Hi, i am starting up my DP tank using an old setup used to keep 2 goldfish for 5 years or more. Its a standard ten gallon tank(black rim) and an aquaclear 150(does "150 gallons/hour").
Anyways, i brought her out of the attic and gave the tank and the filter a good scrub down using oxiclean and spent about 1/2 hour-40 minutes rinsing the items i washed. I brought the setup to the location i choose and filled her up(bare bottom) and started running the filter. I then added dechorinator and have been running it since.
Tomorow i'd like to go to the LFS and purchase some bio media for the filter(i only have 1 spongue in there at the moment), a heater, and possibly a hood/light setup.
My goals for the tank: 2-3 Dwarf puffers(probably just 2 for now). I'd never attempted live plants before, but now that i am older(junior in college) i think could handle the task. So with that in mind i'd like a heavily planted tank(planted with easier to grow varieties).
My question is, does company make a glass/seethrough lid for a 10gallon? If not, what is a quality hood for a 10 gallon(standard rectangle).
Second, i want good light. i want my plants to do well, and realize i need a good fixture/bulb setup. What should i look for in terms of lighting(i'd like to move from beginner plants to more advanced someday and i'd like to buy with the future in mind.)Also, what kind of bulbs???
Thanks for your time.
Lance.
Hood+Lighting for a standard 10 gallon
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Myaj
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Paris, lined burrfish - Location: SE Wisconsin
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Oh oh! If you want good lighting to grow plants, this is perfect! Find yourself a strip light that holds two screw in incandescent bulbs, not one that holds a tube/flourescent bulb.
Then instead of buying the screw in fish tank bulbs, use the "mini compact flourescents". I have a couple 10 gallons set up like this and the plants love it!
You can find them in strip lights, where you'd need to buy a "versa top" (glass lid), or in a entire hood where the lights are built right into the entire lid. I do not like the built in ones, if you can get the seperate glass lid and a strip light. The built in ones seem to let too much moisture in by the bulbs and they quit working.
Then instead of buying the screw in fish tank bulbs, use the "mini compact flourescents". I have a couple 10 gallons set up like this and the plants love it!
You can find them in strip lights, where you'd need to buy a "versa top" (glass lid), or in a entire hood where the lights are built right into the entire lid. I do not like the built in ones, if you can get the seperate glass lid and a strip light. The built in ones seem to let too much moisture in by the bulbs and they quit working.
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Boxermom
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This hood: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/P ... 004+113179
These bulbs: http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ct ... lamp20watt
These bulbs: http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ct ... lamp20watt
Tina
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
oooohhhhhhhh. Gotcha. So if i wanted i could buy one of those glass hoods(not to confuse you, id prefer those see through, glass, hoods made either buy all-glass or any other company) and buy a cheap 7 dollar incandescent strip and run 2 of those florescent bulbs(those bulbs save on the electric bill too don't they?).
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Boxermom
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The Versa-Top that I posted the link to first is the All-Glass glass top. Just make sure that the incandescent strip can handle up to 20w bulbs, and make sure you get the 20w bulbs. There are similar looking bulbs that are only 10w.
Tina
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
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Myaj
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- My Puffers: Bubba, turgidus
Paris, lined burrfish - Location: SE Wisconsin
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Yep! It works great.
I usually buy the bulbs from a fish place, they have a nicer looking color spectrum (to me) than the ones at the regular hardware/discount stores. The ones from Walmart or whatever will be a bit more yellowish depending on their spectrum, I like a nice white light for my tanks. But that's personal choice.
I usually buy the bulbs from a fish place, they have a nicer looking color spectrum (to me) than the ones at the regular hardware/discount stores. The ones from Walmart or whatever will be a bit more yellowish depending on their spectrum, I like a nice white light for my tanks. But that's personal choice.
Thanks. Is this a better route than say a compact flouracent strip??
Why i got you guys here, i have another question off topic. I tested my tap water today and was shocked that it tested between 6.8-7.0(i tested several times to check, althought the kits are kinda old).Its a bottle of liquid and one of those paper charts.
With such low Ph, what should i do? What substrate should i go with?
Why i got you guys here, i have another question off topic. I tested my tap water today and was shocked that it tested between 6.8-7.0(i tested several times to check, althought the kits are kinda old).Its a bottle of liquid and one of those paper charts.
With such low Ph, what should i do? What substrate should i go with?
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Myaj
- Tech Team
- Posts: 4587
- Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 12:27 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Bubba, turgidus
Paris, lined burrfish - Location: SE Wisconsin
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Basically it is a compact flourescent strip (assuming you use the CF bulbs) for a fraction of the price. And you can get replacement bulbs locally if you are in a hurry.
For the pH, really, stable is more important than what the level is at, technically. Let a sample sit out for 24 hours and test it again, see if it changes at all and what it ends up at. If you are really worried, I'd replace your test kit and get a GH/KH one, that way you'll know your buffering capacity as well. That means you'll know if its going to fluctuate or stay pretty stable. You could use some sort of aragonite substrate if you'd like, or just add a media bag with some crushed coral in your filter. There's a few options if you'd like it higher. I'm used to my water being very high in pH, GH and KH though so hopefully someone else will chime in and let you know if that's low and something you'd have to worry about, I don't think it is but I'm not positive.
For the pH, really, stable is more important than what the level is at, technically. Let a sample sit out for 24 hours and test it again, see if it changes at all and what it ends up at. If you are really worried, I'd replace your test kit and get a GH/KH one, that way you'll know your buffering capacity as well. That means you'll know if its going to fluctuate or stay pretty stable. You could use some sort of aragonite substrate if you'd like, or just add a media bag with some crushed coral in your filter. There's a few options if you'd like it higher. I'm used to my water being very high in pH, GH and KH though so hopefully someone else will chime in and let you know if that's low and something you'd have to worry about, I don't think it is but I'm not positive.
sweet. Definitely gonna try out the DIY compact instead of shelling out big cash for one.
As for the ph issue, i am gonna buy a new combo kit which has all the tests i need. We didn't really know what were were doing with our goldfish(like so many people) and we floundered a lot in the beginning, buying things that were useless and basically finding our way as we went. We just so happened to have 2 pH test kits that i found, one tablet, the other liquid drops. Both are several years old(5+). I read around here and the dwarf puffer forum and everyone has said something similar to "stability over a certain pH #" but considering all the FAQ's recommend 7.0 at a minimum. So other forum members posted(dwarfpuffer.com) that his Ph was at 6.5-6.8 and his fish have been fine and only had an issue when it dropped one time to 6.0.
I think instead of running 2 foams and the bio bag i might just run 1 foam,1 bio, and 1 bag full of crushed coral, although i think i could probably use the extra foam because of the biomass real estate it provides.
As for the ph issue, i am gonna buy a new combo kit which has all the tests i need. We didn't really know what were were doing with our goldfish(like so many people) and we floundered a lot in the beginning, buying things that were useless and basically finding our way as we went. We just so happened to have 2 pH test kits that i found, one tablet, the other liquid drops. Both are several years old(5+). I read around here and the dwarf puffer forum and everyone has said something similar to "stability over a certain pH #" but considering all the FAQ's recommend 7.0 at a minimum. So other forum members posted(dwarfpuffer.com) that his Ph was at 6.5-6.8 and his fish have been fine and only had an issue when it dropped one time to 6.0.
I think instead of running 2 foams and the bio bag i might just run 1 foam,1 bio, and 1 bag full of crushed coral, although i think i could probably use the extra foam because of the biomass real estate it provides.