# 10 gallon - what would you stock?



## Kirstos (Sep 12, 2013)

Hi everyone

I have been reading posts on this forum for a while but this is my first time posting. I am new to fishkeeping but have been avidly reading. 

I have a 10 gallon tank which is currently cycling fishlessly. I have bogwood with java fern presently and will be adding more plants later along with ferts and liquid carbon. 

The details of the tank are:
Dimensions: 47 x 29 x 40cm
Aquarium Volume: 38L (UK)
Filter Flow Rate: 430l/hr (UK)
Light Wattage: 7W LED

I am planning to do twice weekly water changes probably of around 20% each time. I can do more or less depending on your suggestions obviously! My water is soft with a PH of around 6.8. 

I would welcome any suggestions on the stocking of this tank. I just want fish that can live in the tank happily for the whole of their lives, behave normally and preferably with some colour and plenty of activity! 

I was thinking about a centrepiece fish like a honey gourami along with a small school of something, but I am open to any suggestions - *what would you guys stock in a 10 gallon tank?* The only thing I am not keen on really are shrimp. 

Any suggestions are more than welcome please! :help:​


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

you lost me somewhere in the last couple sentences  (no shrimp)

the small school of something could be otocinclus and would help clean the tank (3 or 4 id say)

if you got a honey gourami as the center piece, you'd fit the "inch per gallon" rule


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## Kirstos (Sep 12, 2013)

TankYouVeryMuch said:


> you lost me somewhere in the last couple sentences  (no shrimp)


I know I am strange in this but there is something about the way they walk that stresses me out! Im sorry, I just cant explain it! :icon_redf

Some little ottos would be nice - Im off to do some research on them now.


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## MondoBongo (Jul 21, 2013)

i'm not sure about their availability over in the UK, but i just put together a 10G planted and i am seriously considering dedicating it to Gulf Coast Pygmy Sunfish.

they're way cool fish, and when the males are spawning they are some of the most vibrant freshwater fish i've seen.

i also love the Dario dario (Scarlet Badis). i have two in my tank on my desk at work and they're fun to watch.


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## puopg (Sep 16, 2012)

I have 13 green neon tetras in my 10 gallon. They prefer lower flow and school more when the filter is off but, they really have an amazing color and are pretty easy to get a hold of. Also they remain small. You can ask your LFS to see if they can get them. Pygmy cories also are pretty awesome. I used to have 2 sterbais but i think they would prefer a bit larger tank.


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## hutch11 (Jul 3, 2013)

I have a sparkling gourami and two Otos along with 8 dwarf emerald raaboras ...all are happy. Once the raaboras get established like mine have they get pretty colorful


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## CatFishStryk (Sep 3, 2013)

Kirstos said:


> I know I am strange in this but there is something about the way they walk that stresses me out! Im sorry, I just cant explain it! :icon_redf


Lol, that's actually my favorite thing about honey gouramis! (I'm a cat person, so I'm quite partial to any type of whiskered fish, tho  ) You remind me of the people who are okay with hamsters and guinea pigs, but no rats or gerbils. "There's just something about those tails..." 

Stocking can depend on how you plant, too. More open spaces will be conducive to those that like a long lateral swimming space, whereas lots of bushy plants will be good for the "hidey" fish.


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## Kirstos (Sep 12, 2013)

CatFishStryk said:


> Lol, that's actually my favorite thing about honey gouramis! (I'm a cat person, so I'm quite partial to any type of whiskered fish, tho  ) You remind me of the people who are okay with hamsters and guinea pigs, but no rats or gerbils. "There's just something about those tails..." QUOTE]
> 
> I meant the shrimp, not the gourami!
> 
> Thanks for the replies anyone - theres some great advice here and plenty of ideas!


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## iano7000 (Apr 21, 2012)

I like the idea of more fish, with a smaller foot print.

2 Otto's - cleaners, 2"
8 Galaxy Rasbora - 4"
2 Dario Dario - centerpiece, 2"
5 Pygmy Cory - 5"

This is incorporating their full grown size. As you say, they could live out their lives happily.

Just make sure you have some sand substrate to keep everyone happy. (Oto's and Dario)


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## CatFishStryk (Sep 3, 2013)

Kirstos said:


> I meant the shrimp, not the gourami!


Whoops, was reading the post above yours and didn't pay attention to your quote 

I once had a 10gal stocked with a honey gourami, zebra danios, and otos. 
I'm a big fan of harlequin rasboras, and have them in my 20h. If you feed them a variety of foods, they really brighten up and the red color shows nicely. They don't seem to care about a lot of length for swimming either. I agree that a honey gourami makes a nice pop of color, and complements well with red/blue fishes. And no good tank is complete without some otos. They are the best.


