Need help with the plan

[purple_drazi]

I originally bought a 12g tank with a divider for the two bettas but since Spike has been ill and in the 2g, Sparky has had the whole 12g to himself (lucky dog!).
That's an awfully big tank for one little mutt betta though so as much as I do love Sparky, I'd like to get some other fish in there to brighten things up.

Here's the plan.
I'm going to get a 5g, cycle it and set it up as a quarantine tank.
Meanwhile, I'm going to put some gravel and live plants in the 12g tank so that it will be able to handle more fish. Currently the 12g gets a 25% water change weekly and the ammonia & nitrates always test out at 0. It's been running since June with the two bettas, is it cycled enough or do I need to do something else?

Once the 5g is cycled I'll put Sparky in there for a month or two to stabilize it and then I plan to put Sparky back in the 12g and start slowly putting new fish through quarantine and into the 12g. I'd like to get a Amano Shrimp (one? two?) to help deal with algae, I'd also like to get some cardinal tetras, platies and/or swordtails (how many of each would be good for the 12g?) I'm just a beginner so I don't want to go too far too fast.

Does this sound reasonable?
Ideas anyone?

 

[Tempestuousfury]

You shouldn't have any algae if your tank has stabilized, so you shouldn't need the shrimp except as ornaments. Also, you should keep specialized foods for shrimp and bottom feeders becasue they can't survive on scraps.

Swordtails get pretty big, so I wouldn't add them to the tank. Three platies and a few cories should work out for you.

As for the plants, java ferns are expensive, but they reproduce well and they can survive in conditions that other fish wouldn't survive ion. If you're new to plants, then I'd suggest getting those.