newly set up 10 gallon tank. Need advice on how to mantain it properly.?

Question

I have had it set up for a few weeks. I have an algae eater, some type of pink kissing fish, an eel, and some other that you can see through, I forgot the name of it though. But anyways. How should i properly mantain it? I feed them in the mornings and evenings. When do I change a % of the water? when should i put chemicals in it? and when should i take the fish out and clean the tank thoroughly? And when should I clean the gravel?

Please don't say the 1" of fish per gallon, because its not true. All of my fish are just fine, and I know they will grow too large for the tank, when they get much bigger I will just upgrade to a bigger tank.

Answer 1

i have never ever cleaned my rocks...u dont wanna take the fish out and tramatize them, by shocking them in new water...that is stressful..plus the bacteria that grows in your tank is good for it as well....i have had the same angel fish for 7yrs...i clean the tank about once a year..but change the filter once every 3 months...when i do clean it..i suck out the water, but only about half...i never take it all out...and i only feed my fish every other day...u maybe feeding your fish too much...and rotten food can kill fish...with your algae eater, as long as your tank isnt in direct sun light you shouldnt have to worry about algae..i never get algae in my tank

Answer 2

The first and most important thing you must do (especially with the amount of fish you have in a 10 gallon tank) is regular (weekly) partial (25-30%) water changes. You may want to do 40%. If you don't, the ammonia, nitrates and nitrites will build up and eventually kill your fish. All three are toxic to your fish.

The one inch of fish per gallon of water IS TRUE.... and it is one inch of small slim fish per gallon of water. Whoever told you that it is not true is a moron. Any more than that and you will have to do many more frequent water changes to keep them healthy.

Some professional breeders do 50% changes per day on their grow out tanks so the fish will grow to their full adult size without illnesses or deformaties.

As far as feeding, once a day is enough, and only feed as much as they will eat in 3-5 minutes. If any is left floating after that, you have given them too much. It is always good to skip a day once a week also.

The eel and the kissing gourami will both end up at about 12" each. Neither one should be in a 10 gallon tank.

There is a big, big difference between 10 one inch fish and one ten inch fish. Just look at a 10" oscar and a 1" neon and ask yourself which one puts out more waste material.

Answer 3

first of all I think a fish tank is trial and error I have several tanks in my home I have a 10 gal no problems 35gal no problems 55gal no problems 125 gal constant problems it was always green or the water evaporated all the time or there was to much fish feces I had 2 Oscars in it any ways my point is do what you think is best I never change my water because it throws them into stress I add water when it gets low and that is all I do with the water every month I change my filters and that is it no chemicals. I have found that the more bubble wands you have the cleaner the tank and I do not clutter my tank with a bunch of plastic plants or figurines some is fine but to many just give algae a place to grow. I never had any luck with an algae eater mine left TONS of waste in my tank but I do highly recommend buying a vacuum for your fish tank it does not have to be a big expensive one either. This prevents you from having to much ammonia in your tank because it cleans your rocks another thing you can buy is an under-gravel filter. but only having a 10 gal tank the vacuum will suffice.

Answer 4

The best advice I can offer is to be diligent about testing your water and be good about your water changes. Since this is a new set up your fish face a lot of potential stressors like ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. You can bring your water to most local fish stores for testing but most hobbyists find it more convenient to buy the test kits and do it themselves. Since the tank is new, daily monitoring is best.

Little needs to be added except a good water conditioner. If your water treatment center uses chloramines to treat your water supply, be sure to use the appropriate conditioner. I like Kordon's AmQuel+ NovAqua for a new tank. In an established tank, Prime also works well to treat the new tap water. Once your tank is fully cycled you can do 25% water changes weekly to keep nitrates at bay. Continue to monitor your nitrate levels every few weeks after the tank cycle is complete to make sure your water changes are adequate.

Your fish will grow fast and soon you will need an upgrade so consider using the fishless cycling method on your next tank so you don't have to reexpose your fish to the toxins associated with the cycling process. If your aren't familiar with the Nitrogen Cycle that may be the first thing you'll want to read up on. Understanding it (even just the basic concept) is one of the most fundamental parts of the hobby and it will really help you understand all the invisible things that happening in your aquarium. Good luck!

Answer 5

First - did you cycle the tank to establish the bacteria colonies before the fish went in? If not - you can be expecting some fish deaths, but assuming this is not the case - I would do a 10-20 percent change in water weekly, and clean the gravel/substrate once every 30 days. If you do not have a Python I would definitely recommend one. It's called a "No-Spill" and beleive me - it's worth it (especially when you later upgrade to a larger tank).

As for chemicals - stay away from them (unless we are talking about a tank with live plants in it). The only thing you should need (if anything) is a water conditioner to remove Chlorine with. If you have a water purifier - then a water conditioner is not even necessary, but if you have just plan ol' run-of-the-mill tap water - you need to add this when you first setup, and with every water change.

Answer 6

Ok, 10 gal needs to be siphoned once a week.
Take out 10% of the water/and crap from off the rocks, with the siphon.

Buy a product called cycle, you'll want to add some once a week.

10 gal you can use filtered water if you want, or simply let tap water stand out and evaporate for at least 24 hours, the chlorine comes right out.

Clorine remover really should be mix with the water before it goes in the tank. With my 25 gal tank, I put tap water & clorine remover mix it up then add it to the tank.

My 55 gal I put tap water in 1st, then clorine remover (enough for 55gal worth of water). <--- I don't like doing it this way, but the fish seem fine with it.

Answer 7

It is best to use the water you can buy in the gallon jugs that is what I use and my water stayed clean for months all I did was add a little water to it when it got low i did not have to use no chemicals when it starts getting cloudy that's when you take out the fish and clean every thing well be sure to keep your pump and filter very clean.

Answer 8

The biggest problem is OVER FEEDING. Test your water, and feed LESS.

All that moving fish around will eventually KILL them. Don't try to shock them like that. Measure the temperature of the new water, and try to match the temperature exactly.

Answer 9

for any more help please go to www.forums.petlovers.com in the fish section bettachris is more than willing to help anybody with fish questions.