Question from a beginner

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Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


DDE06
 
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2012 6:57 am

Question from a beginner

by DDE06

I recently purchased a 10 gallon kit that I'm going to use as a freshwater aquarium. I have everything I need except a heater (which I plan to buy in the next day or two) and the actual tank decorations/fish.

I'm looking for recommendations, every site I visit, or forum I read, states repeatedly that everything pretty much depends on what type of fish you want to buy. The problem is, I have no clue.

This is what I'm wondering/looking for:

1. In terms of which characteristics I'm looking for in a fish, 1. A lot of color, 2. hardy, 3. goes well with a variety of other species

2. If you have a few types of fish in mind that meet those requirements, which substrate is best? Aesthetically I'd prefer the look of sand, but if gravel is a better fit I can manage.

3. Chemicals. I bought one that conditions tap water, and another that claims to "maintain water chemistry and pH balance". Is there anything else I need, or will those two suffice?

4. I'm pretty much set on getting fake plants instead of live, it just seems easier to take care of and most likely less messy. If you still have those fish in mind that you thought of after question one, do they prefer a lot of plants, or only a few? Also, do they need hiding places?

I think that's pretty much it, for now :) Thanks in advance to anyone who responds, I realize I'm trying to take a shortcut here and rely on know-how someone else has learned through trial and error, so I hope my post isn't a nuisance.

4.


natalie265
Site Admin
 
Posts: 746
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:48 pm

by natalie265

1.keep in mind that 10 gallons is a very small tank and is going to seriously limit the choices you have and the amount of fish you can put in your tank. So, you are looking at probably a maximum of 3 species. How about a pair of honey gourami, 4 platies and a mystery snail?

2. The above fish aren't picky about their substrate

3. ditch the ph balance. All you need is the conditioner. The fewer chemicals you dump into the tank the better

4. Most fish benefit from having some hiding places in the tank. Platies aren't very picky, but honey gourami prefer a moderately planted tank. Fake are fine.

5. That's what the forum is for :)

p.s. before you put fish in your tank, make sure you buy a test kit (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite...ph is good to know too) and understand the term "cycling"


DDE06
 
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2012 6:57 am

by DDE06

Thanks for the response. After doing some research I think I might be interested in a cichlid tank. Are they territorial on an individual basis, or if I put 2-3 of the same kind in will they be fine?

I did a good deal of reading last night (including the entire thread about the all natural tank on this forum :)), and I'm now fully aware of proper cycling and the need for a master test kit, I'll be buying one later this afternoon. My grandmother has had the same tank for 15+ years so I'm going to ask her for her filter media when she goes to switch in a new one. I read that will significantly speed up the cycling time. I'm also convinced that a fishless cycle is the way to go, seems less wasteful on all fronts. Thanks again for your response :)


DanDman18
 
Posts: 115
Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:56 am

by DanDman18

Nope, sorry but 10 gallons is WAY too small for a cichlid tank, you would need at least a 55 gal if you wanted a decent amount of them when they're full grown. African cichlids are territorial especially when mating, and will outgrow a 10 gallon tank in a matter of monthes. As for New World cichlids, they get much bigger (except a few) and are (IMO) less pretty. Sand would be a good choice for any fish, I perfer black sand with a black background, really makes the fishes color pop. Is your grandmother's tank up and running, because if so and you take her filter media, there is no need to wait to put fish in, (as long as water is warm enough) you imediatly could get going, IF the media is from a well established tank.


natalie265
Site Admin
 
Posts: 746
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:48 pm

by natalie265

I agree w/Dan. A ten gallon cichlid tank is really out of the question. Even the smallest dwarf cichlids need more than ten gallons.

Good job reading up on cycling. Doing the research before you jump will pay off in the end. Using some filter media from your grandmother's tank is a great idea, and like Dan said, this will allow you to add fish immediately.


DDE06
 
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2012 6:57 am

by DDE06

Again, thanks for the responses. Yes her tank is up and running, has been for a very long time. I spoke with her tonight and she's due to change the filter in a week or two, so that will work out perfectly.

Bummer regarding the cichlids, I really like them. I went to a pet store tonight and they had a ton, the guy told me to get them if I wanted, but be prepared to move them within a couple of months into a bigger tank. I'm glad he gave me the honest answer, now I know I can trust him.

As expected they had plenty of gourami's and platies, I like some of the platies....the gourami's are too plainly colored for my taste, though. I'll have to do some more research into what I want.


Okiimiru
 
Posts: 275
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:19 pm

by Okiimiru

You can keep Neolamprologus multifasciatus, the smallest cichlid, in a 10 gallon tank. And they like sand as a substrate just like you do.

Here is an example 10 gallon tank with multis in it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbCS5Kx2 ... re=related

I agree about fishless cycling, and am glad you're choosing to do that. The process goes the same with or without fish in the tank, so there's no reason to cause suffering if you don't have to. So, here is a timeline of how long cycling an unseeded tank usually takes. It's on slide 8 of this presentation: http://www.aces.edu/users/davisda/class ... Design.pdf
There's a dot for each day and what you'll see if you measure ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. You're ready to add fish after ammonia and nitrite drop back down to 0 ppm. If the filter media from the other tank seeds properly, then as soon as you see nitrate and can't measure ammonia or nitrite, then your tank's fully cycled. This might happen on day one or it might happen in half the time that an unseeded tank would need, or it might happen in the 40 or so days that the unseeded tank requires. It's all about how well you kept the bacteria alive during transfer from one tank to another, and how much you took to begin with. Keep the filter media wet during transfer, like in a plastic bag, and it'll help more bacteria survive than if it were to dry out.

