Stocking for 9 gal

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Ryan_F

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I have a 9 gal very heavily planted, and I am finally getting to stocking.. only took 6 months, anyway, I donā€™t want to overstock, but I was thinking about getting fish that max size is close or under an inch, obviously the Endlers, I like green neons but I canā€™t track them down, panda Coryā€™s, but Iā€™m not sure if a 9 gal is big enough for them, and if I had a trio of sparkling Gouramis would they be ok with endlers or would the endless end up being an expensive snack?
Also leave any other nano species down below, I appreciate it,
I do weekly 30-35% water change as well,
Cheers


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The first thing to ask is - what is the hardness of your water? For example, green neon tetras need soft water while endlers need hard water. You need to choose fish that need the same hardness as your tap water.

With a small volume of water, once there are fish in the tank I would increase the water changes to 50%+ per week.
 
The first thing to ask is - what is the hardness of your water? For example, green neon tetras need soft water while endlers need hard water. You need to choose fish that need the same hardness as your tap water.

With a small volume of water, once there are fish in the tank I would increase the water changes to 50%+ per week.
Agree with all of the above. There are plenty of nano species about so its just a case of deciding what will work in your water.
 
The first thing to ask is - what is the hardness of your water? For example, green neon tetras need soft water while endlers need hard water. You need to choose fish that need the same hardness as your tap water.

With a small volume of water, once there are fish in the tank I would increase the water changes to 50%+ per week.

Yeah 50% would be easy, from memory, the water was like smack bang in the middle, however Iā€™ll get it tested when I go to the pet shop next, Ive never kept livebearers so I canā€™t be sure, but my tropical community Iā€™ve never had problems with, so that makes me think itā€™s softer, Iā€™ll get back to you though


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I think you are going to have way too many fish for a nine gallon tank. If you want all of these, this is closer to what you would put in a 29-55 gallon tank. Each of these fish require a 10 gallon tank or larger, most require a 20-30 gallon tank. One of the reasons some of the small fish require a bigger tank is that they are fast busy swimmers or swim in schools and need as much open space as possible. So you can get some schooling fish then 3 Cory's and be done with it (that is a bit overstocking so be prepared for some frequent water changes).

The good news is that ALL the fish you have picked are very peaceful and should get along with each other fine. I get a little concerned about livebearers with fancy fins since I've had Danios (a peaceful fish) eat fins off of fancy fish and kill them, as well as kill each other by chasing a the weakest Danio to death. I since have developed a major hatred of the species. So much for peaceful Danio's. I personally am not a fan of livebearers unless you get all males. The females can hold multiple pregnancies so even if you have all females chances are most are already pregnant. I don't feel like dealing with trying to save 200 or so fry or put them in a separate tank or watch all the fish eat them. Get males.

I purchase a lot of fish online from LiveAquaria.com, there is also azgardens.com which has a bigger selection but the shipping charges are ridiculous. I go there when I am buying enough to get free shipping or when they have a particular exotic fish I want. LiveAquaria will tell you the minimum tank size recommended, the max size the fish will grow, temperament, food preferences etc. So it's great for research.

You aren't going to find all of these fish at your local fish stores, you'll be lucky to find 2 or 3 of the species you want - but the problem with ordering a bunch online (assuming you switch to a 29 gallon aquarium) is that it can really mess up your water cycling (I assume your tank is currently cycled) by adding so many fish at once. It's a big risk - on the other hand, I've never received anything but super-healthy fish from these two companies. I've received nothing but a large number of unhealthy fish from my local mom-and-pop store but no problems with fish from the big box stores.

Recently I added 4-6 new bigger fish and it just killed my tank cycling. I was getting Ammonia levels of 8ppm but neutralizing them with Prime and AmGuard. Finally after about a month of fighting this, I'm seeing some nitrites which tells me that it is finally started cycling again. Ammonia levels are also decreasing significantly. When I get a new tank here and cycled, I'll remove some of these fish and the tank should be in very good shape.

