# Cycling My 10 Gallon Tank! Stocking Ideas Needed!



## paws (Feb 25, 2008)

Yippe! Finally I have started cycling my 10 gallon tank yesterday. I am not sure what to stock it with but I know I will have AT MOST 3 Platys in it. I want it to be a community tank and it to be pretty to watch. I was leaning more over to the tetra and the mystery snail section. I am cycling a tank with no fish. There is a heater and a filter in it. The tank will be kept around 81-85 degrees. I will allow a lower tempatrue or a higher tempature to be set. I an not willing to spend over $60 on fish equipment or supplies but if needed I will. I have not set the theme yet so I will want ideas on that too.

Wanted-
Stocking Ideas
Cycling Tips
Theme ex. pirate, tropical reef, ect.
and last but not least
Information on Cycling!

From, Paws


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## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

neon tetras are great and pretty cheap. just keep them in a minimum of 6. your temp. is high, about 76-79 is a pretty good range to keep the tank.

live plants always make an interesting addition.. if you choose this route, go with an easier hardier less light requiring type like java moss or java fern - both look pretty sweet attached to driftwood. anarchis is also pretty hardy and easy to keep.

when your cycling dont change the filter pad!! keep it in there until water starts overflowing if its a hang on back filter ( it overflows into the tank dont worry lol, you'll know what im talking about when it happens ) 
when it starts to overflow just swish it around in some old tank water to clean it, dont change the filter pad, this can cause a mini cycle or an entire cycle to happen again.. just completly change the pad when it starts to fall apart.

you didnt specify but you'll want a test kit ( API liquid master test kit is a good one ) and a thermometer.

just remember not to overstock your tank! a general rule of thumb for fresh water is 1 inch ( of the maximum growth ) of fish per gallon of water

something else to look at would be shrimp! there pretty sweet, ghost/glass shrimp are bred for feeding and can usually be aquired for pennies or if you want some even cooler ones cherry red shrimp are pretty neat, amano shrimp are good algae eaters - idk check em out!

and finally, doing your research is your absolute best bet. find out what fish you like, then google them before buying.. see what they eat, how big they get, if they need a school or to be kept alone, etc etc.. ( this will save you money and headaches in the long run )


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## Holly (Feb 28, 2007)

If you're looking at mollies I'd stay away from the shrimp. My mollies and swords would be fine with shrimp for the first day or two and then my shrimp would just start disappearing and my fish wouldn't eat as much food! I wonder why??!!

Cycling take time. Be patient. Put just a little bit of fish food in the tank to jump start the bacteria growth. And once again...be patient!


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## paws (Feb 25, 2008)

*Theme, Stocking, Questions*

No I was not looking into mollies because I like bright colors; and shrimp aren't my favorite fish. I have cycled two 10 gallon tanks before. The first tank I have ever cycled went really well. But the second one went okay. I forgot to inform you guys that i have blue gravel. The gravel is smooth enough that a snail can move along it with out being bothered. Obviously I need hide outs and plants. But I wanted my tank to have theme! I need ideas here! I could be like a ship wreck theme. And other cool stuff. It is so hard to chose. I need to look at some planted tanks to get more of a sense of what I want. Also algae can hardly grow in my tank because my tanks are not planted near sunlight. They get sunlight from an artificial lamp. I would also like to find some more information on cycling because I am still getting into the hang of it!


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## ConorM (Aug 2, 2011)

Neon tetras are good, but I like to have a larger fish with a shoal of little guys. You will need at least 6 tetras, though. If neons are too mainstream, then any other small tetra will do. As the larger "centerpiece" fish I mentioned, I would get a dwarf gourami. They are beautiful, somewhat hardy, and very friendly. Mine lets me hand feed him! They are a great addition to any tropical tank. Most tetras are a dime a dozen, and one dwarf gourami will be $3-6. So let's say $15 on fish. I did an amazon river type theme for my 10gal. I used tall (fake) amazon swords and a piece of driftwood. That was like $45. As for cycling, just keep track of nitrates/nitrites, and have a consistent schedule and record of ammonia added, water changes, and parameters.


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## lamberb2 (Jan 18, 2012)

If your going for neon tetras, don't let the water go over 77 degrees.


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