New to keeping fish

[Brodiesadie]

My kids was given a 10 gallon tank. We don’t have it set up yet. Was wondering if we should start with them 10 gallon tank then move up to bigger tanks later or get a bigger tank now. I read pros and cons for doing both. We want to keep platys glofish small fish as these nothing big. We want to do live plants.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Depends on what you want to keep. 10g is good tank for a small group of platys (say 4 or 5 fish). If you want more than that you will need to look at a bigger tank.

Perhaps start off with your 10g and see how you like keeping fish, upgrade or get a bigger second tank at a later date. Would be a shame to waste a free tank. If you do opt for a bigger tank and dont want to run 2 tanks, keep hold of the 10g for a quarantine tank. Never know when you will need a tank in an emergency.

 

[Brodiesadie]

Depends on what you want to keep. 10g is good tank for a small group of platys (say 4 or 5 fish). If you want more than that you will need to look at a bigger tank.

Perhaps start off with your 10g and see how you like keeping fish, upgrade or get a bigger second tank at a later date. Would be a shame to waste a free tank. If you do opt for a bigger tank and dont want to run 2 tanks, keep hold of the 10g for a quarantine tank. Never know when you will need a tank in an emergency.

Would you recommend real plants or plastic plants?

 

[Aiken Drum]

Real plants. Stick to low tech/low demand plants. Java fern, java moss, anubias, amazon swords, crypts, moss balls are all easy plants to keep without specialist lights or substrates. They will benefit from better lighting and fertiliser in the form of liquid ferts and root tabs for rooted plants, but they arent essential.

For minimal extra work and knowledge they give huge benefits.

Video link going through some low tech plants.

https://youtu.be/DpOVZEhBQ2c

The channel also did a great low tech planted tank project, although they did go into planted substrates and specialist lighting which you dont need.

Main thing to have some knowledge of is cycling a tank. Not knowing about the nitrogen cycle or how to cycle a tank is probably the #1 issue for beginners.

 

[Brodiesadie]

Real plants. Stick to low tech/low demand plants. Java fern, java moss, anubias, amazon swords, crypts, moss balls are all easy plants to keep without specialist lights or substrates. They will benefit from better lighting and fertiliser in the form of liquid ferts and root tabs for rooted plants, but they arent essential.

For minimal extra work and knowledge they give huge benefits.

Video link going through some low tech plants.

https://youtu.be/DpOVZEhBQ2c

The channel also did a great low tech planted tank project, although they did go into planted substrates and specialist lighting which you dont need.

Main thing to have some knowledge of is cycling a tank. Not knowing about the nitrogen cycle or how to cycle a tank is probably the #1 issue for beginners.

Is it ok to add the plants before the tank cycles? I was going to do a fish cycle.

 

[AquaticMan26]

Is it ok to add the plants before the tank cycles? I was going to do a fish cycle.

Plants can really be added at any time even before the tank cycles, just make sure that you have your gravel or whatever substrate you decided to use in place so the plants can root. Otherwise, have at it!

 

[Brodiesadie]

Plants can really be added at any time even before the tank cycles, just make sure that you have your gravel or whatever substrate you decided to use in place so the plants can root. Otherwise, have at it!

I read you can have too many plants in an aquarium. If I was going to do amazon sword and maybe moss for babies to hide in. How much of each is good and won’t be too much?

 

[Aiken Drum]

What reasons have you seen for having too many plants? I suppose it could cause an issue with too much oxygen uptake at night, but if you have good surface agitation (which you should have anyway) that shouldn't be a problem.

I have read that in heavily planted tanks with heavy fish stocks, the plants dont do so well, but ive never seen a reason why should be the case.

It comes down to what your personal preferences are. If you like a heavily planted tank, and are prepared to do the tank maintenance, then its fine. I have a quite heavily planted tank, and it can get a bit too overgrown to the point where it becomes an underwater garden with fish, rather than a planted aquarium. I probably take out 30% of the plant matter a month to keep it from overgrowing.

Take a look at dutch style aquariums to see how much planting some aquascapers do.

https://youtu.be/DXgXls--x1Y

 

[Brodiesadie]

What reasons have you seen for having too many plants? I suppose it could cause an issue with too much oxygen uptake at night, but if you have good surface agitation (which you should have anyway) that shouldn't be a problem.

I have read that in heavily planted tanks with heavy fish stocks, the plants dont do so well, but ive never seen a reason why should be the case.

It comes down to what your personal preferences are. If you like a heavily planted tank, and are prepared to do the tank maintenance, then its fine. I have a quite heavily planted tank, and it can get a bit too overgrown to the point where it becomes an underwater garden with fish, rather than a planted aquarium. I probably take out 30% of the plant matter a month to keep it from overgrowing.

Take a look at dutch style aquariums to see how much planting some aquascapers do.

https://youtu.be/DXgXls--x1Y

Yes that what it said it put too much oxygen in the tank. I wasn’t sure if it was true or not thank you!

 

[Aiken Drum]

No. I dont think too much oxygen will be the issue. Its at night when plants absorb oxygen and give out carbon dioxide that could be an issue. I really dont see it as significant though. Put in the plants you want to see.

 

[Brodiesadie]

No. I dont think too much oxygen will be the issue. Its at night when plants absorb oxygen and give out carbon dioxide that could be an issue. I really dont see it as significant though. Put in the plants you want to see.

I got my tank set up but the lights not working. I need new lights what’s the best lights to get for plant growth? The picture is what on it now. It came with a blue light it’s working but the white lights not working.