Green Neons are hard to find - LiveAquaria offers Danio's in stock but the tetras are currently out of stock. Danio's like company so you'd probably need about 5 of them - they grow to 2 1/2 inches (but skinny) so that alone maxes out your aquarium. The green tetras should be available soon - they too are 2 1/2 inches but they recommend only getting one. I have two of the pinks right now and no problems. They require a 20 gallon tank.

Endlers - 1" - require a 20 gallon tank

Sparkling Gourami - I LOVE this species - I have more of these than any other species of fish. Gourami's are very peaceful but the biggest one will chase the others and act like he's trying to nip them (there mouths aren't big enough to nip) but it's just a dominance game. I like to get Gourami's in sets of two - they like each other's company. These are a mere 1 1/2 " - very tiny for a Gourami. Saw some of these at the fish store today and they were very pretty but I'm maxed out on number of fish until I get a 4th tank.

Panda Cory's: they say they need groups of 5. I have several similar species in groups of 3 and they do just fine (one group likes to rest on top of each other in a tall stack LOL) LOVE this species. They are 2 1/2" and require a 30 gallon tank - I think you could get 3 in a 20 gallon without any issue - they primarily stay at the bottom of the tank so that leaves the top space for other species.

The biggest danger with overstocking is that you will have a LOT of fish poop contaminating the water - the more you squeeze in the more often you'll be doing a water change and you'll be constantly fighting high ammonia levels which - if not treated will kill your fish. . It can get so bad you have to do water changes every couple of days so NEVER over stock. I accidentally overstocked one of my tanks when a few of the Gourami's grew up about 2" BIGGER than I anticipated. I've got to get 3 or 4 out of there and into a new tank.

Two of my tanks are 29 gal, the other is a 5 gallon (was meant to be a quarantine or hospital tank but I have some tiny Harlequin Rasboras and a single EVIL fish-killing danio). So far he is leaving them alone but he was one of the killers and I won't put him in with my other fish. He has settled down and even tries to school with the Rasboras but this tank is too small for schooling fish so they may go in my new tank when I make room for it.

So seriously do some research either at the online stores or Wikipedia - check what Ph levels they all need (most of these fish are OK with a wide range of Ph but a couple of species like a lower (6.5) Ph. I'm used to keeping my Ph at 7.0 so that would be a problem for me. The OLD rule of thumb is 1" of fish per gallon of water and given the fish you are picking I would say that's pretty true. Which means very few fish since most of the ones you're interested in grow to 2" or more. Of course mass makes a difference - a 4" skinny fish is not the same as a 4" plump fish so you have to make adjustments.

I would not skimp on the price of fish either. Some of these live a very long time and may not be the most exciting or interesting fish. You might like to look at slightly more expensive fish and fewer of them. I have two Bushnose Pleco (L144) that are amazing algae eaters and super cool looking. 4" max. I also have a couple of Dojo Loaches (yellow with pink cheeks) that are like long snakes. These are more like 9.99 or 19.99 each but they pay back in usefulness and entertainment value. I've also got a $139 Blue Phantom Pleco that is so tiny he is hard to find but will grow to 7" eventually - right now he's navy blue with white polka dots and for some reason green "legs" - too cute.

On the other hand, get a few small fish for your 9 gallon tank and see if you still like the hobby before investing in a 29 gallon or larger tank or a lot of pricey fish. It is CRITICAL that your tanks are fully cycled (usually by adding pure ammonia to the tank to get the cycle started and wait until all Ammonia and Nitrite levels are zero before adding fish ) When/if you get a bigger tank - spend the extra bucks for some cool exotic PEACEFUL fish that you can show off. I highly recommend Gourami's - they are pretty and very peaceful. They do great with Cory's and any small fish - they just don't bother them - they won't even pretend to attack another species for dominance - only their own species.

Besides well-planted, some of these species enjoy or must have a hidey-hole to go to in order to feel safe - a 9" gallon aquarium is not going to have much room for that.

