# (almost)Everything I need to know... lots.



## Ladayen (Jun 20, 2011)

Ok where to begin.. I'll list my tanks first. This is going to be a long post.

Tank 1: Tetras

10 gallon tank
Filter : Whisper 5-15
Air Pump: Air Tech 2.0 with airstone
Lighting: 2x 25watt tubular bulbs
Heater: None
base: aquarium gravel

3x small-medium fake plant
1x fake plastic coral
1x silk plant (stuck to top corner, above water, hangs down full height of tank
1x sunken boat

3x black skirt
4x fruit tetra(white skirts)
2x fire red danios
1x chinese algae eater (very small still)

Tank 2: Goldfish

35 gallon (30"longx12"widex22" high)
Filter:Aquat-tech 30-60
Airpump: Whisper 10-30
Lighting: 18w halogen light
Heater: Elite 50 watt
Base: Aqurium gravel and some river rocks.

3x large river rocks
2x small plastic plant
1x small castle
1x umm not sure how to describe this.. brown colored doughnut shaped stone, very rough texture.

1x Comet Goldfish (~8")
1x Pleco (unknown breed (~9")
2x corydoras catfish (2" each)
1x dwarf frog (unknown species, fully aquatic. smaller then 2")

Tank 3: Platys

5.5g
Filter: Aquaclear 20
Airpump: None
Lighting: 25w tubular bulb
Heater: Unplugged Elite Mini
Base: Aquarium Gravel

4x small plastic plant
1x small cave

2x Platy(Juvies, not certain of gender, possibly one of each.)

NOTE: I will probably be switching the fish of tank 3 and 4 with each other in the near future, as soon as I can get proper equipment.

Tank 4: Betta

10g
Filter: None
Airpump: None
Lighting: 2x 25 watt tubular bulbs (one burnt out, keep unplugged almost always)
Heater: None
Base: Aquarium gravel

1x fake plant (sits in the corner, bottom to top of tank.)

1x Betta(male)

Tank 5: Quarentine Tank

2g

Nothing with it, except dora mermaid statue and aquarium gravel.

Continued below.


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## Ladayen (Jun 20, 2011)

I am wondering a bunch of stuff really, I have had tank one for 3 months, the rest have all come into my care in the previous week.

If you notice anything wrong with the filter, heater, lighting, airpump, base or anything else please do comment.

What medications should I have on hand at all times?

What are underwater/undergravel filters? Which fish are these good for?

In tank one it has an airstone so it makes a bunch of bubbles in one spot. In tank 2 theres a long tube I stretch out on the back wall on the bottom and it makes a waterfall effect.. except it's air going up. Is one better then the other?

When can/should I use plastic plants vs silk plants vs real plants?

I am seeing on serveral websites that wood can be beneficial inside an aquarium, but have never seen an explanation as to why. Can anyone clarify this for me?

Would it be better to use sand (or something else entirely) as a base for some/all of my tanks?

All my fish are currently eating flakes, is there something else I should be giving them. ( I do have algae wafers for the eater in tank 1)


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

Meds (in my opinion, as in what has worked for us): API SuperIck Cure, MelaFix, PimaFix, and clove oil. The clove oil is if you need to put a fish down. 

I don't personally have any experience with UG filters, so I can't really help you there. 

Smaller bubbles in a tank create better water aeration. Big bubbles also disturb the surface more, and some fish may not like that. Generally, a "bubble wand" will create smaller bubbles and make your fish a little less disturbed, especially since they are spread out more. 

We use mostly plastic plants in our tanks. Silk plants are good for fish with delicate fins, like bettas. Real plants are more aesthetically pleasing but can be difficult to maintain and fish will sometimes chew on them or uproot them. Floating plants are good for fry/birthing tanks because they provide a place for the fry to hide. 

Driftwood can be good for fish like plecos, who gnaw on it as a source of food. It can also leech "tannins" (which will turn your water brownish and lowers the pH over time) but is actually appropriate for fish from certain parts of the world, like the Amazon. 

