New Tank Possibility

[MooKretzelMan]

I am in the process of researching what I may be able to keep comfortably in a 10 gallon tank, if I decide to get one. This tank will/would not be my first tank, but it has been a while since I have had a fish tank set up so any advice you all can give me would be appreciated.

My fiancee is on the fence about this idea, but she really loves cory cats (as do I) and I would love to incorporate those into the tank somehow. I know that the pygmy cories would work, but do you all think that albino or other medium-sized species would do well?

Here are some of the stocking ideas that I had. I am not sure if all of the species below would work in this size tank and I am having trouble deciding on combinations of the below fish to possibly put into a 10 gallon tank.

-Betta
-Cory Catfish (Pygmy/Albino/Peppered)
-Upside Down Catfish
-Neon Tetras
-Black Skirt Tetras
-White Cloud Mountain Minnows
-Harlequin Rasboras
-Honey Gourami
-Hatchet Fish (Common/Marble)
-Ghost Shrimp
-Bamboo Shrimp

Also, if you have any other options for fish that I have not mentioned, please do. Thank you!

 

[snazy]

A 10 Gallon tank would be just about enough for 6 of the bigger corys like albino and peppered and nothing else and I don't think they'll be happy in such small space. I've got the albinos and they are very, very active fish. 10G will make them fall asleep half of their life. So ideally pygmys will do better, or maybe panda corys that don't grow too big but they need a well cycled and established tank.

I would have got if I were you, a betta and a bunch of pygmy corys. Put the pygmys first and then the betta eventually so the betta doesn't get too adventureous towards them if he thinks he's the boss of the tank.

 

[Questions?]

no tetras, or bigger sized corys, i don;t think so with the upside down catfish, no hachet fish either, so you could just do 1 bettas with about 6 or 7 pygmys or maybe pygmys with some shrimp, or pygmys with one honey gouramis. so you could do:
1 bettas, 6 or 7 pygmys
1 honey gouramis, 4 or 5 pygmys(i think)
7 pygmys with about 3 shrimp?
no bettas or gouramis together
no bettas with shrimp( the shrimp could get eaten or bullyied
no honey gouramis with shrimp for the same reason as betta with shrimp
but if you get corys, make sure to have a sany substrate

 

[MooKretzelMan]

Thank you both for your advice. I have included an updated list of the fish that I am thinking about for the tank based upon your advice and further research that I have been doing tonight, since I have forgotten quite a bit since the last time I owned a tank.

Updated List:
-Betta
-Pygmy Cories (Where can I find these guys? I don't remember seeing them in the stores recently)
-White Cloud Mountain Minnows
-Honey Gourami
-Ghost Shrimp

Here are a few tank ideas I am throwing around now too:

Tank 1:
-1 Betta (Female)
-6 Pygmy Cories

Tank 2:
-1 Honey Gourami
-6 Pygmy Cories

Tank 3:
-6 White Cloud Mountain Minnows
-6 Ghost Shrimp

Tank 4:
-6 White Cloud Mountain Minnows
-6 Pygmy Cories

Please let me know what you all think about the above tanks (are any of them really good ideas or really bad ideas). Also, if I am forgetting any great small fish/etc. please inform me.

 

[lefty07603]

Tank 1, and 3 will work. Tank 4 is overstocked and tank 2 is doable but ive had a gourami in a 10 gallon and it is very hard. They are sensitive fish so variations of water levels that are hard to maintain in a small tank can sicken the fish. I really like the 3rd tank set up. I dont think u will ned a heater for the minnows but idk, hope it helped!

 

[MooKretzelMan]

Thank you Lefty, your advice was very helpful.

I really like the idea of both tank 1 and tank 3 the best. Tank 4 did seem a bit overcrowded and tank 2 did not appeal to me as much. I was planning on at least getting a bigger filtration system, especially if I did tank 4, but now it is down to the following tanks.

Tank 1:
-1 Betta (Female)
-6 Pygmy Cories

Tank 3:
-6 White Cloud Mountain Minnows
-6 Ghost Shrimp

I should not have trouble finding the betta, the ghost shrimp, or the white cloud mountain minnows, but I am not sure where the best place to look for pygmy cories would be. Does anyone have any advice?