10 Gallon Stocking List?

[lolapetrovik]

Hi everyone!

I am pretty new to the hobby and have been researching and looking at ideas for stocking a 10 gallon that I have yet to plant and cycle. I have written down a few stock lists that I have seen for a 10 gallon aquarium and I would like to paste them over here to see what other more experienced keepers have to say about them.
Please feel free to critique and give more information about each list; whether it would work or not, or if you have tried one of these combos.

1. 1 Male Betta + 6 Ember Tetras + 2 Snails

1. 7 Celestial Pearl Danios + 2 Snails OR 10-15 Shrimp (10 Ghost Shrimp OR 15 Cherry Shrimp)

1. 30 Shrimp (15+ Cherry Shrimp OR 10+ Amano Shrimp OR 15+ Blue Velvet Shrimp OR 10+ Ghost Shrimp) [Cherry Shrimp + Amano Shrimp OR Blue Velvet Shrimp + Amano Shrimp] + 2 Snails

1. 3 Peacock Gudgeons (1 Male + 2 Females) + 2 Snails OR 5-10 Shrimp (5 Ghost Shrimp OR 10 Cherry Shrimp)

1. 6 Scarlet Badis + 3 Snails

1. 10 Male Endler’s Livebearers + 5-10 Shrimp (5 Ghost Shrimp OR 10 Cherry Shrimp) + 1 Snail

1. 10 Tetras (10 Green Neon Tetras OR 10 Ember Tetras) + 5-10 Shrimp (5 Ghost Shrimp OR 10 Cherry Shrimp)

1. 10 Sparkling Gouramis (3 Male + 7 Females) + 1 Snail

1. 10 Chili Rasboras + 3-6 Shrimp (3 Ghost Shrimp OR 6 Cherry Shrimp)

1. 6 Gertrude’s Spotted Blue Eye Rainbowfish OR 6 Red Neon Blue Eye Rainbowfish + 5-10 Shrimp (5 Ghost Shrimp OR 10 Cherry Shrimp) + 2 Snails

 

[Crispii]

What's your GH?

 

[JuiceBox52]

I agree we need the GH first. You can find this info on your local water providers website. Most of these options wont work out I will explain once we know the GH

 

[Colin_T]

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

---------------
Male Bettas do best in a tank of their own.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Most of those sound very overstocked...

Male bettas aren’t community fish and shouldn’t be kept as such.

 

[JuiceBox52]

Hi everyone!

I am pretty new to the hobby and have been researching and looking at ideas for stocking a 10 gallon that I have yet to plant and cycle. I have written down a few stock lists that I have seen for a 10 gallon aquarium and I would like to paste them over here to see what other more experienced keepers have to say about them.
Please feel free to critique and give more information about each list; whether it would work or not, or if you have tried one of these combos.

1. 1 Male Betta + 6 Ember Tetras + 2 Snails

1. 7 Celestial Pearl Danios + 2 Snails OR 10-15 Shrimp (10 Ghost Shrimp OR 15 Cherry Shrimp)

1. 30 Shrimp (15+ Cherry Shrimp OR 10+ Amano Shrimp OR 15+ Blue Velvet Shrimp OR 10+ Ghost Shrimp) [Cherry Shrimp + Amano Shrimp OR Blue Velvet Shrimp + Amano Shrimp] + 2 Snails

1. 3 Peacock Gudgeons (1 Male + 2 Females) + 2 Snails OR 5-10 Shrimp (5 Ghost Shrimp OR 10 Cherry Shrimp)

1. 6 Scarlet Badis + 3 Snails

1. 10 Male Endler’s Livebearers + 5-10 Shrimp (5 Ghost Shrimp OR 10 Cherry Shrimp) + 1 Snail

1. 10 Tetras (10 Green Neon Tetras OR 10 Ember Tetras) + 5-10 Shrimp (5 Ghost Shrimp OR 10 Cherry Shrimp)

1. 10 Sparkling Gouramis (3 Male + 7 Females) + 1 Snail

1. 10 Chili Rasboras + 3-6 Shrimp (3 Ghost Shrimp OR 6 Cherry Shrimp)

1. 6 Gertrude’s Spotted Blue Eye Rainbowfish OR 6 Red Neon Blue Eye Rainbowfish + 5-10 Shrimp (5 Ghost Shrimp OR 10 Cherry Shrimp) + 2 Snails

I'm going to explain these, but we do need to know your GH...
1. A male betta should be kept alone. You can however usually keep snails with them

2. The danios I believe should have a longer tank with more swimming room

3. The shrimp will be great. Keep in mind if you mix certain types of shrimp the offspring will be brown

4. Cant say for the peacocks but probably not?

5. Should work

6. I would do 8, not ten endlers

7. Most tetras need a longer tank than I ten gallon can provide

8. The sparkling gourami should work

9. Chili rasboras need a tank at least 4 feel long, so no

10. The last one might work

Keep in mind that we need the GH before you decide, because these fish need different water requirements

 

[Retired Viking]

Hello and welcome to the forum, The reason it is important to know what the hardness of your water is because soft water fish need to be in soft water, They are designed to store up nutrients in their bodies and in hard water they store up too much like us eating too much fat and clogging up our arteries/ Hard water fish do not store up much nutrients so they go without what they need in soft water. In both cases it is unhealthy for the fish which do not live as long.

