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Not diving in head first this time! I've been planning for months and haven't bought a single thing (yet).

How much flourite should I need for a 10 gal... my stores only carry the large bag (20 lbs?), and any extra can be used in my frog tank. Just how much of the bag should I use as a good base for the plants.

Also, planning on getting 2 algae lovers to help keep the java ferns from being slime covered, suggestions welcome.

Starting a new 10 gal plant tank.... Not diving in head first this time!

*imagines harleysiber diving into a 10 gallon tank*

umm... almost forgot what the question was ... oh yeah I can't help you with the substrate question but I do recommend otos for algae control. Depending what else you have in the tank, the more otos the merrier.

IMO a 10 gallon tank, well lit and well planted, with a few ottos and a small school of White Cloud Mountain Minnows would look just divine!

Last edited by whetu at 15-Nov-2004 21:28

white clouds and ottos need different temperatures. i would say 3 ottos and a dwarf gourami or 3 ottos and 6 neons or black neons

Last edited by greenmonkey51 at 15-Nov-2004 21:31

Not long ago I started an Asian biotope. I bought one bag of Flourite, the depth of it varies from ~1" to 2" in the tank (I don't like a flat substrate). I still ended up with some left over that I used in another tank.

For a 10g otos would probably be your best choice. My Asian tank is heavily planted; the only algae eaters I have are MTS but I've noticed the honey gouramis picking at some of the algae as well. I do have otos in another 10g planted tank, it's a nice size for them.

Keeping WCMMs and otos together can be done. While WCs tolerate lower temps they can share a tank with otos kept at 22-23°C. Many are also bred and live in tanks at more 'tropical' temps.


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For depth of the substrate you want to have at least 2in depending on the kind of plants you are gonna display and grow, more depth is required and recomended for species like any kind of sword. 3in i think is the best bet.

For the fish, I was planning on only having an algae cleanup crew, keeping the tank primarily plants. I just don't want a heavy bio-load, I still have a serious algae issue with my other planted 10g (my lonely cory needs some leftover help).

For plants, I wanted a different array of greenery, but a 10gal won't allow for the taller species that I'd love. I'm hving touble locating a 15 tall, as the space I have only allows a 20" wide tank.

Thanks for the substrate tips, as I want to do this tank right form the beginning (hence the "diving in"... but if I could fit into a 10 gal.....)

Now all I'll need is a CO2 setup...

Harley,

The depth of your substrate should be from one to three inches. The deeper substrate would be great for echinodorus with the shallower substrate for foreground plants. A 10G is 20 x 10 x 12 inches so your substrate should be 400 cubic inches (20 x 10 x 2)or about 20 pounds!

You can use Seachem Fluorite for the plants or you might consider Eco Complete from CaribSea. Seachem also has the Onyx substrate. Onyx and Eco Complete are dark and have performed well for me.

How many watts of light?

__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

All I can seem to find is the Flourite, although I think I've passed by some Onyx somehere sometime. I was leaning towards Flourite due to the vast compliments I have heard on the product.

As for light, I'm buying a 10 gal starter kit, as it is much less expensive to buy than all the parts combined. The only problem is that I want 2 wpg, and the common lights sold for 10g's are the 15 watt flourescents. How do I get the extra light in the tank without spending a fortune?

I do have my frog's terrarium which will be directly beside the tank and is a 15g tall, but I don't think much light will be cast onto the tank for some reason. The front of the tank may get some stray light from the frog's plant light, but I doubt it.