Setting Up A 10 Gallon Aquarium

[Chymie]

Hello

This is my first aquarium and I am not real sure if I am doing this right. I am doing a fishless cycle since it sounded safer for the fish and gives me more time to pick out the right fish. The tank I have is 10 gallons with a heater and a Topfin 10 3-way Filter. My tap water is hard. The pH is about 7.9 and very calcium rich. I have been using an API Freshwater Master Testing Kit since I was told liquid test kits are more accurate than the strips. I wanted to use live plants instead of fake ones. I have bought Carbi Sea Flora Max Substrate, API Flourish Tabs and some natural rock looking gravel to put on top of the substrate. Also, the way I was told to do a fishless cycle is different than the way posted on this forum.

How I was told to do a fishless cycle

1) Set the tank up for 24 hours to make sure there are no leaks and everything works. Keep the tank completely empty (No gravel, plants, decorations, ect.) except for the filter and heater.

2) Add enough ammonia to the tank to get it up to 2.0ppm, the ammonia I used is Always Save the ingredients are Ammonium Hydroxide and Surfactant. Add 1Tsp(5ml) of both Tetra AquaSafe
plus and Nutrafin Cycle. Keep the temp at 82 Fahrenheit.

3) Add enough ammonia everyday so that there is always 2.0ppm in the tank. Keep checking for a nitrite spike and then a nitrate spike.

4) Once the Ammonia is at 0.0ppm and nitrite is at 0.0ppm and you just have nitrate the tank is cycled. Dump all the water out of the tank but keep some of the water in a bucket and place
the filter in the water so the bacteria doesn't die. Decorate the tank and fill it and add 1Tsp(5ml) of Tetra Aquasafe Plus and the tank is ready for fish.

So my questions are:

Will my tank cycle with this method? If not can I start over?

I have seen testing kits for GH/KH, calcium, copper, phosphate and a few others. Will I need these test as well?

I wanted to have live plants. Can I plant java fern, anubis, and aponogenton with my water conditions and tank size?

What type of fish can live in a small aquarium with very hard water? I was thinking mollies, but, I don't know how big they get.

Thanks for reading my post and any help/advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[mattyeatsmatts]

Personally I would do it;

Add 5ppm Ammonia > Test > Wait to hit 0ppm > Redose 3ppm Ammonia > Test.

When Nitrites are gone and the tank can covert Ammonia-Nitrite = 0 then you are done.

Raise the temp of the tank to around 28C

 

[Chymie]

Ok I will do it that way instead. I just realized I was using the wrong type of ammonia as well. I went to true value and got some that doesn't bubble up when I shake it so I am guessing its ok. It is blue ribbon brand but it doesn't have any ingredients listed on it just says no phosphate. I went ahead and rinsed out my tank out and all the doodads in it hoping it will take all the old ammonia off. The only thing I am not sure on is what other testing kits I will need and what kind of fish will do ok with hard water and in a small tank.

And thank you for answering my questions.

 

[onidrase]

mollies get too large. Endler's livebearers would be a much better choice. The biggest fish for a 10 gallon imo are either betta fish or honey gouramis.

Anubias Nana would be a good choice for your tank size, but java fern is very prolific and may become a pest. I don't know anything about the last plant you mentioned. Don't add live plants until after the cycle is complete, though. they'll likely either die or kind of mess with the cycle itself.

 

[4seasons]

2) Add enough ammonia to the tank to get it up to 2.0ppm, the ammonia I used is Always Save the ingredients are Ammonium Hydroxide and Surfactant. Add 1Tsp(5ml) of both

First step if you used ammonia with surfactant is dump it all out and rinse the crap out of everything and if something is cheap throw it away and get new.
Surfactant is SOAP. Soap KILLS fish. Soap doesn't just go away like the ammonia as bacteria will eat ammonia. Soap sticks to things, particularly filter media and will contaminate your tank for a long time. Never use a ammonia source than contains surfactant to cycle a tank.

 

[Chymie]

Oh wow I had no idea it was that dangerous to fish! I did rinse it out before I tried my cycle (with the right ammonia this time) but I might go a head and rinse everything out again just in case. I thought it would just mess up the cycling process I didn't think it would kill the fish.

And I will be crossing mollies and java fern off my list and ill look for some Anubias Nana once I get my tank cycled. I was kind of thinking that the mollies would get to big and not do well in my tank. My friend recommended them since she has 3 mollies in a 5 gallon tank but they always look kind of sick. And is a endlers livebearers the same thing as a guppy? They look similar to me but then again I don't know much about fish.

 

[4seasons]

And is a endlers livebearers the same thing as a guppy? They look similar to me but then again I don't know much about fish.

Endlers are a kind a guppy. Some people will argue that they are a separate breed, while others say they are just a guppy hybrid. Endlers and other guppies will interbreed so the purest will say don't keep them together to preserve the pure endler bloodline, while others will say endlers are just a hybrid anyway so it doesn't matter. I am planning on getting some endlers myself soon, just because I think they look cooler than regular guppies. And my tank is too small for some of each so mine will be pure endlers.

