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Ok, so im am going to be starting a 10 gallon moderate light planted tank. I am going to have to stock plants slowly as i dont have alot of money to spend. So that means I will be cycling the tank. Right now I just have a 10 gallon, a 100 gph filter, a heater, and some regular gravel, so im gonna try to do this with regular gravel. As far as lights go I currently have a normal 20" single tube (20w) i think. I am going to buy the kit online that coverts it to two, 13watt PC lights, so that will be moderate light i think... 2.6 wpg. Not sure on plant or fish stocking, more to come soon.

its me sk8freak20...i need to get premie so i can change my name back

All right reel big mark

Keep us posted on the progress and let us know if you have any questions.

BTW, I think your current fixture is 15W.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Yeah, you right, lol 15w. Im about to give the tank a little clean before it gets ready and set up, by the end of the day i hope to have water, gravel, filter and heater and light all up and running.
Expect pictures in a little bit


its me sk8freak20...i need to get premie so i can change my name back

Everything is all clean and ready for the water. In a little it will get water, I also need to get a thermometer for this tank so that I can start getting the temperature correct. I can wait to see how this tank unfolds...pic time.


its me sk8freak20...i need to get premie so i can change my name back

Just a quick remark rbm, if you haven't already put the water in the tank, you may want to cover the back or paint it a dark color, i.e. black. It will give an overall better appearance and hide the filters & wires.

Jim

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

I agree with oldtimer. Will you be using Eco-complete or another plant beneficial substrate in this tank?

"A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man" Simpsons

Nope, just regular old gravel, and also, i have filled it up, so ill probably just ad a blue or black background paper thing to it.

its me sk8freak20...i need to get premie so i can change my name back

sk8 (that was your name a while back, right? ),

I woud also consider other colors for a background, for example a light blue or even white. I think that light colors in a small tank look very pleasing.

Background material should be easy to get, I went to a hobby shop and bought 2 sheets of colored cardboard for $8 (and they are so big that I could make backgrounds for 10 10G tanks).

It might be worth a try,

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

alright, ill check on finding something for a background. Would a school of harliquen rasboras be to big for a 10 gallon, if it was a school of 5 or 6.
Im thinking of stocking this tank with a school of harliquens(if not to big)and a trio of ottos.
Im going to give a dose of cycle in the tank to start it off, and then a little later today im off to get some fish to cycle the tank with. Im also gonna steal some gravel from my 29 gallon (same color gravel) to help, and to get my sand bed a little deeper, its around an inch right now.

its me sk8freak20...i need to get premie so i can change my name back

Would a school of harliquen rasboras be to big for a 10 gallon, if it was a school of 5 or

That and the otos are probably perfect for that tank.

My Scapes

Yeah man, harlies would be great. if you want to stock with them as your main fish 7-8 would be good IMO. That plus the otos would be perfect. The otos are going to be the big waste producers, the harlies don't make that much of a mess.

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Back in the saddle!

tetratech and NowherMan6 said it all,

Harlies and Otos would be great.

What you could try is to add 3 or 4 first and a week later add another 3, that might help with the cycle a little. I believe that Harlies are rather hardy (not like zebra danios though) and can withstand a small cycle.

I would recomment to wait with the Otos until the tank is settled, they are way more sensitive. In particular because they have a long and starving trip behind them when they arrive at the LFS.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Yes I agree with LF, wait to get the otos, let some algae grow in the tank, or transfer an ornament with algae on it before you add the otos, they are really hungry when they get in the tank. Mine headed straight to the algae encrusted castle and stayed there until they had it nearly white again!
Plus they are very sensitive to water conditions and transport shock. Really take your time acclimating them to the tank when you get them home. I took 1/2 an hour just floating them, then over an hour slowly adding water from the tank, then taking water from the bag until the water in the bag was mostly water from the tank, then lights out and in they go.
With harlies you can do the same, their hardier but you still want to be careful with them. I have 5 harlies, 2 otos and 1 betta in my 10g, it is planted fairly heavily though. Good Luck, I love small tanks!

"If you're afraid you'll make a mistake, you won't make anything."
-Family Circus

I believe that Harlies are rather hardy (not like zebra danios though) and can withstand a small cycle.

Yes that is true. I once started a 12g with 4 harlies and all were fine.

My Scapes

Ok, so in the next hour or so ill be going up to the fish store, im gonna get 4 harlies, anything in perticular they like or will my tropical fish flakes suffice for them until i get something nice?

its me sk8freak20...i need to get premie so i can change my name back

Your flakes should be fine, but like most fish a variety is best. I feed frozen bloodworms and/or brineshrimp once a week.



My Scapes

alrighty, i picked up a little more gravel to add to the sand bed, and 4 harlies, pictures after they are done aclimating.

its me sk8freak20...i need to get premie so i can change my name back

heres some pics of the little guys and gals, im gonna add some anacharis from my 29 gallon in there tonight.



its me sk8freak20...i need to get premie so i can change my name back

All right,

Seems like you are well on your way. Have the Harlies maintained their color through the whole LFS-to-atank ordeal or did they color up before you took the picture?

The look pretty healthy

And yeah, as tetratech said, flake food is fine. I actually break my flakes by rubbing them between my fingers. They seem to prefer smaller bits rather than large flakes to nibble off.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Nope, they have basicaly keep their small color the whole time that I can tell. 2 of them have very nice color, the other two dont have as nice as color but still look very nice. They are so much fun to watch swiming together in their little shoal. I cant wait to add a few more when i can.

its me sk8freak20...i need to get premie so i can change my name back