Need Experienced Persons Help!

BettaManiac

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Well, i bought my first ever fish tank today. It is a ten gallon and is now set up with everything it needs including a heater. I am leaving the tank for approximately 36 hours before going to buy fish(Ialso added chlorine neutralizer today). I plan on def getting a betta but was told i could put in glofish too as long as i had at least 6. Will it be ok to have the betta, 6 glow fish, and possibly EITHER 2 ghost shrimp OR 2 African dwarf frogs? Your help is very much appreciated. Will it be ok that i am planning on adding all the creatures to the tank during the same day, will they most likely survive?
 
Im not sure about glow fish or african frogs, but its best to leave the tank for about a week before adding fish.
 
Hi there and welcome to the forum. I would say that most people on here would advise you wait until your tank has fully matured before adding any fish at all. This is called the fishless cycle and there is a link in the beginners section. I would suggest that you give that a read first and it will give you more of an idea on the best practices. The hardest thing is to curb the excitement of having a new tank which you really just want to put fish in straight away.

Good luck.

Gav
 
I agree with Gav! Don't just leave the tank for 36 hours or a week, cycle it properly without fish in it for as long as it takes. Your fish will thank you for it when you finally get them :D
 
Thanks Jen...Can't believe how many tanks you have! Must take up so much of ur time. (Sorry to go off topic)

Gav
 
Being danios, and therefore very active, the Glofish won't really like being in a 10g. Besides which I can't imagine a betta appreciating them very much. Out of frogs or shrimp, shrimp are probably the better choice because the frogs can be quite tricky to feed, especially with fish in the tank too.
 
Just want to back up what has been said. The tank needs to cycle. This means it needs an ammonia source. (you will understand why if you read the cycling topics). The ammonia can either come from a bottle or from fish. The problem with using fish is that the ammonia they create is poisonous to them. So unless you want to be doing upwards of 2x 80% water changes daily for the next month (or lose the fish you put in) then a fishless cycle is definitely the way to go.

I also completely agree that glofish (because they are technically danios) are not the most suitable tank mates for a betta. And would be cramped in 10 gal. Plenty of other options open to you though.
 
Yes, agree with the members above. A 10g would make a nice display with a beautiful betta and some interesting shrimp hiding about. A nice hardscape (rocks) and lots of live plants would set the stage.

Its going to feel confusing at first that all our hobbyist advice is so completely different from what you heard at the shop but taking a look around at TFF.. at the pictures and things should help convince you this is the real thing! Hope we can help you with Fishless Cycling!

~~waterdrop~~
 
Ok, thanks for the help about the cycling! If the glofish arent a good choice do you have any suggestions to other ways in which i may stock the tank?
 
Corys are a popular choice to keep with bettas. Pygmy corys would be best in a small tank, and you could fit six in.

Is the tank 10 US gallons or 10 UK gallons? If it's UK gallons, you could fit some kuhli loaches in there, about five, but they like to burrow so your substrate needs to be soft, preferably sand.

As people have said, shrimp are a good idea. There are other combinations, but if you're new it's best to start out with combinations that have been a success for others. Bettas can be aggressive and some do not tolerate tankmates at all, so it's a good idea to have a back up plan, such as a separate tank to move fish to if they don't get on. It's also wise to add the betta to the tank last so that he won't perceive the tank as his territory and be aggressive to newcomers.

And cycling your tank beforehand is best! Especially for corys and shrimp, as these are species that do not do well in new set-ups, especially uncycled ones.

Have fun with your fish :)
 
Thanks Jen...Can't believe how many tanks you have! Must take up so much of ur time. (Sorry to go off topic)

Gav

I have one for every day of the week (plus 1) running at the moment but I love it :D I'm not happy unless my fingers are pruned :lol:

Lacuna's made a great suggestion there with pygmy cories! I have had these delightful fish (and still have them in a different tank now) and they are so active and make a delightful addition to any small tank. I had mine with chili rasboras and cherry shrimp in a 30L cube :D
 
Beginners' Resource Centre

Read that first. It tells you how to set up a new tank, how to cycle and why cycling is important.

Glo-fish would prefer to be in a 15-20 gallon tank. Some small alternatives are ember tetras, green neon tetras, micro rasboras or male endlers.
 
Thanks Jen...Can't believe how many tanks you have! Must take up so much of ur time. (Sorry to go off topic)

Gav

I have one for every day of the week (plus 1) running at the moment but I love it :D I'm not happy unless my fingers are pruned :lol:

Lacuna's made a great suggestion there with pygmy cories! I have had these delightful fish (and still have them in a different tank now) and they are so active and make a delightful addition to any small tank. I had mine with chili rasboras and cherry shrimp in a 30L cube :D
Jenny, do you have a favorite among the 3 types of pygmies? WD
 
I don't know about Jenny, she has a nice assortment of medium / small tanks and keeps some from the dark side (saltwater) too. I like the habrosus best of the pygmies that I own. The pygmaeus and hastatus are just too shy for my liking while the habrosus seem to always be out in the open playing, just like their larger cousins, the C trilineatus and the C paleatus.
 
I've kept C pygmaeus with the solid dark stripe down the side. I am not sure if that's a generic latin name but it looked nothing like C hastatus/habrosus. They were quite bold and enjoyed swimming in the open.
 

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