I dont know if I'm over populating my tank

[Chimiu]

So, I'm not a very experienced fish keeper... I just started and I need some help. So i put one betta, 2 panda corys, 6 ghost shrimp, two snails, 3 neon tetras into a 10 gallon.. am i over crowding? Do you think i can maintain it with water changes? If so how often. I don't want an ammonia spike

 

[belarskio]

Not super crowded but bettas should only be with other fish under very specific circumstances because they kill everything. It is better to have more neon Tetras because they like to school but they will do okay with only 3. It would probably be good if you added just a couple more neons but don't overdo it. A good general rule is 1 inch of fish per gallon. However there are exceptions to the rule. For example you can't put a 10 inch fish in a 10 gallon aquarium.

Also it is generally a good idea to only add a few fish at once so the ammonia does not spike waiting 1-2 weeks before adding more but since you already added them I would just keep an eye on the water levels with water checks

 

[AcornTheBetta]

So, I'm not a very experienced fish keeper... I just started and I need some help. So i put one betta, 2 panda corys, 6 ghost shrimp, two snails, 3 neon tetras into a 10 gallon.. am i over crowding? Do you think i can maintain it with water changes? If so how often. I don't want an ammonia spike

I'm going to have to disagree with belarskio. Bettas can be very kind, social animals and they get a bad reputation in the hobby, but they are great community fish. If you could find another home for the panda corys, that would be ideal because they prefer to be in groups of 6 or more. The neons also like to be in groups of 6+ so I would advise getting more of those. If you did that, the tank would be a bit crowded on the bottom, so I would just make sure that the shrimp and snails are getting enough food. Did you cycle? 30% once a week should work out just fine.

 

[Fae]

Neon tetras and cories both need schools to be happy, of at least 6- you might be able to get away with 4 or 5, but 6 is where they start to feel more comfortable.

With smaller schools, at minimum your fish will feel uncomfortable and shy. At worst, they will fight or become aggressive.

And the Betta would be happier alone, or with less active tank mates! I would move him to a 3-5 gallon and get more fish for the 10g schools

 

[Lebeeze]

It's funny I hear alot how bettas shouldn't be with other fish because they will kill other fish, I have had the exact opposite experiences. Anything I've ever put with a betta, besides a snail, has always attacked my betta or stressed it out. I've had rummynose attack my betta before.

Getting to your question, the only thing about your tank that stands out to me would be the cory and neon tetras should be at least 6 of each. Then again I'm not sure if neons can be happy in a 10 gallon tank. I'm not a tetra expert though.

 

[fishnovice33]

I have a Betta in every tank I own and they’re never aggressive at all. In fact as someone pointed out, they don’t like a lot of action and water flow. Thing about bettas is their big personalities, they’re very different from on another. On average I have found that about 20%ish feel more comfortable alone and I bought them 10 gallons. The other ones love being part of the community but never put a Betta in a tank with moderate or strong current, they will all be miserable.

Your main issue here is you chose fish that need to be kept with 6 or more, and corys also need a tank bigger than 10 gallons, 20 gallon minimum. And so do neons in my personal experience despite online recommendations. And at that point you’d not only be slightly overstocked by not have the right environment for your species to see them thrive.

Platys, Guppies, swordtails, other tetra species do better in smaller tanks. I will say guppies are the one fish with bettas that don’t work out though. Due to their slow speed and wavy tail. Only time that has worked for me is in a 75 with a lot of space.

 

[Chimiu]

I'm going to have to disagree with belarskio. Bettas can be very kind, social animals and they get a bad reputation in the hobby, but they are great community fish. If you could find another home for the panda corys, that would be ideal because they prefer to be in groups of 6 or more. The neons also like to be in groups of 6+ so I would advise getting more of those. If you did that, the tank would be a bit crowded on the bottom, so I would just make sure that the shrimp and snails are getting enough food. Did you cycle? 30% once a week should work out just fine.

Yes! i cycled. The place where i bought the panda corys didnt have any more than 2, and i wasnt sure if that was okay but they sold it to me anyway... Maybe I can buy another 10 gallon and move the panda corys to the other tank along with my second beta and hopefully buy some more neon tetras.. is it okay if i just buy just some more neon tetras? will they get along? and when doing water changes, do i add quick start and water conditioner?

 

[AcornTheBetta]

Yes! i cycled. The place where i bought the panda corys didnt have any more than 2, and i wasnt sure if that was okay but they sold it to me anyway... Maybe I can buy another 10 gallon and move the panda corys to the other tank along with my second beta and hopefully buy some more neon tetras.. is it okay if i just buy just some more neon tetras? will they get along? and when doing water changes, do i add quick start and water conditioner?

