Whether or not you want warm or cold water, you need at least gravel if no other decorations. The gravel is home to a huge amount of beneficial bacteria. Your tank will be much more successful with it. You will also find that the fish will be more attractive and apt to swim around with at least some shelter, even if plants are plastic. for feeding, just feed twice a day, a little at a time until they stop eating. (up to 3 minutes)
I just started....
- Thread starter Don Gambino
- Start date
I dont pay the electric bills lol so I am not worried about using electricity.... I will think seriously about everyone's comments...
In a 10gal heated you could even keep a pair of Apisto cichlids. There easy to keep and have little demaned to keep.
if you keep your house warm heat should be no problem, i only have one tank that needs a heater it has discus in it and i like to keep them a little warmer than the rest. i keep the thermostat at 74 and my tanks (without heaters) stay between 74 and 76 just from the ambient temp in the room.
ten gallons should stay nice and warm without a heater as long as it is closer to a heater vent than a window.
ten gallons should stay nice and warm without a heater as long as it is closer to a heater vent than a window.
Thats what I was thinking about maybe I will put it on my dresser because it is right next to my heater vent. 
Unless your heater is always on it is best to keep the tank away from the vent, being near the vent means temperature fluctuations, a few feet of distance means a more stable tank.
What you can keep in an unheated tank depends on how warm the house is. I keep the thermostat set at 70 F so the room is a bit cool for most fish. A 30 watt heater, more than enough for a ten gallon, will cost under $10 and cost less to run than the average night light. To get any really nice cool water fish like johnny darters you are looking at spending a bit of money and many cool water fish are touchy and not easy to keep. I fink that the advise on starting with a minimal, bare tank is doing you a disservice by restricting your choices without adding any real benifits, In a tank that size all a barebottom tank will do is teach you bad habits.
What you can keep in an unheated tank depends on how warm the house is. I keep the thermostat set at 70 F so the room is a bit cool for most fish. A 30 watt heater, more than enough for a ten gallon, will cost under $10 and cost less to run than the average night light. To get any really nice cool water fish like johnny darters you are looking at spending a bit of money and many cool water fish are touchy and not easy to keep. I fink that the advise on starting with a minimal, bare tank is doing you a disservice by restricting your choices without adding any real benifits, In a tank that size all a barebottom tank will do is teach you bad habits.
i think if he wants a cw then he sound but just go with like a pearlscale goldfish (can be touchy) or a small oranda till he gets the urge to go monster and get a 55 or 100 gal.
right guys? :wink
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right guys? :wink
:thumbsup