Fanatic's 10 Rebuild

Everyone knows that I own a ten-gallon and if you didn’t know that before now, well now you will. I purchased my very first fish tank in 2016, and I had no clue on how to take care of it. Now, if you are wondering, why my profile says I have more than ten years of experience? I have been keeping fish for eleven years, but they never got their own actual tank, mostly bettas in bowls.

Today, we’re here to speak about my ten-gallon tank, as it’s gone through a rough road. With my oldest betta dying, losing another to dropsy, and getting busy with my community tank, it has not been in greatest of shape.

Here are my supplies that I currently have obtained for the setup.

10 gallon
Aqueon QF 10
Lava Rock Media
Floss
Hydor 25w
Black sand, mixed with tan gravel
Silk Plants
Large Stones
Lava Rock
Decorations

I will start by rinsing out my empty ten-gallon and place it on the spot I decided upon. I will add the water first because that is easiest for me, but I won't fill it completely to the top. I then rinse out my substrate and pour it into the tank, and shape it smooth.

I'll then install my filtration, and the heater on the side of the tank, this is better as it creates more agitation on the surface. I have to build the internal parts of the filter, because I have no current cycled media, due to it going dry.

The problem, I don't have any TSS so I cannot cycle right away, I will wait until I can pick up a bottle.

Pretty straightforward, similar to my last build on this same tank.
Fanatic (pg: 4)

 

Look forward to it! Your tanks are always a treat

 

Look forward to it! Your tanks are always a treat

Thanks! I really like to be appreciated

 

So I started to build the tank, mostly just the filtration. I really wanted to get that stabilized.

Here’s the current tank.


Here’s what my filter looks like.


It’s composed of an inch of crushed lava rock for media, and layered with filter floss, and barricaded by some plastic craft mesh.

I’ll run out in a few days to get some TSS, and pool filter sand for the substrate, I have everything else.

 

We’ve began the cycle, now the wait.


I bagged up the lava rock media, and then I dosed a full tank dosage of Prime, and let that mix in for a minute or so, and then added my TSS+ which was about half the bottle.

Then I dosed a minimum dosage of ammonia, and allowed that to mix in before testing to see how much appeared. If it’s gone by tomorrow, I’ll step up the dosage, and see how it goes!

 

Cycling Log:

Day 1
Dosed 2 Drops Ammonia
.25ppm (6:00PM) - 0ppm (9:00AM)
Nitrates 0ppm

Day 2
Dosed 5 Drops Ammonia
1ppm (9:00AM) - .25ppm (12:00PM)
Nitrates 10ppm