Corys need at least a 20g, but a 20g long is better. More neons would be ideal.

 

[Chimiu]

I have a Betta in every tank I own and they’re never aggressive at all. In fact as someone pointed out, they don’t like a lot of action and water flow. Thing about bettas is their big personalities, they’re very different from on another. On average I have found that about 20%ish feel more comfortable alone and I bought them 10 gallons. The other ones love being part of the community but never put a Betta in a tank with moderate or strong current, they will all be miserable.

Your main issue here is you chose fish that need to be kept with 6 or more, and corys also need a tank bigger than 10 gallons, 20 gallon minimum. And so do neons in my personal experience despite online recommendations. And at that point you’d not only be slightly overstocked by not have the right environment for your species to see them thrive.

Platys, Guppies, swordtails, other tetra species do better in smaller tanks. I will say guppies are the one fish with bettas that don’t work out though. Due to their slow speed and wavy tail. Only time that has worked for me is in a 75 with a lot of space.

Thank you for the advice! I try to listen to the pet store and they said it was okay.. they only had 2 panda corys left and they sold it to me still.. do u think its okay if i put the panda corys into a diff 10 gallon? or should i just buy a 20 gallon and also put my second betta in there and just make another community tank and if i do end up transfering the panda corys would just adding 3 more tetras be okay? or should i just upgrade to 20 gallons in general?

It's funny I hear alot how bettas shouldn't be with other fish because they will kill other fish, I have had the exact opposite experiences. Anything I've ever put with a betta, besides a snail, has always attacked my betta or stressed it out. I've had rummynose attack my betta before.

Getting to your question, the only thing about your tank that stands out to me would be the cory and neon tetras should be at least 6 of each. Then again I'm not sure if neons can be happy in a 10 gallon tank. I'm not a tetra expert though.

i appreiate ur advice! the store only had 2 panda corys left and sold it to me anyway idk if thats okay or not.. should i go back and return them? someone told me to upgrade my tank size since minimum should be 20 gallon and 6corys.. your betas stories amuse me but thats pretty unfortunate. My betta chased the tetras for a bit but no one seems to me messing around with eachother or anything

 

[AcornTheBetta]

Thank you for the advice! I try to listen to the pet store and they said it was okay.. they only had 2 panda corys left and they sold it to me still.. do u think its okay if i put the panda corys into a diff 10 gallon? or should i just buy a 20 gallon and also put my second betta in there and just make another community tank and if i do end up transfering the panda corys would just adding 3 more tetras be okay? or should i just upgrade to 20 gallons in general?

I think a 20g would be better if you can afford it. I believe Petco dollar/gallon is in November... That might be too long. If you want I could give you some money saving tips.

 

[Chimiu]

Also it is generally a good idea to only add a few fish at once so the ammonia does not spike waiting 1-2 weeks before adding more but since you already added them I would just keep an eye on the water levels with water checks

ive been thinking about that too... im extremly stressed out about a possible ammonia strike.. im thinking maybe i should possibly return the panda corys because one their should be a minmum of 6 but they only had 2 and second, someone told me they should be in at least 20 gallon and add 3 more neon tetras

Neon tetras and cories both need schools to be happy, of at least 6- you might be able to get away with 4 or 5, but 6 is where they start to feel more comfortable.

With smaller schools, at minimum your fish will feel uncomfortable and shy. At worst, they will fight or become aggressive.

And the Betta would be happier alone, or with less active tank mates! I would move him to a 3-5 gallon and get more fish for the 10g schools

okay! i think i should definatly add more neon tetras then

 

[BigBeardDaHuZi]

I think you will be happier with a 20 gallon anyways. They are more fun to play with, can hold more fish and a 20 gallon is more forgiving if you make mistakes. A 20 is much easier to keep than a ten.

I would strongly recommend you read about the nitrogen cycle on this site. Read it till it sinks in - and if you have questions don't be afraid to ask. Everyone is here for you
Ammonia spikes happen because a tank is not cycled, not because you have a fish too many.

I would agree with AcornTheBetta and fishnovice33 about the bettas. I have kept several in community tanks. I have never had a problem yet. But they are all pretty individualistic. It depends on your fish.
The only thing a betta will try to kill immediately is another male betta. So no doubles.

