Lots of new questions

[Opesus]

I'm about to re-set up my 10 gallon tank, and have a ton of questions.

Should I use aquarium salt? Benefeicial? No effect?

I want to cycle with fish in my tank, any good articles on that? I'm only seeing fishless, but that won't work for my situation.

I've had all my old stuff sitting in a box for 10 years, would there be any beneficial bacteria left on anything?

I have an underground gravel filter. The middle section has turned yellow on both tubes, Is there a way to just replace those parts? Also, how exactly do the filters work? I want to detach the actual base of the filter, so I can set up 2 filters on opposite sides of the tank, so I can increase the number of fish in my tanks.

For chemicals, I have 10-year old pH and ammonia testing kits, along with some old food. Will this stuff still be okay?

What testing kit would you guys reccomend? I saw an "Underwater Pharamceuticals" kit at the local store for $25 that included 700-tests in total, pH, nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, and one or 2 others. Is that a good kit/good price?

I'm looking at getting 2 of the green/blue cories, 4 emperor tetras if i can find them, a couple shrimp, african drawf frog, a pair of guppies, and maybe 2 other types of tera. I was thinking about putting in live plants, the cheap ones that are $2.50 a bunch. I have a 15-watt purple fluorecent bulb and will be using gravel substrate. I was thinking of shrimp for eating algae. If I can't find shrimp, what would be the best, a chinese algae eater or a pleco? I would like something to clean gravel, side walls, and plants (plastic and real).

What kind of fish actually takes the gravel into its mouth and cleans it? I know coi do it, but I thought another type did it.

Thanks!

 

[seastaar88]

i'll try to answer your questions as orderly as possible:

1) aquarium salt: not necessary. if you want to use some, it will help to ward off parasites. i only use it when treating illnesses.

2) cycle with fish: mmmm, i wouldn't recommend it. since you'll be starting over (with no beneficial bacteria), you'd be risking your fish. why is it imperative that you cycle with fish?
you can try to use some birospria, which will speed up the cycling process, or use a cupfull of gravel from an existing tank (your LFS should have no problem giving you some) and put it in a leg of a pantyhose (if you don't want to keep it separate).

3) bacteria: no, you no longer have any bacteria. it needs water to survive. you'll be starting from scratch.

4) UGF: you'll find that most people no longer use UGF for their filtering method. basically, water is sucked down through the bottom grate where an aerobic bacteria colony filters teh water; clean water then rises up the tubes from the airstone. you can certainly find replacement parts, but it might just be easier to buy a power filter. that way, you can add different substances to tackle problems in the future (e.g. adding phosguard in your filter to hepl combat high phosphate levels).

5) old chemicals: most test kits have expiration dates that are like 2-3 years... check the dates and replace accordingly. as far as food, i'm not sure how long that keeps. see if tehre's a date on it.

6) testing kits: i think everyone has their own preferences with brands. i'm not familiar with the "Underwater Pharamceuticals" kit. i'm sure it's fine though.

7) stocking: IMHO, stocking should take place in parts. start with like 4 fish and see how your tank is handling the bioload, adjust any chemicals, and add more. i think you would be overstocked with 2 green/blue cories, 4 emperor tetras, an african drawf frog, a pair of guppies, and 2 other types of tera.

emperor tetras get up to 2.25" each. i'd suggest only doing 4 emperor tetras, 2 cories, the ADF and an otto. plecos get way too big and will quickly outgrow a 10g. ottos are great for algae. i wouldn't bother with shrimp..they'll most likely get eaten, and they won't eat algea on teh glass.

before chosing plants, don't just go for what ever is cheapest. do your research: based on your bulb, you should chose plants that will do well under those conditions. or ask on the forum what plants would be best for you.

8) i'm not sure what fish, would take gravel into their mouths to clean it.

hope this is a good starting point and welcome back to the hobby!!

 

[va1]

I wouldn't add a ADF until your tank is well established (we're talking months) because frogs can be very filthy animals, meaning they will shoot your bioload through the roof unless you're careful. It is definitely overstocked with the fish you've outlined, even taking out the ADF. If I were setting up this tank, I'd add one species at a time, starting with the most hearty, probably the guppies. I agree that stocking should be done in parts, so your tank can adjust to the bioload. I know plenty of marine species that take the gravel in and "filter" it to eat, but the only fish I can think of that would take pebbles into its mouth would be goldfish, but I don't know if they're necessarily doing that because there is food there, or if they're just stupid

Anyways, patience is key. Overstocking your tank right off the bat will only make it that much harder to set up a tank properly, so be patient! In the end, it's worth it.

If you have a reliable LFS, ask them what brand they use to test their water. Chances are they will carry the same brand in stock. And if you have more questions, ask the LFS too. They're a good source of reliable info. My LFS (Scott's Pet Shop) is a lifesaver.

Oh, and to answer your question about aquarium salt, it's really up to you. I use it when my fish have ich, and it seems to get rid of it. That's really the only time I use any (which is rare). Some fish, like mollies and guppies do benefit, as I have heard, from some salt added, but I'm not sure how reliable that information is.

 

[Opesus]

Thanks for all the advice.

It sounds like the ADF will actually be the equivalent of several fish, so it sounds like I should stay away from that.

If I can't find the emperor tetras, I may simply get neons or black lines. Would something like 5-6 neons equal 4 emperors?