What substrate you use really depends on what you want from your tank. Sand is good for certain fish, like loaches, FW eels, and cories that like to root through it or bury themselves. I think sand is easier to plant in but it can also be harder to clean and it tends to stir up quite a bit when doing water changes. There are also gravels specifically made for planted tanks, or for fish like cichlids with different pH requirements. 

Flake is a good base food, but you should also provide a veggie-based flake like spirulina. Live foods are also appreciated. Brine shrimp are good for almost everyone. And you're already providing algae wafers, so good job. You can also give veggie-eaters blanched veggies like cucumber.


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## Fishy Freak (Jun 1, 2011)

A 50w heater in a 35gal seems low to me, would be better in a 10gal but don't change until you have a 100w for the 35g as is what they are used to.


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## cybercat (Jun 25, 2011)

Why a heater for a goldfish tank? Get that out. Put it in the tetra tank instead if it needs it.


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## PhsychoFish (Apr 10, 2011)

i was going to say what cybercat said...


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## PhsychoFish (Apr 10, 2011)

bettas need a heater too


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## PhsychoFish (Apr 10, 2011)

also, i don't think you can have dwarf frogs or plecos in a coldwater tank... plus cory cats (if that's what corydoras catfish are ^^; ) like to be in groups of 3 or more and i don't think they like cold water, either...


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## blindkiller85 (Jan 8, 2011)

Tank 1 lighting seems a bit high. 50w for 10g? Ton's of cleaning labeled all over that one. When my 10g was up, I had 17w of lighting. Same with the rest. There's a lot of wattage to light such small tanks. Minus the halogen as that might be alright, especially for goldfish/pleco/cory's and the size of the tank period.

With the aerators in the tanks. Yes, you can have them and it shouldn't cause any problem what so ever. Are they required as well? No. HOB filters will do your aeration for you with no problem, until you start talking heavy biological loads for huge tanks. For what I see, you'll be fine without them if you want. If you have fish that won't jump out of the water spontaneously, take the top off the tank and the water will absorb the required oxygen (if you're using an underground filter).

Driftwood is as stated good for pleco's specifically. Other than the aspect of a pleco, it's always good for surface area for bacteria in your tank, hiding spots for fish and stuff of that nature. Fake plants do just about the same thing.



cybercat said:


> Why a heater for a goldfish tank? Get that out. Put it in the tetra tank instead if it needs it.


He's got cory's and a pleco in there with comets. He needs the heater for the tank.

You do need a heater in this tank though. Unless you're like me in central florida where 340 days of the year it's 70 degree's or hotter in my house, you need a heater for this tank.


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## PhsychoFish (Apr 10, 2011)

for feeding and such (sorry i'm commenting too much XD), you should try frozen food like bloodworms, fish LOVE that stuff... 
i think that wood helps tanks because of the stuff they release into the water is good and natural, but for a while it darkens the water
the waterfall bubbler sounds really awesome, but both are probably fine
if you want a live planted tank (wich is best for most tanks but a bit spendy), you'd want cat liter with fertilizer stuff mixed in and have that settle then gravel for a base


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

cybercat said:


> Why a heater for a goldfish tank? Get that out. Put it in the tetra tank instead if it needs it.


Heaters are not bad for a goldfish tank, they just need to be kept low. It's better than a tank that gets too cold because it has no heating at all.


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## egoreise (Mar 16, 2011)

Not just any cat litter makes a good substrate for live plants. Unscented cat litter made from clay.


You can consolidate your platies and your betta into the ten gallon and they will do fine together. You could also have your aquatic frogs (probably african dwarf frogs) moved to the same tank, as they are fine tankmates for a betta and really prefer water that is less that 16 inches deep. I use the plural "frogs" because he would be happier with a buddy. 

The cories would do fine with in the tetra tank, so long as you keep up with water changes.

That would leave you with a 35 gallon tank with a single comet and a single pleco. Both will eventually outgrow that space, and one likes cold water while the other likes tropical water. So I would consider either rehoming them both, or rehoming one and then the other later.


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