New 10 Gallon Tank Stocking

[elowyn]

Hi everyone!

I have been wanting to start a 10-gallon tank setup for a while now. The equipment I have as of right now are (mostly from Amazon) Seachem Fish Tank Stabilizer for freshwater aquariums, Seachem Prime Freshwater Conditioner, Seachem StressGuard Slime Coat Protection - Stress and Toxic Ammonia Reducer, IREENUO Aquarium Air Pump, NICREW Fish Tank Clip-on Aquarium Light, BOEESPAT Aquarium Heater, Submersible Aquarium Internal Filter, Freshwater Aquarium Test Kit, and Fluval Plant/Shrimp Stratum. I am waiting to purchase decorations in store so I can pick the correct ones (most of the reviews on Amazon claimed that the decorations were too sharp and were ripping fish fins) and live plants based on which fish I choose for the tank. If there is anything I may be missing out of this list, please let me know!! I plan to let the tank cycle for 4-6 weeks and testing the water before adding any fish.

I've done some research on different fish options for a ten-gallon tank. I am worried about having too many fish for the size of the 10-gallon tank and the requirements of grouping for specific types of fish (like schooling fish? you know when there is supposed to be a certain amount of them together to be happy).

I am interested in getting ghost shrimp with all of these options. However, I have no idea how many ghost shrimp you are supposed to/can have together!! I have also read that they can live up to a year- but sometimes just die. How many ghost shrimp would you suggest getting?

The first group option is common mollies, dwarf gouramis, and ghost shrimp. I have read that they can get along, but I believe that they swim at the same level in the tank. If this were a good match, how many of each? One article suggested four common mollies and two dwarf gouramis, but is that amount too many in a ten-gallon?

The second group option is dwarf gouramis, otocinclus catfish, and ghost shrimp. This was also a grouping suggestion, like 2 dwarf gouramis and 4 otocinclus catfish. Is that too many? And the Otocinclus catfish and ghost shrimp are on the same level- at the bottom of the tank. Will they compete with each other or will the catfish kill the ghost shrimp?

The third group options were female platy (I read males were aggressive and they reproduce very quickly- I am not interested in breeding. Can you only have females or should there be one male?) with gouramis OR mollies, and ghost shrimp. Any suggestions on this match-up?

This is what I have accumulated from different articles I have read, completely okay to tell me if all that is wrong! What would you suggest? Are one type of schooling fish and ghost shrimp preferable, if so, what kind? ....and how many ghost shrimp can be in a community tank??? I have read up to 50- that seems like a very full party!

Thank you for taking the time to answer! I am just trying to become as knowledgeable as possible to set up a good tank and am a beginner for anything over 5 gallons. (I've only ever had a singular beta fish before!)

-Elowyn

 

[Madisonkeug]

Hi everyone!

I have been wanting to start a 10-gallon tank setup for a while now. The equipment I have as of right now are (mostly from Amazon) Seachem Fish Tank Stabilizer for freshwater aquariums, Seachem Prime Freshwater Conditioner, Seachem StressGuard Slime Coat Protection - Stress and Toxic Ammonia Reducer, IREENUO Aquarium Air Pump, NICREW Fish Tank Clip-on Aquarium Light, BOEESPAT Aquarium Heater, Submersible Aquarium Internal Filter, Freshwater Aquarium Test Kit, and Fluval Plant/Shrimp Stratum. I am waiting to purchase decorations in store so I can pick the correct ones (most of the reviews on Amazon claimed that the decorations were too sharp and were ripping fish fins) and live plants based on which fish I choose for the tank. If there is anything I may be missing out of this list, please let me know!! I plan to let the tank cycle for 4-6 weeks and testing the water before adding any fish.

I've done some research on different fish options for a ten-gallon tank. I am worried about having too many fish for the size of the 10-gallon tank and the requirements of grouping for specific types of fish (like schooling fish? you know when there is supposed to be a certain amount of them together to be happy).

I am interested in getting ghost shrimp with all of these options. However, I have no idea how many ghost shrimp you are supposed to/can have together!! I have also read that they can live up to a year- but sometimes just die. How many ghost shrimp would you suggest getting?

