# First heated tank (10 gallons) I have no idea what I am doing



## Lex90210 (May 10, 2011)

I am going to have a 10 gallon tank in my room and this is the first time I am going to have a heater in there. But I never did this before.
Now with my old tank it was over crowded but tropic fish I believe are very different from comet fish or other cold water fish. 

What is the limit so I don't overcrowd?
What temperature should it be?
Do I put hot water in first so it's not too much a strain for the heater?

I hope to make this tank clear and clean and to have it been done properly. 
Hoping you guys could help, you have already helped me and educated me a lot. 


Thanks


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

Lex90210 said:


> I am going to have a 10 gallon tank in my room and this is the first time I am going to have a heater in there. But I never did this before.
> Now with my old tank it was over crowded but tropic fish I believe are very different from comet fish or other cold water fish.
> 
> What is the limit so I don't overcrowd?
> ...


It depends what kind of fish you want. I'd personally go with some type of community fish. Regardless of what kind of fish you choose your water should be between 78-80 degrees.


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## Lex90210 (May 10, 2011)

Thanks, I will make sure it stays at 80. 
As for kinds of fish, I am not sure. 

I researched community fish, there are a huge selection. But I need to make sure I don't overcrowd


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## DJSpahn (May 7, 2011)

I like guppies they are small, easy to breed, and have cool colors.


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## humdedum (Feb 18, 2009)

Guppies are a good starting step for ten gallons, as DJS pointed out. Personally I like platys because of their shape and endearing puppy-faces. How about you go to the store, _write down_ the names of all the fish that catch your eye, and then ask us about/Google them? That method is always fun.


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## Mr. fish (Mar 8, 2011)

Your selection is widely open in tropical tanks...
Just remember its an Inch per gallon.

Just put warm water in your tank to start off then set your thermometer to 78.
Also when you do your water changes make sure you match the temp in your tank, any sudden drop in temp will stress the fish and more than likely kill them.

I would keep your temp steady at 78 if you can..

Neon Tetras are nice, keep them in a school of 6 or more
Dwarf gourami's are nice, no more than two per tank
Fancy guppies are a real eye catcher.. They prefer hard water
Columbian blue tetras are nice
African Dwarf frogs are cool, feed them frozen blood worms with a turkey baster. They are nearly blind and only can smell food. etc

The list goes on.. Any more questions?


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## humdedum (Feb 18, 2009)

Mr. fish said:


> Just remember its an Inch per gallon.


Well, generally.  It's always safe to understock in case your power goes out and the filter stops running, etc. Or if you go on vacation and miss a water change. 

A ten-inch Oscar will die in a ten-gallon tank, but ten inches of small tetras will probably fit okay.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

1 inch per gallon not counting bottom feeders. You don't want to have too many bottom feeders, but 2 corys would do well with guppies. i'd say to get: 1 male betta, 4 ghost shrimp, 5 neon tetras, and 2 corys. you could make a betta sorority (all female bettas) and that would work well. At max you could keep 10 female bettas together! (I'm SO into betta right now!!!"


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

I say get 15 Cardinal Tetras, a few Ghost Shrimp, and a Apple Snail and call it a day.


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## Lex90210 (May 10, 2011)

Wow you can put a lot in a 10 gallon, i have a stupid heater that came with the tank and its just a dile really anoying and hard to tell what temp but i have a the mometer i bought one fish but not sure what its called its all see through


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

Lex90210 said:


> Wow you can put a lot in a 10 gallon, i have a stupid heater that came with the tank and its just a dile really anoying and hard to tell what temp but i have a the mometer i bought one fish but not sure what its called its all see through


Glass Catfish perhaps? Can you get a pic? If it is a Glass Cat then a 10 gallon is not big enough for it and they like to be in schools of 4-5 or more anyway.


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## egoreise (Mar 16, 2011)

hmmm... well cories really do best in groups of five or more, but that's not so doable in a 10 gallon. I'd say do 3 cory cats. It's better than two and probably still ok in that tank.


Lex, does your heater just have the high to low settings? I HATE those heaters! When you replace it, look for one that has the actual temperature control. And then when you set it up, keep in mind that your water may end up being a couple degrees cooler than what the heater says, so keep your thermometer in there and adjust the heater accordingly.


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## Lex90210 (May 10, 2011)

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Br1rQvAweME/TVBdPIJHdpI/AAAAAAAAARs/e0ur7twOPAo/s1600/glass_catfish.jpg 


Ah crap, (I am cursed) 10 isn't big enough? But I thought it was an inch a gallon. He isn't 10 inches. And will he get lonely if I don't buy a few more


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## Unknown10101 (Mar 5, 2011)

Actually, the inch per gallon is more of a myth than a fact. You want to go by filtration, of course, space, etc.

http://www.aqadvisor.com/AqAdvisor....AqSpeciesWindowSize=short&AqSearchMode=simple

This site is very helpful for that kind of stuff. It'll tell you if your tank is overcrowded or not before you even get the fish! Good luck!

Also, someone pointed out to me that petstores judge the tank volume by its dimensions, so the tank is probably a little less than 10 gallons. Also, keep in mind that the gravel, fish, and decorations take away lots of that space.


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## PhsychoFish (Apr 10, 2011)

you could put a betta and several other fishes in there. i like the cardinal tetra idea! You should also get a bottom feeder; probably three cory cats, as my sister's mentioned, because they're cute and small enough to put in a 10 gallon.


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## Unknown10101 (Mar 5, 2011)

Here's a link to a lot of stocking ideas for 10 gallon tanks. Some of them were already mentioned above, but a lot weren't.

http://www.badmanstropicalfish.com/forum/index.php?topic=11184.0


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## Lex90210 (May 10, 2011)

Thanks  

The gallon site is pretty awesome


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## Unknown10101 (Mar 5, 2011)

Your welcome


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## humdedum (Feb 18, 2009)

Lex90210 said:


> http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Br1rQvAweME/TVBdPIJHdpI/AAAAAAAAARs/e0ur7twOPAo/s1600/glass_catfish.jpg
> 
> 
> Ah crap, (I am cursed) 10 isn't big enough? But I thought it was an inch a gallon. He isn't 10 inches. And will he get lonely if I don't buy a few more


Don't feel cursed! My first ten gallon tank was basically a killing machine because I didn't have the advantages of a forum like this.  He will grow to be about 4 inches, and it would be best to have some companions.


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## Lex90210 (May 10, 2011)

Ill buy him two more and thats all for the tank

whats the life expectensie of thoes fish?


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## humdedum (Feb 18, 2009)

About five to eight years, I believe.


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