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10 gallon planted aquarium for college setup help?
So I am leaving for college soon and am planning on bringing a fish tank and would love if I were able to have it planted. I currently have a few plants in my 30 gallon (which will be staying at home) so Im not completely new to planted aquariums, but Im far from knowledgeable.
Does anyone have any advice regarding what type of plants to put in the new tank (a 10 gallon)? I dont want the tanks completely filled with plants but I do want a decent amount, and me being in college less maintenance would be better but I dont mind some (as far as planted tanks go). Since I am starting fresh it would also be nice if the pants grew relatively fast so I dont have a practically empty tank sitting in my dorm for two months.
I currently have a 10 gallon tank with a 15 watt fluorescent bulb. I have a copious amount of gravel to use as substrate and my friend told me that he give me half a bag of plant substrate (can I mix the two?) and a fluval aqua clear 30 filter (I can take out the carbon layer in the filter). Would it be worth it to get a CO2 injector? (I have the DIY one at home but the yeast and everything really isn't very practical at college and the fluvial mini is only $22). As far as fish go I was going to bring 3 neon tetras, 2 phantom tetras, a small catfish, and a ghost catfish.
Does anyone have any suggestions on what plants to plant and set up for the tank?
Correction, I have 2 serpae tetras, not phantom tetras
1 Answer
- ?Lv 77 years ago
1.5 watts of light is a little on the low side. I'd almost get a bulb or two that adds up to 20 watts. You can mix gravel and sbustrate. It won't hurt anything. The filter is fine, really, the way it is. Remove the carbon if you'd like to. If you keep the lighting the way it is, CO2 would be nothing but an unnesicary expensce. The more light the plants have the more CO2 they need.
As for your stocking, I would rethink it. Your tetras would be happier with their own kinds as wood the catfish. Both tetras and catfish are fish that actually should have 5 of their own species not mixed species like 3 neons and 2 phantoms would be. And, phantoms grow a little too big for a 10 gallon. If I were you, I'd pick one or the other and bring five of them and then pick out another, non-schooling fish to round the tank off with.
My own 10 gallon tank is in dire need of a trim... Some of the red plants have become uprooted and are growing out of control. I have two 10-12 watt flourescent bulbs on the tank and a tetra whisper 10 power filter. My stock is 2 male guppies and 5 serpae tetras. Here's a link to the tank if you wanted to take a look and see how I went about everything: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t... I don't have current pictures of the tank but I plan on trimming them back and then getting some pictures. I'm just afraid of messing it all up...
Anyway, my plants are doing wonderful in the tank. The light is set to come on around 8 in the morning and is off by 5 at night. I can't remember the exact times. Maintence is simple. The tank was cycled using ammonia to 4ppm and I do weekly 10% water changes and 20% water changes after every trim.
The Bacopa in my tank as you can see from my few pictures grows a lot faster than the alterlantera (the red one) does. I've heard that if you let the bacopa reach the surface it will even flower. I'd love to see that one day.
Anyway I'm done rambling. I wish you luck, that's for sure. And don't expect to have a perfect looking tank when you start collage. It'll fill in as long as you give it time.
