First time...community tank

[Blaxicanlatino]

Im moving soon and is getting a 10 gallon tank. Any tips or advice?

-I want to put multiple female Bettas in the tank
Anything compatible with female bettas?
-I was thinking neon tetras?
What type of gravel or substrate?
- I was thinking blue marbles. Is this alright?
-what type of filter should i use?
-I was thinking an under gravel filter because I dont feel like trying to move a turkey baster up and down the tank lookin under marbles for dirt. is this alright?

anything else I should know?
Keep in mind that i dont want to spend a fortune on a filter and fish. so KEEP IT CHEAP BUT DOES THE JOB WELL!!!

THANK YOU!!! 8) 8) 8)

[It'sJames]

Will this be your first tank?? If so, congrats! It's fun stuff. XD

I have a couple extra 10 gallons sitting around and have also decided to set one up for female bettas. I have a 28 gallon freshwater community tank, and the female betta is definatly one of my favorite inhabitants.

When housing female bettas together, it's important to keep them in groups of 4 or more. Otherwise some will get picked on by the dominant female. Keeping them in this size group levels out the aggression. Lots of hiding places is essential with multiple female bettas.

I've never kept any kind of tetras with my bettas, but I would assume it would be fine. Someone else may be able to give you better advice though. A group of 4 or 5 female bettas and a couple cories would be nice. Cories will eat any leftover food, keeping the tank a little cleaner.

Substrate isn't really important unless you plan on adding live plants. Anything fish safe is okay.

A hang on back power filter would be better than an undergravel in my opinion; both would be even better. Marineland penguin filters are great, as well as aquaclears. Don't be afraid to spend a couple extra bucks on a better filter as it will definatly be worth it in the long run. Getting a filter that's rated higher than 10 gallons is best. Power filters don't tend to get too expensive, and they're easy to maintain. Buy a gravel vac (about $10) for water changes - it will make cleaning that substrate super easy.

[Cody]

Ive kept neons with bettas in the past and it works fine. I would say 5 or 6 neons with 4 female bettas would be fine.

You want to mzke sure you have hiding spots for the bettas. Plants (live or fake) should be added. I would suggest gravel instead of marbles.

I don't know how good undergravel filters, but I heard they stop working over time. You need a filter if you want to keep fish in a 10. Maybe use a Penguin 100 filter. I think that one works up to 15Gallons. I have the 150 or 200 for my 40G, and it is perfect. Quiet and does its job. I bought it for a decent price as well.

[Blaxicanlatino]

do I NEED substrate?
how much do cories usually cost?

thank you 8)

[Cody]

Originally Posted by Blaxicanlatino

do I NEED substrate?
how much do cories usually cost?

thank you 8)

You would need a substrate if you added cories. A soft one too.

Substrates look a lot nicer too. You need somthing to hold down plnts and ornaments.

Cories usually cost $2-$20, depending on the specie.

[Blaxicanlatino]

what kind of substrate? how do i clean substrate?

[Cody]

Originally Posted by Blaxicanlatino

what kind of substrate? how do i clean substrate?

Gravel is fine.

You clean it with a gravel vaccum.

[okiemavis]

Substrate is good because it harbors the beneficial bacteria that breaks down fish waste. If you have corys, let me STRONGLY suggest avoiding gravel- it's just too rough and cuts up the sensitive barbs on their nose that they rely on to find food. One low budget, aesthetically pleasing alternative I have found is play sand. You can buy a 50 lbs bag of play sand at Home Depot for $5, just make sure you rinse it thoroughly with clean water first, as it is dusty when you first get it.

As for low budget tank supplies- craigslist is awesome! You should be able to find a 10G tank with all the accessories for around $20-25, although some people post it for as much as $75, so don't get ripped off.

Corys do best in groups of 4-6+, otherwise they are shy and you won't see much of them. The standard cheap type that your LFS carries is absolutely great (there are SO many different kinds, I couldn't recommend a specific one).

As for the size of the tank, if you wanted to fit a shoal of cories, a bunch of females and maybe some tetras as well, you'll definitely need a larger tank. The standard rule is 1 inch of fish per gallon. Bettas grow to be 2.5 inches each, same with the corys. 5 females is already 12.5 inches, too many for a 10 gallon tank. Plus, smaller tanks are much more unstable. If something goes wrong in the water it will effect the entire tank much more quickly.

I know I've already said this, but Bettbaby doesn't recommend putting even females together, as they too will fight. It seems that you really want to try it, and I respect that, but please try to leave enough space for each of the females to claim their own territory. I'd recommend at least a 20 or 30 gallon tank.

Sorry about the novel, it's just so worthwhile, and more cost effective to make sure you have the right tank setup from the beginning. Your fish will live longer, you'll loose less of them, and you won't have to buy more tank supplies later.

Best of luck. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions!

[bobbysgrl]

I've heard that Cory's get too big for a 10 gallon, but I'm not sure.

[Blaxicanlatino]

thanks!!!
what exactly is a gravel vacuum and how do i use it?

what is a corey?
what if i decide not to get coreys? do i still need a substrate?