Newbie Seeking Advice About New Fish Family

[umramgirl86]

My fiancé and I just got our first pets together--6 sweet little fish. As we have never owned fish before, any advice would be helpful!

We have a 10-gallon starter aquarium, but love our fish so much, we hope to expand before long.

Our fish community we put together, mostly by guesses. So far they get along, so hopefully we made the right choice. I would love to know if they ARE compatible, and what other kinds of fish go well with them for when we do get a larger tank one day.

We have 3 glofish (Strawberry, Cheesehead, and Cheeto),

A kissing gouramis (Bubbles),

A 3-spot gouramis (Domino),

And a corydora (Scuttle).

Tank setup, we have a hood with light, a filtration system, gravel, a small rock cave, and artificial plants.

They eat tropical fish flakes. I read that Corydoras need a sinking pellet, so I'm going to go buy it some kind of food today. Any suggestions?

 

[starquest]

Hi and welcome to AA. I am somewhat new to FW fishkeeping myself, but it seems you may have been misinformed about what kind of fish you could safely put in a 10 gallon aquarium. Specifically, gouramis need HUGE aquariums, like 75 or more gallons, as I understand it. And have you cycled the tank? Very important. Research is important, and you can do a great deal of it on this site. And ask questions, galore. Everyone here is friendly, and willing to share their experience and wisdom. Have a great time with your new hobby.

 

[umramgirl86]

Hi and welcome to AA. I am somewhat new to FW fishkeeping myself, but it seems you may have been misinformed about what kind of fish you could safely put in a 10 gallon aquarium. Specifically, gouramis need HUGE aquariums, like 75 or more gallons, as I understand it. And have you cycled the tank? Very important. Research is important, and you can do a great deal of it on this site. And ask questions, galore. Everyone here is friendly, and willing to share their experience and wisdom. Have a great time with your new hobby.

Thank you starquest. I'll look into upgrading my tank very soon!

 

[tarpon]

The kissing gourami needs a way bigger tank. I know they get at least 6 inches. Corys should ideally be kept in groups of at least 4. And you need to read up on cycling the tank or you are more than likely to have some fish deaths.

I think you'd enjoy upgrading in size because you're really limited with a 10 gallon. 10 gallons aren't very good starter aquariums

 

[tarpon]

Google "fish in cycling an aquarium " and "the nitrogen cycle in an aquarium"
Either that or someone should be by with a link

 

[melosu58]

Welcome aboard. We are glad you found us here at AA.

 

[umramgirl86]

The kissing gourami needs a way bigger tank. I know they get at least 6 inches. Corys should ideally be kept in groups of at least 4. And you need to read up on cycling the tank or you are more than likely to have some fish deaths.

I think you'd enjoy upgrading in size because you're really limited with a 10 gallon. 10 gallons aren't very good starter aquariums

Thanks for the advice. I do hope to get a larger tank soon! I did cycle the tank before adding fish. I read about how to do that, but I'm clueless when it comes to fish. I think I will rehome my kissing gouramis. Thanks so much for the tips!

 

[redsea]

Welcome to AA! Do you have any pictures?

 

[tarpon]

Oh you did cycle it!
How did you cycle it?

 

[umramgirl86]

Oh you did cycle it!
How did you cycle it?

Well, being as though I had never had fish before and had no older stuff to cycle with, I found a website that talked about introducing drops of actual ammonia into the tank and decreasing it until my levels regulated.

 

[tarpon]

Oh okay cool, good!

 

[lulu86]

Definately rehome those kissing gourami's those fish get 6+ inches. Most other gourami species even the dwarfs can get about 3 inches. I would also rehome your goldfish as well. Goldfish are a species of carp and produce a lot more amonia then most fish. Rule of thumb for them 15g/goldfish. They also are cold water and don't need heaters. They may start causing issues in your tank with water quality. They have been known to also pick on other fish because they are scavengers and having no stomachs need to eat 24/7. I love corys they are definately good peaceful fish. Adult size tho can get up to 3 inches. They love to be together so keep that in mind. If you guys are willing to upgrade I think you should do a bigger tank it will give you more room to work with. 10g tanks are awesome for kids learning responsibilty. Be sure to add a few at a time. Stick with the tropical community glofish and corys you have. There are soooo many to chose from and so many colors just do your research and you could have a gorgeous colorful tank where everyone gets along

 

[tarpon]

Definately rehome those kissing gourami's those fish get 6+ inches. Most other gourami species even the dwarfs can get about 3 inches. I would also rehome your goldfish as well. Goldfish are a species of carp and produce a lot more amonia then most fish. Rule of thumb for them 15g/goldfish. They also are cold water and don't need heaters. They may start causing issues in your tank with water quality. They have been known to also pick on other fish because they are scavengers and having no stomachs need to eat 24/7. I love corys they are definately good peaceful fish. Adult size tho can get up to 3 inches. They love to be together so keep that in mind. If you guys are willing to upgrade I think you should do a bigger tank it will give you more room to work with. 10g tanks are awesome for kids learning responsibilty. Be sure to add a few at a time. Stick with the tropical community glofish and corys you have. There are soooo many to chose from and so many colors just do your research and you could have a gorgeous colorful tank where everyone gets along

Hehe She said "glofish"

 

[NoFishingAllowed]

Welcome! You should definatly get a few more cories, maybe 3 more.

 

[Unicorn]

wow, It is always nice to see a newbie who actualy did research BEFORE adding fish and cycled
GOOD JOB!!! Very proud and happy

Yes, 10g is not even close to being big enough, but thats ok, the bigger tank or smaller fish option is always there

I'm just hypped u guys cycled, that made my day

 

[absolutangel04]

Good to know you cycled your tank. Yeah, the cory needs friends and is too big for that tank. If you are SURE you can get another tank soon, then he will be ok for a bit, but he really needs friends to be happy. Glofish would be happier in at least a 20 gallon tank and should be in a school of like 6. Kissers actually reach like 10 inches, so it good you are re-homing them. The 3-spot also needs a new home. But hey, most of us on here made mistakes in the beginning, so its ok. Its good that you are looking for advice on what is best for your fishies.
I should add that there are a lot of awesome "nano" fish that make a great community in a 10 gallon. Some of them are harder to find than your average guppy, but they are out there!

 

[umramgirl86]

Thank you all for the great advice!!!

 

[tarpon]

Yeah, i tried to stuff an angelfish, a bunch of glofish and zebra danios, a couple corys, and a gourami in my first 10 gallon 0_0

And 4 goldfish in another *gasp*

 

[umramgirl86]

Yeah, i tried to stuff an angelfish, a bunch of glofish and zebra danios, a couple corys, and a gourami in my first 10 gallon 0_0

And 4 goldfish in another *gasp*

It's definitely a learning process!!