I'm about to purchase a 10 gal. tank?

Question

i know i want this to be a freshwater tank and i would like to have a large variety of different kinds of fish in there but im not sure which to pick (any combanation of fish would be helpful) also, i currently own 4 betta fish and there doing great i change there water every week...so i can take care of it im just not sure what i should put in it, the type of gravel or rock or stone....live plants (what kind) and if i should buy a heater or a light, filter what kind...i have no idea

can you help?

it is good for betta fish to change there water that freqently becuase they live in such a small place...i've been taking care of the 4 of them for almost a year now and they're healthy as can be, very bright and colorful...you should read up on some information and not answer my question poorly thanks :)

Answer 1

You can't have too many fish in a 10gal, as 10 gallons are pretty small.

I suggest you go with a school of 6 tetrasneon tetras http://www.geocities.com/theslidersmarsh/img/neon.jpg
cardinal tetra http://filer.case.edu/~jjw2/cardinal.jpg
lemon tetra http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/characins/images/LemonTetraWFCh_C1124.jpg
harlequin rasbora http://www.tropicalfishcentre.co.uk/harlequin_rasbora.jpg\
glowlight tetra http://www.solodvds.com/images/fish/Hemigrammus_erythrozonus_s.jpg
zebra danio http://www.aquariumfish.net/images_01/zebra_danios_w180.jpg
... the list goes on and on and on.

And a centrepiece fish like a dwarf gourami http://www.biol.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/users/naibunpi/Image/Gourami-photo-old.jpg or a male betta or 2 female bettas.

OR you could get varied livebearers like guppies and/or platies (always get 2 females for every male).


As for the gravel, any kind you like is fine. Personally, I like dark natural colours, but that's just me. You can go with wacky neon colours if you want - the fish don't care ;) You should get a heater, as tropical community fish need 76-78F.
You will also need a filter. I suggest the AquaClear 30 - or some sort of Hang off the back filter rated for 30 gallons. A bio-wheel filter is great!

The tank should come with a light - if you want plants, with a tank with a fluorescent light.anubias http://www.aqua-passion.com/fiches_plantes/images/Anubias_glai.2004316185215.jpg
java fern http://www.neptuneaquatics.com/images/Java%20Fern.jpg
java moss http://www.aquamoss.net/Java-Moss/images/Java-Moss-01.jpg
pennywort http://www.british-wild-flowers.co.uk/00%20John%20Somerville/Pennywort,%20Floating%202.jpg
vallisneria http://aquavisie.retry.org/Database/Planten/Vallisneria_spiralis.jpg
amazon swords http://naturalaquariums.com/plants/echbleheri.JPG
Those are all good plants, easy to grow. You shouldn't need much fertilizer; the fish should provide more than enough.

Anyway, you'll need to cycle your tank first, of course (google: Fishtank Nitrogen Cycle). While your tank is cycling, take a trip to the petstore and write down the names of the fish you like - go home, and research them (don't listen to the petstore clerks - they aren't very helpful).




Also, some guy said that changing the water once a week wasn't good... he is wrong. Weekly 30-50% water changes are recommended and should not stress your fish. Doing it any less than that is dangerous, as ammonia, nitrites and nitrates will build up and poison your fish.

Oh, don't get goldfish, they are too big for a 10 gallon. Also, do not get corydoras; they are schoolers and need to be in groups of 5+, which is too much for a 10 gallon. Don't get a plecostomous or algae eater - they are all much too much for a 10 gallon (many plecos can get LONGER than a 10 gallon fishtank). If you want something to tidy up algae, get a school of 3 oto cats - they are cute, small, and will clean the tank of algae if you have plants. But you also need to feed them algae pellets.

Answer 2

First, I would strongly urge you to buy a larger tank. The smaller the tank, the harder it is to keep the ammonia levels down and keep it healthy. Bigger tanks are much easier to keep, even if you only go up to a 20gallon, you're doing yourself a huge favor.

Don't forget your space rule, you can probably only put about 4-5 tropical fish in a 10 gallon safely. A 20 should fit up to 10, depending on size and type. (It is NOT 1 fish per gallon, and someone said, it is one INCH of fish per one gallon of water, and most tropical fish are 2-4 inches in length. Read up on the fish, you have to judge by the ADULT length, not the baby length. If you get 2 gourami at an average of 3 inches, you need 6 gallons of water, so that's already more than half a 10 gallon tank. Never overcrowd fish, it's the easiest way to kill them.)

Here's a great website with lots of information on fish species, and also a program that shows you which fish can go safely with which others. It's very useful for setting up new tanks.
http://www.timstropicals.com/Compatibility/CompatibilitySearch.asp

Make sure you get a filter that's larger than you think you need, better to have too much than too little. If your tank is 10 gallon, get the size for 15-20 gallons, if it's 20, get 20-30 gallons, and so forth. Heaters are marked for the tank size, so just pick whichever one matches the size tank you want, and while you're letting the tank cycle before you put fish in it (1-2 weeks with no fish is best) keep an eye on the temperature and make sure it's holding steady at 72-82 F. Any gravel is fine, and so are any plants that you find at an aquarium store. Most tanks come with hoods and lights already.

It might be a good idea for you to buy a book on beginners aquariums, and read it, and then ask someone at a store to help you pick out everything you need. It takes a lot ot set up a fish tank, and keep it healthy. Make sure you do your homework so you don't lose any fish!

Answer 3

I surely have a ten gallon tank that i offered approximately 3 weeks in the past. Its doing super. My first fish became additionally a Betta, yet I positioned 2 different species in with it. you could positioned cory cats and neon tetras in with your betta and that they're going to do exactly advantageous. I even have 3 cory cats and 5 neone tetras. the choose arises to contemplate a heater and an aquarium hood with a easy. holding the aquarium is amazingly uncomplicated. Do a 25% water replace (on your case it may be approximately 2 and a nil.5 gallons) weekly. Then on the tip of the month clear out your gravel. Your fish and aquarium would be somewhat uncomplicated to maintain up with in case you do this. desire I helped!

Answer 4

usually the rule is 1 fish per gallon of water - so if it is a 10 gallon tank - 10 fish.

be sure to get fish that live well together - not aggressive, community fish.

we have good luck with tetras, neons, danios, barbs - that kind of thing....some angel fish - we also have a snail and a plecko for the algae

be sure not to use any cleaning products inside the tank - will kill the fish....

and you definately will need a heater, a light, filters -

it sounds like you really should do some investigating on how to do all of this....

Answer 5

You change the water every week? Thats not good for the fish. I suggest you go to the pet store and ask them what fish you should buy and get a book on how to take care of them. Please don't but any fish until after you have read the book.

Answer 6

a few schools of small fish would be nice.
5 zebras
5 neon tetras
5 tiger barbs
an algae eater
a couple of corydoras catfish
good luck!