10 Gallon stocking advice?

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homedog98

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Jul 19, 2011
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Back into the old account and back into the hobby! Moving into an apartment soon and planning a 10 gallon planted and could use some advice on a few things:
1. Stocking. This is my current list. Aquaadvisor says I'm looking to be potentially overstocked but I wanted to get some opinions/suggestions on that. Planning to get 30 gallons worth of filter power and obviously would not add all this at once if that will help!
5 Celestial pearl danios
5 neon tetras
3 khuli loaches
5 pygmy cories
1 male betta (he's the only requirement as he's living in an extremely well monitored/maintained fishbowl in my college dorm room right now but I would like to get him out of that.)
Would love to do a ram pair but am concerned that might be too much. Any thoughts there?

2. What's a good lighting setup for low/medium light plants? Tried to do a planted tank with stock lighting a few years back and it did not go well. I would like something strong but not strong enough to require ferts or anything like that (college kid trying to keep things low maintenance.)

Thanks so much!!!
 

predatorkeeper87

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May 30, 2015
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in my honest opinion that's pushing overstocked. A lot of bottom activity for a 10. I'd say push for a 20L instead and you'd be good to go. Not much difference in space being taken up.
 

Frank Castle

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in my honest opinion that's pushing overstocked. A lot of bottom activity for a 10. I'd say push for a 20L instead and you'd be good to go. Not much difference in space being taken up.
agreed, although 10 gallons can be useful for little more than a fry nursery, a I think a 29g should be minimum size tank manufactured. While it sounds ridiculous, 90% of 10 gallon tanks are overstocked by FAR. If you can do a 20g, a 29 is only a few inches taller. Do it right or don't do it at all ;)

Maintaining water quality in a 10g is sheer redundancy and water changes will be needed 2-3 times per week. Don't waste your time. Give your fish a bit of space
 

dougall

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Mar 29, 2005
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I'm not sure where all the bottom activity is coming from.. all I can see are 3 kuhlie loaches?

I would skip the rams... and I'd likely skip the neons too, and maybe up the number of cories and kuhlies.. or maybe look at getting some Otocinclus too

But do watch water quality, and watch how much you feed.

Don't slack on water changes, the frequency of them will depend a lot on how large they are; but once established I would say maybe 50% weekly would be fine.

as for lighting, I'd probably suggest a finnex 24/7, it's not high enough light to need CO2 I believe (and can be turned down if needed), but remember that having plants that are not growing well, or dying will add to your bioload.
 

predatorkeeper87

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May 30, 2015
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I'm not sure where all the bottom activity is coming from.. all I can see are 3 kuhlie loaches?

I would skip the rams... and I'd likely skip the neons too, and maybe up the number of cories and kuhlies.. or maybe look at getting some Otocinclus too

But do watch water quality, and watch how much you feed.

Don't slack on water changes, the frequency of them will depend a lot on how large they are; but once established I would say maybe 50% weekly would be fine.

as for lighting, I'd probably suggest a finnex 24/7, it's not high enough light to need CO2 I believe (and can be turned down if needed), but remember that having plants that are not growing well, or dying will add to your bioload.
loaches, cories cories are bottom dwelling. Kuhlis are more inclined than cories to swim up into the water column more often.

there are already too many fish for a 10, no reason to sub out species when the current number is bordering on too much and upgrading to a 20L would allow for the entirety of the suggested stock, including rams.
 

dougall

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Mar 29, 2005
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she said pygmy cories, they are mid-dwellers, not bottom dwellers... I have a bunch of them,


And I wouldn't say it's too close to overstocked, outside of the betta, they are all pretty small fish, So long as not overfed, there shouldn't be an issue with nitrogen compounds
 

predatorkeeper87

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May 30, 2015
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she said pygmy cories, they are mid-dwellers, not bottom dwellers... I have a bunch of them,


And I wouldn't say it's too close to overstocked, outside of the betta, they are all pretty small fish, So long as not overfed, there shouldn't be an issue with nitrogen compounds
in the interest of fairness I'll say they spend more time in the midwater than other cories, however they spend equal parts time on the bottom. Plus they are active swimmers so a 10 for them, regardless of size is what I would say is minimum.

To each their own on stock/tank size.
 

homedog98

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Thanks for the responses! I will see if my apartment is okay with a 20L and if so I'll try to do that, but the consensus I'm getting here is that the plan for a 10 might be a bit overambitious. I had a 29 a few years back and the weekly water changes destroyed me so this go round I'm trying to do something a little more low key, (hence the 10) but I think I could manage a 20L. If I end up having to do the 10 I may ditch the neons and either the loaches or the cories and then try the ram pair depending on how the betta handles new tank mates. Also thanks for the lighting suggestion I will look into that.
 
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Frank Castle

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Feb 9, 2017
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Thanks for the responses! I will see if my apartment is okay with a 20L and if so I'll try to do that, but the consensus I'm getting here is that the plan for a 10 might be a bit overambitious. I had a 29 a few years back and the weekly water changes destroyed me so this go round I'm trying to do something a little more low key, (hence the 10) but I think I could manage a 20L. If I end up having to do the 10 I may ditch the neons and either the loaches or the cories and then try the ram pair depending on how the betta handles new tank mates. Also thanks for the lighting suggestion I will look into that.
if you have space for a 20L, you have space for a 29g, they are the same footprint. Water quality is EASIER to maintain in a 29g then it is in a 20L....you're thinking backwards lol
 
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