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urlookingfishy

urlookingfishy

New Fish
#1
Apr 16, 2006
6
0
0
california
#1
I just bought a 10 gallon tank from walmart and i just wanted to ask about certain fishies that i was thinking about getting: dwarf puffers, neon tetras, and putting my betta in too...does this mix well??

Also, I was wondering where to buy the dwarf puffer? I just seen them online and not in the stores.

And I really like the live plants a lot of people had in their tanks, how do u get those started?

Okay, that's all for now, I don't wanna tire anybody out...lol.
 

UP UP AND GUPPY

UP UP AND GUPPY

Superstar Fish
#2
Mar 14, 2006
1,078
1
0
34
Sacramento, California
www.myspace.com
#2
Well I know that on the tetras and the betta would be a good mix(as far as my experience) and the tetras need to be placed in groups of 5+ for them to be happy. Or you can go with the puffers and put 2 with the betta(not sure if it is the best thing to do but give it a shot). Oh and try to go to a petsmart or something and see if they have puffers and if not ask them to order some if not.
 

Seleya

Seleya

Superstar Fish
#4
Nov 22, 2004
1,384
3
0
59
Cape Cod, MA
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#4
I agree with Yahoo, never bettas and puffs!

You can certainly give live plants a try -- especially if you choose some of the easier, low maintenance plants (java moss, java fern...)

There are some great stickies at the top of this forum explaining fishless cycling. I would absolutely recommend it if your choice includes neons -- they aren't typically hardy enough to survive a fish-in cycle. Neons are nice and maybe a couple otos or dwarf cories. A betta either wil or will not get along with neons depending on the fish. You may wish to try your current betta and see how he does -- if he gets along, fine, if not, you can pop him back into his little tank. :)

Welcome to the Tank! :D
 

I

Iamcyy34

Small Fish
#5
Apr 10, 2006
17
0
0
Maine
#5
First thing, DO NOT (as the other two informed members adivsed) put puffers of any species into a tank containing fish who have long fins. The puffers are very inclined to nip fins and will most likely destroy the fins of your betta which could result in a stress related death (or an injured and unappealing fish). As far as the plants go, I support the suggestion that you go with a low maintence plant, such as a Java Fern. IMO, you should take the route of adding neons, AFTER a fishless cycle. As Seleya said, you can try your luck with the betta and neons, things may work out. If not, remove him. Welcome and good luck in your fishkeeping endeavors! :)
 

N

noncentric

Large Fish
#8
Feb 18, 2006
196
0
16
WA state
#8
Just thought I'd add that otocinclus (otos) are usually okay with dwarf puffers...and 2 dwarf puffers should be okay in a 10-gal tank, maybe 3 (depending on the tank set-up and their individual personalities).

If keeping multiple DP's, then you'll need decor/plants that break up lines of sight...to reduce territorial aggression between the DP's. A great site to check out if you're considering DP's is: http://www.dwarfpuffers.com/

About live plants...wattage-per-gallon (WPG) and light intensity are major factors when keeping live plants. Not sure what type of lighting your tank has, but you'll likely need to replace the entire lighting fixture OR just the bulb...as well as plant fertilizers.
 

cakelady204

cakelady204

Large Fish
#9
May 12, 2005
149
0
0
62
Georgia
#9
Hi, Have a 10 gallon with a Betta and 5 neon tetras and another ten gallon tank that has three dwarf puffers and an otto. Both tanks work well as they are but a mixture of the puffers with any of the other fish would be a recipe for disaster. I got my puffers at Petsmart and they were around $3 each. They have been really entertaining little fish and are always very curious when anyone comes around the tank.
 

Seleya

Seleya

Superstar Fish
#10
Nov 22, 2004
1,384
3
0
59
Cape Cod, MA
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#10
I wouldn't worry about WPG etc when just starting out. Just start simple and see how it appeals to you. You can always get fancier if the plant bug hits hard. Plenty of plants available in the hobby do perfectly fine with just stock lighting and ambient light. (let's not scare off the newbie with extraneous technical stuff ;) )

Fishy> are the lights on your hood screw in bulbs or flourescents? If they're the screw in (incandescent) bulbs, you can replace them with those screw in compact flourescents and increase what types of plants you can grow. Even if you're not planning on growing plants, it's better to not use incandescents anyways (better lighting and flourescent lights don't throw the heat incad.s do)
 

urlookingfishy

urlookingfishy

New Fish
#11
Apr 16, 2006
6
0
0
california
#11
hmm...i have fluorescents, yay! so i should be cool then? lol. thanks seleya!
thanks cakelady, i'm already liking ur setup...maybe i'll take a chance with the 2 dp's and hold off on the tetras (even though they're soo cute)...hmm...what about my lonely poor guy- the betta? where will he go?
thanks guppy, i will definately check out petsmart for my dp's...i can't wait!
if the first tank goes well, maybe i'll think about a second one with the tetras and my betta...sounds like a plan! wow, i love this site...so many cool peoples and fishies...lol! :p
 

homebunnyj

homebunnyj

Superstar Fish
#14
Jul 13, 2005
1,299
4
0
Western NC
#14
Bettas usually just tolerate other fish, and some won't tolerate any others at all. He's not lonely. If you get a chance, a 2.5 to 5 gallon tank makes a great betta home, with maybe an ornament in there or some java moss or java fern. I have mine in a ten gallon tank with two african dwarf frogs and a couple of danios and some ghost shrimp. He's pretty mellow, comparatively speaking.
 

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