We just started a freshwater tank

[Anonymous]

My kids insisted we get freshwater fish, so I got an old 10 gallon acrylic tank out that used to be my Nanoreef and got some gravel from PetsFart and some sort of external filter with a paddle wheel and some plants and put a couple of black mollies in it.

What should I feed these things? Flake food? Or should I feed them what I feed marine fish?

I haven't had freshwater fish since about 1979. What changed?

Can I use my compact fluorescents? It was enough to keep a little clam alive, so intensity shouldn't be the problem, but the color temp might be too high for freshwater plants?

 

[Anonymous]

The wheel may liberate a lot of Co2 the plants will need.

Mollies do well in more alk/hard water - they are omnivores so feed them flake food and some blood worms or brine shrimp. Java Fern and Vallisneria are hardy plants that can tolerate the water and the Mollies picking at them and the algae that grows on them.

Lighting - Wattage?

 

[Anonymous]

I haven't had freshwater fish since about 1979. What changed?

kids

 

[Anonymous]

I just start the tank very heavily planted with a mix of fast growing plants (anacharis/vals) and slower growers (swords, crypts). Let is set a week the add a single platty. not add food the next week then add a female and start feeding a flake per day. 6 months later you have tank full of platys.

For lighting on smaller tanks I use the pigtail 5500-6500k flourescent in the round spot reflectors. To 1.5-2 watts/gallon. On my current 10g I have a 15w single tube. that tank has supported 20-30 fish for over 5 years.

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