Fishless Cycling Species Specific 10 Gallon

[Shidohari]

I've started a fishless cycle by using a in use media bag from my four gallon tank, and moving a fresh media bag into the four gallon. also added freeze dried bloodworms to rot for ammonia use since i couldn't find any bottled ammonia tonight. I'm also doing a fishless cycle this time around as this is supposed to be a species specific tank.

My question is this...I was originally thinking of stocking the second ten gallon with the following

3 of the small cherry barbs
3 of another kind of barb that doesn't get over 1-2 inches
2 cory cats

After looking at the harlequin rasbora i'm thinking about stocking the tank with this instead

6 harlequin rasboras
3 cherry barbs
2 cory cats

What do you think? I'm religious on my water changes, do you think the ten gallon after cycling will be able to handle that load? I'm not going to plant it until i get more into the cycle.

[KingFisher]

Both the cherry barbs and the cories are schooling fish and should be kept in schools of at least six. If you do not have room for schools, you should not keep them at all.


Here is a link with some good ideas for stocking a 10 gallon tank:

http://theaquariumwiki.com/Stocking_...10_Gallon_tank

[Shidohari]

What if i change the stocking to

1 Honey gourami male
6 harlequin rasbora (dwarf rasbora are the false versions of this fish and often mistaken for them.)
3 cory cats

[jeffs99dime]

Cory's should be in groups of 6 or more.

[Lady Hobbs]

I agree with Kingfisher. A 10 gallon is OK for a Betta or perhaps some micro-rasbora and some cherry shrimp. It is really useless to keep buying small tanks that you can not stock with the fish you want. Save up your money and get a 30 gallon so you can buy schools of fish. I would definately not even attempt to stock 3 species of fish in a 10 gallon and again, corys are schooling fish.

[Shidohari]

actually my ten gallon with my double tail betta fish male is doing fine with just three of them as they are the larger corys (julii cory) which get to two to three inches at final. They also have a 'cave system' i made for them out of stacking rocks and river rocks for stability. The betta in the tank sometimes uses them as well. I plan to make some kind of hiding place once the cycle in the ten gallon gets further along. Nothing is in there right now other than the gravel and the filter media i migrated from the four gallon.

also plan to plant the tank after the cycle gets further along.

Then i could change my stock to this.

6 harlequin rasbora
3 cory cats (i love my corys and yes i do understand they need to normally have to be in a school of six...but three is what i've been using them to keep them in a small school. I'm not trying to go against what you're telling me)

Unfortunately i have nothing and no room in my condo that will hold or be able to house a thirty gallon tank. Best i can do are ten gallons...I was originally going to do barbs for this tank, but the harlequin rasboras have more of a personality so was thinking to switch them. the barbs i would have chosen were cherry barbs (or their long finned variations) which don't grow above 1.75 -2 inches.

[Lady Hobbs]

Schooling fish are determined by the number of them in their family unit, not how large they are. It doesn't matter if schooling fish are 6" fish or 1" fish. They need to be in groups of "at least" 6.

[Shidohari]

then let me ask you this...would a ten gallon tank work without bottom feeders?

[Lady Hobbs]

You do not have to have a bottom feeder at all if you don't want one. I went without any bottom feeders for probably 5 years.

[Shidohari]

well the reason i was asking, if i went totally harlequin rasbora for the tank, would that be okay for the ten gallon...and if so, how many should i get?

My backup would be if they didn't have harlequin rasbora at my fish supplier (not petsmart this time) the Cherry Barbs or Danios/Tetras, i really haven't researched tetra's completely yet