10 gal. Stocking?

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Hey guys!! I have a couple of lists of some fish I would love to put in a 10 gal. Tank I will get very soon!!

Filter...

Aquen Internal power filter (have any of you guys used/seen one, and is it good?)

Or.......

Sponge filter. I know these are a must for baby fish and shrimp, but I do not plan to gte any shrimp (so pricey!! Lol!! >_<)

Which one I should better, and which one should I get?




I would like to cycle the tank with zebra danios (they are very hardy fish and are sutible for starting a tank)

If I can’t use ZD’s, I will have to get Seachem Prime (fast start tank liquid)

Light....

Any suggestions?

I plan to make a DIY lid, so no resin to recommend one. :)


Stocking list......



Option 1.
_______________

1 male Betta Fish
5 Zebra Danios
2 Nerite snails
2-3 Cory cats

(This seems like to much fish, that is why I am asking. :))



Opinion 2

_______________

6 Zebra Danios
3 Nerite snails
4-5 Cory cats



Opinion 3

________________

1 male Betta Fish
6 Zebra Danios
2 Nerite snails.


Please tell me which of the following options is the best, and any other species you recommend.

Also, how do I tell if my betta is aggressive? He leave the ZN snail in his tank alone, and he won’t even flare at his reflection!! (He is a Super Delta Tale/Dumbo Ear Male Betta Fish if that helps ;)). Should I move him to the 10 gal. Once I get it? Or just keep it a non-betta community tank? Thanks you for all your time, and I hope to hear from you soon!! ;)
 
First, what are the water parameters--meaning the GH and pH--of your source water? A 10g is very small to fish so finding "nano" types will mean wild caught most of the time and parameters become even more important.

While waiting for that data, this tank is certainly too small for Zebra Danios as they are very active swimmers, needing more length, and they need a group of at least six as they are a shoaling species.

Cory catfish are also shoaling, and five is the minimum. This could work, as there are some small species. The "dwarf" species would be best here, in a group of 8-9 minimum as they need more. They also need sand. And parameters will be important as they will be wild caught.

Male bettas are not community fish so it is best alone if that is what you decide to have. The problem with a Betta is two-fold. The Betta itself may not appreciate other fish (or sometimes certain other fish) in its space. But there is also the reverse, that other small fish find the Betta's fins too tempting and even otherwise peaceful species will fin nip. Even if the fish don't physically carry this out, they "think" it and their chemical signals called pheromones and allomones are read by the other fish and the stress is present regardless.
 
I will have to get Seachem Prime (fast start tank liquid)

Just a note - Seachem Prime is a dechlorinator, it is not a 'fast start tank liquid'. Seachem's bottled bacteria is Stability.
 
Ok, so do you guys think I should keep my betta in the 2.5 gal. And make a “nano” tank out of the 10 gal.?


Why can’t I put Zebra Danios in the 10 gal.? I already have 1, and I want him to have some friends.


Are there anymore pretty but small fish I could put in there? Maybe Harlequin Rasboras?


Also, you guys didn’t answer the question about filters lights, etc.


Then what is a good “quick start” fluid?


Btw, Seachem Prime and I quote. “Removes Chlorine, And reduces the effect of amanno sources and nitrite and niatires.
 
Also, I have heard that you should have 1 “center piece fish” (what would be a nice one?) and then a bottom dweller (Cory cats, but after what you said @Byron , I am thinking not. So I would stick to something like snails. :)) and then a meddle to top schooling fish. :)

Any suggestions on these would be greatly appreciated. :)
 
Prime does not contain any bacteria, just a chemical soup to detoxify ammonia and nitrite (and nitrate) for around 24 hours. After that they become toxic again. When tap water contains ammonia, usually because of chloramine, it protects the fish until the already existing bacteria have time to remove it. It also helps during fish-in cycling, though water changes must also be done after 24 hours to remove the now un-detoxified ammonia and nitrite.

The usual recommendations for bottled bacteria are Dr Tim's One & Only or Tetra Safe Start. Though even these do not cycle the tank instantly, they just speed it up.


Small tanks do not need a centrepiece; it is difficult finding a single fish that is suitable for 10 gallons. Bettas are about the only non-shoaing fish suitable for 10 gallons but on their own, they are not community fish.

Harlequins need a tank with a footprint of 24 x 12 inches minimum http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/trigonostigma-heteromorpha/
Zebra danios need 36 x 12 inches minimum with some people saying they need a 4 ft tank. If you already have one and no other large tank to put it in, it would be kinder to rehome it.


Depending on the hardness of your water, suitable fish include a shoal (10+) of one of the species of Boraras http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/search/boraras for soft water; for hard water a group of male endlers.
Boraras would appreciate live plants and floating plants in particular.



It is difficult to recommend lights until we know what the lid is going to be. Perspex/plexigas? Some sort of rigid opaque plastic? Wood?
 
Plexiglass.

Filter? Sponge or internal? :)

I hear Harlequin Rasboras work well in a 10 gal. Tank, with some snails. Is this true?


I want a schooling fish.

Would Neon tetras work?
 
