Help me build my (small) fish community!

[Geist]

Hi guys!

I'm new to everything, so any advice will be welcome. I have posted my starting up story in a separate post. While I work on cycling my tank, I want to start planning up my little fish community.

Essentials info: 10gal, 50w heater at 78F, 5 plants, a plastic twisted log thingy and a tacky plastic greek temple front.

I currently have one mickey mouse platy and one wag tail platy, both females.

My original naive plans (that's after dropping the sexy balloon mollies for lack of decent tank size)?

3-4 platies
1 dwarf gourami cobalt
1 honey gourami
1 apple snail
some sort of shrimp? or something else like a group of 6 pygme corydoras or entlers livebearers.

I'm reading conflicting information with regards to compatibility (platies and both gouramis) as well as tank volume requirement (dwarf gourami). I also now realize that the above is way too much for the tank I have.

Still reading? What I need from you avid aquarists is advice on how to build from my two platies using some of the fishes stated above, if at all possible. I welcome suggestions outside this list, but keep in mind I'm new to this so would rather start with pets who don't require too much specific care.

Your help is greatly appreciated, everything I've learned so far has been mostly from browsing though these forums!

Thanks,

Geist

 

[dkpate]

I would wait a while. Since you bought livebearers, they could be prego, and in no time you will have even more fish LOL. They can have babies for around 3 months, I believe, with no males in there, since they could have been impregnated at the pet store.

 

[Jason7894561230]

+1
the gourami may eat the shrimp, but if you do want shrimp try and get red cherry shrimp colourful and nice. you may be able to get some cardinal tetras or maybe some neon tetras.

 

[Geist]

I would wait a while. Since you bought livebearers, they could be prego, and in no time you will have even more fish LOL. They can have babies for around 3 months, I believe, with no males in there, since they could have been impregnated at the pet store.

Uh oh... but I can't handle fry with my tank cycling and my absence of experience and skills. They'll end up dead or eaten by their mommy

I've looked at them carefully and one (Adie) looks very round. She's also less active and is always trying to swim away from the other one (Shota), who's more turbulent.

I'll see what happens, I'll keep a close eye on them.

Thanks for the tip!

Meanwhile I'd also appreciate any help in planning the species for my future population. If you have a chance please do not hesitate to make suggestions!

Geist

 

[Geist]

+1
the gourami may eat the shrimp, but if you do want shrimp try and get red cherry shrimp colourful and nice. you may be able to get some cardinal tetras or maybe some neon tetras.

Do you mean that my initial list is ok and that I can add tetras to it? Or are you suggesting that the tetras should replace one of my initial choices?

Thanks for the info about the gourami and the shrimps. I was unsure about getting shrimps, and I'm much rather have gouramis if I'd have to pick one or the other.

Geist

 

[Jason7894561230]

Nah that is just a suggestion to your origanal list, I think you may have a prego fish on your hands is there a black dot on her belly?

 

[Geist]

Nah that is just a suggestion to your origanal list, I think you may have a prego fish on your hands is there a black dot on her belly?

Looks like... yeah... she's carrying.

 

[mfdrookie516]

yep... you're gonna have grandkids soon

 

[dkpate]

ROFL! Congrats gramps!
If you don't want them, don't remove them, and sometimes the mom will eat them. If not, then keep the water clean and maybe see if a pet store will take the babies. If the water is not clean they can become stunted, deformed and have lots of problems.

 

[Ilikefishes]

Get 1 red tailed black shark, amazing fish!

 

[Jason7894561230]

Looks like... yeah... she's carrying.

Deffinitly carrying have fun!!!!!!!!