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10g Planted Tank Journal - 5/2 - Small Update

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n3ont3tra

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Ok, I've never done a journal like th is before, so I guess I"ll start now. I have a standard 10g tank, heater, gravel, filter, and light. The lighting is a 15 watt tube thing, it looks like it's purple. I have no idea whether this is a good light to use or not. I might change it. I have a single whisper filter, I'm not sure of the model, but it's small. I picked that filter because I don't think it'll disturb the plants too much. I haven't bought a thermometer yet. The gravel is fine, and natural colored. The tank's been set up for about a month now, with just a piece of slate, the gravel, and water in it. There's some kind of coating over the surface of the water. I'll get it out before I add the fish and stuff though. I know what I want the tank to look like and I made a general layout on paint:

10gplangu7.png


Excuse my poor drawing skills, please. I know that isn't the best way to show it but it's all I can do at the moment.

Now for fish...
(please note that I have filter media running in my 30g, it's ready so whenever I need it I can just put it in.)
6 rummy nose tetras
3 panda cories
6 ghost shrimp
3 apple snails

I just can't decide whether I want Rummy Nose Tetras or not. Sure, I'd love to have them. But I've heard many bad things about them. I'm sure that if I matured my tank first it would be no problem. But none of the fish stores near me sell rummy nose tetras. The best place I could find them was online, at liveaquaria.com. They also happen to have all of the plants I want as well. I'd probably have to do a few purchases from there to add my stock slowly. One pet store near me has the shrimp, snails, and cories, but no plants. I could buy the plants at liveaquaria, put them in the tank, then go out to the store and buy the shrimp, snails, and cories, then buy the rummy nose tetras off of liveaquaria, but that's over $60 in shipping alone! I don't know what to do! I'd considered replacing the rummy nose tetras with Harlequin Rasboras, but they just aren't the same. I've also considered black neon tetras, about 10. I just can't decice!!

Pictures are coming soon. Probably on Xmas.


EDIT: Most of this is pretty much false now. I've changed my mind so much it's not even funny. Just read the last few pages and you'll pretty much be up to date.
 
A 15 watt bulb will only give you 1.5 wpg which is extremely low for a 10g tank. Add AT LEAST one more of those and you will be able to grow a few of the plants you want. Aim for about 3.5 wpg. Also, the filter should be able to circulate the water effectively.
 
I've thought about adding another filter. I probably will. I guess I'll get a better bulb, then. *goes to look online*
I was told that it's plenty since it was a small tank, but I guess it won't hurt.
 
Looks cool.
Another thing is pH. Most plants prefer a slightly acidic pH, and the tetras and corys like acidic water too. Ghost shrimp are fine in either, but in acidic water, apple snails shells will corrode and they will die.
Your stocking could work with alkaline water, tank bred corys and tetras are adaptable and you probably wont even notice with plants, but it's not ideal and its always a better idea to stock according to the water.
Unless your neutral, then lucky you :) .
Other than that and whats already been said, nice plans :).
 
Oh... my water is actually pretty acidic, about 6.3 from the tap. So I can't have apple snails? Is there something I could feed the snails to get over that? Also, does copper have a negative affect on snails? There is copper in my tap water. I don't want to make the snails suffer. What about shrimp or fish. Does it hurt them?
Also, I have a question about lights. Is it better to buy flourescent bulbs? I'm buying from Petco.com. If somebody could look at what they have and suggest a bulb for me, I would appreciate it. I might just get a whole new hood as well, though. The one I have is kind of... flimsy. The length or the tank is 20 inches.
 
Thank you, FKNM. If I'm not mistaken, it comes with a 40w bulb, right? In the basic guide to lighting, it said when you have 3wpg or higher you will need CO2 systems. Could someone direct me to a relatively cheap but effective CO2 system? I've never used one before. Does it lower PH? I'm afraid that will hurt my fish, as my PH is already low out of the tap.
 
Should I use some sort of fertiliser for my plants? If so, should it be root tabs or liquid fertiliser? I don't have a substrate specifically for plants, it's just fine, smooth gravel. What are some good brand names?
 
No, but drsfosterandsmith doesn't have the Nutrafin, so I'm sure it's cheaper than buying from two different stores.
 
Just did a quick google and found out that copper is toxic to snails. Unfortunately, I have a large amount of copper in my tap water. Maybe that's why my first snail died... So I can't have snails unless I invest in an RO unit, which is at LEAST $150, and I'd have to buy some kind of replenisher or something becasue RO water doesn't have all the nutrients plants need. So boo. :/

Just in case anyone's wondering, I won't be getting anything until after Christmas unless Sant- I mean my parents - get me anything. I don't think they will though. But I'll buy stuff as soon as I can! :lol:

FKNM, how can you have posted that at 10:45 today, and then edit it at 10:50 today? :shifty:
 
Well, I have about $66 saved up and that'll probably be spent on the lighting and I think my mom will pay for the CO2 thing cause it's only $20. She'll probably buy most of the fish and plants too, but I'm not sure because she said I'd have to wait until after Christmas until I buy ANYTHING which makes me think she's getting me something for fish.
What do you think about the fish?
 
n3ont3tra said:
Oh... my water is actually pretty acidic, about 6.3 from the tap. So I can't have apple snails? Is there something I could feed the snails to get over that? Also, does copper have a negative affect on snails? There is copper in my tap water. I don't want to make the snails suffer. What about shrimp or fish. Does it hurt them?
Also, I have a question about lights. Is it better to buy flourescent bulbs? I'm buying from Petco.com. If somebody could look at what they have and suggest a bulb for me, I would appreciate it. I might just get a whole new hood as well, though. The one I have is kind of... flimsy. The length or the tank is 20 inches.
Click to expand...
:crazy: You cant have any apple snails in water that acidic, there is no way around it. Adding liquid calcium wont help either.
You cant have any inverts in you tank at all, so no ghost shrimp or snails, the copper will kill them. If you buy an aquatic plant that has been treated for snails with copper and put it in a tank with shrimp, it kills them pretty fast, so just imagine what your tap water will do.
Sorry man :( .
 
How come I have all those pest snails in my 30g then? :X

That's a shame, I really wanted shrimp and snails.
I have panda cories in my 30g and they leave my java moss alone...

EDIT: I might get panda cories and if they harm the plants, I'll out them in my 30g with my other pandas and then I'll get a different type from my lfs. Would Shwartz (sp?) cories do?
 
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