10 Gallon Tank Questions

[aakaakaak]

I have a 29 gallon and 10 gallon on the same "sturdy" dresser. The heavier the tank, the more necessary leveling becomes. Here's a general weight chart for tanks:

Fish Aquarium and Tank  Sizes and Characteristics, starting an aquarium, buying equipment, choosing tanks

I, like Laura, would suggest a 20 gallon instead of a 10. They're easier to maintain, water parameter wise than a 10, give you more options fish-wise, and are still comparatively light.

I would also suggest hunting one down or something similar, on craigslist. I frequently see fully loaded 10 gallons going for $15, and fully loaded 55 gallons going for under $100.

Be sure you have a liquid test kit that measures Ammonia, NitrItes, NitrAtes and PH. This can save your butt more often than not.

DO NOT trust the monkeys at your local fish store (LFS). They are there to sell you fish and other products, not keep them alive or save you money.

Since you already have a betta tank, if you have any filter media with the mini-bow (sponge filter or whatnot) you can use that to help cycle your new tank. Getting a nylon with some of the gravel from the betta tank will help greatly as well. You might not even see a cycle if you use it.

Welcome to MFT!

 

[Squiggles9059]

water weight is about eight lb a gallon so a ten gallon tank will weigh about eighty lb plus five ten lb of rock and suck. your looking at 100lb or so. it will be no problem on every dresser if ever seen that wasnt already falling apart.

 

[Denther]

I am now leaning towards a 20 Gallon if I can snag one on craigslist. I'll also make sure t level the surface if it's not already.

 

[lauraf]

Okay, we've convinced you to get a 20g. You listen, you thank us for our advice. We love that. Please go get a tank now so we can boss you around more!!!!
JK. Don't jump into fishkeeping until you are ready.

 

[Denther]

Friendly, nice and fluent speakers on the internet!!! It's a rarity I tell you.

Back to the tank. I currently have a 2.5g tank already and if I did get the bigger 10/20 tank then I have no place to put my other tank. I also won't be getting a tank until summer since money is tight. Right now I'm just biding my time and waiting for a good deal on craigslist on a 20 gallon tank. A dresser would still be able to support a 20g right? It's very sturdy and holds the current 2.5g tank and another 90lbs (me) with ease. Should work?

Another semi off-topic question. Why is it that 29 and 39 gallon tanks are more popular than a 30 gallon or a 40? I see a lot of 29 gallon tanks but not many 30's. Just curious.

 

[Thyra]

About the leveling (which is very important) just remember to check it both ways - side to side and front to back. I started to fill a 26g tank and very quickly discovered that although I had leveled it side to side, it was almost an inch off front to back!

 

[IThinkTherefore]

Hey Denther!

If you don't have a place to keep your 2.5 gallon, your betta could live happily in a 10 or 20 as long has he has plants (live or silk) and places to hide that break the current. You'd have to be careful about adding fish that nip fins, but it's an option

 

[Denther]

Yeah, I thought of that. What would be some suitable fish in that setup?

 

[IThinkTherefore]

You'll want to avoid nippy fish and fish with long, betta-like fins.

Neon tetras are good, loaches (not clown), shrimp, snails, cories, small plecos (not common), pretty much anything! Go crazy researching, and then ask the good folks here at MFT and we'll let you know if it's a good idea

 

[nanu156]

Size;

Tanks come in "standard" sizes. The most common are 10, 29, 55, 70, 90, 125

You will likely find a better deal on a 29, a dresser should hold a 29 just fine I had a 55 on a long dresser for years with out any trouble at all. (dresser was like 20yrs old) water is 6lbs/gallon not 8....

6*29 = 174, (figure some of that is gravel which weighs more so guess around 200lbs) so if a full grown man can sit on the dresser and wiggle around and the dresser stays in one place you should be just fine.

2.5 gallon tanks look really cute on counter tops. I had a small one in my kitchen for a long time.

29g tank with all the trimmings should be 30-50 dollars on craigs list, anything more then 50 is not a deal. (you need to buy a new heater don't trust theirs, everything else should be just fine used)

I would do;

Glofish
Corrie cats
tetras of some sort

For your stock

 

[Denther]

Okay. I've pretty much decided that I will add the betta in with some other fish depending on the size of the tank and will keep a look out for tanks on craigslist. Thank you all so very much for all your ideas, thoughts, and help!

 

[Denther]

Ok. I have another question. I don't think I can fit a 30 gallon my dresser so I think I need to use a 20 gallon tank. What are the rough dimensions of these tanks? My dresser is 32 inches wide and 16 inches deep. Will that be big enough for a 20 gallon? If not my other option is to get a stand as well. Would a mirror be okay behind a tank? I'm kind of cramped for space as you can tell.

 

[nanu156]

20g 20 1/4 x 10 1/2 x 23 3/4
30g high 24 1/4 x 12 1/2 x 24 3/4
30g standard 30 1/4 x 12 1/2 x 18 3/4 (sometimes it is a 29 but same diff)

Those are Length (left to right) width (front to back, deep) height

So I think 30g would fit as your dresser is 32l by 16 wide (front to back deep)

 

[lauraf]

Yeah, a mirror would be okay behind the stand, except, like, the fish will be able to check that their pants are zipped up but you won't
Seriously, a mirror could make a neat background. It will make the tank seem deeper . . . .

 

[CommonSence]

bah these people are wrong! Buy a bigger dresser !!! Then you can get a 120 g tank!!!! See I love to help

 

[Denther]

Bah I wish I could...
I have found a complete 20g High setup minus substrate/plants for $75 with stand. Negotiate? Wait for a better deal? Ignore?

Kind of like that idea better with a stand so I can keep the current betta tank because I want him to have his own mini palace (all 2.5 gallons ) with a community tank on the side. And with that tank mentioned it has a Marineland Penguin 150 Power Filter in it which I read can be noisy? Any experience with those?

 

[nanu156]

Negotiate or pass. Thats a good deal at 50.00, I would shoot for a 30g.

Substrate can be done on the cheap at home depot, and plants can be done on the cheap too you could get both for less then 10.00 see my post about DIY and saving money in the noobie forum

 

[Denther]

Alright thanks!
I'll keep my eyes peeled for other deals.

 

[nanu156]

i see thirty g tanks for forty to fifty with all the trimmings all the time

 

[Dylandrewsdad]

A good rule of thumb is $1 per gallon with all the stuff. (not including a stand, which doesn’t matter to you) What ever you buy, make sure you clean well. As Marcy said Substrate is cheep at the big box stores!