BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish 10 gal tank or small bowl? need help with setup

I know you asked Stampingchick but I do have a good suggestion for this that may help. An easy way to get rid of waste in the tank is to do a gravel sweep. You can buy one at a pet store or make your own, all it consists of is a tube of some kind used to create a vacume and expell water. How it works:

Remove your fish and snail temporarily from the tank this process can really stress them out!

Put one end of the tube in the water, slowly lower the other end of the tube beneath the waters surface so that no air is in the tube, plug one end with your funger and place it in a bucket or container of some kind. Water from the tank will start flowing into the bucket. Then move the other end around plants, through the gravel, you will notice that the waste is being vacumed up the tube and out into the bucket. When you are done, simply replace the taken water with fresh distilled and treated water. Allow your filter to run for a few mins before putting your fish back into the tank. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I do this about every other month in my 20 gallon tank, but I also only have 2 fish in my tank right now. You will want to do this more often depending on how fast waste builds up.

Hope this helps.

Fantails and Betas

Thanks for the ideas! I havent cleaned the tank with a turkey baster yet! Thats a really good idea.

Oh, and I do have a vacume type deal to clean the gravel with already, but I don't want to have to put more stress on my fish then they already have.

Awesome, I'll get right on that. <img src="/images/graemlins/fish.gif" alt="" />

The gravel vac will really help. By changing all of your water, you risk disrupting the cycle of the tank. Smaller changes are better for that. Anywhere between 10 and 20% should be good. Also, your tank is WAY over stocked. That is probably why the waste builds up so quickly. A good rule of thumb for beginners is about an inch of slim bodied fish per gallon. And snails, depending on the species, need 5 to 10 (or more!) gallons, per snail.


So, the calculations to get your minimum tank are:

cories, (not slim bodied, so allow extra...we'll say two gallons per inch). Most species of cories get about 3".

so for each cory, allow 6 gallons, you have 3, so 18 gallons.

female betta, 2.5 to 3 gallons, (subtotal, 18+3=21 gallons)

guppies, 2.5" each, times 4= 10 (subtotal, 21+10 = 31 gallons)

plus the snail (31+5=36)

So according to that rule, your minimum tank should be 36 gallons. Not sure you really need that much, but you definately have WAY too much in there. Some say a well-stocked tank may look empty. It is better for the fish for many reasons to not be over crowded. I suggest getting a 2nd 10 and putting the cories, and snail in it. They are more peaceful and relaxed than the others.
Hope this helps

amber