How big should the tank be for these?

[jprb]

Hi guys,

I'd like to buy a tank to display the following:

Betta (Male) x1
Guppies (Males) x5
Red Crystal Shrimps x5
Cherry Shrimps x5
Kuhli Loach 1x (or maybe x2)

How big should the tank be for these?
If I get a 10 gallon tank, should I do any changes to my list (quantity or species)?
Any suggestions or comments about my choices?

I thank you very much for all the help.

Best,

JP

 

[Essjay]

There are some problems with your list I'm afraid.

Bettas are not community fish and should be kept alone. A tank of 5 gallons or above is fine for 1 betta.

You have both hard (guppies) and soft (kuhlis and crystal shrimps) water fish on your list. One or other would not be happy depending on your tap water hardness.

The first thing to do is find out how hard your tap water is. The place to start is on your water provider's website - if they give your hardness you need a number and the unit of measurement as there are several units they could use.
Once you know the hardness, we'll be able to help you refine your wish list.

As for tank size, with hard water, 10 gallons is just about OK for guppies if it is at least 18 inches/45 cm long. But bigger is better. And only males as mixed males and females will produce too many fry. Even females only will have fry for up to a year if they've ever been in a tank with males as they can carry sperm.
Kuhlis need a bigger tank, at least 24 inches/60 cm long, and they need sand rather than gravel as they like to bury themselves.

 

[seangee]

Also shrimp in the same tank as a beta have a 50/50 chance of becoming food

 

[CassCats]

And kuhlis need 6 or more to be happy

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I concur with all the above. @essjay explained it perfectly.

I have kept shrimp with bettas before, but he was super chill. Most bettas are not... you will just have to test the temperament of the betta before/when you get it.

We are not trying to be mean or condemn you, we are just trying to help.

 

[Essjay]

The shrimp won't interbreed as cherries and crystal shrimps are different species, but they do have different water requirements.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

The shrimp won't interbreed as cherries and crystal shrimps are different species, but they do have different water requirements.

I thought they would sometimes interbreed?

 

[Bub]

Cherry shrimp are Neocaridina davidi, crystal shrimp are Caridina cantonensis. Different species from a different genus, they can't breed. Different species of Neocaridina can interbreed, but not across genera.

 

[Essjay]

Pheonix, are you thinking of rili shrimps? These are striped like crystal shrimps but they are a colour form of cherry shrimp, Neocaridina davidi.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Pheonix, are you thinking of rili shrimps? These are striped like crystal shrimps but they are a colour form of cherry shrimp, Neocaridina davidi.

Yes, I was thinking of Rili Shrimp, silly me...

(I’ll remove what I said from my post)

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I thought they would sometimes interbreed?

You're thinking of people mixing say, red cherry shrimp and blue diamond in the same tank. Both neocaridina davidii so they can interbreed, they're just different colour morphs, so if you mix the reds and the blues, or the reds and the yellows, the colours mix and eventually the colony reverts to the wild type colouration. Crystal shrimp are a different species that can't cross breed with neocaridinas And as others have said, have different water parameters requirements.

Caridina species are seen as a little more difficult since they need more precise water parameters, while neocaridina also need stable parameters, but can adjust to a wider range.

 

[Keenamoss]

Hi guys,

I'd like to buy a tank to display the following:

Betta (Male) x1
Guppies (Males) x5
Red Crystal Shrimps x5
Cherry Shrimps x5
Kuhli Loach 1x (or maybe x2)

How big should the tank be for these?
If I get a 10 gallon tank, should I do any changes to my list (quantity or species)?
Any suggestions or comments about my choices?

I thank you very much for all the help.

Best,

JP

This is the kind of set up I originally envisioned for my 130L tank lol. Ten gallons seems so small plus guppies can sometimes be bright and long finned like bettas can't they? My understanding is that bettas are more likely to feel threatened/aggressive and defensive towards things that look like them, so would be more likely to fight them. They're meant to be chill towards tiny things like cardinal or neon tetras, who look very similar to a type of rasbora they share the same natural habitat with. Also harlequin rasboras are meant to be a great match. They are super small but need to be in a school to feel safe so, definitely a bigger tank. The bigger the better as long as you have lots of plants and woods/hiding spots.

 

[Keenamoss]

I am still definitely learning myself, I think I started round about here:

 

[Essjay]

Don't believe everything you see on the internet. Anyone can set up a website or post a video with little knowledge, unfortunately

 

[Keenamoss]

Obviously these are just some starting points, bur if you're interested, take a look:

Betta Tank Mates: 30+ Fish That Can Live With Bettas

Do you want to know about all the different betta tank mates you can keep? Here's a list of fish that can live with bettas!

www.bettacarefishguide.com

18+ Great Tank Mates For Betta Fish - Build Your Aquarium

At some point, most betta fish owners have wondered if they could keep their betta with other fish. Bettas are ... Read more

www.buildyouraquarium.com

10 Safe Betta Fish Tank Mates & Companions | Bettafish.org

Betta fish can have tank mates with the right size aquarium and care. Learn about 10 different fish that can live with betta fish as friendly companions.

bettafish.org

50 Betta Fish Tank Mates: Compatibility List

The betta fish, or Siamese fighting fish, is one of the most popular fish in the aquarium hobby. Their aggressive behavior has been selectively bred for, hence the name "fighting fish". Most betta fish are

www.fishkeepingworld.com