The first group option is common mollies, dwarf gouramis, and ghost shrimp. I have read that they can get along, but I believe that they swim at the same level in the tank. If this were a good match, how many of each? One article suggested four common mollies and two dwarf gouramis, but is that amount too many in a ten-gallon?

The second group option is dwarf gouramis, otocinclus catfish, and ghost shrimp. This was also a grouping suggestion, like 2 dwarf gouramis and 4 otocinclus catfish. Is that too many? And the Otocinclus catfish and ghost shrimp are on the same level- at the bottom of the tank. Will they compete with each other or will the catfish kill the ghost shrimp?

The third group options were female platy (I read males were aggressive and they reproduce very quickly- I am not interested in breeding. Can you only have females or should there be one male?) with gouramis OR mollies, and ghost shrimp. Any suggestions on this match-up?

This is what I have accumulated from different articles I have read, completely okay to tell me if all that is wrong! What would you suggest? Are one type of schooling fish and ghost shrimp preferable, if so, what kind? ....and how many ghost shrimp can be in a community tank??? I have read up to 50- that seems like a very full party!

Thank you for taking the time to answer! I am just trying to become as knowledgeable as possible to set up a good tank and am a beginner for anything over 5 gallons. (I've only ever had a singular beta fish before!)

-Elowyn

Okay lots to unpack... for starters in a 10 gal you should keep only 1 gourami (dwarf, three spot) or a couple of the smaller breeds (sparkling, honey, etc) Gouramis prefer softer water at a temp ranging between 74-82° F from my understanding right in the middle is best. However mollies and live bearers prefer harder water and prefer the lower end of that temp range. They also occupy the same level of the water... Gouramis (especially males) are territorial and can get nippy and tend to chase other fish around if they feel stressed so they need a heavily planted tank (that they can snack on) and lots of hiding places (hard to accomplish in a 10gal). I would say that these should not pair well together...

Secondly shrimp can be quite sensitive to water conditions making them harder to keep in smaller tanks, however it can be done! Depending on what fish you put in the tank with them you should chose your shrimp because they have to match the water perm. Fish that harder water (like livebearers) should go with shrimp that thrive in harder water. Also depending on weather you buy your shrimp at a chain store (mr. pets, petsmart, petco etc) their “ghost shrimp” can actually just be a whole cluster of different translucent species of shrimp so I would do my research on where you are planning on purchasing those.

Another factor that would play a role in this is what is your tap water like? Where I live my tap water is very very soft and so I tend to do well with soft water fish / invertebrates rather than having to supplement my water after every water change (although I do add crushed coral to all my tanks) . If you have hard water or do not mind having to supplement with minerals etc I would go with the 4 platys and 4 mollies mix with maybe 10 shrimp to start with Just keep on top of your water changes and watch the Ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels and this would play out to be a good tank With lots of action and colours that you could really make look good!

 

[elowyn]

Okay lots to unpack... for starters in a 10 gal you should keep only 1 gourami (dwarf, three spot) or a couple of the smaller breeds (sparkling, honey, etc) Gouramis prefer softer water at a temp ranging between 74-82° F from my understanding right in the middle is best. However mollies and live bearers prefer harder water and prefer the lower end of that temp range. They also occupy the same level of the water... Gouramis (especially males) are territorial and can get nippy and tend to chase other fish around if they feel stressed so they need a heavily planted tank (that they can snack on) and lots of hiding places (hard to accomplish in a 10gal). I would say that these should not pair well together...

Secondly shrimp can be quite sensitive to water conditions making them harder to keep in smaller tanks, however it can be done! Depending on what fish you put in the tank with them you should chose your shrimp because they have to match the water perm. Fish that harder water (like livebearers) should go with shrimp that thrive in harder water. Also depending on weather you buy your shrimp at a chain store (mr. pets, petsmart, petco etc) their “ghost shrimp” can actually just be a whole cluster of different translucent species of shrimp so I would do my research on where you are planning on purchasing those.

