Severe Stocking Indecisiveness ​🫠​

[Lucie]

There are a lot of options that I am considering for this 10-gallon aquarium setup I’m planning. (I have been spending WAY too much time pondering and pondering and changing my mind back and forth) I am really interested in keeping a planted aquarium, so I don’t want anything that is known to disturb or eat plants. I am interested in keeping more than one variety of animal; however, I am open to keeping a single species tank. I would describe my experience level as intermediate, perhaps leaning more towards the beginner side. Here’s some of the species I’ve considered and why I like or don’t like them as an option. I would love to know if anyone has experience with the specific things I’ve mentioned or if anything immediately stands out. My main goals with this aquarium are to try new things and just have an enjoyable tank to watch! I love fish with unique behaviors and personalities. What I’ve kept before are bettas, ember tetras, cherry shrimp, and guppies. (Not all together of course lol)

 

Pygmy Corydoras

Pros: They are really cute, I love catfish species (someday I’m getting a bigger tank so I can have a pleco lol)

Considerations: I might need a sand substrate for them which I am worried might be harder to clean and keep clean, I would want to keep a good group of them, and I feel like I might not be able to have more fish in my tank size

 

Otocinclus

Pros: Cute, little catfish, kind of pleco-like

Considerations: I worry about getting them enough to eat, or that I’ll have to be constantly cultivating tons of algae and won’t love looking at it. I also feel like they may be less active/more boring to watch, and don’t have the most stunning colors to me (neither do the corys to be fair), not sure how many I should keep

 

Chili Rasboras

Pros: Tiny, so I could keep more of them hopefully without overcrowding the tank

Considerations: I don’t love the way they look in a lot of pictures/videos I’ve seen them in, however I hear they color up a lot when they settle in/mature, and I like the way they look with the color on them.

 

Green Neon Tetras

Pros: Smaller than regular neon tetras, beautiful bright colors

Considerations: Will they look good/work well with some kind of centerpiece fish?

 

Neon Tetras

Pros: Easier to find locally, striking colors

Considerations: Will they be too cramped in my tank?

 

Celestial Pearl Danios/Galaxy Rasboras

Pros: Really cool looking (one of my favorites visually), small

Considerations: Pricey, and I haven’t seen any locally, they don’t always appear to be as colored up as some pictures I’ve seen online

 

Rummynose Tetras

Pros: I don’t know why but I really like the way these guys look

Considerations: Probably not suitable for my tank size because of their activity level

 

1 Male Guppy

Pros: Some of the fancy varieties are really pretty and would make a cool centerpiece (like a little betta but non-aggressive)

Considerations: I’m not super confident about sexing them in the store and would prefer not to get a pregnant female. Also, I’m not sure if they can happily live as the only one of their species in the tank

 

Honey Gourami

Pros: Cool centerpiece fish

Considerations: Maybe aggressive? Also don’t want to “spend” too much of my tank space on this without other fish because I’m not SUPER crazy about them.

 

Neocaridina Shrimp

Pros: I’ve kept them before and I could get a different color variant to change things up, I love watching them, they are easy to breed which is fun

Considerations: I’ve kept them before, I don’t want to stress too much about my shrimplets getting eaten, I don’t necessarily want to end up with a billion of them

 

Kuhli Loaches

Pros: They are unique and cool to watch!

Considerations: Maybe too creepy lol, not sure how many I can keep in my tank so that they’ll feel safe to come out

 

Apistogramma (Borelli, Agassizii, Trifasciata)

Pros: Really cool looking, different from anything I’ve kept, might be able to keep a breeding pair and they are so cute taking care of their babies

Considerations: Single species tank, might not have enough time to breed them, might be pricey/not available locally, maybe would do better in a larger tank

 

Zebra Danios

Pros: Active, high contrast pattern

Considerations: Maybe too active for my tank size

 

Thanks for taking the time to read all my musings! Any insight/personal experiences with my considerations (or pros) would be greatly appreciated. And feel free to include how you would personally stock this 10-gallon tank pulling from my above options?

[Lennie]

On 7/26/2024 at 8:36 PM, Lucie said:

There are a lot of options that I am considering for this 10-gallon aquarium setup I’m planning. (I have been spending WAY too much time pondering and pondering and changing my mind back and forth) I am really interested in keeping a planted aquarium, so I don’t want anything that is known to disturb or eat plants. I am interested in keeping more than one variety of animal; however, I am open to keeping a single species tank. I would describe my experience level as intermediate, perhaps leaning more towards the beginner side. Here’s some of the species I’ve considered and why I like or don’t like them as an option. I would love to know if anyone has experience with the specific things I’ve mentioned or if anything immediately stands out. My main goals with this aquarium are to try new things and just have an enjoyable tank to watch! I love fish with unique behaviors and personalities. What I’ve kept before are bettas, ember tetras, cherry shrimp, and guppies. (Not all together of course lol)

 

Pygmy Corydoras

Pros: They are really cute, I love catfish species (someday I’m getting a bigger tank so I can have a pleco lol)

Considerations: I might need a sand substrate for them which I am worried might be harder to clean and keep clean, I would want to keep a good group of them, and I feel like I might not be able to have more fish in my tank size

 Great for such tank size. Usually are shy and can be somehow a lil more fragile compared to other cories. Need lots of cover and a crowded group to feel safe.

