Stocking a 10g tank

[nerdyrcdriver]

wait a month b4 you get the shrimp. anachris is a good plant and shrimp dont eat plants. also algae wafers or shrimp pellets would be better for the shrimp.

Thanks for the info! I will wait till late November to get the shrimp then. I would probably expect to see a thread up then about it or if I can find either this thread or my one in the invertibets section I will just put a new post in.

 

[dundadundun]

Ok, So for the final stocking when the tank is ready (man if i ever need to cycle a tank again I just need some dr tims!) will be

the two male guppies I already have
3 neon tetras I already have
3 more neon tetras I need to buy
some sort of shrimp. Looking at cherry if birds and beast has them. Also how many?

I was wondering about the shrimp. Do I need to wait till later down the road or can I add them and hope they get the flake food that makes its way to the bottom? Is there some sort of plant they like to eat that I could give them that is easy for me to take care of (although it would be eaten eventually)?

i would make that 4 neons to be on the safe side. are you still cycling with those other fish? if you are, you're going to have to stock this tank extremely slow... over the course of months... then let it settle down for at least a couple months before considering shrimp at all.

i wouldn't waste my time trying to get shrimp at any local fish store. there are so many better sources from hobbyists on line...

 

[nerdyrcdriver]

Ok, I am still cycling with those other fish. I figured out two of them are glow light tetras (by the look of it. I didnt look it up much). I still dont know what the other two are. Kind of big (tall not fat) somewhat thin orange bodies and black tips on their fins, tails, and top of their body.

Are you saying 4 neons total or four more neons? I guess just tell me how many I should pick up next time I go if the results show the tank is cycled? I was planning on waiting a month after I got all the other fish in to put the shrimp in. So, a month or two after I get the normal fish in I will look into the shrimp. I think that birds and beats has a nice supply of cherry shrimp. But if the price isnt right or they dont seem healthy (oh boy, time for some research) I will look into online shops. Do you have any particular place I should look online?

 

[dundadundun]

you want 6 total at the very minumum. i said 4 more because 4+3=7 giving you the leeway to lose one. neons have been known to be very delicate species for quite some time.

http://www.msjinkzd.com/

 

[nerdyrcdriver]

I heard that they used to be really hardy fish until they got popular and they were overbread. But either way now, they arent very hardy.

So, when I go get more tetras do I just do one at a time every few weeks?

Saved that site, Thanks

 

[dundadundun]

nope... take back your other tetras (or whatever you got for cycling) and pick up them neons while you're there. bring them back and switch everyone over that day. if you've got a way to quarantine them, do that. if not, put them in there right away. adding a couple at a time drags out the mini-cycles and daily water changes as well as increases how many times you have to worry about introducing disease or parasites to your tank. as long as you don't grossly overdo it with the bio-load you add at each step, taking less steps will get you to your final goal faster. if you're diligent with your care and w/c's during this time all should be fine.

rachel (owner or that site) is also a global mod on this site. there's also mgamer20o0. not sure he's got cherries, though.

 

[nerdyrcdriver]

Thanks so much dundadundun! I cant tell you enough how much you have helped (and put up with) me so far since august!


I do not have a way to quarantine them but when I upgrade to a larger tank I will probably keep the 5g a betta tank and the 10g a quarantine tank for getting new fish.

 

[nerdyrcdriver]

Quick Update on everything

Well, I got back from our trip to my grandparents house and everyone was alive and seemingly happy other than the fact they were hungry. The 5g looks crystal clear and I kind of dont want to drain it for the betta because it took so long to get it looking so good. But I will do what I need to do when it is time to make the move.

It has been 4 weeks since I had my water tested at the beginning of my cycle, now it is time to see how things are doing. This week I will go to birds and beast and have them test my water too see where I am in my cycle.

 

[dundadundun]

good to hear everything worked out.

The 5g looks crystal clear and I kind of dont want to drain it for the betta because it took so long to get it looking so good.

what? no! you just siphon it out with a hose... fill 'er back up... add dechlor... make sure the temp is about right... and dump the fish in. if re-arranging is necessary, you're doing it the hard way and possibly causing a mini-cycle from disturbing your substrate.

 

[allaboutfish]

good to hear everything worked out.

what? no! you just siphon it out with a hose... fill 'er back up... add dechlor... make sure the temp is about right... and dump the fish in. if re-arranging is necessary, you're doing it the hard way and possibly causing a mini-cycle from disturbing your substrate.

you add dechlorinator first or you kill some of the benificial bacteria.