Help With Stocking Please? (Kinda Long - Sorry!)

[Ochecom]

Hi! Please be gentle as I am new to the fish world. The closest I've come to being a fish enthusiast is buying a feeder fish for my turtle, dumping it in, having a panic attack, fishing it out (pun intended) and them running back to the store in tears asking them to 'put it back.' So ya i currently own two turtles in a 75 gal so I somewhat understand the whole lighting, heating, cycling process... I'm moving to college (just 15 minutes from my house - gotta care for my turtles!) And they allow a 10 gallon tank... I could probably get away with 15 any who I have NO CLUE what fish mingle well with others and I really don't want a ton of guppies breeding and being unhappy and crammed. Could you please give me an example of fish I could put it? I.E. 1 ___, 1 ____ etc.
My peramiters are
1. 10 gallons.
2. Freshwater (heated or cold)
3. Preferably okay with snails
4. Very NON agressive
5. I would like an understocked tank.. if I COULD get 10, I would like 4 so they're happiest (assuming this makes them happy??)
Sorry this is so long. I tried to do research for quite awhile (2 months?) And I can't seem to get a straight answer on fish types with other fish types. Please try to help me out lol! Thanks

 

[SherLar]

   Not a lot you can do with a 10G in terms of a variety of fish. Guppies, as you mentioned, are very colorful, and if you stick to males, you won't have an issue with breeding. Guppy males are where the color is anyway. Guppies and most other live-bearers prefer hard water with a fairly base (high) PH.
   There are several small, colorful tetras on the market that would do fine in a small tank. Just try to get them in small groups, as tetras are a gregarious fish. (Please stay away from glofish tetras though. Modifying them so they glow is a cruel practice)
   If you want a variety of color, you can put 1 male betta in with several females (3-4 max). They would likely breed for you as easily as guppies, but the betta breeding process is more fun to watch.
   All of these fish need heated water. If you want an unheated tank, you could go with a small group of white clouds, or probably a single fancy gold fish. A gold fish probably won't leave snails alone though.

 

[Far_King]

I was going to suggest a Betta.  I would be careful with adding in any females without a sorority tank to be able to move them to.
 
A Betta, some shrimp perhaps and snails would do fine.  They can be real characters too.

 

[Ochecom]

Not a lot you can do with a 10G in terms of a variety of fish. Guppies, as you mentioned, are very colorful, and if you stick to males, you won't have an issue with breeding. Guppy males are where the color is anyway. Guppies and most other live-bearers prefer hard water with a fairly base (high) PH.
   There are several small, colorful tetras on the market that would do fine in a small tank. Just try to get them in small groups, as tetras are a gregarious fish. (Please stay away from glofish tetras though. Modifying them so they glow is a cruel practice)
   If you want a variety of color, you can put 1 male betta in with several females (3-4 max). They would likely breed for you as easily as guppies, but the betta breeding process is more fun to watch.
   All of these fish need heated water. If you want an unheated tank, you could go with a small group of white clouds, or probably a single fancy gold fish. A gold fish probably won't leave snails alone though.

So its OKAY to have multiple bettas? If I had one male and say one female they would have no chance of fightng? Do you think the male would pressure the female for mating and such? Also, what kind of tank do bettas like? You often see them in tiny plant jars, but do they like tunnels and hidingplants? Also I've read about bettas nipping at snails and dwarf frogs.. true or un true? If thy did mate, does the male eat the fry like guppies? If a male was produced and grew up would the dad fight with it also? Sorry for all the questions, just looking for a reliable source..

 

[Blough]

4. Very NON agressive
 

How important is that? I was going to suggest a betta as well, because it fits all the other criteria.
You could put some tetras in there, the ones I'm familiar with like schools of about 4-6, and aren't aggressive.
Dwarf gouramis are cool, and are docile to most fish, but don't put two gouramis in the same tank together.
Don't go for goldfish or common plecos, they can't thrive in ten-gallons, no matter how much the LFS tells you they can.
good luck! 

