# 10Gallon start up



## svtranger (Aug 16, 2007)

*10Gallon start up-update with pics*

hello, I figured I would post some pics of me new tank setup that I am working on....its still a work in progress.

Its a 10 Gallon, with Florite, and a sandy river running through it.

Very low budget at the moment with just a few plants from my cottage up north...soon to be heavily planted!


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## 06GTPONY (Sep 17, 2007)

Hey...I didn't know those mini yellow pages books will live underwater and grow up to big BIG yellow pages books. LOL


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

06GTPONY said:


> Hey...I didn't know those mini yellow pages books will live underwater and grow up to big BIG yellow pages books. LOL


ROFL ^^

OOohh Keep us updated!


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## 06GTPONY (Sep 17, 2007)

What kinda food to those yellow-belly books eat?


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## svtranger (Aug 16, 2007)

I was wondering who would be the first to comment on that!
figures it would be you Mark, lol


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## svtranger (Aug 16, 2007)

here is an updated pic...a little cloudy in the tank though.

I am hoping a water change might clear it up? I think it might be some dust from the sand???


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## svtranger (Aug 16, 2007)

ok, one more pic...decided to brew up some DIY Co2, and add a new plant....


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## 06GTPONY (Sep 17, 2007)

This has got to be the most ghetto hydroponics lab I have ever seen.
LOL!


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## svtranger (Aug 16, 2007)

Mark, its 12:03....why are you surfing the aquarium sites....lol

see you at golf tommorrow....maybe we can find some fish in the water hazards!

BYOFF!!! lol


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## 06GTPONY (Sep 17, 2007)

svtranger said:


> maybe we can find some fish in the water hazards! BYOFF!!! lol


I hope they enjoy eating golf balls.
HAHAHA
Maybe we can grab a frog or 2. Perhaps a snapping turtle.


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## svtranger (Aug 16, 2007)

I trimmed the rotala indica, and replanted it(a little more spaced apart this time), but it is growing like mad(it doesnt take long to reach the top of the tank).

I now have stems from the front to the back on that side of the tank. I think I will rearrange them again next time I prune, and keep the larger ones to the back(because they are bending back towards the light).

I also added 2 fans to my light(powered by an old computer power supply I had kicking around), my tank temperature was approx 82-85 when the light was on, but now it sits at about 78. I made 2 holes on either side of the light(at the back), and mounted 2 fans(from a hard drive cooler) over the holes to blow air into the light. The air then exits at the top of the light from the vents above the reflector.

my newest problem is little tiny hairlike worms floating around, and stuck on the glass. they are the width of a piece of hair, and they are about 2-3 mm long.


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## 06GTPONY (Sep 17, 2007)

This operation is looking more and more like a hydroponics lab everyday!
LOLz

Hi Pete!


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## svtranger (Aug 16, 2007)

I might as well keep the log going, I added some moss, tied to some rocks, and moved my rotala to the back(and trimmed it....this stuff grows like crazy!).

I think I am pretty much done with the tank for now...until I get some fish, which should be some time next week.


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## 06GTPONY (Sep 17, 2007)

I think it's about time you dropped some fish into your fancy tank-forest.


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

06GTPONY said:


> I think it's about time you dropped some fish into your fancy tank-forest.


Nah they'll just dig up all his hard work, or worse eat it! lol


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## svtranger (Aug 16, 2007)

So...over the past couple weeks, I have slowly been putting in some fish.....

I may have gone a little overboard...I may have added too many fish.

I started by adding two male endlers...then a day later, one of them dissappeared. another day passed, and I found him on the floor 

then I added 2 snails(stripped porcupine from menagerie)

then I added 4 spaghetti loaches(probably should have got 3...but there was a deal for 4).

then I added 3 mountain minnows

one of the mountain minnows dissappeared...and then one of the other ones started acting aggressive, so I bought 3 more, hoping that might help. (it didnt)

I added 5 amano shrimp.

...and suprise, I found the other missing minnow in the filter....so I have him resting in a 2L bottle of water with some java moss, to see if he is going to be ok.

I think I went to crazy, and now I probably have too much in the tank, and I still want to get another endler to keep the other one company(but right now he seems to be schooling with the minnows)...any body else care to comment? is it too much? should I get another endler?


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## 06GTPONY (Sep 17, 2007)

Hey Pete, I'll give you $5 for everything in your tank.
You're obviously incapable of caring for fish!
LOL!


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## mr.sandman (Mar 22, 2007)

have you check your water parameters? How long did you have the tank for? Also next time you should not add too many fish in a short period of time since your tank could not handle that much bioload.


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## svtranger (Aug 16, 2007)

ive just been monitoring amonia...and nitrites. both are 0 right now.

the tank has been running 6-7 weeks.

yea, I am kinda wishing I hadnt added all those white clouds....they really like the filter....I now have the intake pipe covered with some filter material....but to my amazement....one jumped up stream into the top area of the filter today....lol.


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## kweenshaker (Mar 11, 2006)

looking really nice  What's your secret on making the moss look so tidy? Whenever I've tried moss, it looks like hell and half of it floats up and gets stuck to the filter intake (yes, I'm tying it down, but obviously not properly!)


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## svtranger (Aug 16, 2007)

I dont know if there is any secret...I tied it to some rocks using thread. I took the strands, and swirlled them in a circle pattern over the top of the stone, and then tied string around it. I havnt had to prune it yet, but by the looks of it, I will probably have to do that soon.


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

looks good. white clouds notoriously want to know whats inside those filter tubes. Always. Its rediculous...

Im sure you know the piece of sponge over the intake trick 

nice setup so far


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## svtranger (Aug 16, 2007)

yea, I took some aquaclear powerhead filters and covered the intakes with those for now. I also had one swim upstream into the top portion, lol.

but no fatalities, one has a scar from the event, but it seems to be doing ok.


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## 06GTPONY (Sep 17, 2007)

Anymore murder/suicides Pete?


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## svtranger (Aug 16, 2007)

no, I seem to have it all under control.


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