How overstocked is this tank...

[Ellenquacker72]

I have a ten gallon tank which is currently being fishless cycled.
I was thinking of:
1 male dwarf gourami
3-4 male platys
Potentially 3 panda or Pygmy corys if theres space...
With the platys, should I add salt?

 

[Rosenweiss]

That would actually be a pretty good stocking list, as long as you go with the pygmy and not the panda cories. Smaller=better in your case! Also, no no on the salt, cories can't take any. Platties don't need it either.

 

[Ellenquacker72]

Anybody else....?

 

[hiltymj]

Ya you dont need to add any salt. They will be fine

 

[HN1]

I agree with Rosenweiss on this one.

 

[siva]

I have a ten gallon tank which is currently being fishless cycled.
I was thinking of:
1 male dwarf gourami
3-4 male platys
Potentially 3 panda or Pygmy corys if theres space...
With the platys, should I add salt?

That sounds great. For the pygmy cories I would go with hasbrosus or nanus if you are looking for something that will hang out on the bottom of the tank. Pygmaeus and hastatus actually shoal mid tank. Also, with all cories but I think especially with the pygmy cories, they should be in groups of atleast 6 Aquarium salt should never be added with any freshwater fish unless you are treating for an illness such as ich.

 

[Ellenquacker72]

Oh I really like the Venezuelan corys... Il look for them. But I couldn't find info about the nanus.
Would a honey gourami be better than dwarf?

 

[Rosenweiss]

Either would be fine, or a sparkling gourami.

 

[siva]

Oh I really like the Venezuelan corys... Il look for them. But I couldn't find info about the nanus.
Would a honey gourami be better than dwarf?

Nah same diff on the gourami's. Yes, the hasbrosus cories are my absolute favorite. The nanus are probably the hardest to find pygmy cory.

 

[Ellenquacker72]

It's weird, when I posted the same question on yahoo answers, everyone was like, NOOO none of those fish are good for a 10g... Then people here are just , yeah, that'll work, same dif... It's funny

 

[Rosenweiss]

Lol... dwarf gouramis and platties are ideal in small numbers for a 10g. XD

 

[siva]

hehe I know what you mean. You will definitely notice more conservative stocking ideas over on Y!A. Some folks over there can give great advice, but many are also harsh and even rude to folks that don't deserve it, which turned me off to it.

Dwarf gourami's are definitely on the large side for a 10, but because of their activity level and temperment, they work. Platties, paticularly the males, definitely stay small enough for a 10, and with the rest of your stock list, will have the room they need. It works out perfectly because the gourami will hang out up top alot, the platties will do their thing in the mid section mostly, and hasbrosus cories will zip along around the bottom for the most part. It really is a perfectly stocked tank, IMO/E. You may want to also add a coulple nerite snails to take care of any algae build up. Also, the bio-load of these paticular fish, as long as you add them slowly, should be perfectly managable in a 10 with a decent filter. After re-reading your original question I noticed you had said panda or pygmy cories. To clarify, I wouldn't do panda's in less than a 20, but pygmy's are definitely okay in my book.

 

[Ellenquacker72]

Yeah, i really like the pandas, but have come to realize they really do need more room. But the ones you mentioned are fantasic. I hope I can find them!
I was also thinking of switching to honey gourami since they're smaller.
Would freezedried bloodworms(parents said no to frozen), sinking shrimp pellets and tropical flakes be good for these guys?
Oh and I'm getting live plants, I hear they're good for algae? And might bring some snails along with them for free. Hehe

 

[Rosenweiss]

Freezedried is never the best option for food, as it can block digestion. Frozen is better, so I'm sorry to hear you can't. I suppose that live is out of the question?

The best alternative would be New Life Spectrum pellet food for the whole community, probably the "small fish" variety.

 

[siva]

I agree with Rosenweiss. Gouramis are more prone to bloat than many fish, so definitely not a good candidate for freeze dried. Just out of curiousity, why did your parents say no frozen? Maybe they just think it's gross? lol If you can't get them bloodworms they'll be fine. Sinking shrimp pellets are OK, but they aren't the best. I would replace that with a good quality sinking wafer for the cories such as hikari or new life spectrum, and then a flake or floating pellet for the others. Live plants definitely help keep your nitrates down, which in turn can help keep algae under control.

Shipping fish can be pricey, but bobstropicalplants.com often has corydoras hasbrosus and nanus and franksaquarium.com often has hasbrosus.

 

[Ellenquacker72]

If i soaked the bloodworms first, would that help with the bloat? Yeah, parents said no because it was kinda in our let-me-have-fish agreement that I wouldn't feed them anything gross, and nothing in the freezer, so...
The good hikari sinking wafers are web only at my lfs. And guess what? That not allowed either. For fish or food. Sigh. And they don't have the other brand you mentioned unfortunately

 

[siva]

Ok I see. Sure, soak the dried worms for atleast 10 mins in dechlorinated water (just use a little tank water). Shrimp pellets and tetramin or wardley flakes will be just fine

 

[Ellenquacker72]

I already own the nutrafin one, and I figured the hikari freezedried were the best to go for, and then the shrimp pellets.

 

[siva]

Yeah that should be just fine

 

[Ellenquacker72]

Cool thanks so much!!