Are “Borasras” Fish schooling fish? And can they be kept with snails? And do they need a sponge filter? Thanks! ;)
 
What are the dimensions of the tank? Some are long and shallow, some are narrow and tall. The majority of shoaling fish such as harlequins and neons need a tank with a footprint of 12 x 24 inches. For a 10 gallon tank to have that footprint it must be only 8 inches tall, and I've never heard of a tank with those dimensions.

Boraras are shoaling fish rather than schooling (shoaling = fish which need to have the company of their own kind, schooling = fish that swim together as a tight group). There are very few schooling freshwater fish, most schooling fish are marine. Boraras, like harlequins, do school when startled or stressed but they usually go their own ways when 'happy'.

With these tiny fish the more the better so they need a shoal of at least 10. They also need hiding places to feel secure so plenty of plants, either real or fake. And they appreciate something floating on the surface - floating plants are ideal for this.
But these fish tend to be wild caught so have less tolerance for hardness outside their normal range. Some species are OK in hardness up to 10 dH (179 ppm) while others need the hardness below 5 dH (90 ppm). Check the individual species before buying.

If your water is harder than 10 dH, look at endlers.


All the fish mentioned are fine with snails. Did you have any snail species in mind?



In a small tank I would go with an air powered sponge filter. Internals can create to strong a water flow, though some have adjustable flow strength which would be OK. The non-adjustable internal that came with my betta's tank was so powerful it would have kept him plastered to the opposite side.


There are LED lights on a single stalk which clip on the side of the tank and are fine for use with a plexiglass lid. That's what I have on my betta's tank. But it is not very good for growing live plants. Other options are the bar style where the ends of the bar sit on the tank sides, either with LEDs or fluorescent tubes. I don't know if this style is available to fit a 10 gallon, you would need to research.
 
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I concur with all that essjay posted, so there is no need for me to repeat but just pick up on a couple of issues.

Filter...before deciding on a filter you need to decide on what fish are being kept in this tank. Fish are affected by water currents, and these are primarily due to the filter, so the filter needs to be suited to the needs of the fish. Here with a 10g tank you are going to have small fish, "nano" type primarily, and most of these do not appreciate strong currents, so a single sponge filter is about as ideal as it can get.

Water parameters...you really must pin these down as we are unable to give reliable advice on fish species without knowing what they are going to have to live in--or not if the parameters are substantially different. GH (general or total hardness) is the most crucial, then pH. Temperature is also a parameter but in most cases you can control this via the heater unless you are in a very warm climate.

Why can’t I put Zebra Danios in the 10 gal.? I already have 1, and I want him to have some friends.

This tank is way too small for this species; please return the lone Zebra Danio. I already explained why.

Ok, so do you guys think I should keep my betta in the 2.5 gal. And make a “nano” tank out of the 10 gal.?

Yes. Unless you want to move the Betta into the 10g but on his own.

Also, I have heard that you should have 1 “center piece fish” (what would be a nice one?) and then a bottom dweller (Cory cats, but after what you said @Byron , I am thinking not. So I would stick to something like snails. :)) and then a meddle to top schooling fish. :)

There is no need for centrepiece fish, and in small tanks these are usually impossible or have serious implications for the tank and other fish. Any tank less than a 20g should be stocked with small fish; groups of one, two or three species of nano fish will make a much more interesting display to enjoy, and the fish will have what they need and expect so they will be healthier. I have had several tanks some as large as over 100 gallons in my fish room for years, and never had "centrepiece" fish in any of them. They were natural aquascapes of very healthy fish, given their longevity and regular spawnings.

One of the dwarf cory species would work here, but we need the GH and pH before suggesting them without reservation.

It is also not going to be easy to find fish for each level, as most of the suitably-sized fish tend to move around over most of the tank, but that achieves the same end anyway so it is fine.
 
Thanks you both for or all of your help!! ;)

Stocking list...

(Before I get into this @essjay , I want to get Nerite snails.:))

5-6 Borasras fish
3 Nerite snails
Maybe 1 shrimp?


4-5 Harlequin Rasboras
3 Nerite snails
1 shrimp.

I found a light I like.

Sponge filter makes sense, but it looks so ugly!! I know I can hid sit by plants, but it makes all the bubbles!?!? :/

I am getting an Aquen 10 gal. Tank

I don’t know the demensions. :)
 
5-6 Borasras fish

The species in Boraras need more in the group, and in a 10g I would have 10-12 minimum. I had a group of 11 in my 10g for several years, along with 9 pygmy cories. Boraras will be wild caught, so again we must know the GH and pH of your source water or these may not make it.

4-5 Harlequin Rasboras

This fish needs a larger tank, at least as 20g. And more in the group regardless. I would not have fewer than seven of this species, but they are five times larger than the Boraras which is why they are not suited.


Sponge filter makes sense, but it looks so ugly!! I know I can hid sit by plants, but it makes all the bubbles!?!? :/

You will see any filter inside a 10g, so the aim is to hide it. Plants are one option, but a better one is a chunk of wood representing a standing tree trunk. This is permanent; plants may or may not work because of the lighting, especially in a dark corner of the tank. I don't even see the filter in my tanks that have sponge filters.
 
But don’t sponge filters really bubble?

So you said you has 9 Pygmy Corys in a 10 gal.!! I thought you said these where way to small!

How about guppies? Would they work in a 10 gal?
 

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