Stocking a 10g tank

**aroyce** · 02-21-2012, 10:35 AM

After finding new homes for two fish I will have a 10 gallon tank with a quietflow filter, a 150W heater, live plants and driftwood.
The population is: 1betta, 1dwarf Gourami, 1chinese algea eater, and 3 Serpae tetras. I would like to get 3 more tetras to meet the 6+ school requirement. Will this over stock the tank? Thanks for any advice.

**gm72** · 02-21-2012, 10:44 AM

Your tank will be in trouble I fear sooner than later. The serpaes are notorious fin nippers and will likely pick at the betta. The CAE will get very aggressive as it gets older. I strongly recommend rethinking the stocking.

**ScottishFish** · 02-21-2012, 10:46 AM

Dwarf gouramis can be very grumpy and aggressive aswell.

**aroyce** · 02-21-2012, 10:51 AM

Well that definitely gives food for thought. I'd read that the CAE's aren't too bad as long as you keep feeding them. But if I need to restock I'll have to think it through more. I really like the dwarf gourami, any advice on what would go well with it?

**ScottishFish** · 02-21-2012, 11:07 AM

I've got a dwarf gourami who chases basically everything that goes near the water surface! I have a firemouth who is the same size as him and he gets chased off! I'd advise anything that swims from middle to lower tank.

**aroyce** · 02-21-2012, 11:14 AM

Thanks, so far he seems to be oke with the beta, but since beta's are so easy to keep I may put him right in a flower vase or something. It just goes to show you need experience not charts. I looked up my fish on the chart before buying them and it said all three types would be oke together (The CAE was iffy but I figured in a small tank he wouldn't grow that big). So so far it sounds like the Beta has to go, and once he grows up the CAE has to go. Does that sound right? And if so I'm thinking I should be able to finish the school of Serpae's. Since the serpae's seem to be middle/bottom dwelling I'm hoping they won't bother the gourami. Does that sound reasonable?

**ScottishFish** · 02-21-2012, 11:40 AM

That's a bit better, another option is giving away all inhaitants of the tank and start a fresh? A good walk around an lfs may allow you to see fish you never thought about before? Or ask more questions here for extra suggestions?

**imma24** · 02-21-2012, 11:44 AM

OOOH - do NOT put the betta in a flower vase!! It needs to be in a tank with a heater and a filter. Just because fish stores keep them in tiny cups/tanks and those smaller tanks show pics of bettas in them (on the packaging I mean), that doesn't mean it's appropriate. If I were you, I would get a 5gal tank for the betta if you want to put it in another home, and THEN increase the tetras.

**aroyce** · 02-21-2012, 11:54 AM

Well if I ended up giving away all the fish I'd have to let the tank die down for a while to save up for more fish. (I'm a poor college student at the moment). So once I've found a new tank for the beta I should be oke for a while right? are there any estimates on how long it'll take the CAE to become aggressive? Within 3 years from now I hope to have my new tank built. That'll be plenty big enough. sadly enough the only fish store that sells halfway healthy fish around here is a chain, and I can probably recite their inventory by heart. I'm gonna have to figure out what to do with the betta first though, I don't really have the money to start up a new tank for him. Thanks for all the ideas though! It's been very informative but I've gotta run to class.