Thinking of setting up a Ten gallon tank.

[Souperman]

Okay thanks for the response looks like a school of small fish would still be my best choice here.

 

[Souperman]

There is one last thing I want to ask before I end up going with ember tetras. If I used crushed coral or limestone in my tank would I be able to provide the right tank conditions for a male guppy tank? I am fine going with a tetra tank if it won't.

 

[Byron]

There is one last thing I want to ask before I end up going with ember tetras. If I used crushed coral or limestone in my tank would I be able to provide the right tank conditions for a male guppy tank? I am fine going with a tetra tank if it won't.

Yes. But I would not include any soft water fish, as calcareous substances can raise the mineral content beyond what is good for soft water fish. And you need to be careful, as once you start fiddling with adjusting water chemistry things can rapidly change.

 

[Souperman]

I would go slowly as I have read online to watch for that this would also be a male guppy only tank until I completely redo it so I won't have a problem there. If I am going to have the tank planted about how many guppys would I be able to have?

Also does anyone have any info on dwarf puffers? Thinking about possibly stocking them instead of the guppys.

 

[Byron]

Also does anyone have any info on dwarf puffers? Thinking about possibly stocking them instead of the guppys.

Many of the puffers are brackish water, but not the dwarf, it is strictly freshwater. Here\s data:
http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/carinotetraodon-travancoricus/

 

[Souperman]

From that article and other sources it seems like a dwarf puffer would be a good fit for my tank. Right now I am still trying to decide if I should go with one or three as I have heard they can be aggressive.

Update: From what I am reading I think one would be the best to go with.

 

[Souperman]

Now that I have had a little time to think I have a few more stocking questions.

Would dwarf chain loaches or golden dwarf barbs work? (I am pretty sure the dwarf chain loaches won't work I just wanted a 2nd opinion.)

 

[Byron]

No on the dwarf loaches definitely, they need at least 30-inch (75 cm) length tank but having had this species for many years I would not have them in less than a 3-foot length (90cm) tank. Don't let "dwarf" mislead you, these are small for loaches but still a decent size at 2+ inches and they need a group and they are (or can be) active swimmers. Mine are in my 90g 4-foot tank, along with a group of Botia kubotai which are a bit larger (up to 4 inches) and these two are found in the same habitat river and get along remarkably well.

The dwarf golden barb (Pethia gelius) I have not kept, but over on Seriously Fish they recommend 60 cm (24 inches) length by 30 cm (12 inches) width as minimum, which means larger will be kinder to the fish.

 

[Souperman]

Thanks for the response. I might think about now moving my neons into this tank and stock something else into the tank where they are now.

 

[Souperman]

Would something like gold ring danios work. Seriously fish mentions my tank size at the minimum size but I have heard that danios can be very active?

 

[TekFish]

Danios can be EXTREMELY active, can depend on the species. Zebra Danios are very active, for example. I'm not personally familiar with that species. But 45x30 seems a very small tank size for any Danio species.

 

[Souperman]

Long story short I have a school of 6 embers being shipped in to go along with 6 already in the tank this is due to a mishap on my part. Is this to many and do I need to only keep 10 or will it be okay?

 

[fluttermoth]

As they're such small fish, a couple more won't make much impact; but you must make sure your water changes are big enough and done on time.

 

[Souperman]

Thanks, that is what I thought. The reason I have these extra fish coming in the first place is today I noticed one of the tetras had vanished. While doing a water change I took my tank apart looking for it. After coming to the conclusion that maybe it had jumped and been eaten by my dogs I called the pet store and adjusted my order. As soon as I got off the phone it reappeared.

 

[Byron]

I concur with fluttermoth. More of a shoaling fish is always better, and actually can have less impact biologically.

I wouldn't go hunting for fish that disappear, whether they do or not; the disruption is stressful on the others. I have fish disappearing occasionally, usually due to old age as I've had some for many years, and I never see them. Food for snails and bacteria.