 

[onidrase]

And is a endlers livebearers the same thing as a guppy? They look similar to me but then again I don't know much about fish.

Endlers are a kind a guppy. Some people will argue that they are a separate breed, while others say they are just a guppy hybrid. Endlers and other guppies will interbreed so the purest will say don't keep them together to preserve the pure endler bloodline, while others will say endlers are just a hybrid anyway so it doesn't matter. I am planning on getting some endlers myself soon, just because I think they look cooler than regular guppies. And my tank is too small for some of each so mine will be pure endlers.

They're not a hybrid. Endler's livebearers have the scientific namePoecilia wingei and guppies have the scientific name Poecilia reticulata. They are separate species, I don't know who would argue they're a hybrid, or what they're a cross between, at that. They have been hybridized like mad with guppies though, so finding a pure endlers livebearer is tough as all hell, but that doesn't make it right to keep doing it til you can't tell the difference between the two.

 

[4seasons]

And is a endlers livebearers the same thing as a guppy? They look similar to me but then again I don't know much about fish.

Endlers are a kind a guppy. Some people will argue that they are a separate breed, while others say they are just a guppy hybrid. Endlers and other guppies will interbreed so the purest will say don't keep them together to preserve the pure endler bloodline, while others will say endlers are just a hybrid anyway so it doesn't matter. I am planning on getting some endlers myself soon, just because I think they look cooler than regular guppies. And my tank is too small for some of each so mine will be pure endlers.

They're not a hybrid. Endler's livebearers have the scientific namePoecilia wingei and guppies have the scientific name Poecilia reticulata. They are separate species, I don't know who would argue they're a hybrid, or what they're a cross between, at that. They have been hybridized like mad with guppies though, so finding a pure endlers livebearer is tough as all hell, but that doesn't make it right to keep doing it til you can't tell the difference between the two.

I happen to agree with you. But I have had several people tell me that endlers are just guppy hybrids both online and in fish stores. That is why I mentioned it. Not to start the argument just to let the OP know that there is an argument out there and that someone might try to sell guppies and call them endlers. I know this first hand because two different fish stores here have tried to sell me what they call an "endlers guppy."

 

[cascadingwaters]

I personally think glo light tetras, a nice shoal of 6-8 would do wonderfully in a 10 gallon. As well as a school of Celestial Pearl Danios. Either way, your options are much more wider than just a beta or honey gouramis, IMO. Also, as far as plants I have had the best success with Anubias and Java Fern.

 

[Lufbramatt]

small tank with hard water? shellies!

Tanganyikan shell dwelling cichlids- such as lamprologus brevis or lamprologus multifasciatus, a pair or trio work really well in a 10 gallon tank, masses of personality and easy to breed, amazing little fish

They wont touch plants and only things they need are a sand substrate and a bunch or empty escargot shells to live in. Cute as anything!

 

[OldMan47]

Chymie, you have the right ammonia for a cycle, or a hundred cycles. I have that same bottle and have cycled all 26 of my tanks. The neck part that narrows down at the top is almost empty now but the wide part of the bottle is still full.
I have a link in my signature area to a method many of us have used with success here but the basic outline you gave would work too.
Small tank hard water is just fine for plants. You can house any of a large number of livebearers in a tank that size including guppies, platies, endlers, black chins, golden teddies and about half of the group of fish called goodeids.
A nice Xenotaenia resolanae female in a small planted tank.

 

[Chymie]

Oldman47 thanks for confirming that I am using the right ammonia. Also I added 5 ppm ammonia about 10 days ago and it is already gone and I have 5.0ppm nitrites and about 20ppm nitrates. I feel like this is going too well and I might have messed something up.

And I have decided on putting a couple different types of Anubias but I am still not sure on the fish. I was thinking about doing Gouramis or Livebearers. I am a little worried about trying gouramis since they are a soft water fish but I do really like them. I was thinking about adding something like this water softner pillow but I don't know if they work or not. Has anyone ever used one before?

Oh and lufbramatt I showed the shellies to my brother and he fell in love with them. He is setting up a 15 gallon tank now so he can get some.

And thanks 4seasons that is what was confusing me. I went to the fish store and the guy kept telling me that guppies and Endlers are the same thing.

 

[OldMan47]

What kind of water do you have from the tap? That is what you will need to work with.
I have hard water with a high pH so I concentrate on the livebearers but people who have soft water with a neutral to low pH would have trouble with my fish selections. What you choose to keep in your tanks will do better if you pay attention to the water that you have available from the tap.
I am sorry to be so blunt but that will get you on the best path to success in the long run. It matters very little what you like personally unless that happens to match up with your tap water. If I had soft and low pH water I would keep and breed things like cories and angels but with my tap water I do well with livebearers instead.
If each of us keeps fish well suited to our tap water, we will all do well.

 

[Chymie]

Ah ok thanks OldMan47.

I think I am going to go a head and stick with guppies or endlers. My pH fluxes between 7.5 to 8.0