Buying A 10 Gallon Tank Help! (Top Fin 10 Gallon)

[eaglesaquarium]

okay guys new acquarium is setup and running. air stones currently off because it was creating wayy too much current for my guppies.

moved my 3 guppies and apple snail over. betta is still in his 3 gallon. im considering putting him in too but im worried about fighting between them ?

good idea/ bad idea?

going to try using cycle and hope for the best

guppies and bettas don't mix. The betta will attack the guppies.

 

[OldMan47]

If you get a 10 gallon kit from Petsmart or Petco, it will pretty much come with minimal equipment, not the best available but good enough. If you are worried about a place to put a 10 gallon, I have a 10 sitting atop a 2 drawer file cabinet that has been there for several years. I simply put a piece of 1/2 inch plywood cut to size under the tank to distribute the weight. The internal cartridge type filters sold by Tetra, the 10i model, will be adequate for that small tank but will be far from ideal. Any 50W heater, except a Marineland Stealth, which is presently on recall, would be enough for most fish. If you mess up and buy a stealth, just call the recall hot line and they will replace it for you with no troubles.
I always have ignored the advice to separate my bettas from guppies. I have never seen any serious aggression between those species although a betta will sometimes make a half hearted lunge at a guppy, or any other fish.

 

[thezodiac]

If you get a 10 gallon kit from Petsmart or Petco, it will pretty much come with minimal equipment, not the best available but good enough. If you are worried about a place to put a 10 gallon, I have a 10 sitting atop a 2 drawer file cabinet that has been there for several years. I simply put a pi8ece of 1/2 inch plywood cut to size under the tank to distribute the weight. The internal cartridge type filters sold by Tetra, the 10i model, will be adequate for that small tank but will be far from ideal. Any 50W heater, except a Marineland Stealth, which is presently on recall, would be enough for most fish. If you mess up and buy a stealth, just call the recall hot line and they will replace it for you with no troubles.
I always have ignored the advice to separate my bettas from guppies. I have never seen any serious aggression between those species although a betta will sometimes make a half hearted lunge at a guppy, or any other fish.

i got the tank and hood from petsmart. for the filter i bought the

acqa clear mini http/www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754143
2 15 watt bulbs (can take up to 25 but they were out of clear)

and i already had an air pump for 10 gallon tank as well as a 50 watt heater. (not a stealth)

im still a little curious about the random snail that appeared. i looked through my tank and see now eggs anywhere (or in my old tank)...

also i lost another one of the guppies today (down to two and my apple snail)

i did a 3 gallon water change.

at this point how much water should i be changing how frequently?

 

[Randi]

Do you have any plants in your tank? They sometimes have hidden snail eggs when you get them from the store.

As far as water changes, test your water and do large enough changes to keep your ammonia below .25ppm (and later your nitrites). You will probably have to do it everyday until your tank is cycled.

 

[thezodiac]

Do you have any plants in your tank? They sometimes have hidden snail eggs when you get them from the store.

As far as water changes, test your water and do large enough changes to keep your ammonia below .25ppm (and later your nitrites). You will probably have to do it everyday until your tank is cycled.

okay i was able to get clear pics of the mini snail if anyone can help me id it please

http/img683.imageshack.us/img683/943/snail1.jpg
and
http/img24.imageshack.us/img24/8242/snail2s.jpg

okay ill definitely keep up on water changes, i dont have a test kit yet though. is there a specific one you guys can recommend?
(something preferably under $30 and would last a while)

 

[Randi]

I recommended the API master kit which is around $30 and has everything you need. You can also buy the tests individually. The API ammonia test costs about $10. That's the first test you will need.

 

[thezodiac]

I recommended the API master kit which is around $30 and has everything you need. You can also buy the tests individually. The API ammonia test costs about $10. That's the first test you will need.

retail most places sell the ammonia only for like $ 10

i just found this on amazon

http/www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Pharmaceuticals-Aquarian-Freshwater-Master/dp/B001EU8RO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1304611716&sr=8-1

thinkin i should prob just buy this instead

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I recommended the API master kit which is around $30 and has everything you need. You can also buy the tests individually. The API ammonia test costs about $10. That's the first test you will need.

retail most places sell the ammonia only for like $ 10

i just found this on amazon

http/www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Pharmaceuticals-Aquarian-Freshwater-Master/dp/B001EUG8RO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1304611716&sr=8-1

thinkin i should prob just buy this instead

You can do better than that!
Link.

Even with the standard shipping costs, you still are ahead of the game versus amazon!

 

[thezodiac]

I recommended the API master kit which is around $30 and has everything you need. You can also buy the tests individually. The API ammonia test costs about $10. That's the first test you will need.

retail most places sell the ammonia only for like $ 10

i just found this on amazon

http/www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Pharmaceuticals-Aquarian-Freshwater-Master/dp/B001EUG8RO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1304611716&sr=8-1

thinkin i should prob just buy this instead

You can do better than that!
Link.

Even with the standard shipping costs, you still are ahead of the game versus amazon!

lol at that website it'd b $25.18 total

amazons $25.05 and i get 2 day shipping free (prime) =)

 

[OldMan47]

That snail looks like the typical unwanted snail in one of my tanks. I think they call them pond snails.
With no test kit and your present biological loading, I would be doing a 50% daily water change for at least the first month. You do not have a mature filter in the tank or a test kit so you must assume the worst. The two guppies are a 20% load and the apple snail is another 20% load on your tank. At a 40% total stock level, I would not go with less than the 50% water changes.

 

[thezodiac]

That snail looks like the typical unwanted snail i one of my tanks. I think they call them pond snails.
With no test kit and your present biological loading, I would be doing a 50% daily water change for at least the first month. You do not have a mature filter in the tank or a test kit so you must assume the worst. The two guppies are a 20% load and the apple snail is another 20% load on your tank. At a 40% total stock level, I would not go with less than the 50% water changes.

thanks old man, yeah ive ordered my test kit itll be here on saturday.

 

[OldMan47]

Once you have the test kit in hand, it may indicate a smaller water change.

 

[thezodiac]

Once you have the test kit in hand, it may indicate a smaller water change.

yeah once i get it i can let u guys know the results so we can make sure everythings going well and such.

 

[hillmar77]

Any liquid test kit would work....API master is what most people use

 

[thezodiac]

okay guys just got my master test kid and followed the instructions (as well as watched a youtube video on how to do it correctly)

anways i prob havent changed the water in 2 days or maybe 3
and currently

nitrite is at .25
ammonia is at .50

(i did wait the 5 minutes as the instructions stated)