zfish

Hey! I'm new to both aquarium-keeping and this forum, so I hope to benefit from your collective wisdom and experience. I am busy setting up a new 10 gallon tank. I cycled the tank without fish, then added three zebra danios a week ago. This precipitated a mini-cycle, which I am monitoring carefully. I guess my bacteria colonies weren't large enough for the additional fish load, but they seem to be sorting themselves out. I am anxious about stressing the fish, but so far the stress seems to be all on my part.

Anyway, I intend to add more zebra danios to the tank, so that I'll end up with 5-6. I know they aren't the showiest of fish, but I'm rather taken with them! Mine are all about one inch long at this point, though I understand they can grow another half inch or so.

My question is whether I can/should add another fish. If I did, it would probably be a single dwarf gourami, which I hope would be compatible with the speedy little danios. Does anyone have any input, or suggestions for other species? I am open to suggestions, though not to anything that would outgrow/overcrowd my little tank! I've been promised a bigger tank sometime over the summer, at which point I might contemplate moving the danios so they have more swimming space...which means I'll be thinking about 10 gallon stocking ideas for a while!!

Shawnie

welcome to fishlore!!!!!!!!id wait until you finish the cycle...then maybe add a dwarf gourami..they are beautiful and dont get too big...

seedy

Hi zfish
If you just have the standard zebra danio ,you could try mixing different types of danios .
My favourite is the long finned gold type.
They are hardy , but its best to let your tank cycle.
Hope this helps.

Narcicius

If you get a dwarf gourami you may want a female, for they are less aggressive. Then again a male may not take any interest in the danios. But in a ten gal. a male might feel a little cramped with too many other fish. I almost forgot welcome to fishlore nad yes you will get all the help you'll need in here. sometimes it doesn't even need to pertain to fish, thats what you get when so many good people congregate on one site. Good luck.

capekate

Hello and welcome to fishlore!
I agree with Seedy on the stocking of your tank. I would also go with a group of small tetras, if you want color you can try adding neon tetras with your zebras. I like zebras as well, they are pretty cool lil fish!
And as the others mentioned, I would not add anymore fish to that tank til it completes its nitrogen cycle.
Good luck with your tank!
edit:
personally I would not add a d. gourami to the tank...

zfish

I definitely won't add more until it finishes cycling! Indeed, I thought it had...but obviously and still learning!

Capekate, I was thinking another school of fish (eg. tetras) would overcrowd the tank, so was planning on just zebras. I'll take a look at other danios though, as you and Seedy suggest.

Narcisus, that's a good thought on being cramped. The tank has lots of plants (some tall, some bushy, some small) and several different caves/tunnels. I could probably move one of the plants and further break up the lines of sight. Would that possibly make a gourami feel less territorial?

Thanks for the welcome and help, folks!

capekate

I thought if you were thinking of adding more zebras anyway, why not colorful neons? They are really teeny fish and do not grow much larger than the zebras anyway. (Thats why I mentioned them.) You had the idea of adding the much larger d.gourami anyway which could overstock your tank.

Shawnie

I thought he was just adding a d gourami with the 3 zebras...that was it...didnt realize he was adding more zebras...that would deff be an overstock and the gourami would deffinately terrorize the fish ....sowwwy!

zfish

Okay, no gourami if that's going to be a major overstock. I'll stick with my little school of 5-6 zebras (once the tank finishes the cycle), and worry about more fish when I get a bigger tank! Thanks all.

capekate

great idea zfish!