# What's great!



## binaryjripper (Apr 16, 2007)

Ok so I do some research went to petco and I have some more questions.

What is the best heater to get for a 10g tank?
What is the best filter to get for a 10g tan?
Where can I get this product Cycle from?
Where can I get a lid for my tank?

And then where is the best place online to get this stuff cheaper than petco?


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## nbassis (Apr 12, 2007)

HEater - Visi-Therm Stealth Heater, has a shatter proof outside so you will never get shocked.

Filter - Get a biowheel system - eaither a pengiun or emperor.

Lid - Go to Drsfostersmith.com and look you can even buy a hod that has a light and filter built in.

As for Cycle i think this link will help you http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&pc=1&N=0&Nty=1


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## Trishfish (Feb 18, 2007)

Why do you want Cycle? Maybe you're thinking of Bio-spira to "instantly" cycle your tank. What kind of fish are you planning on getting? Unless they're hardy ones they may not make it through. There's really no hard and fast way cycle your tank. There's a wonderful sticky on cycling your tank at the top of the setting up section. I mistakenly though you bought a tank, bought some fish, and poof! instant fish tank. Boy, was I wrong. This is a great forum for all kinds of information. 

I agree with nbassis recommendations on filters. I'd shop around online or check out eBay for some deals.


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## binaryjripper (Apr 16, 2007)

I keep getting mixed information from the forum and Petco and other fish places. It really gets confusing. Like what are the best products to use. How to cycle. So I thought the chemical Cycle would be best to use and quick.


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## Trishfish (Feb 18, 2007)

I tried Cycle with my first tank, bought it mainly as a water conditioner but then read the bottle. I cycled using platies and the Cycle didn't do one bit of good when it came to cycling the tank. I cycled properly with my second tank and used filter media that I transferred over. Then I used Bio-spira for my third. I think it's magic but you still need to monitor your water parameters very closely. My ammonia never went over 0.25, no readable nitrite and I had it nearly fully stocked from day one. It took 11 days to have zero readings with a nitrate of 5. Read the sticky on cycling though. It's great info.


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## tophat665 (Sep 30, 2006)

For a 10 gallon tank, the best filter depends on what you're putting in it. I have used a duetto 50 with great success, but the tank's sole occupant is a male betta. Not much filtration is needed for that, and currents are bad for them. On the other hand, if you have fish that appreciate a current, then frankly any HOB filter will work just fine. Don't worry about the biowheel - they're great for larger tanks and big fish loads, but youre just not going to be able to get enough into a 10 gallon where it'll make a difference. I used to use a top fin 20 on my 10 before I put the betta in, and it kept the water crystal clear with 8 guppies in it.

For the lid, either get a glass versa top and a strip light, or get any hood at all. Any petstore at all should carry any of that. If I were growing plants (as I am), I would get an incandescent hood and retrofit it with screw in compact fluorescents.

Stealth heaters are great. Any submersible heater in the 25 to 50 watt range is fine. The very best heaters have the temperature control on a remote unit that sits outside the tank, so you don't have to get your hand wet to change the temp. Alternately, get a pair of the mini-heaters they sell for fishbowls. The good thing about that is if one goes on the blink, you don't fry or freeze your fish, and you always have a backup.

Cycle is crap. Don't waste your money. BiroSpira should work, but patience and feeder guppies work even better. I know a guy who swears by burying a dead feeder goldfish in the substrate as a way of cycling the tank - me, I use live feeder guppies and let them swim around for a couple of weeks, then bring them back to the pet store or feed them to my turtle. Costs about a buck either way.

I have found that Petsmart.com consistently has the best prices for equipment. No place online will have a better price than a brick and mortar store, though, unless there is free shipping.


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## binaryjripper (Apr 16, 2007)

I already bought the Cycle stuff and I'm waiting on Thursday for all my equipment to come in.

But about the cycling process:

This employee at Petco said I could put the cycle stuff in the tank and let my filters and heater run for one day. Then get some goldfish and have them swim around the tank for a week. Then I can buy the fish I want because the tank would already be cycled.

Also I need to know where I can find these strips you dip in the water that tell you if the water is safe for the fish. I guess it's an easier way to test the water because it does all the little test in one.


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## tophat665 (Sep 30, 2006)

The strips can be a pain in the tukhus. On the other hand, so can the liquids, but they can be more accurate. There should be an aisle in Petco or Petsmart or any fish store that has tests and medecines. You'll need tests for Ammonia, Nitrate, and Nitrite. Ph and KH/GH tests are also good. I'd go with the liquids. They are easier to read and stay fresh longer. I got the API master test kit, and that had everything but the hardness testers.


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## Trishfish (Feb 18, 2007)

> This employee at Petco said I could put the cycle stuff in the tank and let my filters and heater run for one day. Then get some goldfish and have them swim around the tank for a week. Then I can buy the fish I want because the tank would already be cycled.



Bad idea!! Please read the sticky. I've never had goldfish but would guess that after a week you would have pretty high ammonia and be nowhere near cycled. It can take a month or longer to cycle your tank. Also, you can't just add in all the fish you want at once. You need to do it very gradually to let the good bacteria grow to handle the extra waste.


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## binaryjripper (Apr 16, 2007)

So lets say I set everything up today. I turn the filter on, the heater on, and add the cycle chemical stuff in. 

How long would I have to wait before I can drop the fish in?


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## Falina (Feb 25, 2007)

binaryjripper said:


> So lets say I set everything up today. I turn the filter on, the heater on, and add the cycle chemical stuff in.
> 
> How long would I have to wait before I can drop the fish in?


Anywhere between a week and 2 months depending on what your readings are. Please read the sticky.

Some pet stores have excellent staff, others don't. From my experience chain pet stores have much worse staff than fish stores but often they are out for a sale and nothing else.


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## MattD (Apr 25, 2007)

Goldfish in a freaking tropical tank?

Umm, no. That employee should be fired and never allowed to work anywhere EVER again. Not just a petstore, anywhere, so his reasource dry out and he DIES.

Goldfish need cold water. Also, despite popular ideas, they are very demanding when it comes to space and clean water. No bowls, no still water. Filtration and frequent water changes are a must with goldfish.


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