Well, my son brought a guppy home from school about a month ago. I felt bad because they sent her home in a little plastic cup with a small black snail and and a clipping of a live plant. It turns out, the guppy was pregnant and soon there were about 8 fry in the cup. I went to Petco and bought an Aqueon 10 gallon kit that game with the tank, a hood with two lamps, and a QuietFlow 10 filter, but by the time I got the tank setup, the fry had been eaten. The guy at Petco did not mention a cycle, but sent me home with Nutrafin and AquaSafe and explained how to use those chemicals. He explained that after 2 weeks I could look to add some more fish, so last weekend I added 4 female guppies and they all died on Thursday evening. I floated them for 20 minutes, and the Petco associate could not tell me anything I did wrong. I did find out that the 4 guppies I bought were all received the day I bought them and had only been in the Petco tank for about 5 minutes before I purchased them.

The tank currently has one decorative "castle" with holes for the fish to hide in and one Anubias(sp?) and 10 lbs of gravel. I am thinking of upgrading the filter to something like a Marineland penguin and would like to keep live plants. My wife doesn't want to put a lot of money into this, as we are currently staying with family until we get back on our feet, but I would like to make this something my family and I can enjoy together.

Our original guppy is still living, as is the snail, and they seem to be very active and happy. I do not want to overstock the tank, and I do not want to deal with breeding the guppies. I am thinking another 2-3 guppies so our original will have some friends, and maybe some neon tetras. They have always been my favorite to watch.

Also, I checked the chemistry and pH was 7.6, chlorine, nitrates, and ammonia were all at 0. I am open to any and all suggestions and can't wait to learn more about this hobby.

Oh yeah, sorry about the novel, but I am trying to be as detailed as possible.

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Taking it one step at a time!

First, welcome to the hobbyist world. It's great, addicting, and some what costly. As a beginner at age nine, I have enjoyed it, a house is not a home without that filter running ;)

I would try to gradually dive in to real plants, for now until you research more. They require special conditions, and lights, and tend to create some waste. Do you have a local aquarium?

Petsmart is a great store, but it's very commercial, they don't know much about their inventory. Sounds like your guppies died of shock, they aren't very hardy fish, in terms of stressors. They do adapt well, but it might have been too much for them in one day, or they were sick to begin with. Sometimes it's just bad luck.

Make sure you get female guppies, unless you want to breed them. They are the less attractive fish. I had watched a video on how to tell the difference but I cannot find it. Males have long tails, and females are grayish, and have fewer colors. More times than not they come already bred, they are breeding machines!

See if you might be interested in smaller Mollies, they are similar to guppies and come in a variety of colors. They also get along well with guppies, other larger fish tend to eat them. Neons would work too. Research the best breeds and you can have a great number of little fish. I have goldfish, and since they are large it limits the amount of space I can provide them, and how many fish I can have unless I had a major tank.

With a 10 gallon you can have a school of 3 fish here and there. Just do your homework, and enjoy. I am sure your guppy loves all that new space.

Do you have water test kits? or strips? I found out just now, strips aren't very reliable. The liquid testers are much better. But with guppies you won't have a bioload issue, for a while anyway. Do you have a heater? Guppies need heat, basics for tropical fish.

There are rave reviews for AquaClear filters, and Whisper has always been good to me. Even though you are excited, I would allow your tank to settle and create a good base before adding more fish. About two weeks or more. This way you know it's a stable environment to place new fish in. I am impatient, but it has proven the best way to get more fish.

Have fun, and be sure to let your son get into choosing the fish too, from the fish compatible with guppies. How to Find Compatible Tank Mates for Guppies: 7 steps - wikiHow Ignore the article's recommendation of Chinese AEs they are mean, aggressive fish that bite holes in other fish. Now the SAEs are perfect.