You mentioned liking cichlids, so have you heard of sunfish? They're not in the cichlid family, but they're similar physically. And an orange spotted sunfish is a little bit more colorful than a multi. Here are two photos of males in breeding color:
http://gallery.nanfa.org/v/members/Lanc ... 9.jpg.html
http://gallery.nanfa.org/v/members/Nate ... T.jpg.html
You won't find sunfish in your local pet stores because they're native in the US and pet stores wouldn't make any money trying to sell something to people that they can just fish for themselves. That being said, if you don't want to fish for your own, then there are vendors online who sell sunfish. It looks like Zimmerman's Fish currently has them in stock. Ooooh, they have Florida Flag Fish, too, Jordanella floridae. They'd do great in a 10 gallon tank.

Here is a list of the fish that you will find in your local pet store that would be appropriate in a 10 gallon tank.
1. Platies, not swordtails. Platies max out at two inches, while swordtails can get six.
2. Guppies, although nowadays the giant show guppies are almost too large to keep comfortably in a 10 gallon. In the olden days, the wild ones started out smaller.
3. A single betta. He'll patrol his territory and will be very active, especially with a heater. This is a great choice for you, and one I highly recommend.
4. Otocinclus (otos), not siamese algae eaters or plecostomus. The latter two get too big for a 10 gallon.
5. Neon or cardinal tetras definitely. Maybe diamond or black skirt tetras (they won't die if there is a little crowding, but they do better in larger tanks)
6. Cherry barbs, gold barbs.

The following is a list of one inch fish that I compiled a few weeks ago. They would all be perfectly happy in a 10 gallon tank. Some of them are a bit rarer, so you'd have to order them off of aquabid.com or some online petstore instead of going to your local petsmart.
1. Apistogramma elizabethae (elizabeth dwarf cichlid)
2. Aspidoras pauciradiatus (false corydoras)
3. Barbus hulstaerti (african butterfly barb)
4. Barbus jae (jae barb)
5. Boraras maculatus (dwarf rasbora)
6. Boraras micros (no common name)
7. Boraras merah (phoenix rasbora)
8. Boraras urophthalmoides (sparrow rasbora)
9. Boraras brigittae (mosquito/chili rasbora)
10. Brachygobius doriae (bumblebee goby)
11. Carinotetraodon travancoricus (malabar dwarf pea puffer)
12. Celestichthys margaritatus (celestial pearl danio)
13. Corydoras habrosus (venezuelan pygmy cory)
14. Corydoras hastatus (black diamond cory)
15. Danio erythromicron (zebra rasbora)
16. Danio choprae (glowlight danio)
17. Dario dario (scarlet badis)
18. Elassoma genus
a. Elassoma gilberti (gulf coast pygmy sunfish)
b. Elassoma okefenokee (okefenokee pygmy sunfish)
c. Elassoma evergladei (everglades pygmy sunfish)
19. Epiplatys annulatus (clown killifish)
20. Etheostoma microperca (least darter)
21. Etheostoma tippecanoe (tippecanoe darter)
22. Hara jerdoni (asian stone catfish)
23. Heterandria formosa (dwarf livebearer)
24. Horadandia atukorali (platinum barb)
25. Hyphessobrycon amandae (ember tetra)
26. Leptolucania ommata (pygmy killifish)
27. Nannostomus espei (barred pencilfish)
28. Nannostomus marginatus (dwarf pencilfish)
29. Otocinclus cocama (zebra otocinclus)
30. Paracheirodon innesi (neon tetra)
31. Pseudomugil gertrudae (spotted blue-eye)
32. Rasbora dorsiocellatus (eyespot rabspora)
33. Tanichthys micagemma (sparkle-eye whitecloud)
34. Trichopsis pumila (sparkling gourami)


DDE06
 
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2012 6:57 am

by DDE06

Wow, that's a lot of info! Thank you, and you actually have me considering a new option.....an all Florida species aquarium, considering that's where I live. I do like the multi's and the sunfish, I'll have to consider those, too. Thanks again :)


Okiimiru
 
Posts: 275
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:19 pm

by Okiimiru

You live in Florida? You're so lucky, that's where my favorite fish comes from. It's Elassoma gilberti, the gulf coast pymgy sunfish. I breed them and keep a discussion topic about them on the North American Native Fishes Association, link: http://forum.nanfa.org/index.php/topic/ ... e__st__760
If you're looking for Florida native fish, NANFA is a good source of information. You'll find a lot of people who like native fish there. And Florida's a great place for them. Elassoma gilberti, Leptolucania ommata, Heterandria formosa, Jordanella floridae... So many options for fish to put in a 10 gallon tank, right in your back yard. Lucky :)


DDE06
 
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2012 6:57 am

by DDE06

Very nice looking fish, you'll probably be a bit jealous to find out that I live on the gulf coast, about 10 minutes from both the beach, and massive lake Tarpon....I live in Pinellas county. Now if only I knew how to find these fish I'd save a lot of money :)

Question from a beginner

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