steed1172

hello all!!.. that's a good way to start, :P
well i am slowly coaxing others in my family to start with fish, and my sister wants me to get her my old 10 gallon started up for. The inhabitants are to be
1 bala shark(whos growth is most likely stunted)
3 neon tetras
and a cory or two/pleco and i was wondering if a sponge filter is okay with 10 gal and the fish stock above, as ive heard they are pretty much the best thing for biofilter.

eiginh

Hello,

You already bought a bala shark or going to?

Lucy

A bala shark doesn't belong in a 10g. Not only for it's size but you'd most likely have aggression issues with any other bottom dwellers.
I'd suggest stick to the neons and a small school of pygmy cories. Not many plecos would do well in a 10g.

Oops, sorry, that wasn't your question. I don't have a sponge filter but since they sit in the tank, you'll have even less room than if you had an HOB.

TedsTank

Sponge filters are excellent, but...they don't move as much water as a filter with a pump...so you cannot push the limits of fish quantity for the tank.

they cycle the same as all filters..wait a day or 2 after installing...then I squeeze a bit of filter media around them for a "kickoff" and have had no problems

steed1172

thank you for the "real" answer ted.to:Eiginh i already own the bala shark he has been living in my main tank for awhile none of the other "stock" is owned though.
to lucy: the bala shark for her hasn't grown at all since i got... i had nitrate poisoning in the tank and he got fin rot and red streaks(as i still own him now he made it through and is doing fine) but not any bigger and niether he or the other two i have in the main tank bother ANY other fish top middle or bottom strata fish....