7gallon(27litre) tank,STocking it!!

[ckck92]

Hi,

I've got my first tank, a 7gallon-almost-cubical-tank. Its planted with 1 and a half inch of gravel and running for 3months. The tank currently is populated with 6black tetras, 4white tetras, 1neon tetra. I guess its overcrowded but they seem fine and healthy. They wud be all exited whenever im around, most of the time begging for food. I dont overfeed them, bout one pinch of flakes per day.

They are so boring to watch tho..only on "special occasions"(rarely..) they wud be all jolly and chasing each other in and out through the leaves of the plants. A friend wanted my tetras and i agreed to pass it on to.

Its like killing two birds with one stone, i felt bored with the tetras and have always wanted to "restock" my tank. Since i got the tetras out of my hands, i wanted to go with either:-

1) 1 dwarf gourami + 2 platties + couple of ghost shrimps
OR
2) 3 dwarf puffers
OR
3) 1 male betta + 3 platties

Are any of those suggestions considered overstocking or incompatible? *remember that my tank is a cubical, meaning a tall tank = smaller surface area*

I'm not interested in schooling fishes, cuz IMO its horibly mean to put them into a small cubical tank like mine. Schooling fishes, IMO needs at least a 15gallon tank for it to show its natural behavior of "schooling". Correct me if im wrong. Niwayz, Im looking for an happy-looking fish tat wud be all so energetic swimming around the tank, and most importantly wont die on me that easily. Also, I don't mind doing frequent water changes.

I would be more than grateful to those who would take the time to help me out.. I would also like to know what YOU have stocked in your 5-7 gallon fish tanks. =) thankx a bunch!

[Rue]

1 betta and sadly 5 mystery snails (had another jumper yesterday...didn't make it)...

[gm72]

Rue, I think your snails need anti-depressants. I have never heard of someone having so many suicidal snails.

I have a 5.5 gallon tank with a few snails and a betta as well.

[Drumachine09]

Eco complete substrate. PC lighting, peice of tall driftwood inthe middle covered with java moss, java fern in front, corckscrew vall in the back, anubias nana in the middle, and 50 cherry shrimp ;) (chrona would be proud)

[SkarloeysMom]

1) 1 dwarf gourami + 2 platties + couple of ghost shrimps
OR
2) 3 dwarf puffers
OR
3) 1 male betta + 3 platties



So you have no fish in your tank now?

I don't know much about #1 or #2 but as far as #3: male bettas can be very hit or miss as far as whether they will live with other fish or not. Some will and some won't and of course you can't tell until you've tried it and if you get one that doesn't like other fish you have to figure out what to do (get another tank). Sometimes there can be stress, sickness, fin shredding or death while you're waiting to see if the betta will do well with the other fish.
I had my male betta, Skarloey with white clouds and a couple of oto cats and he was NOT happy, got sick and almost died. I moved him to his own tank and he's very happy alone. Now I'm a little scared to put a betta with any other fish just because I hate to worry about how it will go.

[ckck92]

I've been doing some reading...loads of reading..some says 1inch of fish per gallon is *&^%. Some says it depends on the fish, (bioload, amonia excrete, space). Yeah,the tank is empty now, hmm i don't think i wud be trying #3 since its quite unpredictable and troublesome.. =P, well, wud #1 and 2 work? issit considered overstocking? are they compatible?

I would love to see pictures of your tanks.. I would like to redo the whole tank, changing the substrate, getting driftwoods. In this case, do i have to go through the cycle again? or is there any way to skip it?

[cocoa_pleco]

id say number one is best. bettas often mistake platys as other bettas and fight, and 3 dwarf puffs wouldnt be happy in a small tank. #1 is best. Or, you could go with 2 dwarf gouramis only and shrimp

[bscman]

Personally, I think all the options you listed would result in an unhappy, crowded, over-stocked tank...
1 betta would work, with maybe some shrimp or snails....but no platies.

If you're fish aren't active theres a good chance it water quality or tank size related...overcrowded tanks result in harder-to-keep-clean water, and STRESS due to lack of room.

[ckck92]

id say number one is best. bettas often mistake platys as other bettas and fight, and 3 dwarf puffs wouldnt be happy in a small tank. #1 is best. Or, you could go with 2 dwarf gouramis only and shrimp

hey thankx for the reply.. =) hmm my first choice was obvoiusly..."#1" glad it turned out to be the most suitable one.. ^^ wudnt 2 dwaft gouramis in a 7gallon be overcrowded??

Personally, I think all the options you listed would result in an unhappy, crowded, over-stocked tank...
1 betta would work, with maybe some shrimp or snails....but no platies.