Another factor that would play a role in this is what is your tap water like? Where I live my tap water is very very soft and so I tend to do well with soft water fish / invertebrates rather than having to supplement my water after every water change (although I do add crushed coral to all my tanks) . If you have hard water or do not mind having to supplement with minerals etc I would go with the 4 platys and 4 mollies mix with maybe 10 shrimp to start with Just keep on top of your water changes and watch the Ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels and this would play out to be a good tank With lots of action and colours that you could really make look good!

Thank you so so much!!! You have no idea how much I appreciate it- I do not plan on stocking with anything for over another month, I am just afraid of diving in headfirst and making a devastating mistake! I am sorry there are a bunch of questions, haha. Some of the articles were throwing my brain for a loop, per that some fish were excellent together but they were also schooling fish, requiring a certain amount of their own to feel safe. Then I had no idea of how many you could put together!

At home I have well water, which I have read can be a bit iffy because there can be certain things hiding in it? I have a water testing kit as well and plan to fully cycle the tank and test it before adding any fish/shrimp.

I love your idea of the platys and shrimp! Wonderful color!! For the platys, would you suggest one male three female? I am planning on purchasing the shrimp online or at the two pretty credible pet stores about an hour away. I am just afraid they will die in transit if I purchase online!

Thank you!!

 

[Essjay]

The first thing is to do is find out how hard your water is. Some fish need soft water while others need hard water, For example, gouramis are soft water while platies are hard water fish.

Is your well water tested? If it is, look at the report to see if it contains hardness. If not, you can either buy a GH tester or take a sample of your tap water to a fish store and ask them to test GH. Make sure they give you a number.

 

[elowyn]

The first thing is to do is find out how hard your water is. Some fish need soft water while others need hard water, For example, gouramis are soft water while platies are hard water fish.

Is your well water tested? If it is, look at the report to see if it contains hardness. If not, you can either buy a GH tester or take a sample of your tap water to a fish store and ask them to test GH. Make sure they give you a number.

I'll have to get back to you on that, but I do not think it is hard water. I'll be sure to ask my dad! ? He can test it

 

[Madisonkeug]

Thank you so so much!!! You have no idea how much I appreciate it- I do not plan on stocking with anything for over another month, I am just afraid of diving in headfirst and making a devastating mistake! I am sorry there are a bunch of questions, haha. Some of the articles were throwing my brain for a loop, per that some fish were excellent together but they were also schooling fish, requiring a certain amount of their own to feel safe. Then I had no idea of how many you could put together!

At home I have well water, which I have read can be a bit iffy because there can be certain things hiding in it? I have a water testing kit as well and plan to fully cycle the tank and test it before adding any fish/shrimp.

I love your idea of the platys and shrimp! Wonderful color!! For the platys, would you suggest one male three female? I am planning on purchasing the shrimp online or at the two pretty credible pet stores about an hour away. I am just afraid they will die in transit if I purchase online!

Thank you!

Thank you so so much!!! You have no idea how much I appreciate it- I do not plan on stocking with anything for over another month, I am just afraid of diving in headfirst and making a devastating mistake! I am sorry there are a bunch of questions, haha. Some of the articles were throwing my brain for a loop, per that some fish were excellent together but they were also schooling fish, requiring a certain amount of their own to feel safe. Then I had no idea of how many you could put together!

At home I have well water, which I have read can be a bit iffy because there can be certain things hiding in it? I have a water testing kit as well and plan to fully cycle the tank and test it before adding any fish/shrimp.

I love your idea of the platys and shrimp! Wonderful color!! For the platys, would you suggest one male three female? I am planning on purchasing the shrimp online or at the two pretty credible pet stores about an hour away. I am just afraid they will die in transit if I purchase online!

Thank you

The first thing is to do is find out how hard your water is. Some fish need soft water while others need hard water, For example, gouramis are soft water while platies are hard water fish.

Is your well water tested? If it is, look at the report to see if it contains hardness. If not, you can either buy a GH tester or take a sample of your tap water to a fish store and ask them to test GH. Make sure they give you a number.

Yeah that would be my first step before actually deciding on any fish yet!

 

[OliveFish05]

I am not very good with stocking, but I DO know that gourami like densely planted tanks! With your substrate, you could totally have some plants! I would not purchase fake plants, as like you said, some can be rough on fins. Some rocks, driftwood, and plants will give you a very natural looking tank, which the fish benefit greatly from!

