Stocking options?

[Byron]

So you think that neon tetras are a good option?

Also, will some of you please “check” this website, and see if it is correct?
http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/wiki/Stocking_a_10_Gallon_Tank

Neon Tetra in a group of 8 could manage, but I would not recommend this; they should have more space. There are several species well suited to a 10g, so it is not really advisable to try and force less suitable species into a small tank.

As for AquariumWiki, in general you have to be careful of this site. The individual responsible for the information is not indicated and I believe it can be several. Without knowing who they are, how can one trust them? I did find links to the "editor" but his real identity is not given. People who can't or won't stand behind their advice have less credibility and can hardly be relied upon.

But having said that, in this particular case, the species suggested under "Fish Suitable for a 10 gallon tank" are fairly reliable, with a few "maybe's." The numbers though under "Stocking ideas" are way off the mark; some of these species cannot manage with so few, and given this is a 10g their combinations are therefore impossible. Some of the fish under "Species Options" are also way off the mark for a 10g.

And that is the problem with sites like this, some of it is OK, some terrible, so that means generally the site is not reliable period.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Thank you @Byron for checking. I seems I’m left with “Dwarf” species?

 

[FishGuest5123]

So you think that neon tetras are a good option?

Also, will some of you please “check” this website, and see if it is correct?
http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/wiki/Stocking_a_10_Gallon_Tank

Neon Tetras or ember Tetras would be my vote. You don’t want anything that will breed so fast that they outgrow your tank in no time. Limit yourself to 6 of them.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Ok! I will check to see if my LFS has some in stock!

 

[Byron]

To answer your question in post #77, which has been stated more than once in this thread, a 10g tank is only suited to "nano" type fish, which generally means the dwarf species.

Ember Tetras are one of these.

Neon Tetra are not, and while a small group might manage, I personally cannot recommend something that is not best for the fish. Seriously Fish gives a 24 inch (60 cm) length tank as the minimum for proper care of a group of neon tetra, and that means a standard (high) 20 gallon tank or a 15g with the same footprint. A group of 9-12 in either of these tanks will provide a significantly better environment for the fish than would a group of six in a 10g tank. And that means healthier fish, and more natural behaviours which means more interest for the aquarist.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Ok, thank you @Byron! So Ember tetras are the way to go? And do they work well with any other tank mates? (Especially Cherry Shrimp, and snails. )

 

[Essjay]

They would be fine with shrimps and snails.

They look pretty boring in shop tanks, sort of pale amber. But once they've settled in, they'll colour up well and deserve their name of ember tetra.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I kind of like “under dog” fish, it’s not so much what’s on the outside, it’s what inside that counts.

 

[Byron]

Get a decent sized group, 10 to 15. These will be the only upper fish in the tank and you want to "see" them plus they will be less stressed the more there are.

You could also have one of the dwarf cory species, Corydoras pygmaeus is often available and the best here, in a group of 10-12.

Water parameters have not been mentioned, better give us those before proceeding. Neither of these fish will do well in harder water. So the GH and pH are important. Temperature (another "parameter") in the mid 70's is all you want; the pygmy cories especially do not manage well above 75-76F (25 C). And they must have a sand substrate.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Ok, so mid 70’s, sand as a substrate, and did you mean get some Pygmy Corys as an addition to the Ember Tetras, or....one or the other?

 

[Byron]

Ok, so mid 70’s, sand as a substrate, and did you mean get some Pygmy Corys as an addition to the Ember Tetras, or....one or the other?

Both Ember Tetras and pygmy cories together will work well. In the numbers I mentioned; without enough of them they will be uneasy and more timid, both species.

Single species tanks when the species is a shoaling fish will always be more successful with large numbers. This is because the fish are "programmed" to expect this, and while having fewer might be OK in tanks with other fish too, when alone they must have more of them.

This has two aspects. The species itself being shoaling expects to have dozens if not hundreds in the group, and in a species-only tank that is what you must provide, very large groups. A 10g is obviously not adequate space for this many, so with two different species you can reduce the numbers of each species but here the two species help to calm each other simply because they are there, and if one feels safe the other will feel safe too; they release chemical signals the others read. You still need a decent number, as I suggested previously, but both of them together will (or should) be less stressful on all of them.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Makes sense.

It will take me a while to save up for all the fish you mentioned, but in the end, I think I will really like the tank!

 

[Byron]

Makes sense.

It will take me a while to save up for all the fish you mentioned, but in the end, I think I will really like the tank!

One other point...when you buy any shoaling species, acquire all of the intended number together at the same time. Shoaling fish will always settle in faster the more there are, so this reduces the risk of ich caused by the stress. With some species that have hierarchies, it is crucial to do this, but that isn't applicable here with Embers and pygmy cories. But the entire group together. With live plants, esp floating (floating plants are essential for both these species) this will not cause any issues.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Ok! I will get them all at once.

Also, are Anacharis considered “floating” plants, can they be grown floating?

 

[Byron]

Ok! I will get them all at once.

Also, are Anacharis considered “floating” plants, can they be grown floating?

Yes it can be allowed to just float. The common name is Anacharis but the scientific is Egeria densa. It is a stem plant and can be rooted in the substrate or left floating, or both (when long enough, though the lower leaves will inevitably die off).