stocking query for 48L/10g tank

[LizardKingLives]

Hi Everyone...

New to this hobby. I've had my tank set up for 1 month and so far no issues. I currently have 6 peppered corys, 1 honey gourami and an apple snail. I'm pretty sure I'll also be getting 2/3 amano shrimp soon. I've heard of the general rule of 1 fish per gallon, but I gather the specific bioload of each species is more important? Therefore I'm also thinking of getting 10 chili rasboras at some point too, to complete my stock, because ATM I have very little activity in the top two thirds of the tank. I gather the bioload of CR's is virtually negligible...is this true? Also, I've read conflicting advice about putting CR's with gouramis. Honey gouramis are twice the size of these rasboras - yet some websites say gouramis are OK to be kept with them. I'm hoping this is true but it seems odd when generally the advice is to keep fish that are all roughly the same size... I know the peppered corys are bigger than them, too, but they occupy a different area of the tank most of the time, so presumably would be OK together? TIA for any advice.

 

[Aiken Drum]

First thing i would say is that apple snail will very quickly outgrow your tank. It will literally get the size of an apple 3 or 4 inches diameter shell. I had an apple snail in a 60L tank and it was brilliant for the first couple of months and then an absolute nightmare. It eventually hunted down, killed and ate a betta and quite simply had to go.

1 fish per gallon is not a good metric for stocking fish. 1 inch of fish per gallon is much better, but still not great. Honestly you are already over stocked. Peppered corys really should be in a tank twice the size of yours.

Personally return everything and get the 10 chilli rasboras. Thats a good stocking for your size tank.

 

[LizardKingLives]

Thanks for the avalanche of responses, everyone!

 

[Andy Sager]

Thanks for the avalanche of responses, everyone!

You actually got some excellent information from Aiken that more responses were not necessary as they would have only repeated what you were told.

As for where you have been getting your info, keep in mind that not all sites are going to be specific in their recommendations. In the case of the gouramis and Chilli Rasboras, Gourami species range from fish large enough to eat to fish that barely reach 2" in length. So the info you got was correct but not complete.

As for stocking fish, you need to think about your fish as adults and if they would manage in the sized tank you have. 10 gallons is a small tank so you are better off getting fish species that will remain small and do not need a lot of room to grow. There are only 3 species of cory cats that are appropriate for a 10 gal: Corydoras hastatus, Corydoras pygmaeus, Corydoras Habrosus. If you look up these species, you will see that they remain small and can live their entire lives in a 10 gallon tank. With other species, when you read " minimum tank size", that is for young fish when the intention is to move them to a larger aquarium as they grow. It's never a good idea to house fish in a " minimum tank size" tank as they will need larger tanks at some point.

As for stocking aquariums, you want to select fish species that will occupy different levels of the aquarium. You can have a very full LOOKING tank with few fish when you add some for the bottom, the middle and the top of the tank. The danger of having too many fish in a single aquarium is degraded water quality and the need for much more frequent maintenance on your part. Some species ill not take kindly to poorer water quality so you will really stay on top of the water quality.

Since you are new to fish keeping, I suggest you spend a good amount of time doing research and if possible, join a local fish club and talk with other people who are keeping fish tanks to get better ideas of what you can do and shouldn't do. Local knowledge will always trump internet knowledge because local knowledge will be more specific while internet knowledge may not apply to your situation. Another good resource are the current aquarium magazines like Amazonas or Practical Fishkeeping or Aquarium fish international. There is a lot to learn about fish keeping. It's more than just adding water to a container and adding some fish.

Hope this helps.

 

[LizardKingLives]

Thanks for your detailed reply!