Setting up my first tank- 10 gallon freshwater

[columbus]

So I'm interested in starting a tank of my own, and I have a 10 gallon tank on hand. i want to do a tropical freshwater setup, and I've read through a bunch of articles online, and I've tried to soak in as much as I can before I buy any other equipment. I'd really appreciate some feedback on my intended setup:

10 gallon tank
Tetra Whisper EX20 filter
Some kind of heater- is this even necessary for such a small tank?
And lighting- I'm not sure here, a lot of what I've seen online looks really expensive

Would an air stone be recommended for this small setup?

[ZeroSystem]

Welcome to FTF Columbus!

The filter you decided on is fine, however I personally have a bit of a preference towards AquaClear filters. They are more versatile in the sence that you can mix and match the different filter medias available for it, instead of being forced to only utilize a carbon filter pad. Like I said though, this is a personal preference and there is nothing wrong with the filter you decided on.

A heater is diffinetly a must, and a quailty one is even more important for a tank this small. Sudden or frequent temperature changes cause stress on fish and should be avoided. You'll want the tank to maintain a stable temperature of about 78 degrees give or take a degree or two. My favorite heater is the Marine Land Visa Therm Stealth. Very dependable and solid construction as well.

Lighting is pretty optional. If you aren't planning on having live plants then the lights are really just there so you can enjoy viewing your fish. As long as the fish can tell the difference between night and day they won't really care if you have a light or not. A simple flourescent strip light is fairly cheap and provides good lighting throughout the tank.

I would say that an airstone is also optional at this point. The filter will likely provide enough gas exchange and oxygen for the fish. If you want bubbles for decorative purposes, like those treasure chests or a bubble wall or something, then thats fine, but I don't think you absolutely need to have one.

Hope that helps. Let us know how things go and if you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask!

[columbus]

Originally Posted by ZeroSystem

Welcome to FTF Columbus!

The filter you decided on is fine, however I personally have a bit of a preference towards AquaClear filters. They are more versatile in the sence that you can mix and match the different filter medias available for it, instead of being forced to only utilize a carbon filter pad. Like I said though, this is a personal preference and there is nothing wrong with the filter you decided on.

A heater is diffinetly a must, and a quailty one is even more important for a tank this small. Sudden or frequent temperature changes cause stress on fish and should be avoided. You'll want the tank to maintain a stable temperature of about 78 degrees give or take a degree or two. My favorite heater is the Marine Land Visa Therm Stealth. Very dependable and solid construction as well.

Lighting is pretty optional. If you aren't planning on having live plants then the lights are really just there so you can enjoy viewing your fish. As long as the fish can tell the difference between night and day they won't really care if you have a light or not. A simple flourescent strip light is fairly cheap and provides good lighting throughout the tank.

I would say that an airstone is also optional at this point. The filter will likely provide enough gas exchange and oxygen for the fish. If you want bubbles for decorative purposes, like those treasure chests or a bubble wall or something, then thats fine, but I don't think you absolutely need to have one.

Hope that helps. Let us know how things go and if you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask!

Thank you very much for your reply! I've looked into the AquaClear filters and I think I will buy the mini instead of the Tetra.

I was thinking about getting some live plants- are there any that are somewhat easy to maintain? What kind of lighting would they require?

[Jay]

I was thinking about getting some live plants- are there any that are somewhat easy to maintain? What kind of lighting would they require?

I would proceed to set up my tank and get use to the basics, before getting plants. You can always move into very low care plants a little down the road.

If you want to start right away, I would go for Anubis sp. Nana or floating weeds like Anacharis.

[columbus]

Thanks for the suggestion Jay, it sounds like a good idea to add plants later. About the inhabitants of the tank- I want to get some tetras, what other fish would go well with a small group of tetras? Maybe a male beta? How many tetras should i get so they are comfortable and have companions?

[ZeroSystem]

Before adding any fish to the tank, be sure you cycle the aquarium. The video tutorials have some excellent advice on this process and can be found here. Just scroll down to the one called "Cycling your Aquarium 1: The Nitrogen Cycle".

As for your question about the tetra's, it will somewhat depend a bit on which exact species of tetra you are interested in, as they are a very large group of fish. I would say most smaller species of tetra's, an inch and a half or so adult size, would be fine with a betta. A minimum of six tetra's would be best, and the more the better as far as they are concerned. Just be sure not to overstock your tank heavily, as this will mean for a big increase in maintenance! A group of six or so small tetra's, a betta and maybe a snail or something for a little clean up crew would already make for a pretty full 10g.

[columbus]

I was thinking of staying simple and going with neon tetra since I'm just getting started in the hobby. And yes, I read all about the nitrogen cycle and I plan on doing a fishless cycle. Actually, I plan on cycling the tank before moving back to school, then buying fish there after somehow transporting the cycled tank. Any pointers about transporting the tank?