# 10 Gallon Setup



## G26okie (Jan 16, 2014)

Figured I'd share my new 10 gallon setup in progress.

Plants will be added over the next few days... including Java ferns Anubias and dwarf sag, with anacharis top cover.

Going for a low maintenance, slow growing hardy tank.

It is a deep blue professional 10 gallon black silicone, aqua clear 20 HOB filter.

The background is a universal rocks 3d rocky background, only 1/4 inch thick!

Driftwood is oak mounted on slate, also going to add some low/long pieces of mopani to mount the java ferns/anubias.

The big stone to the side is emerald quartz.

Live stock is going to be either RCS or Ghost shrimp, with 1 plakat betta, and 6-8 white cloud minnows.










I will be posting it fully planted within the next few days.


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## meganlbetta (Nov 25, 2012)

Looks like its going to be a beauty! It looks like the similar substrate I have. It will take a day to settle and be clear with a filter going so you may need to wait a day or a few hours before adding stock. If you don't have them yet, you can just do the plants and then add your stock a couple days later so its all clear


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## G26okie (Jan 16, 2014)

meganlbetta said:


> Looks like its going to be a beauty! It looks like the similar substrate I have. It will take a day to settle and be clear with a filter going so you may need to wait a day or a few hours before adding stock. If you don't have them yet, you can just do the plants and then add your stock a couple days later so its all clear


Yeah, stock isn't going in for a few days after its all filled. I have seeded material from my bettas current tank to help the cycle go along, and the master test kit.


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## G26okie (Jan 16, 2014)

meganlbetta said:


> Looks like its going to be a beauty! It looks like the similar substrate I have. It will take a day to settle and be clear with a filter going so you may need to wait a day or a few hours before adding stock. If you don't have them yet, you can just do the plants and then add your stock a couple days later so its all clear


The substrate is a bottom layer of flourite dark that I had left over, and the rest is Floramax midnight.


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## BulletToothBoris (Jan 8, 2013)

Dont do White clouds. Do rasboras. White clouds like cooler temps.


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## G26okie (Jan 16, 2014)

Update. My foreground, dwarf sag, was supposed to come today, but it isn't getting here until tomorrow, of course tomorrow the store I get the other plants is closed, so I planted it today, filled it, and will drain it and plant the foreground tomorrow.

Java ferns and java fern mats attached to the driftwood in the back and right side.

Anubias nana, and anubias nana narrow leaf attached to the rock on the left, and in the substrate. Tomorrow, the foreground will be filled with dwarf sag and root tabs (I have about 15 plants coming).










Also, the reason I'd rather have the minnows are 
1. They seem much more interesting to watch than the rasboras 
2. They are hardier (if that is a word). 
3. I've read multiple accounts of people keeping them in water up to 80* with no issues, my house is 74* during the night, and a max of 76*. IMO i think they will be fine.


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## Joey Fish (Jan 26, 2014)

Wow it looks great,
Cant wait to see it all planted and stocked.


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## 2muttz (Aug 16, 2013)

wow, just gorgeous! Looks like something you'd see in a professional public aquarium.

Please keep posting pictures !:-D


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## G26okie (Jan 16, 2014)

2muttz said:


> wow, just gorgeous! Looks like something you'd see in a professional public aquarium.
> 
> Please keep posting pictures !:-D


Haha thanks!

Today I am going to put one more anubias in, behind the small one next to the rock, move the moss ball to the middle behind the upright driftwood, and fill the foreground with dwarf sag. I might put something tall next to the filter intake.

I am using a desk lamp with a 14 watt cfl at 5000k, probably going to change it to a 6500k and get a little yellow outta there. The anacharis is shading the java ferns and anubias.


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## G26okie (Jan 16, 2014)

Update, added another anubias nana attached to a white rock in the back, and planted all the dwarf sag up front.

Using sea chem root tabs near the anubias with roots, and all the dwarf sag. Dosed Flourish comprehensive. Light is set for 6-7 hours on.

I also added the bio material from my other tank.


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## Joey Fish (Jan 26, 2014)

Wow looks great. I cant wait to see it develop/ grow. I want to see it stocked, great job on the tank


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## G26okie (Jan 16, 2014)

Started adding live stock today.

Started with a bottle of tetra safestart which I have used twice in the past on my other tank with great success.

I decided on Harlequin Rasboras, rather than the minnows. One reason being the temperature of the water, and the main reason, I didn't want baby minnows to overtake the tank. Supposedly the rasboras are a little harder to breed, so I won't need to worry about that.

Anyway I went to 3 different fish stores, the first one had a whole tank of rasboras last time I was there 2 weeks ago, they were completely out. Went to petco, they don't carry them. 

Went to petsmart and got the last 2 they had. I had planned on 3-4 to start cycling the tank with the TSS, as I know they do better in bigger groups. My end goal is to have 6-8, with the one betta, and some RCS, and maybe a nerite to control algae.

I acclimated them for two hours just to be safe since my water is pretty hard, and they are now exploring their new home, always by each others side.


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## G26okie (Jan 16, 2014)

So I added my betta Picky just now, aside from the move stressing him, and him freaking out about the net, I think he is doing alright. He is moving kinda sluggish in the new tank, but I attribute that to him blowing all his energy trying to run away from the net.

He hasn't even given the rasboras a second glance, so the chances are looking good that they can co-exist. In his other tank, he wouldn't even go after the ghost shrimp, but he would try to take their algae wafers away from them.

It seems he would much rather surf glass incessantly than chase anything lol.


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## G26okie (Jan 16, 2014)

Everyone was still alive this morning lol.

My betta acts as if he is the only thing in the tank, doesn't even look/chase/flare, anything at the rasboras, which was a relief as I didn't want to have to separate him.

The rasboras are doing alright, they were schooling much tighter when I first put him in the tank, but it seems now they figured out they are ok, so they have gone back to just being in random places by themselves most of the time. I'm hoping once I add a few more they might all hang out together though. 

One of the four rasboras likes to hang out by himself, his colors are fine, and the other ones are not picking on him so I don't know why.


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## G26okie (Jan 16, 2014)

So one of the rasboras just died. He had been hanging out by himself for the past couple of days, while his tank mates schooled. He wasn't being bullied by them, the betta didn't attack him, and his color was fine.

I just got home from work today and he was swimming against the surface with the tip of his mouth against the surface and soon after he passed.

I tested ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, all at 0ppm (waiting for tetra safestart to kick in). 

I know sometimes you just get a weak fish. The other three are very active, schooling together and ate fine tonight, and my betta is doing good as well.


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