 

[Blough]

 

Not a lot you can do with a 10G in terms of a variety of fish. Guppies, as you mentioned, are very colorful, and if you stick to males, you won't have an issue with breeding. Guppy males are where the color is anyway. Guppies and most other live-bearers prefer hard water with a fairly base (high) PH.
   There are several small, colorful tetras on the market that would do fine in a small tank. Just try to get them in small groups, as tetras are a gregarious fish. (Please stay away from glofish tetras though. Modifying them so they glow is a cruel practice)
   If you want a variety of color, you can put 1 male betta in with several females (3-4 max). They would likely breed for you as easily as guppies, but the betta breeding process is more fun to watch.
   All of these fish need heated water. If you want an unheated tank, you could go with a small group of white clouds, or probably a single fancy gold fish. A gold fish probably won't leave snails alone though.

So its OKAY to have multiple bettas? If I had one male and say one female they would have no chance of fightng? Do you think the male would pressure the female for mating and such? Also, what kind of tank do bettas like? You often see them in tiny plant jars, but do they like tunnels and hidingplants? Also I've read about bettas nipping at snails and dwarf frogs.. true or un true? If thy did mate, does the male eat the fry like guppies? If a male was produced and grew up would the dad fight with it also? Sorry for all the questions, just looking for a reliable source..
 

First question: Don't go for multiple bettas in the same tank. I've read where people say okay to have multiple bettas, but I've heard its really hard to do and can only be done with females. Wouldn't suggest it because you need a larger tank then ten gallons, and if this is your first tank you probably lack necessary experience. Keep them in separate tanks.
second question: no, I would not put a male in with a female. Don't put males in with any fish that look colorful or similar to a betta. When they aren't breeding they're fighting.
third question: bettas like tanks about 5-10 gallons (larger doesn't hurt) without a lot of water flow and with plenty of hiding spots. Ideal temperature is about 78F, and don't go for the tiny plant jars. Bettas cannot survive off the roots of a plant, they need protein found in betta pellets at the store, they starve in tiny plant jars. Tiny plant jars don't offer bettas enough space to move, the water is unfiltered and deadly, and the water is too cold for the betta to be comfortable. Betta jars are inhumane and are the result of people not doing research before owning a pet.
fourth question: I think that a male betta would eat his babies, most fish do at some point. 
Fifth question: if a son miraculously survived in the tank to be old enough that his father wouldn't kill him he and his father would probably fight. Fish don't remember their parents, and their parents don't remember them so they show no favoritism to their offspring.
Go for one betta per tank, and your odds are far greater, especially where you can only have one tank at college so you can't separate fighting fish.

 

[Ochecom]

Not a lot you can do with a 10G in terms of a variety of fish. Guppies, as you mentioned, are very colorful, and if you stick to males, you won't have an issue with breeding. Guppy males are where the color is anyway. Guppies and most other live-bearers prefer hard water with a fairly base (high) PH.
   There are several small, colorful tetras on the market that would do fine in a small tank. Just try to get them in small groups, as tetras are a gregarious fish. (Please stay away from glofish tetras though. Modifying them so they glow is a cruel practice)
   If you want a variety of color, you can put 1 male betta in with several females (3-4 max). They would likely breed for you as easily as guppies, but the betta breeding process is more fun to watch.
   All of these fish need heated water. If you want an unheated tank, you could go with a small group of white clouds, or probably a single fancy gold fish. A gold fish probably won't leave snails alone though.

So its OKAY to have multiple bettas? If I had one male and say one female they would have no chance of fightng? Do you think the male would pressure the female for mating and such? Also, what kind of tank do bettas like? You often see them in tiny plant jars, but do they like tunnels and hidingplants? Also I've read about bettas nipping at snails and dwarf frogs.. true or un true? If thy did mate, does the male eat the fry like guppies? If a male was produced and grew up would the dad fight with it also? Sorry for all the questions, just looking for a reliable source..