And what are ottos? Is that an ottocinclus, which is a catfish?

And is the need for corys in 2 or more simply because they like to be in pairs?

What kind of filter would I be looking at? The top of my tank has a 2x6" open strip that I could probably use for hooking stuff up. The tank is roughly 22x10x10 I know almost nothing about filters, and I've read a lot, but still get easily confused by all of the different types.

How long does beneficial bacteria last? I'm thinking of getting gravel from a friend's tank on Thursday afternoon, but I wouldn't be setting up the tank until saturday/sunday.

 

[seastaar88]

you might want to consider cardinal tetras over neons because they are a little bigger and i've heard that they are a little more hardy. but yeah, 5-6 woudl be a nice school to add instead of the emperor tetras.

i've had really good luck with ottos when i used to keep tropicals. they do a really great job with the algae and stay small. and yes, they are a type of catfish.

i'm not super famililar with corys.. but they like to be in groups because they are social.

filters can be very confusing. almost any, rated for a 10g, will be fine. the opening on your hood is certainly big enoguh to accomodate a hang-on-back power filter. i personally, really like the Whisper brand filters. go to your LFS and see what brands tehy carry and figure out how much you want to spend per month on replacement cartridges. you can even do away with cartridges and buy a huge thing of filter floss (really cheap) and then use mesh baggies to add carbon, phosguard, chemical-x, when necessary.. i find this to be the cehapest way and you have more control over what chemicals you want in your filter.

you basically have four types of filters: under-gravel filters, power filters, canister filters, and sponge filters. UGFs are OK, but you can't add carbon, etc to it and once a year, you should take it all out to clean the bottom plate. power filters are easy and conveneint. canisters are basically sound-free (especially whne housed under the tank in the cabinet), a little more complicated (depending on model) but even more control over what goes in it. sponge are good for quarentine tanks, and are only a mechanical filter. loook around the site for past threads on filters and if you still have more questions, post a new thread.

as long as the bacteria stays wet you will be OK until the weekend. you could fill an old mayo jar with tank water and put the gravel you get from your friend in there until you're ready.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

The easiest filter is really a hang on back filter, you can just change the filter cartridge. I like whispers, but I think they all work well.

I've never heard that ADFs cause a lot of waste. Mine does fine in a 2.5, and if they produced that much waste that tank would be overstocked.

Cories like to be in groups, and they will swim together most of the time. They do a great job getting any food that falls to the bottom, and they're fun to watch.

I'd just throw the food out. It probably isn't still good, and it might hurt your fish. And flakes aren't expensive, so it isn't worth risking fish over.

 

[Opesus]

I'd just throw the food out. It probably isn't still good, and it might hurt your fish. And flakes aren't expensive, so it isn't worth risking fish over.

The food was actually a small pouch of algae wafers, some shrimp pellets and some cichlid basic. Probably at least $10 worth. So from a financial point of view, if I save $10 on food, I might kill $10-$15 worth of fish. Not to mention the fact I dont' want to endanger my fish to save a couple bucks. If there's any danger I will throw them away, which is why I'm asking.

Also, when you guys are gone for the weekend, (UP to 4 days) what do you do? I used to use those pyramid things a long time ago, but they kind of dirty up the aquarium...

 

[culinaryartcook]

Check out one of the forums on here (forgot which one) but there's a big article on ADF. Not a massive addition to a tank. Though they are thought to be messy, they are not more then 2 neons maybe (don't remember). But if I find it I'll post it. It's a sticky some where.

 

[seastaar88]

there are automatic feeders taht you can buy relatively inexpensively.

 

[lmosness]

I ended up liking plecos better than chinese algea eaters. My c.a.e. was chasing & nipping at my guppies. He/she also couldn't keep up w/ my tank but he/she was small & I have a 30 gal. The Petco by me offers a trade in deal on plecos ... once they get too big, you can trade it in for a smaller one for free.

 

[Opesus]

How fast do plecos grow?

 

[lmosness]

I personally didn't think ours grew that fast ... it took over 10 years for it to get that big. It just seemed to grow in spurts. My new one is a month old & it's grown a little .... I got it small to start out with (about 2 inches) & it's up to maybe 2.5 inches tops.

 

[lmosness]

If you don't mind taking chances .. I noticed on another thread that someone said their chinese algae eater was completely friendly ... a girl working in the fish dept of the pet store said that sometimes if you get them small to start with they grow up used to the other fist & are more apt to leave them alone.

 

[revfred]

If you are planning on live plants, you might want to conisder ditching the UGF. Also, scratch the plecostomus if you are planning on plants ... they will rip them up. The pH and Am kits of 10 years . . . they are most likely inaccurate. Trade the "purple" bulb for a "daylight" bulb. Yep, $19-25 is what you will pay in the LFS for a test kit ... Am, pH, Nitrite, Nitrate ... the basic tests you will need. In years past I was a "salt" guy. Personally, I don't use salt unless I was to set up a brackish tank, or transporting fish to reduce stress or in the quarantine/hospital tank. A couple of internationally known "fish vets" in the UK's prestigious "Basic Fishkeeping" make a compelling argument against the use of salt . . . the bottom line was "Freshwater tropicals should be kept in fresh water."

 

[culinaryartcook]

Plecos will eat plants? So that's what's munching on my sword.... And I thought I got rid of that problem by giving my silver dollar away. Hm.....