# 1 fish dies in a school, do I replace or get new kind?



## MorroBayLoachaddict (Jul 17, 2008)

Hello everyone,

Long time reader first post.

So i have tank 10 gallon freshwater tank that has been setup since Oct 2007. We started out with 5 glowbright tetras. Slowly added 2 sunburst gourami's and a red dwarf gourami.

Lost 1 glowbright.

We added 2 Yoyo loaches(awesome)

Lost 1 sunburst gourami about 2 months ago, the second one died of of a "broken heart" about a week later.

We coudn't find any sunburst gourami's at our LFS so I added 2 Punctatus Corys and planned to add 1 more because I've read here that they need a small school. One just passed today.

So here is what we have:

4 glowbright tetras
1 red dwarf gourami
2 yoyo loaches
1 cory

Water levels are fine, running a power filter and UGF, but I realize that I am close to my limit of fish. Should I add anything? I am thinking the most important would be 2 corys.

Any help would be appreciated.


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## PDXfishy (Jul 15, 2008)

Hm, I don't mean to be hard on you, but this list reads like pretty much every fish in your tank is unhappy. Of course, you replace lost fish unless you have a very good reason (like giving up a tank - in which case one can sometimes find a new home for the fish). A shoal is a shoal, and a couple is a couple. Other species do not make a fish less lonely.

Bashing over, here is some practical advice.  Your tank is way too small for all the fish anyway. Replacing anything in a 10 gal tank with Botia almorhae (the Yoyos), which can reach 7 inch, is not a good idea. They will eventually become too large. Stock up on your tetras or get rid of them. 
If your fish are in good condition, many fish stores will take them. A responsible fish owner would be even better of course. Then make your aquarium a gourami tank. They are beautiful, mostly small and peaceful. For the bottom level, you could consider a pygm catfish variety or some small shrimp.


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## iamntbatman (Jan 3, 2008)

I agree that the Yo-Yo's are probably a bad idea. Not only do they get pretty large, but they also like to have a lot more swimming room than your 10g can provide. Not to mention that they'd appreciate being in a larger group, which you really can't provide in that tank. I think you should consider returning the loaches and getting two more glowlight tetras and two more cories of the same species as the one you've got. Most schooling fish do much better in groups of 6 or more, which applies to your tetras and your cories. However, six cories would really be overstocking that tank so I think three is about all you have room for. I have three peppered cories in a 20g tank and they seem to do pretty well. They've even spawned for me numerous times, although they seem to have a knack for eating their own eggs.


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## tophat665 (Sep 30, 2006)

It's been said already, but you have to ditch the yoyos. They should not be kept in anything smaller than a 3' tank, preferably 4. They get big, and they're active.

In a 10 gallon, I wouldn't keep more than one Dwarf Gourami (though you could keep multiple sparkling or honey gourmais) unless they were the only fish in the tank, and I were breeding them.

iamntbatman has your best course: more tetras in the school.


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## MorroBayLoachaddict (Jul 17, 2008)

wow thanks everyone.

I had no idea the loaches got so big. I am almost apt to look for a larger tank/get the necessary number of cories and tetras.

Thank you for the head's up, I have been going to the same LFS and working with the owner, but I am sure it must be difficult for her to remember all the guidelines.


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## PDXfishy (Jul 15, 2008)

A larger tank would of course be the best solution if you have the space. If money is a concern, you can easily use your old components for a while and upgrade step by step. Large tanks tend to be much more stable than small ones, even if filter/heating/light are not perfect.

Hats off to you for accepting our constructive criticism so readily. Listening to others is probably the most important talent in a successful aquarist. :thumbsup:


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## tophat665 (Sep 30, 2006)

If you are going to go for a larger tank, wel, you should get the largest you can afford and have space for. That said, to keep something like what you have, get a 55 or a 75. In a 55, first, plant the bejeezuz out of it. If you can't afford CF or VHO lighting, go with Java Fern, anubias, Water Wisteria, and saggiteria subulata in a sand substrate with 2 double well waterfall filters or two 90-100 gall rated cannisters , or one of each. I'd decide whether to go with cories or loaches. Either works, but both will end up crowding the bottom. Build lots of caves and overhangs into your hardscape.

Then, go with either 5 yoyos or 5 of each of 2 species of Cories, 10 glolights, 3 Dwarf gouramis (if you can find a pair of females, this will work. If you can't, well, it may not.) After it's been running for 6 months, you can probably add another 20 glolights or comparable fish, or a larger gourami (A pearl or a moonlight would be my choice, but a Colisa fasciata or a blue would work.)


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## aquakid (Jun 22, 2008)

I would reccommend you replace the species with the same kind


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