Advice on Fish Setup?

Okay, well, I want to set up a freshwater fish tank. All I have right now is a 10 gallon acrylic aquarium. I plan on getting the Whisper In-Tank 10 filter, and I have a heater. I have a couple questions...
> Do I need an air pump? If so, what is recommended?
>Is there a preference between silk and plastic plants?
>How much gravel do I need on the bottom?
> What can I put around my heater to prevent my fish getting burned, that also looks attractive?
>Is an undergravel filter necessary?
>Is there anything else, equipment wise, that I need?

I really really want some Dwarf Gouramis. I plan on getting 2-3, along with a few swordtails. Do you think they would all do okay in the same tank? I would probably get the swordtails to start out with, and then add the Gouramis a few weeks later. Thanks for any advice you can give me. :)

> Do I need an air pump? If so, what is recommended?
I would say yes :) I liked the stone ones because it gives a nice "wall" of bubbles while putt air into the water. :)
>Is there a preference between silk and plastic plants?
None in my personal opinion, but maybe someone else has something to say :)
>How much gravel do I need on the bottom?
Maybe 1/2 inch; enough to cover the bottom.
> What can I put around my heater to prevent my fish getting burned, that also looks attractive? Rocks, tank decorations, etc. The only way fish will be burned is if its TOO hot. For most 0 - 80 degree tanks I've never really had a problem with fish being burned. But maybe towards the bottom but DO NOT cover it with gravel.
>Is an undergravel filter necessary?
NO and I don't recommend them, either. They just suck everything to the bottom and while in theory it sounds good, it makes your tank LOOK clean but everything is hidden by the gravel.
>Is there anything else, equipment wise, that I need?
Just a heater, depending on what type of fish you have, a filter (MUST have) and an air pump! :)

Also keep in mind that the rule of thumb as to the AMOUNT of fish you can have in any given tank is 1 inch of ADULT fish per gallon. So lets SAY a fish you choose right now is only 1/2 inch but as an adult it will be 1 1/2 inches. That doesn't mean you can buy 20 of them!! It means that you should NOT have any more than 6 of them together in a 10 gallon tank.

Hope this helps! :)

Hmm, that sounds good to me! Thanks so much. :) I'll have to look into the air pumps. I was just looking up some stuff..the swordtails can grow to be 4"! I'm going to have to rethink that idea. The gouramis can grow to be 2". Maybe I'll just go with the gouramis and maybe a rubber lipped pleco...I don't know, I'll have to see.

Oh, the other question I had was will the Whisper 10 be good enough? Or is it better to go with a more powerful filter? Like..if you have 10 gallons, go with a filter made for 20? I've heard that here and there..or maybe it was just for turtles...I don't know. :confused:

Well unless the fish put out a lot of waste (ie: goldfish put out a lot of ammonia etc) then you shouldn't need anything more powerful. For aquatic turtles its suggested you use a filter 2 - 3x powerful than the size of the tank because they put out more waste. But you should be fine with one for just a 10 gallon tank. If you WANTED to get one for a 20 gallon tank you could, it wouldn't HURT ;)

For a tank with only a few fish that don't emit much waste and no live plants you might want a less powerful filter. You don't want the fish being sucked into it.

Jessika answered your questions nicely! I just wanted to add some info about the plastic/silk plants.
Silk plants are good for fish that have fancy fins (bettas, angel fish etc...) as they are a lot softer & smoother than plastic plants & won't rip any fins like plastic plants can do. But if you just have smaller finned fish plastic is fine, it's cheaper too.

I wouldn't cover the heater, you shouldn't have the water above 70-78 so they should be safe. If your heater does heat up to the point where it burns your fish it is time for a new heater.

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Also keep in mind that the rule of thumb as to the AMOUNT of fish you can have in any given tank is 1 inch of ADULT fish per gallon.

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That is only with tetra-like fish (slim and long). That one inch per gallon rule should be thrown out of the window!

Jessica answered your othe questions perfectly, the only thing I would add is LIVE plants, they help your tank and fish out a lot.

Try to get a mated pair of dwarf gouramis, two males might have agression issues.

Oh, one more thing, a pleco is too big for a 10g tank.

What about a trio of cory cats?

Oh, I know a regular pleco is...but the rubber lipped I think only get to be 3 inches. Thanks for everyones help!

Plecos to get to be good sized but a baby should do fine in a small tank. BUT make sure you have a home lined up for him when he gets bigger. There is a great pet store near me that allows you to "trade" them in when they get too big for your tank.

Live plants are good, very good but you need to be experienced, they need more lighting than normal & you have to be careful on what additives you use for your water.