10 Gallon Tank Questions

[Denther]

Hey all. I have a few questions about possibly getting a 10 gallon tank.

1. How much would a 10 gallon tank with lighting/heating/filteration/deco/fish cost. Go with a kit or buy everything separately?

2. Would a stable and full dresser be able to support a 10 gallon tank?

3. What would be good fish to have in a ten gallon tank?

I don't even know if I'm going to do this and if I did it would not be very soon. I'm also fairly new to fish keeping and not on a huge budget but I would like to get something more than my current 2.5 Gallon tank with a single betta.

Thanks for any and all help!

*DRUMMER*

 

[skjl47]

Hello; Not sure about the cost, but when I was in middle school I put my first aquarium on a wooden table. The table was damaged by water. Water will find a way under the tank and soak into the wood.

 

[Denther]

I currently have a 2.5 gallon tank on top of that dresser and have had no problems with it. The wood seems to be sealed and I'm not sure if it's actually wood at all. If it does get wet I just wipe up the water and it's dry. I also have a towel underneath the tank in case water seeps out during feedings. Thanks.

 

[lauraf]

1. If you aren't concerned about specialty lighting or other fancy stuff buy a kit. It's way cheaper than buying things separately. Another option is looking at something like craigslist, but then you might get an incomplete setup, etc. As a new fishkeeper, you're probably better to buy the kit from your fish store.
2. If you can sit on your dresser without breaking it, it should support a 10g, no problem.
3. Lots of good community fish for a 10g. Things like guppies, platies, certain tetras, cories, bettas, even aquatic frogs . . . . .
Decide if you are getting the tank. Then ask us about how to get it cycled and ready for fish. Meanwhile research freshwater tropical fish, and see what you like. Ask us again about the fish that you fancy before you buy anything.
Cheers,
Laura

 

[Denther]

I'm not planning on buying anything anytime soon so I just needed some background info. Thanks so much for the help and I'll let you know if and when I get it. Also, how long would cycling that take?

 

[lauraf]

It can take at least a couple of weeks. During that time, have fun with moving decorations around, adding plants, etc.

 

[Dan Steveo]

My brother has a 130l tank full up on his small wooden sliding draw.. he tested it by standing on it with his friend for about 1 hour....

Water weighs a lot though.. 10G i dont think is much. as long as the unit is steady... and you minimise spillage you should be ok...

 

[Denther]

Thanks Everyone!

 

[lauraf]

A glass tank with equipment, decor and water will weigh between 10-15lbs/gallon.

 

[Denther]

Okay thanks. I'm thinking once summer rolls around I'm going to get a Aqueon 10 Gallon Deluxe Kit.

 

[Denther]

Another question. How much care/maintenance is involved with a bigger tank? More or less? I've heard that the bigger a tank is the easier it is to care for but that seems slightly backwards.

 

[ryanoh]

Larger tanks are less work because you can be a bit more lax with your parameters and water changes. Its a bit more work on the set up end, but once you get it going its all about the same honestly.

 

[Denther]

Awesome avatar.

So how often would I have to do a complete cleaning/water change on a 10 gallon?

 

[lauraf]

You almost never do a 'complete cleaning' - as in, take everything apart, scrub it down and put it back. It destroys the bacteria needed for a healthy tank. But you should plan on doing water changes once a week - at the same time, you would do things like scrub the glass of algae, trim live plants, clean the filter media in your filter, etc. Honestly, for a basic tank set up under 40g, I'd say 1/2 hour once a week is plenty of time for general maintenance.
And yes, a larger tank - like a 20g instead of a 10g - will not take you much more time to maintain, be more forgiving of, say, missing a water change by a day or two, and offer you way more flexibility in the kinds of fish you can have. And it won't cost a whole lot more than a 10g kit.

 

[Denther]

Thank you all very much for the help!

 

[IThinkTherefore]

Another point to take into consideration is making sure the dresser is perfectly level. Even a very slight slant could cause the tank to crack from the extra pressure on one corner!

 

[IThinkTherefore]

Also, this is a great article with tank options for a ten:

Stocking a 10 Gallon Tank - The Free Freshwater and Saltwater Aquarium Encyclopedia Anyone Can Edit - The Aquarium Wiki

 

[Denther]

I never thought of that ^^ Thanks for the thought and the link.

 

[ryanoh]

I always try to set my tanks on something spongy, like I have a few layers of cut up yoga mat right now, under my tanks to account for minor leveling issues. That way the table can be "close enough" and you won't end up damaging the tank.

 

[Denther]

Thank you all for the great help and suggestions.