# Kindergarten Tank



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

I was asked by a friend to set up a tank for her Kindergarten classroom! I am so, so excited to be helping her!! I'd love some input on the ideas I have for it.

The tank will be a ten gallon and she has decided she wants a rectangular tank. We are going to go shopping for it next month and get it set up so it can cycle before she stocks it nearer to the beginning of school (it just let out for the summer where I am). As per school rules, absolutely nothing carnivorous can be housed in a classroom (including venus fly traps, carnivorous fish, etc.... we can squeak by with omnivorous maybe). Bettas are out, sadly, but I have been looking into other options to stock her tank for her and make it interesting for her five year olds!

IDEA #1
- 3 or 4 Zebra Danios
- 3 or 4 Fancy Guppies
- 3 or 4 Mollies
Would this end up being overstocked? I have not had a community tank before, and the one I am going to be setting up for myself will be a much larger tank. I want to create a community tank that's fun to look at. 

IDEA #2
Glofish tank!!
All the decor will be fluorescent and the tank will have a blacklight that can be turned on to make the fish "glow", like they do. I'm not sure how many glofish would be good for a ten gallon tank or what to put with them if we went this route. But five year olds would certainly be fascinated by glowing fish!

IDEA #3
- 3 or 4 African Dwarf Frogs (what do they eat?)
- 3 or 4 Fancy Guppies
- 2 or 3 Mollies
- 2 or 3 ghost shrimp

Do you guys like any of those ideas better than the others? Do you have any better ideas? We're not allowed to include anything that's strictly carnivorous (which is silly to me, but rules are rules), but we should be okay with omnivores (tell the school officials they only eat plants... only feed them plants when they're around... yep... they won't check). Ten gallons is the maximum my friend is willing to take care of (she'll have to haul water change buckets to the bathroom and back to do water changes, after all), so nothing larger. But I'm open to ideas or critiques of my ideas!


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## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

Glofish are just genetically altered zebra danios. So they require the same husbandry and care.

ADFs eat things like frozen foods, and reptomin and zoomed have some decent pellets. They are capable of attacking fish (probably not going to eat them), and fish can easily attack them, so it's something to have your friend keep an eye out for if you go that route.


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## Riverotter (May 15, 2013)

African dwarf frogs are carnivorous. All frogs are. 

But all fish, including bettas, and even oscars, will do fine on a pre-prepared diet = fish food. LOL, the kids never have to see anything "carnivorous", just drop in some pellets or flakes.

Livebearers will regularly have babies. They will also regularly eat babies. They have sex and give birth all the time, so if you're dealing with an overly sensitive district, that might be out.

Was it me, I'd go with a honey gourami, 3 small albino cories and 5-6 neon tetras.

Or, a pair of dwarf rams, 2-4 red cherry shrimp (ghost shrimp die. You'd be replacing them all the time) a mystery snail and 4 danios

Except the red cherry shrimp, these are all found in nearly ever pet store, fairly cheap. And the shrimp aren't too hard to find - put the word out and likely someone will donate a couple.


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## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

You could probably email Aemaki for RCS, I just got a bunch from her. I don't know if she has any available still.


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## Chevko (Nov 15, 2012)

Let's not forget about the neon-green tetras with Glofish. Not all of them are danios.

I personally am all for about 6-7 guppies and a mystery snail :3


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## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Apparently the frogs are out, then. She was very adamant she was not willing to risk her career just for a fish tank in her classroom. Nothing strictly carnivorous, even if you can feed it pellets. No bettas, no frogs, only omnivores if not straight up vegetarian-type fish.

If we got livebearers, couldn't we simply get them all the same gender to avoid spawning? A group of males, for example, to be sure we didn't bring in a pregnant fish?

Cherry shrimp are a fun idea! I had been thinking ghost shrimp because they are transparent and the kids would like that, but cherry shrimp are bright, which is also fun.


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## Riverotter (May 15, 2013)

You could get all male livebearers. But they will be stressy, fight and still try to breed with each other.

Get a nice, schooling fish instead. Neons, danios, even cherry barbs.


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

Danios need a 24 inch long tank so they're out sadly. they're just far too active for a ten gallon
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Riverotter (May 15, 2013)

My 10 gallon tanks are all 20 inches long. I haven't had the lack of 4 more inches kill any danios yet. :wink2:


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## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

I have to agree, I think the danios will be fine in a ten gallon tank. 

It's looking like my friend likes the idea of Gouramis (dwarf gouramis, of course)and neon tetras. I will keep you guys updated, and I always love more suggestions!


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## Freyja (Jun 22, 2012)

Pygmy gouramis are a better fit for 10-gallon tank.


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