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Hi, my friend just recently received a 10g tank from his grandmother, and he is new to the whole fish keeping hobby and wanted to seek advice from you before making any rash decisions. He has seen my 10g setup and finds it sort of boring. It contains 6 neon tetra, 1 betta and 2 otos. He doesn't mind the otos, so he will probably get 2 of them to fill the bottom. Though, he also likes corys, so he was thinking instead of otos maybe 3 corys, ONLY if the corys would be happy in a group of 3. He would like to know the more ACTIVE corys, keeping in mind the max size of the corys must be 2inch. So now the bottom is sorted out, well virtually, he needs to fill the middle and top layers. In the middle layer he was thinking of putting a school of 6 small schooling fish, and he doesn't really want those fish to be neons, cardinals, etc. He much prefers ACTIVE fish, so he was wondering what ACTIVE schooling fish could fit in a 10g? Keep in mind he prefers smaller fish, preferably under 2inch. So that makes it 2 otos OR 3 corydoras, 6 ACTIVE schooling fish (aprox 2inch) and now he has no REAL idea how to use the remaining space, he was thinking maybe a pair of cherry barb or if his local fish shop has them in supply, a pair of pygmy gourami. He doesn't really want to add 1 TRUE centre piece fish like a dwarf gourami, because he is scared that it will bully the other smaller fish in the tank and that it will be to big to house the fish happily. He doesn't really like bettas, well not that he doesn't like them, it is just that he already has one and wants to try out different fish. The only problem with a pair of cherry barbs is that they seem to be quite shy, timid, etc. He would much appreciate if you could help him with his few queries.

Hello,
Well if I got this right he has:
1betta
6neons
2ottos
in his 10G right.
Well 3corys would be ok because there fun to watch, mabey 4 is he can.
If he adds the corys it a lil more then full, does he do water changes?
So he can
Cant add anyother fish.
If he takes out the betta he can put a DwarfGOurami, there more coulorful and much more active then the bettas.
As for a active fish I would say Zebra Danios, there easy to care for and very active, but if he adds it it will be too much.
I say remove the neons and put 6ZebraDanios.

So this is what your stocking would look like:
1DwarfGourami
7ebraDanios
2ottos

I would say skip the cories because they might be too much and the Danios are active

Ill find you some sites to help you with learning about Danios.

Never mix a betta with and gourami.
http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/484.htm
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_danio.php

Acctually after reading a little more myself if you want the ZebraDanios get rid of the betta, because they will nip the long fins of the betta.

Hope I helped good luck!
Keep asking questions and reading bout the fish before you buy it.


10gallon: 8neons 5gallon: 1betta
1oto
2platys

A 10g doesn't offer much space, especially for active fish, so options are limited.

The only fish very active fish I can think of are danios, and I personally wouldn't put them in a 10g because of their active nature.

All cories prefer to be in groups; 5-6 if the minimum number most often recommended. The smaller cories (habrosus, pygmaeus) do even better in larger groups.

Cherry barbs are definitely shy, and if kept with overly-active fish will probably spend most of the time hiding.

One thing to keep in mind with otos is that they should only be added to an established tank with plenty of algae. They prefer company of their own kind as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is water at the bottom of the ocean

Cherry barb:
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_cherry.php

DwarfGOurami:
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_lalia.php
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_powder.php

Otto:
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_oto.php
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_zebraoto.php
http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/615.htm

CORYS:
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_cory4.php
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_cory1.php
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_melanistius.php
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Corydoras_melini.php
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Corydoras_metae.php

Betta:
http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/545.htm
http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/553.htm

Just some sites to help.





10gallon: 8neons 5gallon: 1betta
1oto
2platys

Well if I got this right he has:
1betta
6neons
2ottos

No, that's what the poster flopsy has and the friend finds boring.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is water at the bottom of the ocean

OHHHH, thaks lol.
Do you think zebras can go in a 10G?
I read 40L is enough.

10gallon: 8neons 5gallon: 1betta
1oto
2platys

ok then go with:
6Danios
5corys
1dwarfgouram if he wants a center peie fish or hels he can get ghost shrimp and 3ottos.