First question: Don't go for multiple bettas in the same tank. I've read where people say okay to have multiple bettas, but I've heard its really hard to do and can only be done with females. Wouldn't suggest it because you need a larger tank then ten gallons, and if this is your first tank you probably lack necessary experience. Keep them in separate tanks.
second question: no, I would not put a male in with a female. Don't put males in with any fish that look colorful or similar to a betta. When they aren't breeding they're fighting.
third question: bettas like tanks about 5-10 gallons (larger doesn't hurt) without a lot of water flow and with plenty of hiding spots. Ideal temperature is about 78F, and don't go for the tiny plant jars. Bettas cannot survive off the roots of a plant, they need protein found in betta pellets at the store, they starve in tiny plant jars. Tiny plant jars don't offer bettas enough space to move, the water is unfiltered and deadly, and the water is too cold for the betta to be comfortable. Betta jars are inhumane and are the result of people not doing research before owning a pet.
fourth question: I think that a male betta would eat his babies, most fish do at some point. 
Fifth question: if a son miraculously survived in the tank to be old enough that his father wouldn't kill him he and his father would probably fight. Fish don't remember their parents, and their parents don't remember them so they show no favoritism to their offspring.
Go for one betta per tank, and your odds are far greater, especially where you can only have one tank at college so you can't separate fighting fish.
Thanks for answering! Like I said (I think I said...) I hAve two turtles in a 75 and am very familiar with the whole heating, filtration 'size matters' subjects and would never think about putting a fish in a vase, I was just making sure that 10 gal is an acceptable size. Non agressive is an important thing and I wouldn't mind having just one beta but I really was looking forward to snails.. (I was actually thinking about just a snail tank but decided fish would make it a better ecosystem and such) I've seen and read things about bettas attacking snails... what's the possibility of this? I don't have room to seperated a snail and a fish lol! Would it be safer to get a female beta with the snail? Tooling "what's the odds of a fish fighting with a snail" doesn't come up with much...

 

[Far_King]

A Betta and snails will be fine together.

 

[Blough]

 

 

 

Not a lot you can do with a 10G in terms of a variety of fish. Guppies, as you mentioned, are very colorful, and if you stick to males, you won't have an issue with breeding. Guppy males are where the color is anyway. Guppies and most other live-bearers prefer hard water with a fairly base (high) PH.
   There are several small, colorful tetras on the market that would do fine in a small tank. Just try to get them in small groups, as tetras are a gregarious fish. (Please stay away from glofish tetras though. Modifying them so they glow is a cruel practice)
   If you want a variety of color, you can put 1 male betta in with several females (3-4 max). They would likely breed for you as easily as guppies, but the betta breeding process is more fun to watch.
   All of these fish need heated water. If you want an unheated tank, you could go with a small group of white clouds, or probably a single fancy gold fish. A gold fish probably won't leave snails alone though.

So its OKAY to have multiple bettas? If I had one male and say one female they would have no chance of fightng? Do you think the male would pressure the female for mating and such? Also, what kind of tank do bettas like? You often see them in tiny plant jars, but do they like tunnels and hidingplants? Also I've read about bettas nipping at snails and dwarf frogs.. true or un true? If thy did mate, does the male eat the fry like guppies? If a male was produced and grew up would the dad fight with it also? Sorry for all the questions, just looking for a reliable source..

First question: Don't go for multiple bettas in the same tank. I've read where people say okay to have multiple bettas, but I've heard its really hard to do and can only be done with females. Wouldn't suggest it because you need a larger tank then ten gallons, and if this is your first tank you probably lack necessary experience. Keep them in separate tanks.
second question: no, I would not put a male in with a female. Don't put males in with any fish that look colorful or similar to a betta. When they aren't breeding they're fighting.
third question: bettas like tanks about 5-10 gallons (larger doesn't hurt) without a lot of water flow and with plenty of hiding spots. Ideal temperature is about 78F, and don't go for the tiny plant jars. Bettas cannot survive off the roots of a plant, they need protein found in betta pellets at the store, they starve in tiny plant jars. Tiny plant jars don't offer bettas enough space to move, the water is unfiltered and deadly, and the water is too cold for the betta to be comfortable. Betta jars are inhumane and are the result of people not doing research before owning a pet.
fourth question: I think that a male betta would eat his babies, most fish do at some point. 
Fifth question: if a son miraculously survived in the tank to be old enough that his father wouldn't kill him he and his father would probably fight. Fish don't remember their parents, and their parents don't remember them so they show no favoritism to their offspring.
Go for one betta per tank, and your odds are far greater, especially where you can only have one tank at college so you can't separate fighting fish.