So I guess think through and do some research and put a few pretty fish in your 9 gallon. If you find you love the hobby and feel confident then get a 29 gallon tank and stock with more exotic/expensive fish. Always make sure you have fully cycled the tanks before stocking (plants are OK). Get some driftwood and rock as that's a requirement for some fish, get some caves that don't look too cheesy or some log/tunnels for hide-outs. FYI: Gourami's breath some AIR so make sure there is space at the top of your tank not covered in plants where they can get through and get a gulp of air.
 
I think you are going to have way too many fish for a nine gallon tank. If you want all of these, this is closer to what you would put in a 29-55 gallon tank. Each of these fish require a 10 gallon tank or larger, most require a 20-30 gallon tank. One of the reasons some of the small fish require a bigger tank is that they are fast busy swimmers or swim in schools and need as much open space as possible. So you can get some schooling fish then 3 Cory's and be done with it (that is a bit overstocking so be prepared for some frequent water changes).

The good news is that ALL the fish you have picked are very peaceful and should get along with each other fine. I get a little concerned about livebearers with fancy fins since I've had Danios (a peaceful fish) eat fins off of fancy fish and kill them, as well as kill each other by chasing a the weakest Danio to death. I since have developed a major hatred of the species. So much for peaceful Danio's. I personally am not a fan of livebearers unless you get all males. The females can hold multiple pregnancies so even if you have all females chances are most are already pregnant. I don't feel like dealing with trying to save 200 or so fry or put them in a separate tank or watch all the fish eat them. Get males.

I purchase a lot of fish online from LiveAquaria.com, there is also azgardens.com which has a bigger selection but the shipping charges are ridiculous. I go there when I am buying enough to get free shipping or when they have a particular exotic fish I want. LiveAquaria will tell you the minimum tank size recommended, the max size the fish will grow, temperament, food preferences etc. So it's great for research.

You aren't going to find all of these fish at your local fish stores, you'll be lucky to find 2 or 3 of the species you want - but the problem with ordering a bunch online (assuming you switch to a 29 gallon aquarium) is that it can really mess up your water cycling (I assume your tank is currently cycled) by adding so many fish at once. It's a big risk - on the other hand, I've never received anything but super-healthy fish from these two companies. I've received nothing but a large number of unhealthy fish from my local mom-and-pop store but no problems with fish from the big box stores.

Recently I added 4-6 new bigger fish and it just killed my tank cycling. I was getting Ammonia levels of 8ppm but neutralizing them with Prime and AmGuard. Finally after about a month of fighting this, I'm seeing some nitrites which tells me that it is finally started cycling again. Ammonia levels are also decreasing significantly. When I get a new tank here and cycled, I'll remove some of these fish and the tank should be in very good shape.

Green Neons are hard to find - LiveAquaria offers Danio's in stock but the tetras are currently out of stock. Danio's like company so you'd probably need about 5 of them - they grow to 2 1/2 inches (but skinny) so that alone maxes out your aquarium. The green tetras should be available soon - they too are 2 1/2 inches but they recommend only getting one. I have two of the pinks right now and no problems. They require a 20 gallon tank.

Endlers - 1" - require a 20 gallon tank

Sparkling Gourami - I LOVE this species - I have more of these than any other species of fish. Gourami's are very peaceful but the biggest one will chase the others and act like he's trying to nip them (there mouths aren't big enough to nip) but it's just a dominance game. I like to get Gourami's in sets of two - they like each other's company. These are a mere 1 1/2 " - very tiny for a Gourami. Saw some of these at the fish store today and they were very pretty but I'm maxed out on number of fish until I get a 4th tank.

Panda Cory's: they say they need groups of 5. I have several similar species in groups of 3 and they do just fine (one group likes to rest on top of each other in a tall stack LOL) LOVE this species. They are 2 1/2" and require a 30 gallon tank - I think you could get 3 in a 20 gallon without any issue - they primarily stay at the bottom of the tank so that leaves the top space for other species.

The biggest danger with overstocking is that you will have a LOT of fish poop contaminating the water - the more you squeeze in the more often you'll be doing a water change and you'll be constantly fighting high ammonia levels which - if not treated will kill your fish. . It can get so bad you have to do water changes every couple of days so NEVER over stock. I accidentally overstocked one of my tanks when a few of the Gourami's grew up about 2" BIGGER than I anticipated. I've got to get 3 or 4 out of there and into a new tank.

