# 10 Gallon Tank on a Very Tight Budget



## Kyguylal (Jan 21, 2012)

I have nothing to offer, except, how about frogbit instead of duckweed? I think it looks nicer and doesn't get caught on everything as much


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## LilGreenMan (Mar 11, 2013)

Thanks Kyguylal, I'll look into frogbit. I'll have to check if my LFS has any.


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## mnemenoi (May 28, 2012)

Stock lightly and use pre established bio media and you should be fine. As to lighting, buy/find some clip on lights and buy some 6500K Compact Spiral bulbs. You can move them up or down to control lighting. Avoid getting them too close to the plexiglass as it will melt.


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## LilGreenMan (Mar 11, 2013)

Thanks for the tip mnemenoi, I'd probably cry if my plexiglass lid melted. I have some unused desk lamps at home; I'll look for 6500K compact spiral bulbs.


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## glutandpoop (Mar 11, 2013)

as mnemenoi recommended, a clip light with a daylight bulb is the cheapest option - you could get a bulb and holder for <$20 - I'm using the "Ecosmart 14 Watt Daylight" bulb with good success. One 14W fixture would get you to ~1.4W/gal (low light)...For ~$34 on Amazon, you could get a really nice 26W aquarium fixture:
"CL26BK: Finnex Aquarium Nano Refugium Cliplight"
This would get you to ~2.6W/gal....this lamp works great for me also...neither of these fluorescent fixtures gets hot enough to melt your plexiglass lid...LED's run cooler, but I have not had much success with non-aquarium-specific LED fixtures - not enough lumen/PAR output...
This may be heresy, but if you use a sponge filter, stock lightly with fish, and toss in a few plants with adequate lighting, you shouldn't have to worry about ammonia spikes - has worked for me in 3 out of 3 new setups recently...easy to grow plants in low-med light include Anacharis, Bacopa, and Water Sprite...


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## thebuddha (Jul 16, 2012)

I agree with using the CFLs.

A 10g is a little small for a betta sorority, and I could see them just destroying each other :/ I would personally not try it.

See if your LFS has any crypts (cryptocoryne species) They are low light, and I love em lol


Ill be on the look out for the cycling-guide that I used when I cycled my tanks....and yes, definitely use some filter material from your fathers tank, it will help jump-start your cycle. you can put all of that nasty mulm from his filter to good use


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## The Big Buddha (Jul 30, 2012)

I run 2 10G's both the walmart kits with stock hood and 2X9W 6500k CFL's. Seems to be just right for low-med light. I have 4 female bettas in a 6 gallon with no problems- I guess I am just lucky. I only had one that was super agressive, I floated her in a clear container for about a month, changing her water everyday. She eventually got tired of flaring at everyone and they get along fine now, but it took a while. 

+1 for the frogbit


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## MamaFish (Mar 6, 2013)

http://www.rexgrigg.com/cycle.htm Is a excellent article about cycling a planted tank. I followed his method, and have had fish in an brand new (no filter squeezings or mulm) aquarium and I've not seen any ammonia at all. Since you can get some mulm from another tank, you're already most of the way there. The trick is to make sure you put lots of plants in, especially stem plants and floaters. I've found water wisteria to be an awesome plant. Mine's grown almost two inches in a week!

CFLs in clip lights will work fine. I ended up going in a different direction, but when I was considering using CFLs, I found this thread really helpful/inspiring. It's actually a really cool look http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=153195&highlight=cfl


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## lochaber (Jan 23, 2012)

Do a search for fishless cycling. Threads pop up about it pretty frequently, and Diana has a pretty good guide that she posts to most of them.

basically, find a source of pure ammonia, add enough to bring the tank to ~3ppm. check everyday, add enough to bring back up to 3 ppm. check nitrites and nitrates as well. once it gets to the point where NH4 and NO2 are both zero ~24 hours after a 3ppm dose, you are probably cycled.

Another method I've heard of is people sticking a bunch of fry in a new tank, and letting them (and the biofilter) grow into the tank.