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2 Orandas: Paquito (7yrs) Painter (3yrs)
2 Comets: Dab (2yrs) Flash (2yrs)
2 Siamese Algae Eaters: Houdini (4 mnths) Waldo (4mnths)

welcome aboard, dude! i get detailed as hell too; it makes a difference. you should invest in some plant food and fertilizer if you want to keep plants. i just planted my tank for the first time and i did weeks of research, but am by no means an expert. i started with just fish till i got my act together.
that cycle is uber important. i cannot stress how necessary it is that you cycle your tank for no less than one week with chems. i made the mistake of trusting the fish guy and the chems he sold me, and lost almost all of my first fish. i would advise in getting a small bottom feeder for your tank too. i swear by cory cats but you need a group of them. three are happy, five are happier, and so on. they keep my substrate spotless.
also if you want plants avoid filters with biowheels. i read almost everywhere that they are not ideal for plants. also, get a filter for a 20 gal tank. keep up on your water changes, and try not to go crazy with the fish.
if you don't want to deal with breeding fish, then livebearers are not ideal. neon tetras are cool, i have 8 of them, but beware neon tetra disease. i lost 5 to it when i first got a batch months ago. if you want a colorful tetra, look for cardinal tetras. they have the red and blue coloration neons do, but i don't think they bget ntd,.

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fish tanks are art. they represent the imagination of their owner, and one's desire to create something beautiful that enriches its environment.

Oh and snails reproduce very quickly sometimes without a mate. So be aware, they might take over your tank. Do you know what type of snail it is? or have a picture?

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2 Orandas: Paquito (7yrs) Painter (3yrs)
2 Comets: Dab (2yrs) Flash (2yrs)
2 Siamese Algae Eaters: Houdini (4 mnths) Waldo (4mnths)

Wow thanks for the quick replies. I definitely agree with being patient. I was more worried about our original guppy being lonely and that is why I rushed to get the others. I'm thinking I will leave her by herself for another two weeks to let the tank stabilize and then go from there. I am not afraid of the work that will go into live plants and am currently researching lighting requirements and needs. Will I be ok with just the ten pounds of gravel, or should I add sand or other medias?

I forgot to mention that before I added the 4 new guppies I used a siphon to clean the gravel and changed about 40% of the water and changed the filter cartridge. I'm thinking I should have left the original cartridge for at least a month.

As for the snail, the slip that my son's teacher sent home said it was a pond snail, but I cannot find a similar image on the internet. I would love to go with cities over the snail, but I do not want to let the snail die. Any suggestions for this?

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Taking it one step at a time!

A pond snail? hmm that presents issues and some solutions. Pond snails are very prolific, but if the snail gets too many for your tank you have the option of releasing it to an actual pond. Where do u live, state? Some states are more difficult than others for releasing species. Is it this gastropoda?

Snails and Slugs (Gastropoda)
If so it can be released in outside ponds, they already exist in most in the US. They also breed a lot.

*I alternate water changes, and media (filter pads not sponge) replacement. Others change more often. Generally I change the water once every week or two, you alternate the other week for media replacement. This way the beneficial bacteria in the filter and water does not all go out the window. This bacteria helps break down bio waste. It's good for tanks. So when you change the water, wait until the next week to change the filter cartridge. *Media being the filter pads, or carbon. Following the filter instructions for your filter. But not the bio media or sponge, this holds the bacteria that breaks down waste. Rinse that sponge in the tank water.

---Water changes are good, but don't go overboard. I have found the tank can establish a base, and my fish to have consistent levels. Unless you have issues with ammonia/nitrites water changes are every 1, 2 or 3 weeks, depending on the amount of fish and bioload. You decide how many you need.

You have these items?
water test kits (ph, ammonia, nh)
slime coat
meds for emergency issues (ie fungus cure, ick cure, maracyn)
ammonia detoxifier
bacteria starter

You want the tank to be settled enough for new fish, so unless a problem arises wait to do a water change until your tank settles. Since u only have the snail and guppie chances are your bioload (unless you feed them too much) is low.

I am not sure what is needed for live plants to grow. I would say sand, but research that. Your guppy won't be lonely, most of the time they are sold solitary to people. Once you get the tank settled you can get her friends. Freshwater Aquarium Plant Care; Substrate, Ferts, CO2, and Lighting.

