10g too small?

[Engel]

I am currently doing a fishless cycle in a planted 10g at home. I have a 40g with 4 angels, 6 serpae tetras, and 5 green coydras. I also have a 5g in my son's room that is cycling as a future home for two fry that a new addition to a tank at work surprised us with.
My intention is to move the tetras into the 10g because they are nippy, and crowding the angels.
There is another issue in the tank at work though. There are two dwarf gouramis in the tank, but one of them is really young... he is very small, and hasn't even colored up yet. The older gourami is constantly picking on him, so my co-workers want me to take him home with the fry. I'd like to put him in the 10g.
Do you think 6 serpaes and 1 dwarf gourami will be too crowded?
Do you think the serpaes will pick on the gourami?
Do you think he ought to go into the 5g even though it will have two growing platys?
I really do want to "rescue" him, but what to do with him?

 

[LemurLad]

Could you move the gourami into the 40gal? I don't know much about angels, would they be aggressive towards him? The 6 serpaes and the gourami could work out in the 10gal, you might wanna add them all at the same time just so they can establish territories and get comfortable. The 5gal is really too small for a dwarf gourami. Gotta save that poor fish!

 

[Coleallensmom]

Gouramis IME are funny little things. They have great personality but if you get one that happens to be agressive, you won't be able to keep with any type of gourami or s/he will spend it's day bullying the other fish. I don't think I'd recommend putting evena dwarf in a 5 gallon. I have a dwarf in my son's 20 gallon and honestly, I don't think I'd want to put one in anything much smaller than that. Can you try putting it in the 40 gallon with your angels?

 

[Engel]

The angels don't seem to be mean at all to other fish in the tank. They bicker with each other during feeding time, and I even wittnessed two of them lock lips for a split second over a peice of shrimp! They could care less about the tetras, except to dart away when the dummies try to engage them by nipping. My concern is that they would behave differently with the gourami. He would be a single, rather than a school (easier target), and much more docile and shy than the tetras....
Poor baby.

 

[LemurLad]

Hmmm, definitely a good point. If you let the gourami bulk up a bit inside the 10gal and then swapped if for the tetras later, that could work out, but it's still crowded for a 10gal. And as Coleallensmom said, adult dwarf gouramis should definitely be in something larger than a 10gal.

 

[Coleallensmom]

Yep, I agree. I really think the 5 or 10 gal is too small for a permanent home even if it is a dwarf...that's just my opinion though. If it were me, I would put it in the 40 gal and give it a try for a day and see what happens. Lemur's idea is a good one as well.

 

[Engel]

Thanks guys,
I think I'll try him in the 40g as soon as I move the tetras out.

 

[Coleallensmom]

Hope everything works out..let us know how it goes!