Hello All,

This is my first stab at operating an aquarium. I currently have a standard 10gal tank with a penguin 100 bio wheel and a small heater. I have several fake aquatic plants (fake duckweed on surface) and a fake root also. I unsuccessfully had feeder goldfish at first but I think I over populated when I put 7 in =/. I waited a week did a 50% water exchange and now have 3 rosy's who are doing fairly well I would say. If my rosy's do well for a few weeks I will be adding 2 dwarfs and a cory =D.

Here is a picture of my set up....dont be too harsh. Also a picture of my for fun betta Set Up

Loving the set ups!

Yeah, one gold fish needs a 30g tank and you need another 10g for every gold fish after that, so that's probably what did it.

You have 3 Rosy what? Barbs? If so, then yes, you can add 2 more.

Corys need to be in a group of 5 or more, so you may not want to do that in the 10g or you may over stock.

What dwarf were you thinking of adding?

Do you have a heater for the Betta? (They need temps' in the 80's.) I like how you have a nozzle on the bettas bowl, makes the daily water changes easier.

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The Rosys are minnows (fathead minnows) and yeah i learned my lesson haha!

But I didn't realize I couldnt have a lone cory for my clean up crew. What could i get to clean my tank??? A plecostomus will get too big.

And 2 dwarf gouramis

No heater for my beta he seems to be doing fine at room temp. and the bowl hes in is really meant as a lemonade pitcher but it sucks as that so I thought it would make a nice home for him.

Corys just scavenge for uneaten food... They don't really "clean"

You should get a few snails a heater and put your Betta in the ten gallon and have him there alone w/ snails. It'll be "boring" but your Betta will be a happy Betta.

p.s. when you feel up to it and have sufficient light, get rid of the fake plants and replace em with the real ones, it's better for the tank and fish, plus they look nicer.

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I put a small heater in my bettas rig for now. I dont know that I want him in my 10 gal I have changed what I want in it to 1 dwarf gourami and several white clouds. possibly 2 otos. And I have one tiny plant with my betta that I got for free I think its wisteria but im not sure once that grows a bit bigger I will transplant it and get better bulbs for growth. I want to ease into real plants. Thats a big first step. Do you think I should put some mystery snails in my tank????

Otos are good algae eaters, but you need at least 3. With 3 Otos, 1 dwarf gourami and 3 rosy minnows, you will be fully stocked in the 10g. (And that doesn't count the 1 cory... since there won't be room for a full school, you may be able to squeak by with just 3 of them... or trade him in.)

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I think the Otos are too sensitive of a fish to keep in a ten gallon.. not that it can't be done, it's just harder to maintain the ten gallon because of it's small size especially with the other fish you want, you'd be at your stocking limit. I think you can go with 5 White Clouds and 1 Dwarf Gourami and the snails and you'll have a nice tank without stocking issues.

There's a seller here James selling some floating plants at a great price that are easy to care for and would be nice for both the fish you're planning to get.

Does your tank have a light? Two 11W CFL lights w/ 6500k output will have plants grow amazingly. You can find those in Walmart and they can fit even the incandescent light hoods.

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Holly- I dont think I will get a cory and thanks for the advice!





Pigeon- I think I will just go with the dwarf gourami and some clouds. I may just keep my rosy reds they are pretty fun actually. And I do have the two small lights under my hood I was going to upgrade soon to ones that can give plants ample lighting. I will look for those lights. What snails are best for a tank such as mine?

Also would it be okay to have my betta and a dwarf gourami together in my 10gal?

Don't put the Betta and Dwarf Gourami in the same tank. One will be killed. They are both Labyrinth fish and won't tolerate each other. (It'd be pretty for about 10 mins, then it would be a massacre!) Lol.

I think with a Dwarf Gourami and your minnows you'll have a nice tank. You can keep it clean by doing water changes and gravel vacuums. (Bottom feeders aren't necessary.) For Dwarf Gourami - have you thought of a Honey Gourami? (They are a kind of dwarf, but are generally a little smaller than a normal dwarf.) I've got 4 Fire Honey's in my 20g and they are about 1.5 inches and they haven't grown since we got them a few months ago. We had a Dwarf Fire Gourami and he was easily 3 inches. I find the Honey's to be very personable too! They always come to the glass to see us, and they nibble at my arms when I feed the frogs or am cleaning the tank. (I tickle their bellies and they swim away all happy - you can almost hear them giggling, lol.)

I kept my 3 Oto's in a 10g for a long time - they've now upgraded to a 20g. :D But yes, they are a very sensitive fish and it's hard keeping the params' from fluctuating in a smaller tank. (Generally, if you can keep Oto's for a month, they should make it fine - not uncommon for them to die in the first few days.)

*Sorry - my bad - I thought you said you HAD 1 cory - that's why I said to get more. I just re-read and realized you were GOING to get one, but aren't now. Lol, silly me.

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Sad day...Decided to put a small heater in my bettas bowl last night and when I came home today he was dead from over heated water....My little heater went hay-wire and cooked him =(. My rosy reds are however eating nicely now and know when to get food.

Oh my gosh! Soooo sorry to hear that! They do like temps' in the low-mid 80's.... was the heater one that only does one temp'? So sad! Do you think you'll get another Betta and a new heater? (I'd put a little filter on there as well, so you don't have to do daily water changes.)

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Sorry to hear that. A 50W heater will heat up ten gallons enough... my guess is that small container didn't have enough water to keep up with the thermodynamics.

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Yeah it is a one setting temp. auto regulating so I assumed it would maintain itself. I may just ditch that bowl and buy a slightly larger tank with a tiny filter and heater. I am depressed still about losing my betta they have so much personality so I don't know if I want to start on another yet....Thanks for all of your help holly and pigeon, much appreciated.

Sorry to hear abut the Betta. Cool idea with the jar as a tank, although not sure if it is suitable.

Good looking 10g!! Has your tank finished going through the nitrogen cycle? From the timelaine you gave, wasn't sure.

Thanks but yeah I think im done with that jar as a tank might upgrade for a new betta tank. But I think im done with the cycle my 3 rosy reds are happy and have been alive for several days now feeding well. Today I put in a mystery snail and a small what i believe to be wisteria that i got for free. Also put in 10w 6500k CFL bulbs for my plant might add more plants soon if my one does well. I dont like my plants fake but I got as realistic ones as I could for now.

So....you're not sure if your tank has finished the cycle? Do you own a test kit to test for ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate?

I have test strips not a kit

super nice 10gal

Thank you, soon it will have new fish and more plants =D