 

[Byron]

I agree we need to know the parameters, but while waiting for that data there are a few of the stocking suggestions that can readily be confirmed/eliminated. [Just as I started typing, JuiceBox52 posted, so some of what I would say has been said, but I will repeat to keep at least my thoughts consistent.] Considering onlly the fish, shrimnp is for others to comment.

1. Male Bettas are not community fish, so one in the 10g is fine, but no other fish.

2. Celestial Pearl Danios need a larger group (around 20) and a larger tank.

3. I'll leave shrimp for those experienced.

4. Peacock Gudgeons OK.

5. Scarlet Badis, OK.

6. Endlers, OK

7. Either Green neons or Ember Tetras, OK. Could also add some pygmy cories (actually, this would apply to some of the others too).

8. Sparkling Gourami, 5 OK but not 10.

9. Chili Rasboras, OK, but more of them.

10. Gertrude’s Spotted Blue Eye Rainbowfish , OK. Red Neon Blue Eye Rainbowfish , OK.

 

[CassCats]

Gonna add input if you go the sparkling gourami route... only 1 male. Go 1 male, 3+ females.

I started with 2 males and the dominant one terrorized the other constantly and relentlessly. I rehomed the dominant male and got 2 females and much better.
Theyre also very difficult to sex.

This may help

 

[lolapetrovik]

What's your GH?

I agree we need the GH first. You can find this info on your local water providers website. Most of these options wont work out I will explain once we know the GH

Hello and welcome to the forum, The reason it is important to know what the hardness of your water is because soft water fish need to be in soft water, They are designed to store up nutrients in their bodies and in hard water they store up too much like us eating too much fat and clogging up our arteries/ Hard water fish do not store up much nutrients so they go without what they need in soft water. In both cases it is unhealthy for the fish which do not live as long.

I called my water provider and they said that in my area, the dGH is around 7.5 and the PH is about 7.2. Thank you all for the input, I am definitely going to edit this list according to your recommendations!

 

[lolapetrovik]

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

---------------
Male Bettas do best in a tank of their own.

The tank is 20" L x 10" W x 12" H
I couldn't find out the KH but the dGH is 7.5 and the pH is 7.2
Thanks for the advice!

 

[lolapetrovik]

Most of those sound very overstocked...

Male bettas aren’t community fish and shouldn’t be kept as such.

Ok I'll definitely bring down the stocking, and thanks for the advice!

 

[lolapetrovik]

I'm going to explain these, but we do need to know your GH...
1. A male betta should be kept alone. You can however usually keep snails with them

2. The danios I believe should have a longer tank with more swimming room

3. The shrimp will be great. Keep in mind if you mix certain types of shrimp the offspring will be brown

4. Cant say for the peacocks but probably not?

5. Should work

6. I would do 8, not ten endlers

7. Most tetras need a longer tank than I ten gallon can provide

8. The sparkling gourami should work

9. Chili rasboras need a tank at least 4 feel long, so no

10. The last one might work

Keep in mind that we need the GH before you decide, because these fish need different water requirements

Thanks for the recommendations! Do you think a Betta can be kept with Shrimp?

 

[lolapetrovik]

I agree we need to know the parameters, but while waiting for that data there are a few of the stocking suggestions that can readily be confirmed/eliminated. [Just as I started typing, JuiceBox52 posted, so some of what I would say has been said, but I will repeat to keep at least my thoughts consistent.] Considering onlly the fish, shrimnp is for others to comment.

1. Male Bettas are not community fish, so one in the 10g is fine, but no other fish.

2. Celestial Pearl Danios need a larger group (around 20) and a larger tank.

3. I'll leave shrimp for those experienced.

4. Peacock Gudgeons OK.

5. Scarlet Badis, OK.

6. Endlers, OK

7. Either Green neons or Ember Tetras, OK. Could also add some pygmy cories (actually, this would apply to some of the others too).

8. Sparkling Gourami, 5 OK but not 10.

9. Chili Rasboras, OK, but more of them.

10. Gertrude’s Spotted Blue Eye Rainbowfish , OK. Red Neon Blue Eye Rainbowfish , OK.

Thanks so much for the input! What would you stock pygmy cories with?

 

[lolapetrovik]

Gonna add input if you go the sparkling gourami route... only 1 male. Go 1 male, 3+ females.

I started with 2 males and the dominant one terrorized the other constantly and relentlessly. I rehomed the dominant male and got 2 females and much better.
Theyre also very difficult to sex.

This may help
View attachment 102503

Thank you very much! This is super helpful and I have edited the list accordingly.