If you're fish aren't active theres a good chance it water quality or tank size related...overcrowded tanks result in harder-to-keep-clean water, and STRESS due to lack of room.

ermm if you are telling me to follow the one inch per gallon rule, i wud rather not have a fish tank.. lol lets say 5 gallon, with for example 6 tetras or 2platies...its a freakishly empty-looking tank.. I'm totally on ur side tho bout my overcrowded tank, i strongly feel that schooling fishes like tetras shouldn't be kept in less than a 15gallon tank.. they need PLENTY of space to swim about, My new stocking suggestions tho aren't schooling fishes and yes i know that that doesnt mean they don't need a lot of swimming space. But think about it, 2 platties + 1 gourami for instance are more likely to be happier in a 7gallon tank compare to a 7gallon stocked with a shcool of tetras. My point is 3 fishes has more room to play about than 6 fishes. =) And regarding bioload, 2 platties and one gourami wud be pretty hard to maintain, but im wiling to do regular water changes.. =D

[kimmers318]

Unfortunately those tall narrow tanks that offer less surface area also have less swimming room than a rectangular or square short tank. Think about what you have observed from your fish.....do they generally swim back and forth in the tank or up and down? Most fish move around side to side, not up and down.
2 dwarf puffers might be okay in that tank, definitely not 3, but they don't always play well with others so most tank mates are out. And remember, those puffers don't usually eat typical fish food either, flake is taken very rairly. They love frozen bloodworms and snails so you need to provide those foods regularly for them.
I don't know if that size tank would do well for dwarf gourami either, as generally it is recommended 10 gal or larger, you might be able to push one. Unless you are looking at the smaller species that only get to be about 1 inch. The size of your tank is very limiting unfortunately.
Personally, I would go with either the betta and possibly some shrimp/snails or small cory (panda might work) or 1 dwarf puffer with a couple of african dwarf frogs. The frogs will be going up and down frequently to get air and the puffer will be begging for food all of the time.
Last but not least, now that your tank is empty, you need to feed it with ammonia to keep they cycle going until you are ready to stock. Your beneficial bacteria will start to die off pretty quickly without anything in there creating waste for it to feed on.

[ckck92]

do they generally swim back and forth in the tank or up and down? Most fish move around side to side, not up and down.

agreed. Fishes swim side to side and its a shame my tank is tall *sobs*. Are there any fishes swims up and down?? Do dwaft puffers swim up and down?? If this is the case then yeah, a betta wud be ideal IF it isnt such a lazy-boring fish.. =P!! I'm also thinking bout planting the tank, it wud be a waste to stock a betta in..

How bout platties or puffers, do they do good in tall tanks? i guess gouramis wont work... i dont wanna be mean to those fishes heh..

[cocoa_pleco]

platys work fine.

Since my 30g hex is really tall, i just have 4 corys, one large angel, and 2 platys with a canister filter rated for over 200 gallons. The platys are fine and dont mind the height.

Generally, for tall tanks 15g and over, angels are best since they like height and swim easily that way. Other fish hate the height.

[bscman]

ermm if you are telling me to follow the one inch per gallon rule, i wud rather not have a fish tank.. lol lets say 5 gallon, with for example 6 tetras or 2platies...its a freakishly empty-looking tank.. I'm totally on ur side tho bout my overcrowded tank, i strongly feel that schooling fishes like tetras shouldn't be kept in less than a 15gallon tank.. they need PLENTY of space to swim about, My new stocking suggestions tho aren't schooling fishes and yes i know that that doesnt mean they don't need a lot of swimming space. But think about it, 2 platties + 1 gourami for instance are more likely to be happier in a 7gallon tank compare to a 7gallon stocked with a shcool of tetras. My point is 3 fishes has more room to play about than 6 fishes. =) And regarding bioload, 2 platties and one gourami wud be pretty hard to maintain, but im wiling to do regular water changes.. =D

I'm not telling you to follow the inch-per-gallon rule. I think that rule is very outdated....and it usually only works for tiny fish like neon tetras and common guppies.

What I am trying to tell you, is that your fish will be LESS active in a smaller tank or one that is over-crowded. Small tanks + overcrowding adds stress. On top of that, there is more waste in the water and more fighting for a fair share of food.
Add all those things together, it makes for unhappy and inactive fish. YOU are the one complaining your fish are boring and inactive. I'm just trying to help.

My betta is now in a 2.5gallon mini-bow and is VERY active. He loves to watch what is going on in the room. He watches movies with me at night. Comes to the front of the tank to greet me when I walk in the room. Blows bubbles all the time. I have fun with a mirror and give him someone to "intimidate" from time to time. He even has a marble he pushes around the gravel in his tank.

