My Plans.

[Platygirl11]

I have decided that to properly rear my fry I need a tank, and not just a hanging net.
I also want this to be relatively cheap.
Here I go!
The tank would be a 5 gallon. The substrate would be sand so that the fry wouldn't injure themselves, and certain plants would be added. (looking for inexpensive suggestions here) I would have a sponge filter (I currently have a sponge covering the filter in my main tank, would that pretty much instantly cycle the tank?) and a heater. I have looked up 3 sponge filter designs so far (I want to build it myself) and I feel that I (at least sort of) know what I'm doing.
I need recomendations for:
Food- for platy fry, is crushed flake OK?
Cycling- Wondering if the mature sponge would automatically cycle the tank, and if I should include any fish to keep the tank cycled.
Plants- Ones that spread a little, preferably.
Heating- Are 5 gal heaters less expensive than others?
Housing- Is 5 gal the smallest I could go? Too small?

Please try to be patient, I'm new to fry, and want mine to have a good chance.

 

[Platygirl11]

Also, what would be your suggestions for lighting?

 

[Tolak]

A 10 gallon is cheaper than a 5 gallon. Forget the substrate, bare bottom. A couple of silk plants to ease the eye if you aren't used to bare tanks, otherwise you don't need any plants. You could get by with a 25w heater in a 10 gallon, a 50w would probably be better. There is about a dollar difference between the heaters, made up for by the cheaper tank.

The sponge pre-filter will work fine in a home made filter, or just run the home made filter in the main tank, and remove when needed.

Crushed flake is fine for platy fry, that's all mine get.

 

[Platygirl11]

Couple questions (here's where the "please be patient" part comes in):
1. How could a 10 gal be cheaper than a 5 gal? I would need a stand for it, and I'm sort of running out of space in my room.
2. I am pretty sure that a close lfs has a tank for like $15. I'm going to look tomorrow, I don't even know how big it is, it was mentioned in passing (that was the point where I was laughing, saying to myself "A whole new tank for fry?") But what part would be more expensive?
3.I have nothing against bare bottom, I just like the look of sand. Is bare bottom better somehow?

Thanks,
Platygirl.

 

[Tolak]

10 gallons are cheaper because there are more made. Mass quantity of production makes unit cost cheaper. The most common tank made in the US is the 10 gallon, followed by the 55. A 55 is cheaper than a 40 gallon for this reason.

A spot on a sturdy dresser would be fine for a 10 gallon, I don't recall ever seeing a single tank stand for a 5 gallon, for a 10 gallon yes. You can often find 10 gallon tanks on sale for $10-$12, call around. I don't go pricing stands, as I build my own better & cheaper. Garage sales are a great source of cheap sturdy furniture that can be used for tank stands. I have a couple sturdy night stands in the family room that are usually used for end tables, but have been used for 20 gallon stands before.

Bare bottom tanks are cleaner, cleaner is better for raising fry.

 

[OldMan47]

I know it doesn't make sense Platygirl but I always end up with a 10 gallon because I don't want to spend all the money on a 5 gallon. Bare bottom is easier to maintain and clean when you are done using it. You could use java moss or anacharis if you wanted some natural plant material, they don't need a substrate. If you are able to get a nice piece of 1/2 inch plywood, it will strengthen the top of the dresser or many other surfaces enough to hold a full 10 gallon. Just cut it an inch bigger than the tank in both directions.Your filter sponge should work in a DIY sponge filter or could be cut up and fitted to fill a simple box filter instead of the usual floss and carbon that the picture on the box will show.

 

[Platygirl11]

I'm not sure if the family would approve of another 10 gal.
Are there any DIY sponge filters that might be able to run in a 38 gal? I just started cycling it 5 days ago, but suppose that I ran that filter (along with my normal one) in the 10 gal for 1 and 1/2 to 2 weeks. Would that work? Then I could just plop it in my 38 gal and have it be pretty much instantly cycled. Would it be OK to have that much filter overkill?

Also, I looked at some articles on the internet that said dragging a sponge over an existing tanks gravel will instantly cycle it. That sounded a little untrue to me, do you think think it is true?

 

[OldMan47]

I have fair success just using a new tank to clean my old filter. I just leave the nasty water and dirt in the tank for the new filter to deal with. Enough gets onto the new filter that it is usually possible to fishless cycle it in less than a week. I end up cleaning the nastiness off the substrate with a gravel vac a few days after making the mess and clean the new filter when it starts to plug, which is often quite soon because of the loading it got. I am sure that you could pick up some bacteria by dragging filter media across the substrate but I like a more direct approach that gives me a much bigger sample of bacteria to propagate. For a person having trouble getting a cycle started, the filter drag might help a bit I guess but far from an instant cycle.

 

[Platygirl11]

So what happens to ones old filter during that process? Do you continue running it? Wouldn't it lose it's bacteria otherwise?
My 38 gal has a HOB filter, which I would be nervous putting in to my 10 gal. Is it possible to make sponge filters for 38 gallon tanks?

 

[Platygirl11]

It's just that I've heard a lot about sponge filters instantly cycling the tank.
Does the capabilities of the sponge have to do with the size of the sponge, or the power of the air pump?

EDIT-
OK, I'm pretty sure the sponge has been on my filter for about six days.

Edited again:
http/hagblomfoto.com/article_spongefilter.htm
Would that filter work? If I put it in my 10 gal, then replaced the powerhead with a stronger one, and moved it to my 38 gal?

 

[Platygirl11]

Also, would it be OK to do a water change while treating a tank with melafix?

 

[Platygirl11]

And also, would a power head filter or air pump work best?