10gallon: 8neons 5gallon: 1betta
1oto
2platys

Hello

I was always told that no cory school could fit in a 10 g.Perhaps MALE livebearers would be best, as they have different colors,are active, and easy to keep. Platyies or guppies would be the choice in that categories.You could get like...3 platyies and 5 ottos?

I wouldnt put cories in a ten unless you have the smaller species and are able to keep the water pristine for them.

Danios are more suitable for a 20gal, IMHO. They are very active.

As far as tens go, you may have a hard time finding "active" fish that will do well in there.

You could try the African Butterfly fish. They are predatory and only bout 3-4 inches.
http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/488.htm


I'll do graffiti,
If you sing to me in French.

Yes but african butterfly fish are extremely inactive so that may not be what he wants. A good school of cories won't fit well into a 10 gallon so unless he is willing to dedicate the tank to a school of the smaller cories forget about it. Why don't you suggest to him a stocking list of something like this:

6 harlequin rasboras
2 otos
1 dwarf gourami

Thats prolly better.
What about serpeas?
yous can have a tank with only serpeas, there very active and fin nippers.
I'm not sure if there ok in a 10G
mabey 7serpeas and 2 ottos.

10gallon: 8neons 5gallon: 1betta
1oto
2platys

I think he needs a bigger tank. You cannot put a bottom, middle, and top fish in a 10g. There just isn't enough space unless you stick with small less active fish. You also can't put really active fish in a 10g because they will not have enough space to actually be active. That tank should have no more than 1 schooling fish and then 1-3 other fish depending on size of species. You can have either cories or tetras not both. I would only do cories if the entire tank is dedicated to a small cory species and probably would still not recommend such a setup to someone who isn't experienced since smaller cories are more sensitive to water quality. Danios or white clouds are very active and interesting but don't really fit in a 10g. Loaches are also extremely active but need closer to a 29-30g or more. 10g tanks should be used as species tanks for calm fish not as community or active tanks. I don't think he will be happy with anything that actually should go in that tank.

I agree with Sham. Unless he wants to dedicate the entire tank to a shoal of Pygmy or Habrosus cories, then he is stuck with 1 school of small tetras or rasboras and a dwarf gourami or 5 male guppies and some ottos.

A 10g is too small to fill every level. The smaller cories also don't stay on the bottom. They usually swim around the tank, so they wouldn't work in his "plan". They are also pretty sensitive, so if he's a beginner, I wouldn't suggest them.

Tell him his options for the 10g, or to just get a larger tank.

*Kristin*

Ok, my friend has read your replies and has taken them into account and he was wondering, if the following stock is ok:
6-8 serpae tetra
2 oto
He is worried the serpae tetra will nip the fins of the otos, but is hoping that because there are 6-8 of them, they will keep to themselves and there will be sufficient plant cover for the oto, as the tank will be pretty heavily planted. Is this stock ok, if not tell him why?
Another possible stock is:
6-8 lemon tetra
2 oto

Keep in mind in the beginning he would only get 6 tetra, he would only get 2 more if the tank can support the load of fish.

Also when purchasing the fish, this is once the tank has been cycled, how many fish should be purchased at a time and how long should he wait before he can purchase more. This only applies to the tetras because he will purchase the otos a couple of months after the tank has housed the tetra.

Are the following products suffincient enough to filter and heat his 10g:
Filter - Elite Hush 10
Heater - Aqua One Glass Heater 55w

The filter and heater should be fine. If he can get a filter rated for a 20g tank, that would be even better. Usually you want double the tank size for filtration.

Either stock will be fine IMO. Usually fish leave ottos alone. They may chase them a couple times but ottos are very non-responsive when it comes to stuff like that. They just kind of chill out. If he likes the Serpaes better, then I say go for it.

If the tank is heavily planted in the beginning, then he could go ahead and add 4-6 fish. Plants help tremendously when cycling a tank and sometimes even make it where there is no ammonia registering. Then after a week or two, he can add the remaining Serpaes (max of 8). Then I'd wait another week or so after that before adding the ottos. Give it time for algae to grow before the ottos go in.

If the tank will not be heavily planted in the beginning, I suggest he fishless cycle the tank first, so he won't risk any deaths. If he doesn't want to do that, then I would get 4 Serpaes and use them through the cycle and when ammonia and nitrite are 0 and you have measurable nitrates, then he could add 4 more.

*Kristin*