# Need advice on stocking a new 16 gallon tank.



## neofyt05 (Aug 31, 2010)

Well, hello my friends, i'm new here so don't burn my at the stake ;-)
I've been having a male betta in a 9 gallon tank heated filtered for 1.5 year now so I learned the basics, cycling, ph/ammonia/nitrites/... reading and stuff. Recently I've been given a female betta which currently is in a 5 gallon bowl. My female one is not aggressive i can tell because my male one is evil, heh. I bought a 16 gallon tank for her and i was thinking about buying some other fish. Currently the tank is being cycled with no fish in there using water from my other tanks, so i have some time before going for fish. I went to my lfs and liked these ones:

1) guppies
2)neon tetras
3)zebra danios
4)corydras

I can't keep my betta with guppies, right? Btw all those fish need to be kept in groups. Can I buy 5 danios 6 neon and 3 corydoras? My tank is going to have lots of plants and a big driftwood. (right now is only water and gravel)
p.s. please don't suggest any other fish cause 80% i wont find them at my lfs


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## neofyt05 (Aug 31, 2010)

If it would be overstocked can I just get 6 danios and 6 neons?
here's the tank I bought


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

neofyt05 said:


> Well, hello my friends, i'm new here so don't burn my at the stake ;-)
> I've been having a male betta in a 9 gallon tank heated filtered for 1.5 year now so I learned the basics, cycling, ph/ammonia/nitrites/... reading and stuff. Recently I've been given a female betta which currently is in a 5 gallon bowl. My female one is not aggressive i can tell because my male one is evil, heh. I bought a 16 gallon tank for her and i was thinking about buying some other fish. Currently the tank is being cycled with no fish in there using water from my other tanks, so i have some time before going for fish. I went to my lfs and liked these ones:
> 
> 1) guppies
> ...


Well, female Bettas don't have nearly the long flowing fins that the males have and as such,the smaller tetras or guppies would not necessarily become nippy with the fins of your Betta.

If the pH of your water was much above 7.4 then I might consider a group of male guppies. Guppies would also appreciate the warmer water that Bettas like much more than the neons, and neons prefer a bit softer water with pH range between 6.2 and 7.0. 
If you were to borrow some filter material from one of your other tanks,and stuff this filter material into the new filter on the 16 gal. ,,this would allow you to place your female Betta in the 16 gallon immediately. 
After a week, I would add the guppies or neons (6 or eight) depending on what the pH of my water was. If water has pH above 7.4 guppies would be my choice.
There is very little benefit to using water from another tank as most of the good bacteria will be found on hard surfaces such as gravel,rocks,wood,plants,glass,and on the filter material. Water itself, will hold tiny amount of the good bacteria needed for cycling compared to the afore mentioned surfaces.
Would keep an eye on guppies if they have long flowing fins . The female Betta could turn the tables and nip at the fins of the guppies.
Would stay clear of the danios who are much too fast at grabbing food at feeding time, and could make it hard for the Betta to receive her share. 
A group of four cory's could work so long as temperature was not too warm.
Most corys do far better,for far longer,in temps not much above 76 degrees F.


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## Zeetrain (Oct 13, 2009)

1077 said:


> There is very little benefit to using water from another tank as most of the good bacteria will be found on hard surfaces such as gravel,rocks,wood,plants,glass,and on the filter material. Water itself, will hold tiny amount of the good bacteria needed for cycling compared to the afore mentioned surfaces.


+1

But wouldnt you still have to wait for the gravel to get seeded with bacteria first? Wouldnt that help break down waste? Correct if Im wrong, but I swear Ive read that before.


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

Zeetrain said:


> +1
> 
> But wouldnt you still have to wait for the gravel to get seeded with bacteria first? Wouldnt that help break down waste? Correct if Im wrong, but I swear Ive read that before.


Gravel or substrate from a disease free existing aquarium that has cycled, will already have a bacterial colony present and taking a cup of this and adding it to a new tank can help transfer bacteria to the new tank. 
When seeding a new tank with material from a established tank, one can use a little of the gravel,a few decorations,filter materia,l or all three. With just using filter material alone from a existing ,cycled tank, it alone is often enough to allow one to safely and slowly stock a few fish at a time.
Eventually, the bacteria contained in the filter material will find it's way to all surfaces in the new tank including the gravel.
Is always wise to stock slowly, and allow the bacteria to develop at it's own speed which can vary due to temp,PH,and surface area available.


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## neofyt05 (Aug 31, 2010)

Thanks, I actually forgot to mention that I use *a water treatment* to boost the cycling process. I heard they are no good but I used it once and after a week I got excellent readings. I'm going to put the fish as soon as the tank is cycled no matter how long it will take so I focus on the compatibility of the fish


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

If you are going to have lots of plants you do not have to wait until the tank cycles as the plants will automaticly cycle the tank. I took Byrons advise on this with a 20 gallon tank over a year ago and never had any problems with Ammonia, Nitrites, or Nitrates all my fish were perfectly fine. I have since set up 4 more tanks the same way and everything has gone as smooth as the first time. Now as far as the fish have you thought about just getting more female bettas? You can have groups of 5 or more together and they will be fine with each other.


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## neofyt05 (Aug 31, 2010)

Thanks for the advice. That's what I'm going to do then.  I like the idea of a tank full of female bettas but the thing is they are somewhat hard to find and hugely overpriced here (cyprus). A male veiltail costs around $6 and a female around $15. I was told that zebra danios are gonna stress my betta to death so I thought of 8-10 neons and 4 corydoras. Are you sure guppies are compatible?


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

Wow they are exspensive there. Here a male veil tail is about $4.50 and the females are cheaper they are about $3.50. I think neons or guppys either would be fine.


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## neofyt05 (Aug 31, 2010)

I could buy 4 females for the price of 1 >.<
Anw, I've made up my mind. I"ll buy neons and corys. First the corys and after a week or so the neons. Btw at the lfs there are only 4 corys and one of them is white, they are not adults and they are together in a tank. I want to buy them all, will the white school with the others?


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