Let's pretend I've never done this.

[mhoward1999]

Hi! I am not really a newbie, been doing tropicals for 15 years, but I am in a rut. I would like some fresh ideas. I'm looking to stock a 10 gal tank that already has two male fantail guppies. I raised them from babies. If memory serves (which is debatable ) they are about 2.5 years old. I have not been able to find accurate info about the lifespan of guppies so I don't know if they are old or not. I would appreciate ideas on what to put with them to create an attractive tank. If possible, could you state whether suggested fish are top, middle, or bottom dwellers? Also, I am thinking about an African Dwarf frog to put in, too, but I hear that they need to be in groups of three. I don't want them to dominate the tank. What do ya'll think? TIA!

 

[wrs]

red waggle platys. their really brite and pretty. i have some and they swim all over. i think their supposed 2 b etop but id say middle, thats were they are mostly.

 

[Lenna]

Is the tank as old as the guppies? If so it is established enough for tetras. A small school of neons (at least 6) would look really cool, these would do for the middle. For the bottom a few cories would be nice, 3 smaller ones like pandas or pygmies would do well.

 

[tstenback]

How about a pair of dwarf gouramis...top/middle... and a trio of cories...bottom.

 

[mhoward1999]

Thanks for the ideas. I thought gouramis were semi-aggressive? I am off to research cories. I have had one in my life. He was a spaz, and launcehd himself out of my tank (It was in the 29, my ten has one of those generic eclipse type hoods that completely seals of the tank.). I found him months later UNDER the cabinet. (I share my classroom with a church and thought maybe he had died and someone thought they were being helpful by removing him.) My tank has a hood, but it has the cutout in the back for a filter, and that's the only place from which he could have escaped. Anyone else have more ideas? Anybody know about the lifespan of guppies?

Edited to add: The tank has been set up for about a year. It is completely cycled. However, I have not had good luck with neons. Every time I have had them, which is three or four, they get a disease where their bellies bloat up. I have unsuccessfully treated them for dropsy and used the broad spectrum stuff that should have fixed anything, all with no success. We have very hard water. Straight out of the tap it's: GH 13 and pH is 8.0. Could that be it?

 

[J_acon]

Guppies life span range from 1.5 to 3 years on average, it really depends on how well u feed then and keep them.

For fish and their levels i found this website when i was stocking a tank.

Link

 

[mhoward1999]

Thanks, J_acon, that's an awesome link. I will have to research those fish. Anybody know about upside down catfishes?

 

[tstenback]

Here is a link for some quick info also the main site where this is from is awesome for info on all catfish Upside Down HTH

 

[mhoward1999]

Thanks. Will check it out.

This info may be pertinent to your suggestions, I have posted it under a different topic, but in hindsite maybe I should have put it here. Anyhow, my water is really hard and has a high pH. It's GH:13 and pH 8.0, straight from the tap.

 

[J_acon]

Welcome

As for your new question, i have never seen them in my life but the books got this name

Synodontis nigriventris, good luck