Given the size and shape of your tank, I think a betta and a few snails or shrimp would be your best choice. Simply my opinion.
A pair of dwarf puffers would probably be okay as well, but they aren't as easy to take care of.

[ckck92]

platys work fine.The platys are fine and dont mind the height.Generally, for tall tanks 15g and over, angels are best since they like height and swim easily that way. Other fish hate the height.

good thing i love platies.. =P platys seem like they have a really great personality,issit truee?heh

so wud 2females and 1 male platy do good? *i don't like tanks that has little and lifeless fishes.. =( platys are fun rite?*

[YaYgoldFish]

You could do 1 male and 2 female platys with a few shrimps, maybe with a gourami? whatever you do, justy dont get 2 male gouramis, and me, im a huge fan of shrimps, they fun to watch.

[ckck92]

My betta is now in a 2.5gallon mini-bow and is VERY active. He loves to watch what is going on in the room. He watches movies with me at night. Comes to the front of the tank to greet me when I walk in the room. Blows bubbles all the time. I have fun with a mirror and give him someone to "intimidate" from time to time. He even has a marble he pushes around the gravel in his tank.

Given the size and shape of your tank, I think a betta and a few snails or shrimp would be your best choice. Simply my opinion.
A pair of dwarf puffers would probably be okay as well, but they aren't as easy to take care of.

Bettas seem nice, mayb i got the impression that bettas are boring from observing them in a SMALLLLLL glass bottle in fish shops.. Ill think about the bettas..

Im a beginner so i think i wud get dwaft puffers when i become a more seasoned aquarist and when i get a larger tank. hey thanks for ur time bscman!

You could do 1 male and 2 female platys with a few shrimps, maybe with a gourami? whatever you do, justy dont get 2 male gouramis, and me, im a huge fan of shrimps, they fun to watch.

SHRIMPS!! yeahh ill get some, shrimp's habitat are moss rite? if so, what kind? Or where else?

[Drumachine09]

SHRIMPS!! yeahh ill get some, shrimp's habitat are moss rite? if so, what kind? Or where else?


Get cherry shrimp.

[ckck92]

Get cherry shrimp.

u have mistaken me, im was asking where else do they live.. and cherry shrimps are great!!

[Drumachine09]

Good water quality with them is a must, so it is VERY helpful to have live plants such as, java ferns/moss, along with other common plants, is great. It is also important to do at LEAST a 30% water change, because cherryshrimp are very prone to nitrate poisoning.

[ckck92]

Good water quality with them is a must, so it is VERY helpful to have live plants such as, java ferns/moss, along with other common plants, is great. It is also important to do at LEAST a 30% water change, because cherryshrimp are very prone to nitrate poisoning.

aite...thx for ur advice..i've got no experience with shrims ^^ yes planning to get java ferns and some java moss for the driftwood.. what are common plants used at the back/mid/front part of the aquarium??

[SkarloeysMom]

My betta is now in a 2.5gallon mini-bow and is VERY active. He loves to watch what is going on in the room. He watches movies with me at night. Comes to the front of the tank to greet me when I walk in the room. Blows bubbles all the time. I have fun with a mirror and give him someone to "intimidate" from time to time. He even has a marble he pushes around the gravel in his tank.

Given the size and shape of your tank, I think a betta and a few snails or shrimp would be your best choice. Simply my opinion.


I have to second this. My bettas are in heated 2.5g and 5g and they are both very active same as Bscman's betta. A 7g would be a really nice home for a betta and some snails or shrimp. I find that my bettas are also better weathermen than most of the ones on our local news. I can almost always expect rain when they start blowing a bubble nests. I'm serious...they are very accurate!

[YaYgoldFish]

Well i have mountain shrimpsin a 25g eith about 4 live plants and a driftwood piece. The ONLY time i see those 2 are when the lights have been off for atleast 30 mins and lift up either the driftwood or look into the plants, unless its walking around. Ive even caught in on my heater!..But im pretty sure theyre scared of either my gourami, tinfoil barba or barrcudas..maybe even the light.

[ckck92]

I have to second this. My bettas are in heated 2.5g and 5g and they are both very active same as Bscman's betta. A 7g would be a really nice home for a betta and some snails or shrimp. I find that my bettas are also better weathermen than most of the ones on our local news. I can almost always expect rain when they start blowing a bubble nests. I'm serious...they are very accurate!

hmm cooool........... ^^!!! i think its best i go with bettas.. hmmm issit posible to add in one or two other fishes in there with the betta? the fishes wont fight with the betta rite?

