Housing Skirt Tetras

[Reido Dorito]

Hello.

I recently started a 10g planted aquarium to house a school of tetras (about five or six), and it's still cycling. I have a GloTetra, however, and I wasn't sure what other tetras I needed to buy to school with him. Would it be okay for me to purchase two black skirts and three white skirts, then add my purple one in?

(Also, since this is the first time I've had tetras, if you have any tips, they would be greatly appreciated.)

Thanks.

 

[tanker]

Black Skirts are medium size and IMO, a 10gal is a little too small for a school of them.
More glo-tetras maybe a better option.

 

[Reido Dorito]

Alright, thanks.
How about white skirts?

 

[fishorama]

White skirts/black/glo skirts,whatever...they are all the same species of fish that should grow to 3 inches. A 10g is never going to be big enough room for adult fish...I know you're trying...think of either a bigger tank or smaller fish. It's just not going to work long term as much as you like it to.

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but it isn't an issue you can ignore.

 

[Reido Dorito]

Yeah, I don't know. Seems like everyone says something different. I hear varying minimums at every site I visit.

And I was just asking about the white skirts because I heard that they were less aggressive and more closely fit the size and shape of the Glos. Sorry for any confusion, there. =)

 

[myswtsins]

Everyone has different opinions so every site is gonna say different thing but I agree on no skirts in a 10g. A 10g is a very small tank and IMO should usually house micro fish (about 1" max) and inverts. This is a personal preference on appearance but also on up keep and health of the fish. You will have a MUCH easier time maintaining the tank if you stock light, or appropriately. If you try to get the biggest fish you can or as many as possible (like not literally packed but anything on the border of appropriate) you are bound to have more issues or unhappy fish. Try to look at MINIMUMs as the "worst of the best". Going even a step above minimum will help all around.

Now you already have a glo tetra in a 10g, which is the absolute minimum size whereas most sites say 15g+, and they are schooling fish so your best bet for more fish in that tank would be other glo tetras. Schooling fish tend to school best with others of the same exact fish not kinda the same fish. Not to say they won't but anyway the schooling factor in this small of a tank is really just about making the fish feel more comfortable and less stressed though.

How did you end up with just 1 glo tetra?

 

[Reido Dorito]

Alright. Thanks for the advice! I'll try my best to figure something out for them. The last thing I want is stressed out tetras.

And to answer your question, my original glo isn't actually residing in the tank yet (I probably should have worded that better, now that I think about it); he's living in a 2.5 gallon alone at the moment. A relative purchased three glo tetras with a 2.5 from PetCo, and two of them died within a couple of days, leaving just the one. And somehow, I ended up with him (not that I'm annoyed about that; on the contrary, I enjoy taking care of aquatic life).

So now, I'm trying to do help his situation by moving him to a bigger tank with other fish to school with. I was just trying to figure out what needed to be done before I purchased more companions.

 

[myswtsins]

Glad to hear your taking care of the little guy and that you are receptive to advice. If all you have is the 10g then at least it's better than where he came from, right.

 

[fishorama]

Well, I'm not nearly as nice as myswtsins is being. A fish that grows to 3 inches & needs to be kept in a school cannot work in a 10g long term. There's just no way around that, I'm sorry, but it can't. I know you mean well & want to do what's best for your fish...but a 10g isn't it.

Most of the fish we buy in lfs are juveniles, they should grow a lot in 6 months or so...but you have to allow for adult "optimal" sizes & plan for that eventuality. Even a 20g long is pretty small for a school of, say 5, 3 inch fish, a very minimal "school" at best...& no other critters.

I'm really not trying to be mean to you, but to help you understand the realities of tank stocking. A 10g can have a nice group of SMALL fish (say 1 inch max)...but not the 1s you've started with.

 

[Reido Dorito]

Sorry for getting back on this so late, but I'm trying to figure out something since a 10g might be kind of tight. I don't exactly have the means to get a 20g, unfortunately (hence the purchasing of the 10g), but I know that the sooner I get my glo moved into a bigger tank, the better. So I have this 10g, and the cycling process is close to complete. Like you guys, I'm concerned about overstocking/aggression issues.

I know that this might be a stupid question, but what about understocking? What if I put, say, three or so more tetras in the bigger tank with my current tetra? I get that it's not exactly a proper shoal. I could go the bare minimum, I suppose, and put four in there to get a total of five, if need be.

Thanks.

(And no, Fishorama, you weren't being mean at all. I totally get where you're coming from.)