10 pnds of gravel sounds about right. Enjoy, and hope to see pics of your new school when you get them.

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2 Orandas: Paquito (7yrs) Painter (3yrs)
2 Comets: Dab (2yrs) Flash (2yrs)
2 Siamese Algae Eaters: Houdini (4 mnths) Waldo (4mnths)

dont change the filter media!!!!!!!!!! wash the sponges in old tank water every month but dont go changing it all the time! you wont find much bacteria in the water, its in the gravel and the filter. also id change to sand, fish seem to display there natural behaviour more. cardinal tetras are so cool, id def look into them. but id get a bristle nose pleco, they wont grow massive but there fun to watch. they will need algea wafers tho.

if your water prams are all showing 0 then the tanks not cycled. id get 2 more guppies to help start it going. one more think remember to never add water to the tank if its not been treated with de chlorinator.

also if you need any more advice PM me.

Getting through the cycle may require more unscheduled water changes to keep ammonia and nitrite levels low enough to not harm your fish. Testing should be done daily for ammonia after 3-4 days of the tank having fish and then test for nitrites about 7-10 days after that, daily also. Leave the filter alone for this phase of your tank. Changing anything in your filter during the cycle can slow your progress and create spikes in ammonia. A cycle with fish can take 3-8wks. Are you testing with strips? If so, I wouldn't use them as they have been known to be very inaccurate and not exactly finite enough in their results to tell you what you should do during a cycle. If you haven't already, read up on an aquarium nitrogen cycle. It will tell you what to expect. During the cycle if ammonia gets above 1ppm, do a water change. If it is 3ppm or higher do at least 50%. Same for nitrite.

Beyond completion of the cycle it will be important to maintain water quality. The smaller the tank, the more this will be crucial. Water changes every 2-3 weeks is just a poor practice and really should be a weekly occurrence. With low stocking you could probably get away with 25-30%, but if your stocking is higher 50% would be a better figure. The great thing with a 10g tank is this will take no time at all to do this. Filter maintenance is important and like is mentioned above I would not change the media. Rinse the media in used tank water during a water change or in fresh treated water. Never rinse in regular tap water as this will kill your beneficial bacteria.

jrman83, i was going to come back and say what you said as i didnt have time before!

chris, water changes really do take no time at all, and remember to hoover your gravel

You might want to take a look at the link in my signatures.


best of luck and i'm glad the guppy and snail are still there.

my .02

Well everyone has pretty much put the info you need out there already...as far as your anubias plant make sure that you left the rhizome above the gravel or attached it to a piece of wood or rock. ( if planted under the substrate the roots can rot). As far as a bottom feeder I would go more with some shrimp they are great bottom cleaners and also help out a little with algae. They also don't seem to carry a large bio load (I may be wrong about the bio load though as the little guys are constantly pooping ..LOL!!!) Problem is with a 10 gallon you don't have too many options because it can be overstocked very fast. I also recommend changing the substrate or mixing in some sand ...the gravel is not the best for growing plants....you probably should get some fast growing plants as well to help fight off algae.....Hornswort grows real well in my tank but you probably want to ask some of the more plant knowledgeable folks about that as this is my first planted tank too.

Not if you want your fish to be healthy to any degree.

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75g Blackwater Oscar tank, 55g rescued Koi tank, 55g Native tank, 55g Community tank, 29g Community tank, 25g Bolivian Ram tank, 20H GBR tank, 20L Black Convict, 20L in progress, 10g Fry tank, 10g Dragonscale betta tank, 3g Crowntail betta tank.

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Water needs to be changed weekly, but just rinse out media in old tank water or a bucket of clean dechlorinated water. Don't need to replace till it falls apart, And don't change all at once.