I'd second the compact flourescent bulb for lighting. My first planted tank was a 10 gallon with an incandescent hood, and I put in two (low wattage) CFL bulbs, and cat litter. worked pretty well.

I'm concerned the plexiglass will warp, every one I've seen before has warped. I've heard people claim it's the humidity, and not the lights, but I don't personally know.

What else do you need, do you have a heater, filter, substrate and hardscape from a previous set up?


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## LilGreenMan (Mar 11, 2013)

Thanks for the amazing advice glutandpoop, thebuddha and Big Buddha. I'll check if my LFS has any of those plants. I'm allocating the majority of my budget towards plants . My roommate got me into aquascaping and showed me this forum, and now I'm hooked.

@ Big Buddha: my 10gal tank is from Walmart too, although mine didn't come with the hood since the friend that I inherited the tank from bought it many, many years ago

@ the buddha: I've read that female betta will fight and form a hierarchy, but I wasn't sure what size tank would be appropriate, thanks for clarifying, I will get a male betta

@ glutandpoop: thanks for telling me the name of the brand you use, this makes deciding between the many brands much easier, I'll pick some bulbs up next time I drop by the hardware store

Another question for everyone: What do you guys think about Tetra Safestart and Nutrafin Cycle? I've read some mixed opinions and I'd like to know yours. Are these products worth the money?


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## LilGreenMan (Mar 11, 2013)

@ lochaber: I have a filter and lots and lots of substrate, no heater (since I can keep the room temperature a steady 22-23C or 72-73F, I'm still debating whether or not to buy one), for hardscape I'll buy or find some driftwood. I'll read up more on fishless cycling and I'll be sure to keep a watch on my plexiglass lid. Thanks!

@ MamaFish: I have a water wisteria plant in my tank, it's still alive 3 months after I've taken my last fish out and turned off the filter. Water wisteria are tough!


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## MamaFish (Mar 6, 2013)

From what I've heard, SafeStart does work, but I don't think you need it. All it is is seed bacteria to start your tank cycle. You can get seed bacteria for free from your day's tank via filter squeezings and mulm ( the yucky stuff you vacuum out of a tank). Plus, if you plant heavily enough, your plants will use up any ammonia your fish give off, so you don't really need to worry about it. I planted my tank, waited a few days and then put fish in. I test daily and never see any ammonia. Ever.


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## LilGreenMan (Mar 11, 2013)

@ MamaFish: Nice, I'm glad I can cross out something else from my shopping list!

My dad is having some trouble with the brown algae that's really hard to scrub from the glass. Are there any products that are good for removing that type of algae? I've looked into ghost shrimp and red cherry shrimp and that is something I'm considering.


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## BigTom (Sep 16, 2011)

LilGreenMan said:


> My dad is having some trouble with the brown algae that's really hard to scrub from the glass. Are there any products that are good for removing that type of algae?


Razor blade


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## LilGreenMan (Mar 11, 2013)

Hmm, razor blade might be a bit risky. Don't want to scratch the glass. Thanks for the suggestion though


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## JustAGuy716 (Aug 28, 2012)

Do a search for plastic / nylon pan scrapers on google or amazon. The ones I have are Amazon.com: Lodge SCRAPERPK Durable Polycarbonate Pan Scrapers, Red and Black, 2-Pack: Home & Kitchen

They cut through everything, and are totally glass safe


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## LilGreenMan (Mar 11, 2013)

JustAGuy716 said:


> Do a search for plastic / nylon pan scrapers on google or amazon. The ones I have are Amazon.com: Lodge SCRAPERPK Durable Polycarbonate Pan Scrapers, Red and Black, 2-Pack: Home & Kitchen
> 
> They cut through everything, and are totally glass safe


Cool, didn't know these things existed. I'll shop around to see if I can buy any from a local store, or wait until I have $25 worth of stuff to buy from amazon to save on shipping. Thanks!


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## lochaber (Jan 23, 2012)

LilGreenMan said:


> @ lochaber: I have a filter and lots and lots of substrate, no heater (since I can keep the room temperature a steady 22-23C or 72-73F, I'm still debating whether or not to buy one), for hardscape I'll buy or find some driftwood. I'll read up more on fishless cycling and I'll be sure to keep a watch on my plexiglass lid. Thanks!