Two of my tanks are 29 gal, the other is a 5 gallon (was meant to be a quarantine or hospital tank but I have some tiny Harlequin Rasboras and a single EVIL fish-killing danio). So far he is leaving them alone but he was one of the killers and I won't put him in with my other fish. He has settled down and even tries to school with the Rasboras but this tank is too small for schooling fish so they may go in my new tank when I make room for it.

So seriously do some research either at the online stores or Wikipedia - check what Ph levels they all need (most of these fish are OK with a wide range of Ph but a couple of species like a lower (6.5) Ph. I'm used to keeping my Ph at 7.0 so that would be a problem for me. The OLD rule of thumb is 1" of fish per gallon of water and given the fish you are picking I would say that's pretty true. Which means very few fish since most of the ones you're interested in grow to 2" or more. Of course mass makes a difference - a 4" skinny fish is not the same as a 4" plump fish so you have to make adjustments.

I would not skimp on the price of fish either. Some of these live a very long time and may not be the most exciting or interesting fish. You might like to look at slightly more expensive fish and fewer of them. I have two Bushnose Pleco (L144) that are amazing algae eaters and super cool looking. 4" max. I also have a couple of Dojo Loaches (yellow with pink cheeks) that are like long snakes. These are more like 9.99 or 19.99 each but they pay back in usefulness and entertainment value. I've also got a $139 Blue Phantom Pleco that is so tiny he is hard to find but will grow to 7" eventually - right now he's navy blue with white polka dots and for some reason green "legs" - too cute.

On the other hand, get a few small fish for your 9 gallon tank and see if you still like the hobby before investing in a 29 gallon or larger tank or a lot of pricey fish. It is CRITICAL that your tanks are fully cycled (usually by adding pure ammonia to the tank to get the cycle started and wait until all Ammonia and Nitrite levels are zero before adding fish ) When/if you get a bigger tank - spend the extra bucks for some cool exotic PEACEFUL fish that you can show off. I highly recommend Gourami's - they are pretty and very peaceful. They do great with Cory's and any small fish - they just don't bother them - they won't even pretend to attack another species for dominance - only their own species.

Besides well-planted, some of these species enjoy or must have a hidey-hole to go to in order to feel safe - a 9" gallon aquarium is not going to have much room for that.

So I guess think through and do some research and put a few pretty fish in your 9 gallon. If you find you love the hobby and feel confident then get a 29 gallon tank and stock with more exotic/expensive fish. Always make sure you have fully cycled the tanks before stocking (plants are OK). Get some driftwood and rock as that's a requirement for some fish, get some caves that don't look too cheesy or some log/tunnels for hide-outs. FYI: Gourami's breath some AIR so make sure there is space at the top of your tank not covered in plants where they can get through and get a gulp of air.

No chance of getting a 30gal for at least 5-7 years, there arenā€™t any floating plants, which is probably bad but I can work on a few, I saw some endlers in a pet shop and they didnā€™t seem very active, yes I have looked into those websites but most things I have bought are available in LFS
Thanks for your help :)


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Here is my 15G Lake Inle Nano
This has Celestial Pearl Danio and shrimp only. I think its a nice combination and will work as long as your water is not too hard or soft.
 
Yes in a 9G. Would have to be less CPD than I have but will work fine.
 
They need to be in groups of at least 6 correct? Would that work in a 9g? o_O

I can see at least 12 in that photo, so I wouldnā€™t be suprised if I could fit 6-7 in but we will just wait and see I guess haha


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I can see at least 12 in that photo, so I wouldnā€™t be suprised if I could fit 6-7 in but we will just wait and see I guess haha


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There are 24 in my 15G - I suggest 10-12 in your tank.
 
There are 24 in my 15G - I suggest 10-12 in your tank.

I have loved them for ages, they are a bit pricey though, are they easy to breed if I get like 6 and see if I can get some fry?


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