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Best stocking to go with my tank setup (10 gallons)


Karen B.
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My 10 gallons is done cycling, think I am almost satisfied with the decoration, now it’s time to stock it. Yes I know, it’s mostly plastic plants but I am doing tests to see if I can grow real ones (I have killed a cactus before. That’s how skilled I am).

I am a libra and I think I change my mind almost every hours about what fishes I want. I am not asking for stocking ideas, I have watched all the videos. I am just trying to find the best option vs the setup of my tank.

pH about 7.6, 0/0/5, temp whatever I want (I have a heater)


The fish I would like to get the most is a honey gourami... but would the setup be ok for it? I read it prefers jungle-like setup... I would feel bad forcing a fish to live some place it doesn’t thrive. If I go with the Honey gourami, I would pair him most likely with 5-6 guppies... but are they too energetic for the gourami?

Otherwise there is the Beta option but once again I do not feel my tank setup is ideal for a beta?

Or all guppies...? Help. Libra don’t do decisions making very well 😅😅😅

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Yeah a honey gourami should be ok with several guppies. I have a pearl gourami with a school of tetra and danios in a 30 gallon and the gourami is totally chill as long as you give it enough places/shades to hide. Gourami tends to prefer more shady set up. (also if you do go for gourami, make sure to put a lid on the tank because they are jumper. I killed like 3 before I realized that)

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Just now, Ashe said:

Yeah a honey gourami should be ok with several guppies. I have a pearl gourami with a school of tetra and danios in a 30 gallon and the gourami is totally chill as long as you give it enough places/shades to hide. Gourami tends to prefer more shady set up. (also if you do go for gourami, make sure to put a lid on the tank because they are jumper. I killed like 3 before I realized that)

Thanks! So looking at my tank setup, should I change something or it’s ok fir the gourami? There is a hide on the left. He can also swim behind the plant on the back left. I will but another anubia or two to place with the one on the cholla week too.

As for floating plants, I am not sure as I am using the cheap lights that come with the tank starter kit that’s inside the lid so it’s probably too close to the water and would burn the plants.

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Yeah as long as there is some space in the back left there with the plants for the gourami to swim around then your set up is perfect as a starter. Though (you don't have to do something similiar to this it is just some ideas for your gourami if it ended up being super shy or isn't brave enough to swim out to compete for foods with the guppies) I would placed any type of driftwood along with mid ground plants near the center in a way that you would create a "tunnel" that lead to the background plants. My gourami tend to be pretty shy around an audience so it always hides in the back behind the jungle val whenever someone is looking at the tank. That why I have to make some sort of shady area that connected the back toward the middle of the tank. 

For floating plants, how far away is your light from the water surface? I was thinking of something like amazon frogbits, pennywort or giant duckweeds (normal duckweed is fine too if you don't mind the mess) should be ok for your light setup. They are super easy to keep and very hardy too. 

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16 minutes ago, faydout said:

I think honeys would do ok, sparkling gouramis are another one to consider that do well in smaller tanks.

Oh yeah! Sparkling gouramis are a great one too! they are so pretty and sometimes make some of the most creepiest and loudest noise at night

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4 hours ago, Ashe said:

Yeah as long as there is some space in the back left there with the plants for the gourami to swim around then your set up is perfect as a starter. Though (you don't have to do something similiar to this it is just some ideas for your gourami if it ended up being super shy or isn't brave enough to swim out to compete for foods with the guppies) I would placed any type of driftwood along with mid ground plants near the center in a way that you would create a "tunnel" that lead to the background plants. My gourami tend to be pretty shy around an audience so it always hides in the back behind the jungle val whenever someone is looking at the tank. That why I have to make some sort of shady area that connected the back toward the middle of the tank. 

For floating plants, how far away is your light from the water surface? I was thinking of something like amazon frogbits, pennywort or giant duckweeds (normal duckweed is fine too if you don't mind the mess) should be ok for your light setup. They are super easy to keep and very hardy too. 

The light is one or two inches above the water I think?

Thank you for the tips about the tunnel, I like the idea!

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