Combining Tetras

[jedimasta]

Apologies if this is a bit long winded, I just want to make sure I'm being clear.

At home, I have a custom built 11 gallon freshwater tank that sits on my mantle. It's not planted, but has a few decorations with hiding places. In it resides a Black Skirted Tetra and a Buenos Aires Tetra (I think. It might be a Black Phantom Tetra, I forget).

At my office, I have a 5 gallon off-the-shelf bow-style aquarium with a moss ball, a pleco and a Glowlight Tetra.

Recent events suggest that my company will be closing its doors very soon, which means transporting the office tank and its inhabitants either way, but I'm wondering how safe it would be to add the Glowlight to the larger tank. I'm sure the pleco will be fine, but being that the Glowlight is so much smaller than the other two, I'm a little worried that the "mouth size to other fish size" rule should be adhered to. But being that they're all Tetras would that mean a relatively safe combination?

Ironically, the larger ones in the bigger home tank are more skiddish than the the smaller Glowlight who will actually take flakes from my fingers without twitching a fin.

Anyone think I'll be okay introducing the little fish to the bigger pond or am I doomed to keep two tanks?

Thanks for the help!

 

[bud29]

to the forum!

To be real honest, the only fish that belongs in a 10 gallon is that glowlight tetra you have. And, they are schooling, so it is probably stressed being alone. You really would need to get a bigger tank like a 29 gallon, get 5 more black skirt tetras, 5 more buenos aires tetras, and move the pleco there as well. Then get 5 more glowlight tetras, and put them in the 10 gallon. I know this is not cheap at all, but the black skirt tetras, pleco, and buenos aires tetras get too big and/or too active for a 10 gallon.

 

[jedimasta]

I appreciate the input. As much as I'd love to have a larger setup, it's neither cost nor space conducive. Even if I had a 29 gallon built that would fit on my mantle, the sheer weight would cause it to come crashing down and I don't have anywhere else in the home to put a traditional tank.

The Buenos Aires and Black Skirt have done well for me for several years in that setup. When I started with the 11 gallon, it was strictly tetras and guppies, but I wanted to go a little bigger at the sacrifice of having less in the tank. Of course, I didn't 'upgrade' until the others had passed on, but I'd say I've been pretty successful with both configurations.

The Black Skirt and the Buenos Aires get along very well. I had a pleco in there with them, but it recently passed which gave me all the more reason to want to combine the tanks to help re-establish the ecosystem to what it was without buying another pleco and maintaining two tanks.