Help stocking a 14 gallon

[Aurelie]

Hi

just in need of a bit of advice of what kind of fish to get. So far i have 7 neon tetras and one male guppy. I did have another guppy but i think the other one was bullying it so it got stressed and died. Is it ok to put male guppies in together? What other kind of fish would be compatable? Any suggestions would be welcome as i dont want to over stock.

ps. the tank is 24 inches by 12 by 14

Thanks

Aurelie

 

[TKOS]

It is fine to put more than 1 male guppy in the same tank but leave out the females so there will be no competition. In a tank that size you could put in 3 or 4 male guppies.

Live or fake plants will also help calm things down as it blocks sight lines and gives a place to rest.

Personally I have found that a lot of store guppies seem on the weak side and ready to die, but then again I only really have a walmart near me. Plus I find if your tank isn't fully cycled, guppies are easy to kill with high levels of ammonia and nitrites. So make sure to get a test kit and do some water changes.

A nice small school of cory catfish on the bottom would be nice, 3-4 or them.

If you stick to a lighter stocking of the tank it will be easier to maintain good levels and is actually quite fun to watch as you have to look for the fish and they are more likely to behave in a "normal" manner.

 

[Aurelie]

was thinking about getting a betta for the tank...is this a bad idea?

 

[OrionGirl]

Bettas and male guppies don't often mix well. The betta will see that pretty tail and it won't stay pretty for very long. Otherwise, a betta would do very well in your tank size and with neons.

You may want to look at cories, or kuhli loaches. A trio of either would help keep the bottom clean of excess food, and are amusing to watch.

 

[TKOS]

I agree that cories or khulies are a great idea in a tank that size. Pretty much all other bottom feeders get a bit on the big size for that size tank, excpet maybe Ottos but they are only really good for algae and are easy to kill.

If you do want a Betta it is pretty much necessary as Oriongirl said to remove the poor guppy. So I guess you need to decide whether or not you want more guppies (they do need some friends) or a single Betta.

Also if you do put fake plants into your tank make sure to get silk or nylon ones as the plastic plants are great at ripping the fins on fish like guppies and bettas. Also make sure if you get a betta that they one you pick is very lively, even in the small cup. If they aren't there is a good chance he may be rather old.