Sounds good, you may need to pay attention to which fish you get, and your tank may be a little slower to cycle, but that sounds like it's the right range for plenty of fish. If you do decide to get a heater, try to get one of the better ones (unfortunately, this will probably one of the more expensive aspects)

And as MamaFish said, plants will take up a lot of ammonia, and completely bypass the nitrogen cycle. Floaters are great for this, and you can thin them out/remove them as the rest of your plants grow in.

I'd try finding your own driftwood. Find a water body near you and go for a hike. I've had good luck using google maps to scan looking for areas with lots of driftwood. Just try to pick something that looks like it's been dead, exposed, and weathered for quite a while.



LilGreenMan said:


> My dad is having some trouble with the brown algae that's really hard to scrub from the glass. Are there any products that are good for removing that type of algae? I've looked into ghost shrimp and red cherry shrimp and that is something I'm considering.


A lot of people talk about the Mr. Clean Eraser (original). I haven't used it on a tank yet, but I did pick up a pack. I think it's just a really fine melamine foam, and simply abrades stuff off.


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## LilGreenMan (Mar 11, 2013)

lochaber said:


> Sounds good, you may need to pay attention to which fish you get, and your tank may be a little slower to cycle, but that sounds like it's the right range for plenty of fish. If you do decide to get a heater, try to get one of the better ones (unfortunately, this will probably one of the more expensive aspects)
> 
> And as MamaFish said, plants will take up a lot of ammonia, and completely bypass the nitrogen cycle. Floaters are great for this, and you can thin them out/remove them as the rest of your plants grow in.
> 
> ...


My dad and I are going to swap tanks, since he has 5 fish in his 8gal and I was going to put 1 in my 10gal. Now I get to aquascape 2 tanks, JACKPOT!

Meanwhile I'll keep my eye on the water temperature as the seasons change to see if i'll need a heater.

I love the look of hornwort and frogbit and I'll definitely be getting some of those for my tanks. I have a couple ideas for where to find some driftwood, I just hope I don't care too carried away and bring home a log!

Please let me know if the Mr. Clean Erasers work; it's a much cheaper and more versatile alternative to the plastic scraper.

Thanks so much for the great advice!


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## caoder (Nov 18, 2011)

razor blades or just scrub it with the green scrubbers. they work well for glass aquariums.


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## LilGreenMan (Mar 11, 2013)

caoder said:


> razor blades or just scrub it with the green scrubbers. they work well for glass aquariums.


Can you please specify what green scrubbers you are referring to? If you mean scrubbers for washing dishes, I've tried that on my 10gal tank and it left some ugly scratches on the glass, good thing I had the foresight to try it out in the corner first.


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## caoder (Nov 18, 2011)

yea, i use them on my glass tanks, i haven't had any issues with scratches. The kind that are on the back of sponges.


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## LilGreenMan (Mar 11, 2013)

caoder said:


> yea, i use them on my glass tanks, i haven't had any issues with scratches. The kind that are on the back of sponges.


Oh, you mean the ones with the green abrasive side and the yellow sponge side? I'll try those right now.


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## LilGreenMan (Mar 11, 2013)

Dish scrubs (with green abrasive side and yellow sponge side) leaves the lightest of scratches on the glass. Only saw them until i turned a light onto the tank.


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## Tetranerd (Oct 26, 2012)

Mr Clean scrubbers work really well to get the green spot algae off tank walls without scratching.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2


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## craigee2199 (Jan 21, 2011)

The side of a credit card or one of those plastic, store given cards works really well as a scraper. It might take a few swipes for stubborn algae, but it works and no worry of scratches.


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## LilGreenMan (Mar 11, 2013)

craigee2199 said:


> The side of a credit card or one of those plastic, store given cards works really well as a scraper. It might take a few swipes for stubborn algae, but it works and no worry of scratches.


Great idea! An excellent, cheap alternative; I like it. Thanks!


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