Got My Third Tank...a 10 Gallon

[Fishmanic]

Bought a Marineland 10 gallon aquarium kit....came with 50 watt heater, Penguin 100 filter, hood and led light.   I've started a fishless cycle using media from my other 2 tanks (a 29 gallon and a 35 gallon hex). 
 
Painted the back of the tank with   3 coats of black latex paint .  Using a nice end table as the stand.  Added two legs for additional support and added a oversize wood base under the tank to protect the table top.
 
Here's the empty tank after painting the back.
 
tank is still slightly cloudy due to squeezing old media into the filter
 

and here's some pics after transferring some wood and plants from my other 2 tanks..I'm sure I'll do further improvements to the overall look

 

 

 

[Fishmanic]

Did some updating...moved in some more java fern and anubias...got a iece of flagstone in the backyard and siliconed it to some flat rocks....

I'm on day four for cycling . I had addd some media from my other tanks. Taking longer than I was hoping.
 

 

 

 
Comments, recommendations welcome

 

[Fishmanic]

cleaned up the wood and trimmed the foreground piece of wood  .   I think it looks better this way.
 

 

[Ninjouzata]

Tank is looking good

 

[Fishmanic]

added a second floor to my "cave" .  Am waiting for silicone to fully cure before adding it.  Tube is test results for nitrites.  Cycle has begun...hope it move quickly as I heavily seeded the tank/filter.
 

 

 

[Fishmanic]

rethinking the cave...I think it may be too big for the tank...oh well, back to the drawing board...I'll put it in my 29 gallon  tank for my large pleco

 

[Ninjouzata]

I like the cave, shame it's too big.

 

[Fishmanic]

most recent iteration...decided not to use cave
 

 
Another one or two days and I should be cycled.....will be a total of 7 or 8 days...used filter media from other tanks

 

[Fishmanic]

doing final adjustments to aquascape....subject to change of course later.   I added a small homemad cave made with flagstone and rocks siliconed together.  Just about ready for fish....nitrites at .5 ppm and ammonia at .25 after full dose of ammonia at 7pm yesterday....if both are 0 at 7pm tonight I am cycled....it will have been 12 days----sped up by using media, plants and substrate from other tanks.   Cycle would have been completed sooner but ph had dropped to about 6.4 so I added 1/4 tsp of baking soda and brought it up to 7.6....cycling sped up soon after.   Plants added are anubias nana, java fern, and some tiny jungle val (never had luck with jungle val).   I am limited in plant choice as tank is relatively  low lighted with leds that came with the marilneland aquarium kit.
 

 

[Fishmanic]

C'est Fini 
 
cycled and now stocked my 10 gallon aquarium
 
presently have 5 harlequin rasboras, 1 julii cory, and 1 neon blue dwarf gourami
 
all fish are setting in nicely
 

 

[Fishmanic]

Here's a video of the 10 gallon tank...just stocked yesterday.

http/youtu.be/yj0SwupRDcA

 

[Ninjouzata]

Congrats on finishing the cycle Tank and fish look lovely.

 

[elassoma_sailor]

Lovely tank.

 

[thrujenseyes]

added a second floor to my "cave" .  Am waiting for silicone to fully cure before adding it.  Tube is test results for nitrites.  Cycle has begun...hope it move quickly as I heavily seeded the tank/filter.
 

 

ooooo I love this...what a great idea!  Did you order the silicone or purchase from a LFS?  

 

[Fishmanic]

I bought the silicone from Amazon...it's Dow 100% silicone, no additives for mold, mildew prevention. I cut off and smoothed out some of the sharp edges using a nipper and a grinding stone. My full grown bushynose pleco hangs out on the second floor in my larger 29 gallon tank.

Latest update to the 10 gallon tank. Added some rocks and another Java Fern.