Looking for some advice on aquarium!

[erick]

Hello and thanks for allowing me into the community. I have a 10 gallon tank that i have been cycling now for about 10 days. I have small white gravel as the substrate it is sloped down forming a small mountain in the center with two limestone rocks about 5" in length at the top. My main questions were what plants do you recommend i plant around? With a 10g tank i was thinking 3 max. Then i was wondering what kind of newt/salamader would thrive in an aquarium environment, and if you could recommend a good dealer? I could add gravel and have the rocks come to the top of the water line so they have a dry area, if not i would have to use an under gravel filter and switch from the current pump i have now. My water temps are in the 60's constantly. Any and ALL advice you all can provide is appreciated. I used to have some red-bellied newts in all all aquatic setup about 6 years ago. Thanks in advance...

 

[erick]

I think im going to stack some rocks or pots up to the point where the filter suction goes. Or should i save the trouble and get an internal power filter for $13? 90 gallons/hour should be all i need right? I have a 10g setup.

I would like to stick to an all aquatic red-bellied newt tank if its possible...???

(Message edited by miamie on February 08, 2006)

 

[ali]

Erick, I prefer an internal power filter. I'm not sure if the limestone is okay or not?

 

[erick]

It may not be limestone. They're rocks i purchased at the local fish store. Im going to look into that internal power filter today! What trees or plants do you recommend before i head out?

 

[karen]

Hi Erick, I have a 10 gallon tank that is filled halfway with water for my 2 eastern newts (which I highly recommend as pets). I also use large white gravel as a substrate. My newts are mostly aquatic so I don't have much land area for them; I use Lock-Rox (by Penn Plax)- which are like legos but shaped like rocks so you can stack them, make bridges, ledges etc. Personally, I don't like the way they look (fake) but since the newts love them, I use them for my land area. For a filter, I highly recommend a Duetto-50 submersible filter. It has an adjustable water output which is great and it's very quiet and low power so the water temp doesn't rise too high. I think it was around $20 - $25 or so. I used to use a fluval-1 filter, which was also great, but the water current it produced was too much for the newts, so I switched. For a 10 gallon tank, I don't know if you need a 90 gph circulation rate. I have live plants in the tank- anubia, java fern and elodea which are all very hearty. I also have some java moss, which I have in a container right now and am considering using, maybe on the rocks. These plants should be easy to find in most pet stores. Be careful of any rocks you put into the tank. You may want to sterilize them in boiling water first. Also, some rocks will raise the pH of the water. If sold in pet stores, there should be a sign which tells you which ones could raise the pH level; I'm not sure if limestone is one of them. Good luck!

 

[erick]

OK well i followed some advice and setup my tank tonight. I used a mix of gravel down deep and sand. Then i added 3 different plants that i DONT know the name of, but will get you pics soon. I have the water set to about 1/2 the tank. I have added a nice size piece of driftwood in the tank also. I am using a Tetra internal power filter with the waterfall falling on a piece of the driftwood so as to cut down on the wake. Water is a bit green and cloudy but i guess it will take a week or so to clear out. What do you think? Also what bulb should i be using to ensure the plants receive the proper lighting?

(Message edited by miamie on February 09, 2006)

 

[erick]

My driftwood is making the water yellow/brown. What do i do now? Should i let it soak for another day or so and then do a water change? Will it affect the plants that are in there

(Message edited by miamie on February 09, 2006)

 

[hayden]

Erick,
Alot of Driftwood does this. You can bleach or boil the driftwood so it doesn't leech stuff in the water.

 

[erick]

I placed it in a cooler full of water till about saturday afternoon so it can get all the gunk out. I think im going to boil it now though. Bleach i cant really trust...

 

[hayden]

Yeah. Soaking it will get some out but definitely not all of it. I've boiled all of mine.

 

[erick]

Im boiling as we speak. How long should i boil it for?