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## frenchie1001 (Jun 23, 2013)

pygmy cories are great, i just put some in my big tank and they are the oddest little fish i have had to date.


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## Discusdude7 (Sep 14, 2013)

Endlers livebearers and shrimp







The one with the bright colors is a male. The ugly ones are females. Sorry for bad pic


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## Kirstos (Sep 12, 2013)

Thanks everyone again for taking the time to reply (and adding pictures too - your fish are gorgeous Discusdude!) - I am currently researching some chilli and galaxy rasboras. 

Plenty of options to get my teeth into here (I love plenty of choice!)


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## Kirstos (Sep 12, 2013)

Following everyone's suggestions, I am currently thinking I would like a honey gourami as a centrepiece and something like 8-10 celestial pearl danios or chili rasboras. I would have liked something for the bottom but my LFS only has larger ones. 

One question though, because the rasboras are so small would the gourami eat them?


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## Raaan (Dec 11, 2012)

Kirstos said:


> Following everyone's suggestions, I am currently thinking I would like a honey gourami as a centrepiece and something like 8-10 celestial pearl danios or chili rasboras. I would have liked something for the bottom but my LFS only has larger ones.
> 
> One question though, because the rasboras are so small would the gourami eat them?


I can understand your aversion to shrimp. I have some amano shrimp that are around two inches long and they remind me of spiders moving around the tank, though it doesn't bother me. Haha.

Anyway, that sounds like a good stock for a 10 gallon. Honey gourami are pretty tame, and the rasboras get large enough (~0.8-1") that the gourami shouldn't be a problem. You could also include one or two nerite snails if algae is a concern.


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## Kirstos (Sep 12, 2013)

Thanks for that! I feel less of a freak now lol! 

I will check out those snails, that would be great regarding algae clean up and round the tank off nicely I think, thanks!


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## Kirstos (Sep 12, 2013)

I thought I would make a bit of a list of some possibilities so that when I go to the shop to purchase I wouldn't be flummoxed if they didn't have whatever it was I was fancying and end up making a poor choice. I do like a list. So what do you guys think of some of these options:

Option 1 - 1 Honey Gourami, 8 Chili Rasboras and 1 Netrite Snail

Option 2 - 12-15 Chili Rasboras *or* Celestial Pearl Danios depending on what was available

Option 3 - 7 Chili Rasboras and 7 Celestial Pearl Danios

Option 4 - 6 White Cloud Mountain Minnow

Option 5 - 1 Betta if I found one that was truly fabulous and 1 Netrite Snail

Option 6 - 6 Cherry Barbs and 1 Netrite Snail

Option 7 - 1 Honey Gourami, 6 Green Neon Tetras or Ember Tetras (although I have never seen either in my local stores) and 1 Netrite Snail

Option 8 - 6 Checkered Barbs and 1 Netrite Snail

I had thought about some Cory's or Ottos but I would not be able to find anything around me small enough in the case of Cory's (my local shop does not stock pygmy's) and I know Ottos can be really fragile so I have decided to avoid both of those. 

I would appreciate comments on my ideas. I have been doing lots of research into species that will be a suitable size for such a small tank but it is the _combinations_ that I have struggled with.


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## Templaflower (Dec 2, 2011)

I vote betta with corydoras pygmaeus. pygmy cories are a great size for a 10g- you can easily have 6 or 7 with a betta.


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## Kirstos (Sep 12, 2013)

Thanks for the vote! My local shop does not stock any pygmy corys so that's why I thought the snail might be OK as I know Bettas don't always play well with others!?


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## Raaan (Dec 11, 2012)

Bettas don't generally get along with rambunctious, flashy fish like guppies. Bottom dwellers like Cory's and otos are usually fine. A betta and three otos would be a good setup, too, if you're willing to give them a try. I think most of the difficulty with otos is acclimating them. I drip acclimate all of my fish over several hours and I've never lost an otos before.

As for my vote, back when I had my ten gallon set up, I had eight galaxy rasboras and three sparkling gourami. I definitely enjoyed that tank. The sparkling gourami make a soft croaking sound when spawning or displaying dominance. I'd probably add one or two nerites as well. They never hurt, and are quite pretty.

Another thing to keep in mind when setting up a new tank is to add any fish gradually. Four at a time with two weeks in between works well. This helps the bacteria cycle adjust to the higher bioload.

Sorry for the wall of text. I'm slightly long-winded. Hah....


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## Redkj38 (Sep 26, 2013)

I've been considering a big school of rasboras lately, they seem like an interesting switch from what I'm used to. So I'm voting options 1 or 2, but the ember tetras sound like a good idea too. It seems like you could do more then 6 ember tetras, though I haven't kept them personally, so I'm no authority.


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## Kirstos (Sep 12, 2013)

Thanks for the replies everyone - I am so useless at making decisions! I appreciate everyones input and votes!


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