jpwoo

Hello everyone

On a whim I picked up a 10 gallon starter kit and set it up. I haven't had fish for about 15 years and wanted to start a small tank.

Reading here and other places I'm realizing that I have to cycle the tank. But reading up I've realized that the 10 g tank I bought is probably just too small and possibly difficult to manage. Or maybe not!

The only fish I know that I wanna pick up are alibino cory cats. Some places I have read say that I would need 5 to keep them happy, but many of the sample tanks I see have 3.

I would also like to stock either some neon tetras or some zebra danos, probably about 5 of them.

I just like the idea of those awesome little white guys plowing around the bottom with a school of something swimming above.

some kind of algea eater would be nice too.

So, would 5 tetra, 3 abino cories and an oto be too much? Should I just suck it up and buy a 20 gallon tank now before I get things running? Should I scale back my expectations and go with a more modest fish layout?

I honestly would prefer not buy a bigger tank for space reasons, so if I can make the 10g work that would be great.

Shawnie

welcome to fishlore!!!!!!!
I think you should go 20g...if at all possible, the bigger the tank the easier to maintain and keep parimeters in check...with the 20g you could get 5 tetras and 3 cories...mine did great with 3 as they do awesome now with 8 lol ..they just like to be with their own
heres a great link for cycling Four Methods of Fish Less Cycling good luck!

SWilkins

Welcome to Fishlore and good luck with whatever you choose.

Tony G.

Welcome to Fishlore!!!

ilikefish

ok hypothetically, in a 10 gallon you could keep 3 cories and 5 neon tetras.... But the corries would be in an unhealthily small container. I wouldn't recomend it as it would stunt their growth and shorten their life. As far as the oto. He'd get way to big for even a 20 gallon.

Now in the twenty gallon you could nicely fit 5 cories and 8 neon tetras and a siamese algae eater happily.

Goodluck with whatever you do!

aquarist48

Hello JPWoo and Welcome to Fish Lore. Sounds like you have some good stocking plans. I would suggest the 20g as well space permitting. The 10g would make a great quarantine tank should the need arise.
Best of luck and hope you can share some photos along the way.
Ken

ABCDemily

Welcome to FishLore! With a twenty gallon you have a lot more oppurtunity to stock, as well as it being easier due to parameter stability.

I'd go for 8 smaller tetras (Think about neons, cardinals) Or 5 larger tetras (Glowlights, Pristellas) and three Albino Corydoras. This would make you full stocked, and they as they are all community fish, you should be set

Good luck (And read up on the nitrogen cycle, it might look cary, but it's super easy once you get your head round it)

Also, stock up on an API liquid test kit-they're far more reliable than the strips

TedsTank

Please go for the 20 long. The smaller the tank the harder it is, unless you are doing a species tank, or well experienced, and can say no everytime you see another fish you want.

For a community tank you will soon tire of a 10 gallon and of course want more fish!!!
Or get the ten while you are getting your "fish shoes" back on.....of course fully planning to get a larger tank next month....

jpwoo

Thank you all for the advice, I went out and picked up a Master test kit today, says for a saltwater tank, but I don't imagine that makes a difference in testing the levels. (It might though!)

My plan right now is to start cycling the 10g tank. But I am going to keep my eyes open for a bigger used tank.

I still don't know how I am going to stock it, but I have time to decide.

I looked at the driftwood on slate that they had at the FLFS and most of it was huge and expensive! Is there a cost effective alternative there? I saw that people make caves out of coconuts, but that isn't nearly as cool as a hunk of wood.

and just because this emoticon is so absurd

Lucy

Welcome to Fish Lore )
It does make a difference, you should really return it and get a Fresh Water Kit. Love the API kit, it's so reliable.
Yeah, driftwood can be super expensive. You can collect your own.
Here's our Sticky with Driftwood Notes
I love the smilies.

Have fun with your new tank and good luck

jpwoo

Thanks for the Advice, esp the driftwood link.

I am curious why salt v freshwater would matter for a chem test though. It would seem to me that 5ppm of X would be the same regardless of what you were testing, saltwater, freshwater or jello. The difference I do see is that the pH test is for higher ph range than the freshwater. Not doubting you just curious.

And thanks for the warm welcome everyone.

Lucy

Your welcome! It's a great diftwood article.

It's a good thing to question info, so don't worry about it.
I'm not 100% sure, but I think the color cards are different.
A member uploaded pics of their fresh water test cards.
API Master Test Kit Color Chart

I hope someone else can weigh in on this.

jpwoo

ok I sucked it up and picked up a 20g long today, **** you fish people!

couesfanatic

I have a 20 long. Its a great size for a fish tank. You should go planted! Thats the way I'm headed.