# Stocking a 6.5-7 gallon?



## sugarunicorn (Aug 20, 2013)

I picked up an Evolve 8 at a steal yesterday at Petsmart. i planted it today and am now thinking about potential tankmates. 

Evolve 8 tanks are advertised as 8 gallons, but because of the back compartment that holds the filter I'd say the usable space is closer to 6.5-7 gallons, judging from how much water I filled it with yesterday. It is natural planted. 

What are some good tankmates for a tank of this size? I'd really like to avoid snails, but anything else is fair game to me. Would Red Cherry shrimp be okay, and how many do I stock? There are a lot of good little nooks and crannies for them to hide in, but I wont lose sleep if my betta decides to snack on some. Any other suggestions besides the shrimp, or other potential varieties of shrimp? Are pygmy cories or any other variety of fish too big for a tank this size?


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## fawx (Aug 21, 2013)

I always hear positive feedback from Ghost Shrimp. They're pretty cute, too! I'm not speaking from experience, as i've never had them (my fish is curious and would nibble). Just make sure you buy larger ones, because small ones are more likely to become a snack >.< And even if your fish eats or two, they're easy and cheap to replace.


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## 10asartin (Mar 28, 2013)

I wouldn't do any other fish.
Ghost shrimp are very sensitive to water parameter changes and already have a short life span of about 6 months, so I wouldn't recommend those.
However, the red cherry shrimp are a great idea. Just be sure to add plenty of hiding places for them. I'm not sure how many you could put into the tank, but I think 5 would be fine.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

No shrimp should be added to a tank until it is completely cycled and mature (completely cycled for *at the least* two months). More shrimp deaths are caused by putting them in a immature tanks than Betta predation. I'm not going to tell you how much $$ I lost learning this lesson.

Shrimp are extremely sensitive to water parameters and large water changes. They need lots of moss and live plant cover to feel comfortable enough to come out of hiding. They are fun little critters to watch; mine even like to dive bomb my Bettas and scurry away. ;-)


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## sugarunicorn (Aug 20, 2013)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> No shrimp should be added to a tank until it is completely cycled and mature (completely cycled for *at the least* two months). More shrimp deaths are caused by putting them in a immature tanks than Betta predation. I'm not going to tell you how much $$ I lost learning this lesson.
> 
> Shrimp are extremely sensitive to water parameters and large water changes. They need lots of moss and live plant cover to feel comfortable enough to come out of hiding. They are fun little critters to watch; mine even like to dive bomb my Bettas and scurry away. ;-)


Would you say this goes for all species, or are some types a little hardier? 

I'm planning to wait a bit on adding any stock anyways. Our LFS just had some red cherry shrimp hatch this week, so it will be several weeks at least until they're ready to sell. Would you add the RCS before or after my betta goes in? I'm in no hurry to move him over - I want to get everything pretty stable in the planted tank before I make the move. 

I just made an order today for some more plants - I've got a really nice little driftwood cave with some Anubias right now, grasses, and a marimo ball. I'm not too in love with the grass though, so I may end up replacing it with another type. I ordered a few packs of taiwan moss to add to the driftwood, a dwarf lily for my betta, vesuvius grass, and a crypt spiralis and wendtii. Hopefully that will leave them with plenty of hiding places.


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