The ONLY time i see those 2 are when the lights have been off for atleast 30 mins and lift up either the driftwood or look into the plants, unless its walking around. Ive even caught in on my heater!..But im pretty sure theyre scared of either my gourami, tinfoil barba or barrcudas..maybe even the light.

who are those "2"..? wow u got quite alotta fishes in there, how big is ur tank?

[bscman]

hmm cooool........... ^^!!! i think its best i go with bettas.. hmmm issit posible to add in one or two other fishes in there with the betta? the fishes wont fight with the betta rite?


Some betta's will tolerate tank mates, others aren't soo keen on the idea.
Mine is fine with shrimp or snails, but doesn't like other fish. He becomes a seldom seen loner, and very unhappy. I think he likes all the free water to himeslf, and not shared with other finned friends.

I know others who keep their betta's in community tanks. Guess it just depends on personality.

Betta's are fairly slow fish, so don't get fish that are prone to nipping--your betta's huge fins would be at risk.

[ckck92]

Some betta's will tolerate tank mates, others aren't soo keen on the idea.
Mine is fine with shrimp or snails, but doesn't like other fish. He becomes a seldom seen loner, and very unhappy. I think he likes all the free water to himeslf, and not shared with other finned friends.

I know others who keep their betta's in community tanks. Guess it just depends on personality.

Betta's are fairly slow fish, so don't get fish that are prone to nipping--your betta's huge fins would be at risk.

owhh..hmm i dont think i will take that risk.. cuz if the betta doesnt like the other fishes ive got no other tanks to put them in.. =( yeah ill go with bettas and mayb 2 cory catfish, and some shrimps.. wat do u think?

[Zerileous]

my mom's betta is more interested in his shadow than the corys...
you certainly do not want to crowd a betta, or keep him with other aggressive fish, but it should be fine with a few corys. It would be best if the corys were there first (so he doesn't feel like they are violating upon his territory if added later). Keep in mind she has False Julii corys, which are pretty small. You probably want to avoid the larger ones, as they may seem like more of a threat.

And there is still the risk of incompatibility, but corys like to hang around the bottom and bettas tend to stay in the upper areas so chances are they would be compatible. Especially if it is only 3 fish in 7 gallons.

Edit: to add that giving the corys some hiding spots and adding some stuff thats taller for the betta to swim around would also help compatibility.

[ckck92]

my mom's betta is more interested in his shadow than the corys...
you certainly do not want to crowd a betta, or keep him with other aggressive fish, but it should be fine with a few corys. It would be best if the corys were there first (so he doesn't feel like they are violating upon his territory if added later). Keep in mind she has False Julii corys, which are pretty small. You probably want to avoid the larger ones, as they may seem like more of a threat.

And there is still the risk of incompatibility, but corys like to hang around the bottom and bettas tend to stay in the upper areas so chances are they would be compatible. Especially if it is only 3 fish in 7 gallons.

Edit: to add that giving the corys some hiding spots and adding some stuff thats taller for the betta to swim around would also help compatibility.

i guess it should be best to leave the betta alone rite? but i dont want the tank to seem too empty, if i add in a driftwood and create caves using rocks it wud be good hiding places for the corys. Im gonna cover the back of the aquarium and a little of the medium part with plants, tho i dont want to stuff the aquarium with plants which can lessen the open swimming areas for the betta..

Do u tink its a good idea to use white-brownish river sand as substrate?

[SkarloeysMom]

owhh..hmm i dont think i will take that risk.. cuz if the betta doesnt like the other fishes ive got no other tanks to put them in..

You said it right there. Any fish even corys may not work out with a Betta. If you decide to put any fish with the Betta you have to keep a close eye on them for a while to see how they are getting on and you have to have an exit plan in case it doesn't work out...either return them to LFS or another tank to put them in. This is EXACTLY how I ended up with more than one tank. My Betta will not tolerate even the most dosil oto cat. I had him in a community and he got stress and sick and almost died so I had to buy him his own tank.

I'm not saying don't put other fish with a betta just be very careful and watch them closely for a while.

[hungryhound]

You said it right there. Any fish even corys may not work out with a Betta. If you decide to put any fish with the Betta you have to keep a close eye on them for a while to see how they are getting on and you have to have an exit plan in case it doesn't work out...either return them to LFS or another tank to put them in. This is EXACTLY how I ended up with more than one tank. My Betta will not tolerate even the most dosil oto cat. I had him in a community and he got stress and sick and almost died so I had to buy him his own tank.

I'm not saying don't put other fish with a betta just be very careful and watch them closely for a while.

