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Setting up a 10 Gallon Hex?

3K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  chinachilla 
#1 ·
As is... Readily apparent by my complete lack of posts, I am fairly new to planted tanks. I had a standard ten gallon a few years ago (Two 15 watt incandescent lights and playing by ear) , and fiddling around, I managed to keep anubias, anacharis, and java moss alive.

Well, I was just lucky enough to snag what I assume is a ten gallon hex tank from a friend. It's 18" tall (Not including hood), and each side of the hex is about 7". All of the "accessories" came included.
-"All-Glass Aquarium" 12" Fluorescent Aquarium Hood Reflector (120 volt, 20 watt, 60 hz)
-"All-Glass Aquarium" 8 watt bulb (no other info on it)
-Marineland Filter (Has biowheel. Old biowheel measured 2". I have no idea what model this is.)
-"Stealth" Heater 120 volt, 60 hz (This is all it says)

The tank is apparently about four years old, but everything appears to be working through my test run tonight. (I know, I'll have to get a new bulb, a new biowheel, and new filters at least.)

Because this is my first time having a tank with fluorescent lighting, I was REALLY excited at the idea of doing plants "Right". But... The biggest this thing can fit is the 12" fixture it comes with. The highest wattage I can find is an 8 watt, and skimming around online suggested around 2-3 watts per gallon... Not gunna be possible with what I have available, apparently.

I had gotten all excited with the idea of a moss wall (I've assembled them with friends, but never grown them myself), as well as anubias on driftwood again, and, if possible, I was REALLY hoping to get a carpet of ground cover of some sort. I know its not a big tank, but its got to hold a single betta (maybe shrimp and snails, if I trust my betta and have enough hiding spots), so I think that'll be okay...

But is that just delusions of grandeur? I really don't want to have additional hoods or lights focused on the tank.

And really, setting up with only petsmart advice, I am not comfortable at all. I don't know how to do substrate ("decorative gravel is fine!" I was told), and I don't know about co2 or fertilization ("Your fish will provide all those!" also from petsmart). So really... I want to set up a tank that can support a moss wall and carpeting of some sort (I am not picky) without being too difficult for someone just starting out.

Really, I am just floundering right now, but this is really something I would like to do right the first time, so I don't have to take the tank down again and fix it after I've moved Mr. Grumpy Gills in.

Any advice is seriously appreciated.
 

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#3 ·
Thank you! I really lucked out to get it. All it took was a day of moving someone into their new house, and the tank is MINE. Muahahaha.

That being said, no matter what happens, I still gotta wait a while for pay day before I can actually do anything more than stare at a completely empty tank. I am so antsy! The first night after I got it, I stayed up until six am looking things up. I haven't been able to stay off the forums, so it makes it really frustrating to have no money right now.

I've found an easy way to keep busy while not going nuts though. I figured I might as well start doing mock-ups of how I want my aquascape to look once I DO get paid. These are really fun, and I am glad I am taking the time to do them. It'll help me think of more than just my original idea.
 

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#5 ·
I have two hexes. A five and a twenty-ish gallon. Both of mine are acrylic (Good insulation) and a heater is just a waste of space (And asking for it to fail 'on' someday and make fish soup). Things happen slowly in them, so be patient.

Slow? Why!? Because tall hexes have slow circulation. You may have to be careful to keep your water levels right so that the pump's outflow pushes all the way down across the bottom in a loop. Stagnant water down there won't make your plants happy. You also want the deepest intake pipe you can get. I use the extender on the tall twenty.

I suggest using at least one Compact Fluorescent. I have 13W bulbs in both of mine, and I was considering adding a second to my 20G - it hasn't proved necessary yet. You have enough light if the plants grow slowly. If they do not grow, you need more light. If algae also grows, there is an imbalance - often too much light. Get a cheap timer for your lights. Pick a color that looks nice. 4000-5000K is my favorite. The acrylic sides tend to funnel light downwards, which helps the light situation a bit.

I piled Osmocote (Plant fertilizer, slow-release) into my substrates. I grow water wisteria, some small-leafed thing, and hydrilla. The hydrilla is dying back due to decreased winter temperatures, and will probably spring back in Spring. You want tall plants, and tall features. Otherwise your fish will stick to the bottom third of the tank like glue. Good luck!
 
#6 ·
Sorry for the late reply, but I wanted to go out and follow your instructions first!

Unfortunately, my tank is glass. I'm not real keen on getting a new one. Because my heater was a stealth, it DID already come with the on failure. My tank kept hitting 90+ degrees, even when I had it set as low as I could. I am SO glad I tested it before putting any fish in there. The heater is gone. My water seems to be staying around 78 degrees naturally.

I originally took the extender that my filter came with out, because it seemed REALLY low with only like two inches above the substrate, but its been put back in place. Thank you for that advice! I had no idea that was a common issue.

Also I went ahead and got a 13 watt compact fluorescent, and I have it over the tank. I like the color this puts out way more than the other lamp I had, so so far, so good!

At this point, I have my basics set up. I just need to actually save up for PLANTS now.
 
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