Thanks for answering! Like I said (I think I said...) I hAve two turtles in a 75 and am very familiar with the whole heating, filtration 'size matters' subjects and would never think about putting a fish in a vase, I was just making sure that 10 gal is an acceptable size. Non agressive is an important thing and I wouldn't mind having just one beta but I really was looking forward to snails.. (I was actually thinking about just a snail tank but decided fish would make it a better ecosystem and such) I've seen and read things about bettas attacking snails... what's the possibility of this? I don't have room to seperated a snail and a fish lol! Would it be safer to get a female beta with the snail? Tooling "what's the odds of a fish fighting with a snail" doesn't come up with much...
 


I once accidentally got a pond snail in my betta tank from another tank, probably came over on filter media or a decoration, and my betta acted like it wasn't there. I never saw any aggression or even interest in the snail. I've killed the snail since then, and haven't seen any more.

 

[Jeremy180]

If this sort of thing is to your liking, you could have room for a whole collection of snail types in addition to your betta, who  by himself will only take up about a quarter of  a mature 10 gallon tank's capacity.
Depending on if the beta tolerates it, you might be able to add an amano shrimp for variety.
Just be sure to properly cycle your tank before adding any animals.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first/
Also, all of these animals will benifit from lots of cover/ hiding places, especially in the form of real or fake plants.

 

[Ochecom]

If this sort of thing is to your liking, you could have room for a whole collection of snail types in addition to your betta, who  by himself will only take up about a quarter of  a mature 10 gallon tank's capacity.
Depending on if the beta tolerates it, you might be able to add an amano shrimp for variety.
Just be sure to properly cycle your tank before adding any animals.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first/
Also, all of these animals will benifit from lots of cover/ hiding places, especially in the form of real or fake plants.

Thanks for the input!I'm actually leaning towards a little school (shoal?) Of pygmy corydoras (atleast 8) 1 or 2 snails and 2 or 3 cherry shrimp let me know what you think?

 

[Byron]

I just came to this thread, and note it seems identical (same topic) as your other one here
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/440647-stock-my-10-gal/
 
It is best to keep a topic confined to one thread.  That way everyone sees all the posts and you get a better answer.  As has happened here, we have different members in the two threads.
 
Byron.

 

[Ochecom]

I believe I posted this one first and it wasn't getting too many answers, that's why I made a second. Then they both got answers - whoops

 

[Munroco]

 

If this sort of thing is to your liking, you could have room for a whole collection of snail types in addition to your betta, who  by himself will only take up about a quarter of  a mature 10 gallon tank's capacity.
Depending on if the beta tolerates it, you might be able to add an amano shrimp for variety.
Just be sure to properly cycle your tank before adding any animals.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first/
Also, all of these animals will benifit from lots of cover/ hiding places, especially in the form of real or fake plants.

Thanks for the input!I'm actually leaning towards a little school (shoal?) Of pygmy corydoras (atleast 8) 1 or 2 snails and 2 or 3 cherry shrimp let me know what you think?
 

That would work fine as long as you had a sandy substrate for the cories. You could probably add a shoal of something small like ember tetras to use the upper part of the tank

 

[Jeremy180]

 

 

If this sort of thing is to your liking, you could have room for a whole collection of snail types in addition to your betta, who  by himself will only take up about a quarter of  a mature 10 gallon tank's capacity.
Depending on if the beta tolerates it, you might be able to add an amano shrimp for variety.
Just be sure to properly cycle your tank before adding any animals.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first/
Also, all of these animals will benifit from lots of cover/ hiding places, especially in the form of real or fake plants.

Thanks for the input!I'm actually leaning towards a little school (shoal?) Of pygmy corydoras (atleast 8) 1 or 2 snails and 2 or 3 cherry shrimp let me know what you think?
 

That would work fine as long as you had a sandy substrate for the cories. You could probably add a shoal of something small like ember tetras to use the upper part of the tank
 


I was actually thinking something similar, but was worried about that being too much bioload, considering the original poster may want to include mystery snails.
Am I being over-cautious here?
Incidentally for the original poster, betas and shrimp are considered a gamble.
larger species like the amanos and ghost shrimp have better odds than the dwarf species, but even then it doesn't always work.