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Due to the death of Smokey (by act of cat I won't be breeding bettas for awhile. Instead, I am wanting to stock my 10g tank that I use for breeding. I know Klaus, whome I have had almost 1year (pet store betta- elderly) will go in there. What else would be a nice friendly tankmate for him? I'm thinking mabey some neons and ottos? I'm open to anything though.

Inky

He would probably get along well with some cherry barbs. They are nice little peaceful barbs that would do very well in a 10. You could do 3 females and 2 males or even 3/3....I have 3/3 and they don't fight. Just a lot of chasing and courting. I'm pretty sure your betta wouldn't bother them and I know they wouldn't bother your betta. Just an idea.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Could I still add some ottos? I was also considering a school of pandas? Would that make it over stocked?

Inky

Possibly, if you kept your cherry numbers smaller. They are not really schooling fish, so you could do only 3 (1m/2f) and get a school of ottos. Not sure about the pandas....I think maybe some pygmy cories might be a better option.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

I wouldn't put pandas in a 10g..IMO thats just too small of a tank for them. Pandas are more active than other cories. They need more space.

Personally I wouldn't put any cories in a 10. Just too small. Its up to you though. If I was going to put any cories in a 10 it would be pygmy cories, since they are the smallest.

If you go with the betta and pygmy cories, then I would only have 3 cherries. That way you won't risk overstocking.

Be careful with the cherries though. I added 3 to my 10g with a male betta and he wouldn't leave them alone. It probably would have helped if I added them first.

If you decide against the cories, then I would add about 6 Harlequin Rasboras. I think they are so pretty and I just added 6 in with my male betta Charlie. He is so happy to have friends now. He chased them a little initially, but they are too fast for him and having 6 probably intimidates him a little.

He even built me a bubble nest a couple days ago.

I suggest:
Smokey
6 Harlies
2 ottos (if you have any algae)

or

Smokey
3 cherries (1m/2f)
5 pygmies (don't know much about them)

*Kristin*

I second the harlies...I have 10 in my 29 with my 6 cherries and they are great fish. I think Girlie ahas given some good advice. This should do your 10 well.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Pygmis sound so cute I looked them up online. Unfourtuatly they arnt available in my area If I find them online I can save for them ^_^

Do you know if a 10g would be too small for Black Phantom Tetras? I saw some of those and fell in love, but I'm pretty sure that they school.

I'm still not sure what Im going to go with I have never kept barbs or the harlies

Also, Smokey is the fish that died. Klaus is already in the tank and has been for about 6 mo. now

Inky

Cherry barbs are very peaceful. Unlike some other barb species...I've never seen mine pick on anything. They were scared to death of my opaline gourami when I first put her in the tank. They hid from her for weeks until they realized that she wasn't going to bother them. Actually, come to think of it, they hid from her until I put the 10 harlies in there. Once they realized the little fish out numbered the big fish 16 to 1 they became bolder. Both Cherry barbs and harlies are fantastic, striking looking fish. I'm not sure about black skirts in a 10....they might like more room and a bigger school....just don't know.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

My concern with black phatoms is that they're a bit 'finny' and there might be a chance your betta would nip at them.

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

My betta doesn't seem overly aggressive, but with bettas you never know. I have some extra tanks in case he gets out of hand. I did find an LFS that stocks pgmys but they don't have them very often. Im thinking this for my stocking:
Klaus
5x Black Phantoms or Harlies or 2x Barbs
5x Pygmy cories

I plan on adding some live plants and hiding places, in case of aggression.

Inky

Sounds good. Sorry about Smokey...sometimes I can't read.

I've never seen mine pick on anything

I must have a one of a kind cherry barb male. He goes after the females (understandable) and the neons and glowlights. Before I changed things around in the tank, he had his little space under the wisteria. Any time a neon or glowlight would swim through he would dart after them. Like he didn't want anyone in his space. Crazy.

*Kristin*

I think mine doesnt chase anything since he is on the old side for a betta. I tried to breed him a couple times, compleatly ignored the female (who swam right up to Klaus who in turn just swam away)He seems to ignore other fish.

Inky

whitecloudswhitecloudswhiteclouds

sorry i really love my white clouds

Arnt White Clouds coldwater fish? I don't think that they would go with my betta

Inky

i have kept white clouds with bettas for years, acually there the only fish i have had any luck keeping with my bettas.i know that ideally that bettas perfer it warmer but i guess i have a good room temp thing going on for both types of fish.

You have a ton of options I think
I have kept my rather peaceful male betta with:
~khuli loaches
~cherry barbs
~fancy guppies (would recommend it as he is very peaceful)
~julii cories
~otos
~harlequin rasboras
~neons
~platies

Any of those should work out nicely save for the guppies unless you don't think he will attack them

Fish are like potato chips. . .you can't have just one

For stocking options though you could do a lot of things:
~Klaus/3 cherry barbs/3 khuli loaches
~Klaus/6 harlequin rasboras/3 cherry barbs
~Klaus/2 platies/4 harlequin rasboras/2 khuli loaches OR 2 otos


I too fell in love with black phantom tetras, but I didn't know how they would react to Nekhoro (my betta) so I didn't risk it, but you never know. . .and I don't know how they would like a ten gallon; I would suggest a 20 gallon minimum

Fish are like potato chips. . .you can't have just one

I don't think khuli loaches would be very happy in a 10g. They do get rather big. I already have a tank with guppies, and have had bad experiences mixing guppies and bettas (not with Klaus) I'm would really like to do a school of something and a school of pygmis.

Inky