You can't go overboard on water changes, there is very little beneficial bacteria in the water to do much good. Good clean water is more healthier for the fish. I change out 60 to 90% water on my tanks each week with no ill effects. Telling a person to change out water every 2 to 3 weeks isn't good to tell someone new. Even tanks with very little bioload benefits from water changes each week. Minerals in water need to be replenished on a weekly basis.

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SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build + 62 other tanks.
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

Excuse me. I have learned that too many water changes and not being experienced can back fire. How can you not change your media? If we are talking about the same thing, it's the carbon, and depending on the filter the filter pouches, or filter pad. Not the sponge or bio media. Bio media can be rinsed in tank water. I assumed he was talking about filter pads.

For one guppy, and a snail it didn't seem like too few water changes every two weeks, but I guess I just don't know as much as the rest of you. I have had great success with allowing time between water changes. Especially with new tanks that have no base. If the water gets changed too much the tank has to start cycling again, like with replacing all the filter media, as you pointed out.

__________________
2 Orandas: Paquito (7yrs) Painter (3yrs)
2 Comets: Dab (2yrs) Flash (2yrs)
2 Siamese Algae Eaters: Houdini (4 mnths) Waldo (4mnths)

No changing the water doesn't make a tank cycle again unless your adding pure ammonia to cycle then it will have to start again, but cycling with fish you need to do water changes at a minimum of every couple of days to keep from harming the fish.

There isn't enough beneficial bacteria in water to make that much diffence to the cycle. Your bacteria resides in filter, deco, substrate and walls of the tank.

Anything in the filter is considered media, carbon is not needed to run a tank, Its best used for removing meds or smells if there is something wrong in the tank. If possible remove carbon from filter and toss it. Its only good for a couple of weeks anyway. Most filters today have combonation of media in one pad, inner being carbon while the outside is basically floss, if you remove the carbon from inside the pouch it will still work fine.

__________________
SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build + 62 other tanks.
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

I don't see how that is possible. The pad gets clogged with gunk, and they make them now that they cannot even be rinsed out. Esp with this new filter. I used to just rinse it out, but I have tried with this filter and it's just holds the food/waste in and locks it. What kind of filter cannot be changed? And how come so many out there tell you to do so?

__________________
2 Orandas: Paquito (7yrs) Painter (3yrs)
2 Comets: Dab (2yrs) Flash (2yrs)
2 Siamese Algae Eaters: Houdini (4 mnths) Waldo (4mnths)

What susan said.....don't listen to the goldfish lady!
Chuck the carbon n replace with eheim bio media, its the best out there I've got a new filter with 2 cages filled with carbon, I'm going to empty one n fill with bio media wait a bit then change the other.

None are made that they can't be changed, but all manufactures will tell you change them out in order for you to buy more and make them more money. If I had a filter pad that I couldn't clean I would change it out to a sponge cut to size it needed and use that. I have sponges and pads that are more than 3 years old.

Keep buying your pads, your only loosing money and making them a profit. What kind of filter are you using anyway? I have never seen one that couldn't be rinsed out or replaced with something that can be.

__________________
SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build + 62 other tanks.
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

And here's *why* you've received some of the good advice so far.
When folks mention 'the cycle':

A fully 'cycled' aquarium takes care of itself somewhat.

In a fully cycled (or 'established') aquarium:

1. The fish create waste (potty), and ammonia is contained in the waste. It dilutes into the water they live and breathe in. Ammonia is increasingly poisonous to fish, and would potentially reach lethal levels over time...except:
2. In the established tank there is a thriving colony of a certain type of bacteria. They eat/process ammonia and turn it into niTRITEs. (you'll see this capitalized like this to distinguish it from a very similar word)(and I don't capitalize the same letters most people do) niTRITEs are also poisonous to fish, and would build up to lethal levels over time....except:
3. In the established tank there is a second thriving colony of a different type of bacteria. These eat what the first bacteria put out, niTRITEs, and turn them into niTRATEs, which are much more desirable for fish but something we still want to regulate in the water.
4. The niTRATE levels increase slowly in the water, so we remove some of them with a portion of the water, putting water with ideally zero ammonia, nitrites, or nitrates in it back in. This is the partial water change (PWC)

NOTE: my understanding is that the bacteria live on many surfaces in the tank, but that the vast majority live in the filter.

