Zebra Danios

[Bellie816]

Of course I'm still playing around with ideas of different types of fish since my tank is not cycled yet. I can't seem to decide! :) What do you think about 6 zebra danios in a 10 gallon tank? I've heard they are active and fun to watch. Will they survive in a PH of 8 and hardness of 16? Thanks :)

[wlepse]

I have one zebra that unfortuantely wass used to cycle the tank (didn't know any better) and he is still going strong and my water is currently like 8.2-8.4 and very hard but don't know the number. I also have 3 more in my QT with the same parameters going fine so I think you should be OK with your water. They are entertaining to watch but sometimes seem a little crazy. They might not be the most relaxing to watch but that could be because I only have one and he doesn't know what to do with himself yet.

[annageckos]

IMO zebra danios do best in a longer tank, like a 20 long or 30 gallon at minimum. Cherry barbs, serpae tetras, black neons and many others would do well in your ten gallon. With you higer ph mollies(not sailfin), platies and other livebearers would do great.

[Bellie816]

IMO zebra danios do best in a longer tank, like a 20 long or 30 gallon at minimum. Cherry barbs, serpae tetras, black neons and many others would do well in your ten gallon. With you higer ph mollies(not sailfin), platies and other livebearers would do great.

I thought mollies had to be in a 20 gallon? I really like the black mollies, but thought they were a no-go because the tank is a 10 gallon.

[annageckos]

Regular black mollies would be ok. Sailfin mollies get bigger and need more room.

[Bellie816]

Regular black mollies would be ok. Sailfin mollies get bigger and need more room.

How many black mollies would be okay with approx 5 ghost shrimp and a mystery snail?

[wlepse]

Check out aqadvisor.com; it will allow you to put in your filter info and tank size. As you add fish/shrimp it will tell you your current stocking level and filter capacity.

[annageckos]

Start out with two or three, they will reproduce if you have mixed sexes. You can also have a couple of guppies. If you want both males and females you should have two to three females for every male. This is for any livebearer. If you get only females it is likely they will be pregnet when you get them. Look up gold dust mollies, they are smaller then most mollies but can be mixed with the others.

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fishpictures/data/513/medium/054.JPG
This is my female gold dust.

[Bellie816]

Well at my local store they have dalmatian mollies and black mollies.. and then they have the balloon variety, as well. I really like the black ones. How do I know if they are male or female?

According to the AqAdvisor site, my tank would be pretty much stocked with 4 mollies, a mystery snail and 5 ghost shrimp. So I'm not sure that I could add any guppies. I only have one Aquatech 5-15 filter..so maybe that's why. Eventually maybe I can get a little bit of a larger filter and then add some guppies to the mix.

[annageckos]

AqAdvisor is ok for a guideline, but that's it. You have to see how YOUR tank is going. Start out with two fish and wait a couple of weeks. Then add another one or two. Males and females are very easy to tell apart. Females have a shorter top fin, the males have a bigger top fin. Even easier to tell by is the males have a gonopodium, it is thier sex organ. This link has a pic of a male and a female molly. The second link is to a pic showing the difference. Both show sailfin mollies, but is it the same for all livebearers.http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/livebearers/sexing-mollies-17622/
http://www.bio.txstate.edu/~gabor/caito/f2.jpg

[Bellie816]

AqAdvisor is ok for a guideline, but that's it. You have to see how YOUR tank is going. Start out with two fish and wait a couple of weeks. Then add another one or two. Males and females are very easy to tell apart. Females have a shorter top fin, the males have a bigger top fin. Even easier to tell by is the males have a gonopodium, it is thier sex organ. This link has a pic of a male and a female molly. The second link is to a pic showing the difference. Both show sailfin mollies, but is it the same for all livebearers.http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/livebearers/sexing-mollies-17622/
http://www.bio.txstate.edu/~gabor/caito/f2.jpg

So how do I know if my tank is going well? I was thinking of adding 2-3 mollies, then waiting about 2 weeks. Then adding a mystery snail, wait 2 weeks. Then ghost shrimp. Do I just know by my water parameters? Do I need to test about once a week?

Basically I just don't know how to tell if I'm overstocking. I don't want to be one of *those* people.. lol

[annageckos]

Each person stocks thier tank differently. You can tell, at least partly, by your water parameters. Also how your fish act. Are they healthy, is there aggression? Are they 'packed in' the tank? I know I 'overstock' by some standers. In my 55 I have a school of white tip tetras, ember tetras, three lined glass cats, ottos,skunk cories, kuhli loaches, acoupe remaining neon tetras and hatchet danios. Plus bristlenose plecos, clown pleco, snails, shrimp and some mollies too. BUT, my kuhlies bred, my white tips are displaying and look to be getting into spawning. My water parameters are good, I have a lot of filteration and a heavily planted tank. Wow that looks like alot when it is writen out. But I only see most of the fish during feeding time.

[Padams]

If you like really really active fish the zebras will work fine in a 10. Extremely hardy and "forgiving" of some beginner mistakes. 20" is recommended length. I would not do more than 6 though as they move a lot.

agreed on the 1-4 ratio for live-bearers.

[mac]

I agree that Danois and Mollies are great fish for the water. But do not agree on tank size one bit.

A 20g is min for me.

If you had to do a mollie tank, male or female only tank. If they breed you would end up having to either try to get rid of them or nock the off.

Guppies would work better in a male group.

mac