10 Gallon ideas

[Brendt]

Hi all, I’m currently cycling my tank ( I think) and looking for ideas to stock my tank. Here is how it started I was in my basement and found my old 10 gallon tank with the filter ( the basement is heated) I took it out cleaned The tank out bought a new filter because the old one didn’t work. However I kept the old filter media not sure if it would be any good or not because it was all dryed up but figured I’d give it a try. Rinsed everything filled tank dechlorinated water. Put the old filter media in the water just floating around and poured in a bottle of tetra safe start. Anyways I’d like to add plants and driftwood in before the tank is cycled. Is that possible? If so what kind can I get? Also if you guys have any ideas of a combonation of fish and plants that would help out tremoundsly I would like some shrimp in there too if possible Also a little about the set up. It’s a 10 Gal My tap water runs about 8.0 I will be using 2 tetra PF10’s and a aqueon 100 W heater.

 

[seangee]

The beneficial bacteria in the old media are long gone. Personally I would just have used the new media because there is no way of knowing what has attached itself to the media in your basement. If I were to use the old media I would thoroughly sterilise it using bleach. Either way its not going to provide a shortcut to your cycle and you will be starting from scratch. .

 

[Essjay]

Tetra Safe Start is one of the brands that does work provided it has been stored correctly ever since it left the factory - if it got very cold or very hot in a delivery lorry for example, it won't work.

The best way to make sure is to buy a bottle of ammonia and follow these instructions http://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/ If the Safe Start has worked, you'll get through those instructions very quickly; if it hasn't worked, at least you will have saved fish from going through a fish-in cycle.
But if you intend to plant the tank, provided you have more than just the odd plant you should be able to get away without cycling because plants take up ammonia as fertiliser.


Before we can suggest fish we need to know your water hardness - this is more important than the pH. Your water provider's website should give your hardness somewhere. We need the number and the units as they could use any one of half a dozen units. If they give alkalinity as well, tell us that too.

 

[Brendt]

Tetra Safe Start is one of the brands that does work provided it has been stored correctly ever since it left the factory - if it got very cold or very hot in a delivery lorry for example, it won't work.

The best way to make sure is to buy a bottle of ammonia and follow these instructions http://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/ If the Safe Start has worked, you'll get through those instructions very quickly; if it hasn't worked, at least you will have saved fish from going through a fish-in cycle.
But if you intend to plant the tank, provided you have more than just the odd plant you should be able to get away without cycling because plants take up ammonia as fertiliser.


Before we can suggest fish we need to know your water hardness - this is more important than the pH. Your water provider's website should give your hardness somewhere. We need the number and the units as they could use any one of half a dozen units. If they give alkalinity as well, tell us that too.

Hi EssJay unfortunately that information doesn’t seem to be readily available to me on the website or I’m missing it and do not know where to look. Here is the website though http://www.lrsanitary.com/default.html
If you could find it and let me know that would be great I’ll keep looking in the meantime

 

[Essjay]

There does not appear to be anything on the website, unfortunately. You have a few options - email/phone them, take a sample of tap water to a fish shop and ask them to test it, or buy a GH tester.

When I emailed my water company all they sent me was a water quality report which was no use, so if yours is the same you'd be better off phoning them. Tell them you want to know how hard your water is and if they give you a number make sure they also give you the unit. Don't settle for words like soft or slightly hard. We need to know exactly how hard. (UK water companies use 'slightly hard' for what fishkeepers would call the top end of soft!)
As with the water company, if you get your tap water tested at a shop make sure they write down the number and unit.
Buying your own tester is a last resort because you'll only use it once or twice.

 

[Brendt]

There does not appear to be anything on the website, unfortunately. You have a few options - email/phone them, take a sample of tap water to a fish shop and ask them to test it, or buy a GH tester.

When I emailed my water company all they sent me was a water quality report which was no use, so if yours is the same you'd be better off phoning them. Tell them you want to know how hard your water is and if they give you a number make sure they also give you the unit. Don't settle for words like soft or slightly hard. We need to know exactly how hard. (UK water companies use 'slightly hard' for what fishkeepers would call the top end of soft!)
As with the water company, if you get your tap water tested at a shop make sure they write down the number and unit.
Buying your own tester is a last resort because you'll only use it once or twice.

Ok I will do this post results on here, thank you

 

[Byron]

Essjay has to on the right track with the water parameters. On the other issue of the filter media, any "soft" media like foam, sponges, pads should be tossed out and replaced. Hard media if used should only be rinsed in very hot water, but not with any bleach; media is intended to adsorb/absorb stuff, and it will do this with the bleach and never fully come out...until it kills something in the tank. I would assume a filter for a 10g would be pretty basic. You could even do with a simple sponge filter connected to a small air pump.

Ity is OK to use bleach to clean the aquarium glass, just be sure to rinse in in tap water several times and then air dry completely. Same holds for filter housing and tubes. Thoroughly air dry after several rinses if bleach is used (and bleach added to a bucket of water, not straight bleach).