Thinking of setting up a Ten gallon tank.

[Souperman]

I am thinking of setting up a five gallon tank but before I did I had a few questions.

I know a beta would be a good stocking choice but before I decided on something I wanted to know if there was anything else that would be recommended to stock?

I know how to cycle a tank fresh but I have heard that I can use stuff from my existing tank to cycle the new tan. If this is true how would I go about doing this?

I will check my water parameters and post them when I get home.
Water Parameter Update:Gh 30 KH between 0 and 40 pH 6.5 to 7.

Update: I have now decided to do a ten gallon tank.

 

[**sarahp**]

What kind of filter are you planning on using in the 5g? I put a sponge filter in my 10g, so I just set it running in my main tank for about 4 weeks. I then set up the 10g used ammonia to get it to 3ppm and made sure it was processed in 24 hours did a 100% water change and put my betta boy in.

 

[snork6]

Shrimp are always a good option for a 5 gallon tank

 

[Demeter32]

Use the gross, gunky, bacteria filled media and put it into the filter box for the 5gal. Don't bother rinsing it. Just be sure you have the fish ready to put in once you add the media or the bacteria will starve with nothing to feed on.

Shrimp, a few male guppies, a couple of mystery snails, a betta, and that's about it for a 5gal. There's really not a whole lot of choices for a 5gal. Maybe others can give more options.

 

[Souperman]

Use the gross, gunky, bacteria filled media and put it into the filter box for the 5gal. Don't bother rinsing it. Just be sure you have the fish ready to put in once you add the media or the bacteria will starve with nothing to feed on.

Shrimp, a few male guppies, a couple of mystery snails, a betta, and that's about it for a 5gal. There's really not a whole lot of choices for a 5gal. Maybe others can give more options.

Thanks new their was a way to do it just did not know how. Also if anyone has any plant ideas that would be greatly appreciated also.

 

[Souperman]

What kind of filter are you planning on using in the 5g? I put a sponge filter in my 10g, so I just set it running in my main tank for about 4 weeks. I then set up the 10g used ammonia to get it to 3ppm and made sure it was processed in 24 hours did a 100% water change and put my betta boy in.

Don't really know have not picked out a tank yet thinking I will just get a starter kit of a smaller version of the marineland I have currently.

Shrimp are always a good option for a 5 gallon tank

I was thinking about shrimp the only problem is no places around me sell them locally so I would have to get them shipped in.

 

[Byron]

On shrimp...if your GH is 30, assuming this is 30 ppm or 30 mg/l, not 30 dGH, this is very soft water and many shrimp need harder water to provide calcium for their exoskeleton. There are I believe a few soft-water shrimp species, but I'm not familiar enough with them to suggest which so I will leave that for others.

Again assuming this is very soft water, a Betta obviously is one option as mentioned. Another would be nano-type fish, such as the dwarf rasbora in Boraras. Or the Ember Tetra. Whichever, in a group as they are shoaling fish.

 

[Souperman]

On shrimp...if your GH is 30, assuming this is 30 ppm or 30 mg/l, not 30 dGH, this is very soft water and many shrimp need harder water to provide calcium for their exoskeleton. There are I believe a few soft-water shrimp species, but I'm not familiar enough with them to suggest which so I will leave that for others.

Again assuming this is very soft water, a Betta obviously is one option as mentioned. Another would be nano-type fish, such as the dwarf rasbora in Boraras. Or the Ember Tetra. Whichever, in a group as they are shoaling fish.

Thanks for the info on the shrimp. Would I be able to fix that with a wonder shell? Also this may be wishful thinking but how would a small group of white clouds do in a five gallon?

 

[Byron]

Thanks for the info on the shrimp. Would I be able to fix that with a wonder shell? Also this may be wishful thinking but how would a small group of white clouds do in a five gallon?

I know nothing about "wonder shell" but the principle presumably would be to slowly raise the mineral content by dissolving calcium into the water. Shells, coral, calcareous rock (limestone, dolomite, aragonite) all do this, but to what degree depends upon the water chemistry.

To the white clouds, no. They are too active (= need more swimming space) and get larger than "nano" sized fish. A tank with base dimensions of 60 X 30 cm (2 feet X 1 foot) is about as small as you should go for White Cloud Mountain Minnow.

 

[Souperman]

Okay thanks for the info on the white clouds. I have been looking at the area I can place the tank and it looks like I would be able to fit a 10 gallon there instead of a 5 gallon. Any other fish that this new tank size would open me up to stocking it with?

 

[Byron]

Okay thanks for the info on the white clouds. I have been looking at the area I can place the tank and it looks like I would be able to fit a 10 gallon there instead of a 5 gallon. Any other fish that this new tank size would open me up to stocking it with?

A very few. I know it may sound odd, but a 10g is not much more than a 5 gallon. Water volume is important obviously, but it is frequently of less importance that the physical space. One has to consider fish size, but also behaviours: do they need length to swim, or height to cruise, or area to establish territories successfully, etc. There is a lot more to stocking a given tank than just the fish mass to water volume ratio, something many fail to appreciate.

A 10g would be better than a 5g, even if you have the same fish in either. The 10g is opening up more physical space for those fish, and increasing water volume which does affect water chemistry. I have a 10g with pygmy cories (they spawn regularly, this is "their" home), and I have a spare 5g that someone gave me; given the option of using either, I would definitely want it to be the 10g.

You asked earlier about plants and I missed it then. A small tank is ideal for the pygmy chain sword, Helanthium tenellum. I have this in my 10g, along wiith floating plants; I will see if I can get a photo of my present 10g after I post, and if it works out I will post it.

 

[Souperman]

Okay thanks will go with the 10 gallon then. If anyone else knows of any more fish suggestions please do say then.

 

[Byron]

Here's the photo of my 10g. Plants are pygmy chain swords, Java Moss on the wood, and Water Lettuce and Duckweed floating. This is the only tank in which I allow duckweed to float, thinning it out at the weekly water change, but this is a useful plant in certain situations so I keep it going in this tank. The pygmy cories are all at the back. I also have 8 Farlowella vitatta fry growing up in this tank, you can see 1 or 2 of them if you look carefully, but they are masters at camouflage. I keep the dried oak leaves in this tank for the fry of both Farlowella and cories as the leaves decompose providing infusoria, the best "first food" for fry.

 

[Souperman]

Cool picture i want to use wood in this tank because I was not able to use any in my last tank because I did not find any till after I had it finished. Also I am guessing that if I was to stock with livebearers I would need to use all males? Don't know if livebearers will work for this tank size just trying to figure out all my options before I decide on what I want to stock. I know mollies and swordtails are automatically out but what about some of the other types?

 

[Byron]

Cool picture i want to use wood in this tank because I was not able to use any in my last tank because I did not find any till after I had it finished. Also I am guessing that if I was to stock with livebearers I would need to use all males? Don't know if livebearers will work for this tank size just trying to figure out all my options before I decide on what I want to stock. I know mollies and swordtails are automatically out but what about some of the other types?

Livebearers are out of the question because of your water parameters. Earlier they were given as 30 ppm GH, so you need to look at soft water fish. Which is why I cautioned about shrimp. Aside from that, a 10g is not sufficient size for platy, mollies or swordtails, so "livebearers" would basically mean guppies and Endlers, but again not with this soft water.

Look at "nano" type fish (these are just small-size species) from South America and SE Asia.