Mostly-Newbie 10 Gallon Stocking Questions

[Sahrynar]

Hello everyone,
I'm mostly a newbie to fish keeping, and although I've tried to read and learn as much as I can, I'm just not quite sure how to do the math on how many fish I can/should stock in my Penn-Plax Radius 10 gallon (although aqadvisor.com says it's 11.4 gallons by the dimensions of it). I've looked around and checked aqadvisor.com, as well as talking to my LFS, and have gotten conflicting information.
What I currently have is:
1 male betta
1 zebra nerite snail
4 ghost shrimp
What I'd like to add are some khuli loaches and corydoras habrosus, but I'm not sure how many I should/can have of each or even if I can have both (which I would love!) I'm also hoping to be able to add Malaysian Trumpet snails to help with my sand substrate.
So, I'm hoping those with more knowledge than me can help me figure this out so both me and my aquatic friends can be happy!
Thanks in advance!!!

 

[plantnoob]

Hmm, you've got ghost shrimp that mostly sit at the bottom and you want to add some Corys and kuhli loaches. I'd say go with one or the other. The Corys need to be in schools of 5 or more. With both Corys and loaches at the bottom, your tank might be a bit crowded at the substrate level.


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[Sahrynar]

I was worried about that too...I just think they are both so cute, but I think I like the kuhlis the best. Aqadvisor.com suggests a min of 5 kuhlis so if I do that, will I be ok?
This is what aqadvisor.com says:

You have plenty of aquarium filtration capacity.

Your aquarium filtration capacity for above selected species is 554%.
Recommended water change schedule: 24% per week.
Your aquarium stocking level is 87%.

Or is Aqadvisor.com a good source of information?

 

[All_fish]

It's a pretty reliable source.

 

[Barliman]

Or is Aqadvisor.com a good source of information?

It's good for a rough start, but I tend to err on the side of caution for the numbers it produces.

One thing to keep in mind: It's not at all a given the betta will get along with the new inhabitants. Some are perfectly fine, others are little serial killers. Some start out fine and then become little serial killers.

Just be prepared to move him or the kuhlis if he takes an unhealthy interest in them.

 

[Sahrynar]

I'll definitely be watching him when I first add him (tho he's been good with my snail and everything else I've put in his current tank after one or two nips so I'm crossing my fingers that he'll be ok), but will be adding him last to the new tank to reduce his territorialness.
But that means I have to stock it first so need to know if 5 kuhlis will be ok in my tank. :/
I've really been getting lots of conflicting info between the forums I've asked on - I'm more confused now than ever! T-T

 

[Barliman]

I've really been getting lots of conflicting info between the forums I've asked on - I'm more confused now than ever! T-T

That's because so many of us have different experiences: what works fine for one aquarist for some reason is a disaster for another. There are just too many variable for hard and fast rules.

The best you can do is look for trends and play the odds. In the betta's case, you have the right idea.

 

[Coursair]

The issue I'd be concerned with is that Kuhlis can be active fish and a 10g doesn't give them hardly any room to grow.

I'd say at least a 20g Long or a 55g.

These fish hit 4+" each.
This is Live Aquaria's advice for Kuhlis
http://m.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=830+885+1072&pcatid=1072
Note recommended tank size

I don't believe a sleepy Betta would appreciate 5 snake fish swarming around at night.

They have tiny scales and need pristine water. They are not suitable for new tanks. They need stable conditions. They can't handle meds ( treat like a scaleless fish).

Kuhlis can live 10yrs in good conditions.

JMHO
YMMV






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[plantnoob]

I've generally had good experience with a betta living with other community fishes. I'm a little more worried about the size of your tank and the bioload with the additional inhabitants. You'll have to be real diligent about water changes.


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[Ashenwelt]

So always try and remember one inch of body per gallon (not always accurate but a good start). But also remember fish will grow. The idea they grow just to their environment is a lie, so don't believe it. And lastly... Only put fish in a tank they can have some quality of life. A 4 inch fish has no quality of life in a 10 gallon. IMHO.

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[Ashenwelt]

Oh and as an aside, some argue that shrimp don't really fit the math because it can be like ten shrimp per gallon. Not sure on that.

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[Coursair]

Oh and as an aside, some argue that shrimp don't really fit the math because it can be like ten shrimp per gallon. Not sure on that.

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Shrimp are completely different. I've had up to prob 100 RCS in my 10g and they were great. Heavily planted, weekly PWS. Started with 15 then they started breeding.

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