First Aquarium

[neon tetra]

Hello, so the other week i bought my first aquarium but have a few queries that need answering. It's only a 10 gallon tank, which i know isnt ideal for a beginner but thats what i ended up with

The aquarium itself is neary set up. The filter, heater and thermometer are all up and running and i am just waiting for the bacteria levels to build up. I have also set the pH to 7 and put in the substrate and plants etc...

I have visited my local aquatics shop to browse at the fish, and was wondering if anyone had any ideas of what ones i should get? I was thinking as a beginner neon tetras would be a good idea? Also i was told by a friend that i will need a bottom feeder too and was wondering if he was correct? He suggested a small tropical catfish however im not too sure how big they grow which could be a problem as its only a 10 gallon tank...

Any advice would be appreciated

Thanks

 

[LucyB]

Small catfish - google corydoras catfish. They are cheap, small and have lovely personalities. You would need about 6 though and they prefer sand substrate

 

[neon tetra]

Thanks if i got 5 or 6 catfish along with a few tetras do you think it would be overcrowded? its a 10 gallon tank and near enough a cube shapeee.

 

[mislisa]

Thanks if i got 5 or 6 catfish along with a few tetras do you think it would be overcrowded? its a 10 gallon tank and near enough a cube shapeee.

I'd look into getting the pygmy corys if i were you, as they are quite a bit smaller. Maybe 5 or 6 of those. Neon Tetras tend to be very sensitive IME, I'd personnaly look into the galaxy rasboras (Celestial Pearl Danios) or other small shoaling fish. You could do a Betta instead as well.

Have you read through the beginner's center? It really helped me when I was staring out almost 2 years ago.

 

[slimeneo]

Just to make sure, you're cycling your tank right? Not just leaving everything running without doing anything.

Make sure you are fully cycled before adding any fish

 

[neon tetra]

Yeah i had a look through it the other day so you would recommend some pygmy corys along with rasboras or a betta and forgetting the tetras?

I added the bacteria today got some pH powder stuff aswell to set the pH to 7. Anything else i need to do with the tank before i add the fish in a few weeks?

 

[mislisa]

There's a lot of debate whether the liquid bacteria works or not... i personally cycled with ammonia, and never had any problems.
also, be careful playing with the pH, as sudden jumps in ph can be harmful to your fish. most fish will adapt to whatever your ph is without much fuss, but if it does need changing, rocks and/or wood can help to either raise or lower ph slowly.

Oh, and yes those are the fish i would look into. others with more experience might be able to suggest others though.

 

[Crossfire]

Yeah i had a look through it the other day so you would recommend some pygmy corys along with rasboras or a betta and forgetting the tetras?

I added the bacteria today got some pH powder stuff aswell to set the pH to 7. Anything else i need to do with the tank before i add the fish in a few weeks?

Don't mess with the pH. There's really no need, unless it was at extreme levels. You will have to always be changing the pH around, and it can be an expensive hassle. IMO, don't add it anymore. Your fish, if bought locally, will already be accostumed to the tap pH. Constanly messing around with the pH will actually harm the fish more.

That bottle bacteria doesn't work, I'm afraid. It's a gimmick, a false hope, like snake oil. It would be much more reliable and better to use the ammonia method you can find in the beginner's section.

Also, for cories, you will need a sand bottom. Not the AragAlive or cichlid sand, but washed playsand (the kind for sandboxes) is fine. You can find it in hardware stores or online

As for stock, I recommend

1x Dwarf Gourami
or
1x Betta
10x Celestial Pearl Danios
8x Pygmy Cories
and maybe some cherry, or amano shrimp for algae control

 

[neon tetra]

Cheers for the advice luckily i got the bacteria free with the aquarium so i think i'll go buy some ammonia. Also with the pH powder ive not actually added any yet so will be alright just using the tapwater as it comes out? also what should an ideal pH level be? I will get sand tomorrow to replace the gravel as substrate also would you recommend live plants or plastic ones? i got a few plastic ones and a rock free with the aquarium but would be willing to buy live ones.

 

[Crossfire]

Cheers for the advice luckily i got the bacteria free with the aquarium so i think i'll go buy some ammonia. Also with the pH powder ive not actually added any yet so will be alright just using the tapwater as it comes out? also what should an ideal pH level be? I will get sand tomorrow to replace the gravel as substrate also would you recommend live plants or plastic ones? i got a few plastic ones and a rock free with the aquarium but would be willing to buy live ones.

Real plants are better. They provide oxygen, remove CO[sub]2[/sub], provide shelter, and absorb excess nitrates
But add them after the cycling, or else they will skew your results. Speaking of results, invest in an API Liquid API Freshwater Testing kit

As long as you dechlorinate the tap water, it should be fine for the fish.
An ideal pH can be anywhere from 6-8. As long as they aren't extremes (say, 2.2 to 8.8, 8.8 being saltwater, 2.2 being close to battery acid)

Make sure the ammonia has only ammonia in it. No scents like lemon

I can recommend some excellent, hardy low light plants for your tank if you'd like

 

[neon tetra]

Yeah that would be great if you could recommend some I can dechlorinate it with a chemical additive cant i? Also when a fish has its ideal pH level, for example 7-8, would it affect the fish much if the pH was not in that range? 8.2 for example? Cheers

 

[slimeneo]

Example of a dechlorinator.

I think it depends on what kind of fish it is. If its only .2 from the range it should be fine. I have 8.2 water too.

 

[Crossfire]

Yeah that would be great if you could recommend some I can dechlorinate it with a chemical additive cant i? Also when a fish has its ideal pH level, for example 7-8, would it affect the fish much if the pH was not in that range? 8.2 for example? Cheers

If you buy the fish locally, there should be no problem, since the fish are already accustomed to it.

If you're still concerned about the pH, you can slowly and safely lower it by either adding some peat (available in stores or online, aquarium safe peat) or adding almond catappa leaves. Be warned though, it will turn your water slightly brown, darker if you add a lot. I recommend the leaves. Fish love to eat the microfauna and flora that grow on them, provides essential nutrients, shrimp love them, and fish love to hide under them

You can buy dechlorinator at any petstore. Any brand is good. I recommend Seachem Prime, because it's highly concentrated and removes ammonia and nitrite, but it's expensive. I personally use API StressCoat+ which dechlorinates but has the added bonus of aloe vera, which heals any fish injuries and relieves stress

Some good plants are Amazon Swords, any Crypts, any Anubias, Java Fern, any aquatic moss (Java Moss, Flame Moss, Weeping Moss, etc) Tiger Lotus, Round Pelia, and basically any broad leafed plant.
Be warned though, Crypts, Anubias, Java Fern, Moss, and Pelia has to be attached to either rocks, drfitwood, or anything else. They can't be placed directly in the sand, as their roots will rot.

Thank you for being so patient and so receptive of our advice. Too many times we get beginner's who reject our help

 

[neon tetra]

Haha wanted to make sure I was doing everything right I bought a few tropical fish books and did a bit of research on the web before I even bought the tank . Thought it would be best coming on to the forums though because sometimes with books and beginner guides there are sometimes still a few things that you aren't too sure on

And yeah the pet store is only a few miles away so i'm hoping the water will be fine cheers for the advice on the plants aswell (y)