrate levels. I bought a bottle of stresszyme for weekly maintenance...is this a good product to use?
Do you have a test kit? A good liquid test kit is a must, particularly when cycling. The API Mater kit is recommended. Until you get the test kit I'd do 50% changes every couple of days. Once you get the test kit, you can test the water daily and let the test kit be your guide as to when and how much water to change (e.g. you want to keep ammonia and/or nitrite at or under .25). Typically the bacteria starters like StressZyme are hit and miss; sometimes they work, often times they don't. You can use it but it's not needed and it may or may not work. A good liquid test kit, water changes and dechlorinator are all you really need (pick up some Prime when you can, it's more concentrated so you'll use less than you will with the Aquasafe) .

2.) Am I feeding him too much?
Once a day is fine. Make sure he eats it all in a few minutes. What are you feeding?

3.) Should I wait until the tank finishes cycling before I put live plants in? My husband argued that they would just die...I hate the look of the fake ones.
No, you can add live plants anytime.

4.)Will he be enough to cycle the tank on his own? Or should I get him a friend?
He'll be more than enough.
Here are some links if you haven't seen them:
https://www.aquariumadvice.com/arti...g-but-I-already-have-fish-What-now/Page2.html
https://www.aquariumadvice.com/guide-to-starting-a-freshwater-aquarium/

Thanks!

 

[Lochnessholly]

I'm currently feeding him Aqueon color enhancing tropical flakes.

 

[Lochnessholly]

Here are some photos of his set up he's a beauty.

 

[Rivercats]

There are some easy plants you could do right now. Anubia, Java fern, java moss are very simple starter plants. One that arch rock piece I would get a good wad of java moss and use dark green, black, or brown cotton thread and tie the moss to it to make a moss covered arch. What you would need to do is pull the bunch of moss so it makes a flatish sheet and then wrap it around the decoration, next take your thread and wrap and tie the moss down tightly. Don't worry about using alot of thread because the moss will grow right over it and you'll never see it. You can put anubia and java fern in the gravel so long as you only bury the white roots. Then later you can add other plants if you decide.
And by adding plants you will actually be helping to remove excess nutrients from the water.

 

[azmodan]

What kind of lighting do you have? Gourami like floating plants and there are some good low light ones that are pretty commonly available. In addition to the plants Rivercats recommended I'd suggest floating some frogbit and anacharis at the top too.

 

[Lochnessholly]

What kind of lighting do you have? Gourami like floating plants and there are some good low light ones that are pretty commonly available. In addition to the plants Rivercats recommended I'd suggest floating some frogbit and anacharis at the top too.

I just have the standard light that came with the tank. I only let it run for about 5 hours a day. He doesn't seem to like it very much And he kind of panics.

 

[Rivercats]

With the plants you might want to up you light time to at least 6 hours a day. Also when you get some real plants growing and maybe even some floaters if you want them I think he will settle down.

 

[Lochnessholly]

>_< I came home from class today and my husband had suck a tiger barb in. Said it was to help it cycle....aren't they usually aggressive in small groups, especially with longer finned fish?

 

[Rivercats]

They are aggressive, both in small groups and in small tanks. Personally I'd try to return him before he starts picking on your DG.

 

[Lochnessholly]

They are aggressive, both in small groups and in small tanks. Personally I'd try to return him before he starts picking on your DG.

I'll see what I can do. He bought him from Walmart (ugh...) and they don't usually let you return them. Sometimes I really wish he'd leave things to me ><

 

[Rivercats]

Well he was probably only trying to help but I know what you mean... I would rather not have any help either!

 

[Lochnessholly]

Well he was probably only trying to help but I know what you mean... I would rather not have any help either!

Yep. Walmart won't take him back or even exchange him. So far he's just exploring. Nik also bought some fish cave and moved around my plants I have the tank scheduled for a partial change. Should I just hope for the best? I don't have a QT tank to put the barb in yet :/

 

[Rivercats]

Sounds like all you can do is watch him. Maybe you'll be lucky and get a mellow TB... one can hope! You can also check to see if any LFS would take him if he causes trouble.

 

[Lochnessholly]

Sounds like all you can do is watch him. Maybe you'll be lucky and get a mellow TB... one can hope! You can also check to see if any LFS would take him if he causes trouble.

Good idea you are so helpful! Currently he's just hiding in the cave and anytime my DG swims up to him, he swims away. My DG is huuuuge though.

 

[eduguy]

DG are small aren't they.

 

[Lochnessholly]

Well, water change went smoothly. So far the tiger barb just chills out in the fake plants and minds his own business.

 

[Lochnessholly]

Ok. I noticed a bit of fin nipping yesterday and now today my gourami was either hiding or sleeping behind the filter. Also, I noticed the tiger barb never swims up for food. Are they just bottom feeders? His coloring is fine, when he's not hiding out in the plants he's fine. I'm getting them a heater today, but the water is at 77 degrees. I did a ten percent water change last night since I still don't have a test kit.

 

[Lochnessholly]

Well, did another 25% water change today after installing the heater. I ended up getting a Tetra heater which keeps it at 79 degrees. Is this a good heater? The tiger barb was traded to a different pet store and the husband got me three platies. Someone else on the forum said to do a 50% change everyday until I can afford to get a kit. Besides my DG's eye everything seems to be going ok so far.

Definitely going to do a fish less cycle for our 55. Too much worrying :c