This is how I ended up with my second tank. I put my betta my community tank and he did not get along. So i had to rush out and buy a 5 gallon.

Of course since that time due to an emergency I had to ue my 5 gallon as a hospital tank and moved the betta to a breeding trap floating in the big community tank. after a week he accidentally got free and has been playing nice with everyone for the last 2 months.

I only have an n of 1, but it seems to me that you need to really acclimate a betta to other tank mates before you introduce him into a community tank. That way he learns that the other fish are friendly and gets comfortable with their presence.

It is amazing how much happier he is in a 46 gallon. But I am not saying that this will work for everyone, but it did work for me.

[NeonJulie]

In a 7g you could possibly add other fish - the problem is each Betta's personality is so difference, you'd be taking the chance that you may have to return that betta and try a different one, or make up his own setup.

It's unique, but some fish stores like my local one, put a betta in each community tank. (Which makes it especially lovely to see them swim and interact normally, then sit in a cup.) These bettas are all used to the tetras and other smaller fish they are with - they already prove that they'd probably not see the small fish as a snack/rival.

But if you can't see how a betta responds to the small fish beforehand, you may be taking the risk that you end up with an aggressive betta. Both the bettas I've ever had were as peaceful as ever, even in a tank full of gouramis - but there are some bullies out there as well.

The other problem is that most small fish are schooling fish. Now my neon trio have been doing great (but they were supposed to be dead anyway, and I have dreams of combining them with the school.) But usually you wouldn't want to keep just 3-4 of a schooling fish forever.

If you are good on maintenance, and you can find a good happy peaceful betta, I don't see why one of the smaller size tetras like Emperor etc., at about 5 wouldn't work with your betta. In a situation like this, the 1"/gallon rule is going to fail, especially with schooling fish who prefer higher numbers.

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The other option is 2-3 Otos. But here it's better if you try to get Otos who are captive bred, since they will be more likely to eat wafers. (I don't know where mine came from but I've never seen them turn down a zucchini.)

[ckck92]

In a 7g you could possibly add other fish - the problem is each Betta's personality is so difference, you'd be taking the chance that you may have to return that betta and try a different one, or make up his own setup.

It's unique, but some fish stores like my local one, put a betta in each community tank. (Which makes it especially lovely to see them swim and interact normally, then sit in a cup.) These bettas are all used to the tetras and other smaller fish they are with - they already prove that they'd probably not see the small fish as a snack/rival.

But if you can't see how a betta responds to the small fish beforehand, you may be taking the risk that you end up with an aggressive betta. Both the bettas I've ever had were as peaceful as ever, even in a tank full of gouramis - but there are some bullies out there as well.

The other problem is that most small fish are schooling fish. Now my neon trio have been doing great (but they were supposed to be dead anyway, and I have dreams of combining them with the school.) But usually you wouldn't want to keep just 3-4 of a schooling fish forever.

If you are good on maintenance, and you can find a good happy peaceful betta, I don't see why one of the smaller size tetras like Emperor etc., at about 5 wouldn't work with your betta. In a situation like this, the 1"/gallon rule is going to fail, especially with schooling fish who prefer higher numbers.

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The other option is 2-3 Otos. But here it's better if you try to get Otos who are captive bred, since they will be more likely to eat wafers. (I don't know where mine came from but I've never seen them turn down a zucchini.)

In my LFS they keep their bettas in small cube tanks(1gallon), shelving them side by side and have a piece of cardboard in between the tanks so that the bettas wont be flaring at each other 24/7. The purpose of the cardboard i think, wud be for US to remove and see them flare..!! ^^ and ofcourse put it back in place..

TOOOOO much trouble for me to go through just for the sake of giving the betta a few roommates.. I wud maybe in the future try a combo of some platties with the betta or betta with a school of neons, mayb 5 cardinals..

Cardinals are delicate fishes...*sigh* but they are PRETTY!!

And yes yes yes i know betta might fight with the platties but there are many ways to promote compatibility in tanks..

NeonJulie bout the links of black neon tetras tat u gave me.. Are they suppose to be "small" fishes? lol they seem pretty big in my tank, they have big big big tummies and generally bigger bodys compared to my other tetras.. they wud be the firsts to get the flakes and very agreessive-fast-like swimming.

[NeonJulie]

Not sure, it was one of the fish listed on liveaquaria as getting to 1.5" instead of 2 or more, but in this case, it's not their wider bodies that's the concern, as opposed to their length (because they swim mid-level, as opposed to vertically like labrynth fish often times do.)

Cardinals might be a better choice in a larger setup.

[ckck92]

what about dwarf puffers?