In a new, uncycled aquarium:

1. When you build the aquarium, you have de-chlorinated (hopefully) tap water with one or more new fish in it.
2. The fish create waste (potty), and ammonia is contained in the waste and dilutes into the water. Though the fish will have introduced some of the 'first stage' bacteria into the tank, it is not yet colonized and thriving. Therefore, there is much more supply (ammonia) than demand (bacteria). The ammonia 'leftovers' build up in the tank, which is why the test kit used on a new tank will show an increasing measurement of ammonia and zero niTRITEs, zero niTRATEs. (the minimal niTRITE by-product being produced will likely not be measurable yet)
3. With the abundance of ammonia in the water, the 'first stage' bacteria will begin to multiply and flourish. They will consume more and more of the ammonia that the fish(s), called the bio-load, can produce. The new aquarium owner's duty is to continually monitor the process (by testing the water), and if the ammonia levels increase to a point dangerous to the fish before these bacteria can multiply, a mid-cycle partial water change may be necessary to bring the levels back down some.
4. Eventually the 'first stage' bacteria will reach a population which makes a measurable impact on the amount of ammonia in the water. As they do, their niTRITE by-product should become measurable in the water. Simply: testing will show the ammonia decreasing, niTRITEs measurable and increasing.
5. This abundance of niTRITEs creates the same environment for the 'second stage' bacteria that the ammonia did for the 'first stage' bacteria, which is to say they begin to thrive and multiply. Ammonia continues to decrease towards zero, niTRITEs continue to increase and should be monitored closely.
6. At some point soon after this (assuming no livestock additions to the tank and the tank was not overstocked to begin with): the tank ecology reaches a balance where:
   • The 'first stage' bacteria has grown to a population which can process ALL of the ammonia being currently produced by livestock in the tank.
   • The 'second-stage' bacteria has increased to a population which can process ALL of the niTRITEs being produced by the first-stage bacteria in the tank.
   • The number of fish in the tank is such that for the size of the tank the niTRATEs do not build up too quickly. In a cycled aquarium this is the desired continual state.

An understanding of this should explain:
* Why the common experience with new fish owners is that the fish die:

They win a goldfish at the state fair, go buy a GF bowl and stick them in it.

Result: without water changes the fish die of slow ammonia poisoning.

* Why starting a tank with all of your fish is a bad idea:

The bacteria can colonize only so quickly. Providing loads and loads of ammonia will not stimulate the cycle any faster, it will only greatly increase the toxicity of the water at a much faster rate. Fish will die.

Result: the fish riding through the cycle will die or at best become very unhealthy, which is not conducive to developing a stable balance.

* Why care must be taken when cleaning filter media:

If cleaned in tap water, the chlorine in the tap water does exactly what it is supposed to do: kill bacteria. The same level of ammonia is produced, but now the processing population of bacteria has been greatly reduced. It will repopulate, but not instantly.

Result: a mini-cycle. An over-saturation of ammonia may occur before they can.

* Care must be taken when using medications in the tank:

Some medications may kill the bacteria you need along with the organisms you are attempting to control.

Result: same as above

* Why care must be taken when adding livestock:

The first and second stage bacteria are at a population which can process the current amount of ammonia being produced. Introducing new livestock introduces new ammonia creators. The same level of bacteria exist, but the amount of ammonia being produced has increased. The bacteria population must, and will increase, but not instantly.

Result: a mini-cycle. An over-saturation of ammonia may occur before they can.

TERMS
'First-stage bacteria': nitroBACTER = Ammonia to niTRITEs
'Second-stage bacteria': nitroSOMONAS = niTRITEs to niTRATEs
'Third-stage bacteria': You! = lowering niTRATE level with water changes.

Ammonia: NH3
Ammonium: NH4
Nitrite: NO2
Nitrate: NO3

As always, corrections welcome.