[sprmankalel]

My friend gave me a 10 gallon tank. :lol: Only this is that I have no other equipment.

I had a filter but as I was cleaning it I noticed that the intake wasn't staying in place. There is a piece missing from the body.
I have no heater and no hood.

This tank is eventually going to house my betta. Now I have to but everything to go with the tank. It's going to be a while.

 

[Flint]

If a betta will be your only inhabitant, a hood/filter can be purchased as you can afford it. A heater may not be necessary right away, either, depending on where you live/what you keep your house at. My tank is at 82 with my heater unplugged right now. Just food for thought!
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[sprmankalel]

I was thinking of other stuff in there. A hood is necessary because I am putting it in the space under my 50 gallon. I have 2 cats. I don't want them to go fishing.
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[Flint]

Egg crate light diffuser is cheap and will keep the cats out. ;-)
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[ShukiAi]

Nice friend!
Petsmart has a pretty cheap full hood: Aqueon® Incandescent Full Economy Aquarium Hood | Hoods & Glass Canopies | PetSmart

Or you could do a glass top ($11) and light ($13): Aqueon® Hinged Aquarium Glass Top | Hoods & Glass Canopies | PetSmart & Aqueon® Aquarium Tube Fluorescent Strip Light | Hoods & Glass Canopies | PetSmart

Not too bad for around $25 ^__^ Have fun building your new tank!

 

[sprmankalel]

I need to go with florescent because I want plants in it. I know I got the tank for free but what I am going to spend setting it up I probably could have gotten one of those starter kits.

I usually use AquaClear filters. I love them. Is this too much flow for a beta? Can anyone recommend a good lower flow filter?

 

[ShukiAi]

I usually use AquaClear filters. I love them. Is this too much flow for a beta? Can anyone recommend a good lower flow filter?

I use this trick for my filters: Step-By-Step Filter Baffle Works like a charm!

 

[jentralala]

You can use the incandescent hood and put spiral CFLs in it! (theses ones, specifically Shop SYLVANIA 2-Pack 23-Watt (100W) Spiral Medium Base Daylight CFL Bulbs at Lowes.com)

I'm hoping to pick up the $15 dollar hood/tank ten gallon kit while it's still on sale, and I've researched and found that's what a lot of people replace the incandescents with so they can grow plants

An AquaClear 20 would work great baffled (I have my AC 30 on my other ten gallon baffled with a sponge situated under the outflow to break up the flow for my least killifish).

 

[sprmankalel]

I will look into that.

 

[ShukiAi]

Like Jentralala said, you can get incandescent bulbs that will grow plants and there are compact florescent bulbs as well. I use the ZooMed Ultra Sun in my 5 gallon and my plants are doing great. :-D

 

[sprmankalel]

Woo Hoo!! My sister gave me a ten gallon tank that broke in my trunk on the way home but it had a hood. Specifically this one
http://www.petsmart.com/fish/lighti...d36-16541/cat-36-catid-300015?var_id=36-16541

It has the plastic to protect the bulbs. Can they still be used wight the spiral type bulbs? I am so excited.

 

[Flint]

No they won't fit. Wal-mart carries 6500k flourescents in the fish section for $5. That's what I have on my 10. Make sure you don't get the box labeled plant lights though. They're incandescents.
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[sprmankalel]

The fixture isn't a fluorescent tube it is 2 regular bulbs.
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[Flint]

Can you post a pic?
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[sprmankalel]

It's a little dirty. Has been sitting in my sister's basement for almost 2 years. Of course I will need to clean it up a little.

 

[Flint]

Same style hood I have. The bulbs I described in the fish section of Walmart will work.
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[sprmankalel]

Thanks. I'll check it out. I just hate going to Wal-Mart. I hate going into their store. Have
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[sprmankalel]

Flourite being delivered on Monday. All I need is a circular saw to cut some plywood then I can start setting up this 10 gallon tank. So far I have acquired the tank, the hood and filter for no charge. Plywood is also no charge. I am going to use 2-13 watt 6500k cfl bulbs. I have plenty of hornwort in my 55 to spare to this 10 gallon. This should provide cover for Nemo, my male crown tail betta who will be moving to the tank to start. I have an aqueon quiet flow filter that I will baffle with a plastic bottle. I put it on the 55 and saw that the output was pretty strong. I may even take some AquaClear sponge and cut it to go on the intake.