Best Stocking For A 5 Year Old Boy......

[Ch4rlie]

Hello
 
I have a friend who is setting up this tank for his 5 year old son....
 
Tanks is 54 litres /14 US Gals
Small Internal Filter & heater
 

 
I do not know this particular brand so cannot comment really on what the tank, heater and filter are like.
Seem this set up is of Polish origins but brand new and bought from well known garden centre.
Should be ok.
 
I am going to help by adding some media from my own filter, maybe a few trimming of my plants if they want live plants and a few handfuls of gravel as well to give their tank a kick start in fishless cycling the tank.
 
Anyway, as mentioned already, this tank is for a 5 year old boy.
 
What, in your opinions, would be good for a 5 year old to look after?
Obviously gotta be colourful and active to keep a 5 year old entertained.
 
Am thinking along the lines of one of the following......
 

• 6 Male Guppys
• 14 Endlers
• 1 Betta Splenden, 6 Neons
• 10 Neon Tetras

Plus possibly some snails too.
 
Not sure if RCS or Ghost shrimps be ok for a very young newbie (with his dad who also is also new to fish keeping)
 
Can be a combination of the above in adjusted numbers.
 
What do you think?
Any other ideas, rasboras? killifish?
 
I do not know at the moment what his tap water is in terms of gH and kH, I will do these tests tomorrow using my API Liquid Test kit.
 
Tips and ideas would be great, the more info I can give them, the better......

 

[Shelster]

Hmm, I think you may well have overstocked the tank already

Plus bettas and guppies tend to not mix as guppies too colourful and bettas tend to attack.

Bit small for neons too, they like to zip around in a lot of space. Unless you go for 6-8 neon tetras and leave it there.

OR neon green rasboras (10 - 15?) with some cherry shrimp for a splash of different colour?

Then a lovely elephant nose snail, they are really interesting and only give birth to one at a time I believe

 

[Ch4rlie]

Hmm, I think you may well have overstocked the tank already

 
Have not stocked the tank yet, am asking for opinions and stocking suggestions first before doing anything.
 
So, at the moment, tank is completely empty, not even any water in it yet! 
 
Therefore tank has not started cycle yet, will start doing a fishless cycle from tomorrow when I help out doing the set up.
 
 
 

Plus bettas and guppies tend to not mix as guppies too colourful and bettas tend to attack.

 
Yeah, aware of that, thats why I have not mixed Betta and Guppies on my suggested list of optional stocking.
 
So far just said a Betta and 6 neons as heard might be ok.
 
Just 6 neons might be a bit too boring for a 5 year old boy if you know what I mean.
 
Green Rasboras, hmm, and an elephant snail, will look these up. Good suggestions, may just add them to a an amended list.
 
Thanks Shelster

 

[ncguppy830]

Oh so may i suggest

Ok:
7 Celestial pearl danios?
Or:
A Gourami(honey or dwarf could defiantly work) and 7 schooling fish,(Harlequins,Chilli rasboras Etc) 
Oh this is for a 5 year old, well i dont know if spongebob can fit in this tank

 

[Shelster]

Ha ha yeah sorry, I meant hypothetically overstocked

CPDs as lovely as they are, are quite shy though

Ooh yes honeys would be nice I would steer clear of dwarfs in case it dies though.

 

[wrightt3]

if it's 2x1ft then I would go for a male betta and 6 neons. I have the same setup and it is very colourful and interesting to watch.

 

[Meeresstille]

The problem with planning a Betta with tank-mates is that you don't know if he is one of those Bettas laid back enough to not kill them or get stressed out by them. I do like the Betta idea though since there are so many different kinds to choose from, and using the space of the 10 gallon to make a really cool aqua-scape the little boy would like.

 

[Ch4rlie]

A quick update, tank is going through a fishless cycle 

 
Thought would post first pic of tank set up, of course he chose the cute submarine that has pride of place in middle of tank........
 

 
They are still undecided on tank stocking, they may go for guppies as pretty hardy and colourful and he might want shrimps and snails at some point later when tank more established after intro of fish.
 
Did ask if he wanted a Betta and some neons maybe, but he says maybe, as still may go for some shrimps.....
This is after he saw my RCS shrimps in my tank and he liked them.....