The dreaded stocking question...

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Rhapsody

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Well, to keep myself from being a bad newbie and overstocking my tank I've worked so hard to put together, I thought I would get advice from all of you guys. :)
I have a ten gallon tank that just started cycling (so I have LOTS of time to make a final decision on what to keep in it.) You can see a picture of it in the picture section.

I am definately wanting cory cats...I think they are adorable. I have several little hiding places for them. I believe they need to be a minimum of three? (I keep hearing two and three...so whichever.)

Other than that I was thinking I would have one "display" fish. I was debating over a dwarf gourami or a betta. I really like them both. I already have two bettas, and the one with the more laid back personality will be the one to go in there. On the other hand, he has always been alone so I have no idea how he would react to other fish. I don't want my precious boy to be unhappy about the move! How do bettas typically do in the community tank? I hear a lot of different things. I may end up adding the other fish I want, then putting Van Gogh in there and just see how he does. If he doesn't seem happy, his five gallon will still be waiting for him and I will get the gourami.

Now after that I really like harlequin rasboras and mickey mouse platies. I hear they are both good starter fish...and I *think* they both would go fine with the betta if I chose to put him in. Now I am having the hardest time deciding which of the two I prefer.

So what is everyone's opinion? And out of any of these fish I've chosen, how many do you suggest (with the exception of the betta and gourami which will be the only of its kind in the tank, of course)?

Any advice and opinions are great. I just want to keep myself from making a stupid mistake and causing all my fish to die after I wait for weeks to get them.
Thanks so much. :D
 
I think your idea of trying out your betta in a community tank, to see how he does, is an excellent one. In my experience, having gentle tank-mates livened-up my betta and he seemed a lot happier.

Cories, rasboras and a betta sound like an excellent combination, but if you keep the betta's tank cycled (put a bit of food in every day), you can always remove him if things get hairy. But I really don't think they will.
 
Thank you, Anna. :) I really think the harlequins will look nice in my tank. I don't know what it is about the guys...there's something about them I love. I have one more question about them...How many should I keep? I want to keep them happy, but I definately do not want to overstock the tank. lol, I'm trying to be careful here.

I would be very surprised if my betta had a problem with other fish. He rarely ever flares (in the several months I've had him, I think I've seen him flare once and he used to have a mirror behind his tank). He seems pretty happy flaunting himself and building huge bubble nests. (My gay friends all decided Van Gogh is my gay fish since he likes being a pretty boy and "interior decorating." lol)
 
I agree - bettas are very camp fish :lol:

As for your stocking issue, assuming your tank is a 10 gal long (rather than a hex or a tall tank), you could probably happily fit in three cories, 6 rasboras and a betta.

I know I like to use the "1 inch of fish per gal" rule, and corys can be 2", but I'm going by advice I've been getting more recently. You show signs of being an obsessive tank-collector, so if your fish out-grow the tank I'm pretty sure you'd re-home them ;) I don't feel that a school of rasboras, a small group of cories and a betta would over-crowd your tank, but why not add some of the fish and see how it looks?
 
Alien Anna said:
You show signs of being an obsessive tank-collector, so if your fish out-grow the tank I'm pretty sure you'd re-home them ;)
Shush! Don't say that....true, I already have a million other (larger) tanks planned out...but that's not the point. lol
Man, when I get my own house I am DOOMED. ;)

Well, I was trying to follow the 1" per gallon rule, but after the cories and the betta, there's pretty much no room for anything else following that rule...and that seems a little bare to me...which is why I turned here, of course.
I will definately keep an eye on how much swimming room everyone has and so on.
I bet you anything within a year I will have a 30 gallon or larger...*sigh* :p

Is it a bad sign if I haven't even added fish to my ten gallon and I already need a bigger tank? :lol:
 

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