Otocinclus

Pros: Cute, little catfish, kind of pleco-like

Considerations: I worry about getting them enough to eat, or that I’ll have to be constantly cultivating tons of algae and won’t love looking at it. I also feel like they may be less active/more boring to watch, and don’t have the most stunning colors to me (neither do the corys to be fair), not sure how many I should keep

 Nothing really like a regular pleco behavior. I wouldnt keep any in such tank size. I think these guys are suitable for tanks of 30g and more

Chili Rasboras

Pros: Tiny, so I could keep more of them hopefully without overcrowding the tank

Considerations: I don’t love the way they look in a lot of pictures/videos I’ve seen them in, however I hear they color up a lot when they settle in/mature, and I like the way they look with the color on them.

 If you dont like them, pass. A 10g offers a very limited range of animals both in numbers and species it allows, and dont keep what you dont love 🙂 They look even cooler in pics than they do IRL Imo. So I aggree, I would pass too.

Green Neon Tetras

Pros: Smaller than regular neon tetras, beautiful bright colors

Considerations: Will they look good/work well with some kind of centerpiece fish?

 

Neon Tetras

Pros: Easier to find locally, striking colors

Considerations: Will they be too cramped in my tank?

 

Celestial Pearl Danios/Galaxy Rasboras

Pros: Really cool looking (one of my favorites visually), small

Considerations: Pricey, and I haven’t seen any locally, they don’t always appear to be as colored up as some pictures I’ve seen online

 One of those fish that were a big disappointment after I saw IRL vs online pictures. Highly recommend seeing them IRL first and decide whether you like them this way.

Rummynose Tetras

Pros: I don’t know why but I really like the way these guys look

Considerations: Probably not suitable for my tank size because of their activity level

 Def too big and active for the tank. Suitable for tanks that are at least 100 cm long or above. Probably my fav mid column schooling fish.

1 Male Guppy

Pros: Some of the fancy varieties are really pretty and would make a cool centerpiece (like a little betta but non-aggressive)

Considerations: I’m not super confident about sexing them in the store and would prefer not to get a pregnant female. Also, I’m not sure if they can happily live as the only one of their species in the tank

 Guppies are extremely easy to sex. Usually males are more colorful and fancy looking. Also check gonopodium. Male on left, female on right. This is applicaple to platies, mollies and sword tails too. Livebearers are very easy to sex:

Honey Gourami

Pros: Cool centerpiece fish

Considerations: Maybe aggressive? Also don’t want to “spend” too much of my tank space on this without other fish because I’m not SUPER crazy about them.

 Best fish ever. Super nice personality, colorful, and not aggressive by any means.

Neocaridina Shrimp

Pros: I’ve kept them before and I could get a different color variant to change things up, I love watching them, they are easy to breed which is fun

Considerations: I’ve kept them before, I don’t want to stress too much about my shrimplets getting eaten, I don’t necessarily want to end up with a billion of them

 

Kuhli Loaches

Pros: They are unique and cool to watch!

Considerations: Maybe too creepy lol, not sure how many I can keep in my tank so that they’ll feel safe to come out

 Somehow these noodles are not that hardy as people mention they are in my experience. Very cool fish but tend to hide and be shy. They love to bury and hide. Lots of leaf litter, shrimp tubes and plants, soft tank bottom and an average group of them make a great combo. for a 10g I think you can keep around 6. They are mostly active at night and tend to jump from the tank A LOT make sure to have a lid!!!

Apistogramma (Borelli, Agassizii, Trifasciata)

Pros: Really cool looking, different from anything I’ve kept, might be able to keep a breeding pair and they are so cute taking care of their babies

Considerations: Single species tank, might not have enough time to breed them, might be pricey/not available locally, maybe would do better in a larger tank

 Keeping a breeding pair of anything especially in such small size is no good idea as a community tank. They will bring chaos to everything in the tank. At best, you can try keeping only one male or female in a community tank. Even without breeding, apistos can be somehow mean towards other tankmates in such tank size in my experience.

Zebra Danios

Pros: Active, high contrast pattern

Considerations: Maybe too active for my tank size

 You are right, too active for your tank size

Thanks for taking the time to read all my musings! Any insight/personal experiences with my considerations (or pros) would be greatly appreciated. And feel free to include how you would personally stock this 10-gallon tank pulling from my above options?

Shared my comments with bold&orange above

 

You can also consider ember tetras for your tank size. And one amano shrimp if you don't want any breeding going on. And based on your stocking, a snail, too. Snails are full of characters!

Ive never kept any neons so didnt comment on those.

You can always try to find healthier bettas. There are wild  but tankbred species that look amazing. Check them out! Like imbellis, rubra, smaragdina, mahachai...

Edited July 26 by Lennie