# Stocking a 10 gallon



## Amaranthia (Oct 3, 2013)

I'm new to any fish other than bettas, but I want to try a tank of cute little darting fish.

I'd like to get some little sucker fish of some kind (plecos or corys?) and a few neon or silvertip tetras for it. Which would I add first? How many at a time? Water parameters? etc.

I'm still doing research on the care and feeding of fishes like these, but any input would be welcome. Thanks!


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Good Morning!

I buy all my fish online from www.msjinkzd.com. However, her web site is full of good information on Nano Fish and she has a ton of species profiles. Just hover over the photo and click on, I believe, the envelope.

If you are getting shoaling fish like Pygmy or Habrosus Cories or Oto, you will need a minimum of six each. For Cories, I like 10. Oto will require supplement feeding with blanched vegetables because it's doubtful you'l have enough algae in a 10 gallon. You will also need to heavily plant. Nano do not do well with fake plants.

Believe it or not, with proper filtration you could have 30 plus Nano in a cycled 10 gallon. You could get a filter for the 10 gallon now and run it in a Betta tank for 3-6 weeks. That way you will have a cycled filter. 

Get some Seachem Stability and add it when you add fish. Because I order online, I may add 20 fish at once to a tank. Using Stability has prevented any sort of mini-cycle or cycles to crash.

Some nice Nano/Micro fish I have are:

Ember Tetra
Chili Rasbora
Phoenix Rasbora
Espei Rasbora
Sundadanio axelrodi
Dario Dario (if you're wiling to feed live food)
Celestial Pearl Danio
Male Chili Endlers Livebearers
Male Endlers Livebearers
African Dwarf Frogs (six maximum in a 10 gallon but no fewer than three)

Neons can really make a tank "pop." But, they can be a bit aggressive for the above fish; especially the Rasbora. If you get them, I would not get any Rasbora.

I just discovered the best food. It is from Fishguy_1955 on AquaBid and is called Breeder's Best Fry Flake. The Nanos LOVE it. I've even seen the Oto eating it. I also feed NLS Thera+A sinking pellets for small fish. Get the smallest amount of NLS pellets you can find.

They also like frozen shrimp and because I have the Dario I feed live, too.

"Breeder's Best Fry Flake Ingredients: Fish and krill meat. The primary protein source in Breeder's Best is high quality seafood protein supplemented with spirulina and fortified with vitamins and natural beta carotenes to promote natural immunity to disease and enhance color. Protein content is 48% with 10% fat and 3% fiber. It also provides an ongoing daily staple for adults of many smaller species such as endlers, guppies, cyprinids like celestial pearl danios, smaller tetras and of course bettas and many other anabantoids." ~ From Fishguy_1955


----------



## Amaranthia (Oct 3, 2013)

Thanks for all the great info! I've never done live plants before though. Don't you have to have special substrate and plant-tending tools and such? I'm not sure that's in the budget...

Also would a foam filter be okay? My HOB filter is broken.


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

You are more than welcome. Sometimes I worry I give TMI but better too much, I guess, than not enough. ;-)

www.truaqua.com has a Betta Fish only site-wide 20% discount. I use the IFS10 in my 10 gallon community. I think with the discount it will run around $9.00. Send me a PM if you're interested.
http://www.truaqua.com/aquatop-internal-filter-ifs-10.html


You don't need special substrate or planting tools. I use straight sand with root tabs which are capsules with time-released fertilizers in them. You replace every 8-12 weeks. I buy mine from someone on eBay. Much cheaper and do just as good a job as the name brand.

I buy almost all of my plants from JDAquatics who is a member here. He advertises in the Classifieds. 

I recommend starting out with some Anubias. You don't plant them; tie to rocks or driftwood or Cholla. I also like Crypts. Java Moss is good too. None of these are high-light, high maintenance.

Just get some NLS sinking pellets for small fish and you're good to go.


----------



## Amaranthia (Oct 3, 2013)

Excellente, I appreciate too much information, thanks :-D I read some stuff about needing CO2 for the plants, I assume that's just for the more complex set-ups? 

How does a bunch of panda corys and silvertip tetras sound? Would those be compatible? I have black sand (Caribsea Supernaturals) which I heard is better for corys (and plants) than gravel.


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

I would think five or six Pandas would be okay as they stay usually less than a bit less than 2".

Haven't had Silver Tip in a long time as I've reduced tank sizes so stick to Nano/Micro fish which are normally 1.25" and less. But, I do remember they are very active so probably need more space than a 10 provides; especially if you planning on adding more mid-level fish. If the Pandas and Silver Tips are the only fish you plan to have then they should be okay.

Are there smaller Tetra which appeal? Or Rasbora? Those might be a better fit for a 10. You could have 10-15 in a 10 whereas six or so Silver Tips would be the maximum.


----------



## Amaranthia (Oct 3, 2013)

Yeah I was also considering harlequin rasboras, glofish tetras, or guppys. Haven't officially decided yet, but I've been on AqAdvisor playing around with combos. Right now I def want pandas, but don't know about the other type(s).

Lol I almost want to dig out my 20 gallon from the basement just to have more room for fishes, but my current tank stand couldn't handle it unfortunately...sigh, maybe that will be my next project.


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Have you seen Habrosus? JDAquatics (a member) has them. I just ordered more. Next to Pygmy they are my favorite Corydoras.

http://www.scotcat.com/factsheets/corydoras_habrosus.html

Check out the msjinkzd site. She has a species section with lots of great information. I use it and her book when I'm trying to decide if I want something new.


----------



## Amaranthia (Oct 3, 2013)

Yep, I had considered those, but Pandas are just so Cute!

I have looked at her site, and it was very helpful. I'll probably order from her, depending on what my LFS has.

I remember seeing something about how some types of fish should be added before others, or only after a tank has been established and matured etc.. If I got panda cories and harlequin rasboras, for example, do you know which ones I should add first?


----------