Also, if you haven't yet, think about adding a few live plants! A few plants in the tank will make the fish more comfortable and will help you keep the water clean. There are several that are very easy to keep. Anubias and cryptocorne will thrive without much care. It needs light and it can be a bit messy, but I really like hornwort too. It is soft and feathery. Your betta will like it

Good luck!

 

[Dippiedee]

IMO a 10 gallon isnt big enough for neon tetras to school. They can physically fit and their bioload is tiny but you wont get the beautiful schooling effect from them in a 10 gallon

 

[Chimiu]

Corys need at least a 20g, but a 20g long is better. More neons would be ideal.

should i return the corys? and add more neons or try 4 corys and 6 neons?

I think a 20g would be better if you can afford it. I believe Petco dollar/gallon is in November... That might be too long. If you want I could give you some money saving tips.

No, its alright i can managed but thank you tho.. il make sure to upgrade when i can ill also restock on all my supplies too but thank you for the help? so a normal 20g right? no long?

I think you will be happier with a 20 gallon anyways. They are more fun to play with, can hold more fish and a 20 gallon is more forgiving if you make mistakes. A 20 is much easier to keep than a ten.

I would strongly recommend you read about the nitrogen cycle on this site. Read it till it sinks in - and if you have questions don't be afraid to ask. Everyone is here for you
Ammonia spikes happen because a tank is not cycled, not because you have a fish too many.

I would agree with AcornTheBetta and fishnovice33 about the bettas. I have kept several in community tanks. I have never had a problem yet. But they are all pretty individualistic. It depends on your fish.
The only thing a betta will try to kill immediately is another male betta. So no doubles.

Also, if you haven't yet, think about adding a few live plants! A few plants in the tank will make the fish more comfortable and will help you keep the water clean. There are several that are very easy to keep. Anubias and cryptocorne will thrive without much care. It needs light and it can be a bit messy, but I really like hornwort too. It is soft and feathery. Your betta will like it

Good luck!

I'll look into getting live plants in november when i get a 20g, but stil thank you for the advice yes, i know about no male bettas together and mine are in seperate tanks but ill make sure to do my research but since im a beginner ill go slow

 

[fishnovice33]

Thank you for the advice! I try to listen to the pet store and they said it was okay.. they only had 2 panda corys left and they sold it to me still.. do u think its okay if i put the panda corys into a diff 10 gallon? or should i just buy a 20 gallon and also put my second betta in there and just make another community tank and if i do end up transfering the panda corys would just adding 3 more tetras be okay? or should i just upgrade to 20 gallons in general?

No, the Corys need 20 gallons and a group of six putting them in a 10 is not advisable. They need bottom surface area, not more room in the tank/less fish. The pet store people are honestly just cashiers, at least most of them. I’d research online. I can see your point if there were only two left in the store they’re not in a group anyways - but I would work on getting more either when the store restocks or a different store. Make sure they’re also Pandas and not another type.

Sounds to me like you prefer the tetras and corys so I would recommend you do set up a community tank of 20 gallons - preferably a 20 long. They’re common you can find them anywhere.

As long as the current isn’t strong a betta most likely will be fine so long as it’s the only betta and no guppies. A betta only attacks another betta. They won’t chase fish all around the tank. But a slow moving fish with wavy fins like a guppie resembles another betta so they’re not ideal.

The tetras are in the same boat. They need space to swim and are a schooling species. They need 20 long minimum. I’d get 4 more panda cories and 3 more neons and put them all in a 20 long with the betta and you could even add more like a couple platies or a smaller swordtail at that point.

For the fish you want to keep I’d get a 20L and use a 10 for a qt/sick tank or keep the betta alone in the 10g.

 

[belarskio]

I'm going to have to disagree with belarskio. Bettas can be very kind, social animals and they get a bad reputation in the hobby, but they are great community fish. If you could find another home for the panda corys, that would be ideal because they prefer to be in groups of 6 or more. The neons also like to be in groups of 6+ so I would advise getting more of those. If you did that, the tank would be a bit crowded on the bottom, so I would just make sure that the shrimp and snails are getting enough food. Did you cycle? 30% once a week should work out just fine.

Sure they "can" be great community fish under specific circumstances but you have to keep in mind that this person just started, and it is only 10g.

 

[AcornTheBetta]

Sure they "can" be great community fish under specific circumstances but you have to keep in mind that this person just started, and it is only 10g.

Fair. I would say about 70% can do well with other fish in a 10g

 

[smee82]

I wouldnt do neons with a betta not because of the betta but because neons are too nippy and are likely to go after his fins.