Assorted questions for a 10-gallon

[CPryor]

So! I'm researching how to keep a humane little tank, and I have some questions:


Tank profile:
10 gal.
freshwater
ph 6.5, with a bottle of "PH up" to use if I need to
2 watts per gal light
76 degrees F
Smooth gravel substrate
mix real and fake plants...the real are not grown in yet, so the tank is fairly bright.


I'm working with a 9 year old boy, soo...we are negotiating tank members "no, you cannot have any of the sharks" "no, you cannot have an angelfish" etc etc

I'm aware we have to check the bioload, so this list is NOT what we actually intend to put in there...it's a list of things he can choose from, with me and my partner monitoring his choices. Here's our list:

Schooling:
DWARF cory cats (at least three)
Neon or Glowlight tetras (at least three)

Choose ONE:
Sparkling gourami (one)
Honey gourami (one)
FEMALE betta (one)

Add ins:
Guppies
Nerite or mystery snails

(I am not offering shrimp just because....I'm not confident of my ability to control their numbers )

Any red flags popping up as you read that? Or other suggestions?

 

[FWFishTanks]

How many GPH does your filter clean?

 

[CPryor]

It's a Topfin 10....so 50 GPH. My lid does not seem to have space for a second filter....but I could upgrade it later if need be.

 

[threnjen]

Aw, it's going to be cute

I think you could fit 5 of the little schooling fish, and I think you could fit both.
Mystery snails are really interesting but they get quite large. If you get one, I would get only one.

I like your plan. Going to work on this soon with my kid. All his favorites are far too big for his upcoming tank.

 

[FWFishTanks]

You could get the schooling fish, the centerpiece fish, and the snail and you would probably be alright.

 

[orangelover77]

You could get both the schooling fish. Maybe 5 of each? Snails are also great additions. If you do decide to get a Betta I wouldn't put them with anything except maybe a snail. Platys are great fish for small tanks. They only get to be about 2 inches so you could get 5 of those. Glofish are also another option, they are very brightly colored. If you get Glofish though I recommend an inch per gallon. A general rule for tropical fish is one gallon per inch of fish.

 

[orangelover77]

Dwarf frogs are also another option to go along with the fish!

 

[ArtistGardener]

You could get both the schooling fish. Maybe 5 of each? Snails are also great additions. If you do decide to get a Betta I wouldn't put them with anything except maybe a snail. Platys are great fish for small tanks. They only get to be about 2 inches so you could get 5 of those. Glofish are also another option, they are very brightly colored. If you get Glofish though I recommend an inch per gallon. A general rule for tropical fish is one gallon per inch of fish.

A ten gallon is not large enough for platys unless you want just one as a centerpiece fish. Two schools would also be pushing it. They will all be happier with more room/less fish. Five cute dwarf cories, one of the centerpiece fishes and a snail. Have fun!

 

[Fishguy1111]

A ten gallon is not large enough for platys unless you want just one as a centerpiece fish. Two schools would also be pushing it. They will all be happier with more room/less fish. Five cute dwarf cories, one of the centerpiece fishes and a snail. Have fun!

As an owner of platys in a 10 gallon, I would disagree. You just have to do LOTS of PWCs. Great fish, though