NeWcS

Please understand I am really new to all this but can tell you that after reading through this site for the last hour or so I have a lot to learn. I have a 10g tank, with some fake plants, Rock, Filter, Heater, Air stones, thermometer and hood with lights(2, 1 white and 1 blue)

I set my tank up and let it run for 2weeks before I put in any fish(Like the direction said). I have 4 fancy guppies, 2 albino cory cats and 3 Silver tipped tetra.

My question is about 'water change'. Can some explain this in plain English as to how to do it and what type of equipment is needed.

Thank you!

-Jay

Lucy

Hi Jay, Welcome to Fish Lore.

We're glad you found us.
There's a lot to read here, isn't there? There's a video showing how to use a gravel vacuum...let me find it for you and post back.
When you use the gravel vac, it also takes out some of the water. Just replace that water with dechlorinated water that's close to the same temp as your tank.
I have a couple of 10g's and it really helped.

Edit: Here it is: 1-2-3 easy aquarium siphon instructions - video
You can pick one up at Walmart or any fish store.

Steve113

in a 10g - once or twice a week, just drain 1/2 your water away (with gravel vac is better as it removes solid waste) and top up with treated tap water.

Easy.

Lucy

I see from your aquarium info that you don't know about the nitrogen cycle.
Here's some info about it.
http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm
Since you have fish, you should be changing your water daily until it cyles.

NeWcS

thx guys/gals, Ill do some more reading

-Jay

Lucy

Your welcome, good luck.

Blub

Here's a start on reading up: Currently you are overstocked (4 Guppys would stock this tank!) and Silver tips need a school of at least 3, so I reccomend either returning the silver tips and corys, or upgrading the tank to something like 20 - 30gal!

NeWcS

I was told that a good rule of thumb is 1in a gallon?

-Jay

Lucy

It's more of a guideline than a rule, just something to keep in mind when choosing smaller fish it doesn't work for larger fish or fish with big bio loads and you have to go by their adult size.

4 guppies x 2.5 = 10"
2 corys x 2.5 = 5"

That's 15" of fish, not including the tetra, I don't know their adult size.

sirdarksol

Welcome to Fishlore! Some good advice, here.
My #1 suggestion comes a bit too late: Don't start with anything smaller than a 20g tank. It's easier to maintain water quality, and you get to play around with more fish (though a 20g still ends up being small). A 10g is just too small to really stock with anything.

Other than that, I'd say that returning everything but the guppies would be an okay way to keep a 10g tank healthy.

Definitely good advice above. Keep the questions/information coming. We'll do our best to help you out.

NeWcS

WoW. NOw I feel like a real dork. Looks like Ill be buying another tank soon. Im already attached to these guys so returning them would be like giving away one of my kids I didn't take into account their 'adult size'. As it stands now I have a bout 8in of fish in the tank. The lady at the pet store told me that that is a good rule of thumb but you really can put more than that, it just means a lot more up keep.

Thanks everyone.

-Jay

jdhef

Have you been watching Pirates of the Caribbean again?

jdhef

Don't feel bad Jay. When I last kept fish (about 25 years ago) I was told that you could put 1 fish per gallon. So when I bought my 36 gallon I thought that I could put 36 fish in there. Lucky for me I found Fishlore before stocking. Unlucky for me I didn't find Fish Lore before buying a tank.

Alessa

Hahaa seriously


Also like jdhef already said; dont feel bad. I made the same kind of mistakes and I still have an overstocked 28 gallons... with basically no fishes (funny right? its just that in petsmart they dont tell you apple snails are 5 gallons of bioload EACH)

good thing you found us welcome to FL

sirdarksol

Almost everyone here is present for a similar reason. I had an overstocked tank that included a goldfish and a koi (huge waste-producers. The koi alone was too much bioload for the tank they were in).
What separates the good from the bad is the willingness to learn and rectify mistakes. It may take time to get everything sorted out, and your fish will be alright with that, as long as you keep up with the water changes to keep the water as clean as possible.

Fishies-for-me

Ya I once kept a Jack Dempsey for 10 yrs in a 20 gallon high tank. I had never had one before, but rescued him from the royal flush as a baby and he GREW. He was pretty healthy all his life until I moved and the water temp in his moving container rose to high and he got brain damage from it...he lasted another year but never recovered.

NeWcS

Just so im clear on the water change things: I get one of those tube vacuum things and use it to clean the rocks while at the same time sucking about 2gal of water out. Have another 2gal of treated water already to go and refill the tank with the new water?

-Jay

sirdarksol

Bingo.

Alessa

you can do that if it is to let cold water adjust to the room temperature by itself which is not necessary. what I do is just take out the water as you said, pour it in the sink/toilet/etc... then, add fresh water to the bucket (making sure it is about the same temperature as the one you took out) add dechlorinator (aka conditioner) and add it in the tank.

jdhef

Except that while cycling with fish you should be taking out 4 or 5 gallons. Afterwards, your Nitrates will be your guide. Nitrates shouldn't rise above 20ppm, so if you are only changing 2 gallons per water change, you could end up doing water changes every couple of days.

Steve113

I just use boiling water from my spare kettle to raise the temp in my replacement water to the same as my tank.

Top tip:
When you put the water back in, I find it easiest to syphon it back in to the tank using the vac as this does not disrupt your gravel and plants - and strong currents don't stress your fish. If you pour it in to the tank straight from the bucket it messes your tank up.

Devon

Welcome to FishLore, and the fish keeping hobby!!

You've come to the right place if you're new and have questions. Don't hesitate to start a thread if you need help with anything, people here are usually very fast to answer and always friendly.

Since you're cycling with fish you want to do 50-70% water changes daily until you're cycle is complete, depending on your stock. After that a weekly water change of 40-50% should suffice (provided you're not overstocked!!)

Sounds like you already need another tank... here comes the MTS, I think.