Different fish have different water hardness needs. You can take a sample of your water to your LFS (local fish store) and figure out your GH (general hardness) which will determine which fish you can keep!

Gourami like soft water, as do most kinds of tetras and Cory catfish. Because you want ghost Shrimp, I have heard that they do better with things that may eat them, as they dont have all the bright colors like cherry shrimp! But you would still want to provide lots of plants for them to hide

You could keep a single dwarf gourami or a trio of Sparkling Gourami in your tank size, along with something small like green Neon tetras. I would start out with about a dozen shrimp, see if they get eaten, if they don’t they may breed (not sure about ghost shrimp, but I know that is how it is with cherry shrimp)


ALSO, Welcome!!! I am from VA tooo!

 

[elowyn]

I am not very good with stocking, but I DO know that gourami like densely planted tanks! With your substrate, you could totally have some plants! I would not purchase fake plants, as like you said, some can be rough on fins. Some rocks, driftwood, and plants will give you a very natural looking tank, which the fish benefit greatly from!

Different fish have different water hardness needs. You can take a sample of your water to your LFS (local fish store) and figure out your GH (general hardness) which will determine which fish you can keep!

Gourami like soft water, as do most kinds of tetras and Cory catfish. Because you want ghost Shrimp, I have heard that they do better with things that may eat them, as they dont have all the bright colors like cherry shrimp! But you would still want to provide lots of plants for them to hide

You could keep a single dwarf gourami or a trio of Sparkling Gourami in your tank size, along with something small like green Neon tetras. I would start out with about a dozen shrimp, see if they get eaten, if they don’t they may breed (not sure about ghost shrimp, but I know that is how it is with cherry shrimp)


ALSO, Welcome!!! I am from VA tooo!

Thank you so much!! I am planning on getting live plants! I used to have a beta in a smaller tank with fake plants for a long time, but I did have some fake plants and they tore their fins. No good! I will definitely grab a tester off of Amazon if we don't already have one!

 

[OliveFish05]

Thank you so much!! I am planning on getting live plants! I used to have a beta in a smaller tank with fake plants for a long time, but I did have some fake plants and they tore their fins. No good! I will definitely grab a tester off of Amazon if we don't already have one!

Awww! My sisters had that problem with their bettas too, until I helped the, pick out better plants! If you don’t have a GH test, there is no need to buy one really. You can go to your Local fish store and they can do it for you! Mine did

 

[FloridaChick]

Okay lots to unpack... for starters in a 10 gal you should keep only 1 gourami (dwarf, three spot) or a couple of the smaller breeds (sparkling, honey, etc) Gouramis prefer softer water at a temp ranging between 74-82° F from my understanding right in the middle is best. However mollies and live bearers prefer harder water and prefer the lower end of that temp range. They also occupy the same level of the water... Gouramis (especially males) are territorial and can get nippy and tend to chase other fish around if they feel stressed so they need a heavily planted tank (that they can snack on) and lots of hiding places (hard to accomplish in a 10gal). I would say that these should not pair well together...

Secondly shrimp can be quite sensitive to water conditions making them harder to keep in smaller tanks, however it can be done! Depending on what fish you put in the tank with them you should chose your shrimp because they have to match the water perm. Fish that harder water (like livebearers) should go with shrimp that thrive in harder water. Also depending on weather you buy your shrimp at a chain store (mr. pets, petsmart, petco etc) their “ghost shrimp” can actually just be a whole cluster of different translucent species of shrimp so I would do my research on where you are planning on purchasing those.

Another factor that would play a role in this is what is your tap water like? Where I live my tap water is very very soft and so I tend to do well with soft water fish / invertebrates rather than having to supplement my water after every water change (although I do add crushed coral to all my tanks) . If you have hard water or do not mind having to supplement with minerals etc I would go with the 4 platys and 4 mollies mix with maybe 10 shrimp to start with Just keep on top of your water changes and watch the Ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels and this would play out to be a good tank With lots of action and colours that you could really make look good!

I had some ghost shrimp and they died in about a week, all the other fish were fine.