What type of plants could I buy for my 10 gallon tank and these fish?

Question

I have a 10 gallon tank with a betta in it. I plan on buying these fish:
Cory Catfish
Plecostomus
Kuhli Loaches
Barbs
Danios
Tetras

What are some real plants I could buy for them and where can I get them?

Answer 1

You should try Java Moss, it is very easy to keep and doesn't need fertilizer. You are going to need to get rid of you Plecostomus considering it will reach 2 feet in length. Also, what kind of Barbs are they, if they are Tiger Barbs, they will be very aggressive towards your other fish and you will need to get rid of them. You can get Java Moss at almost any fish store for pretty cheap. You don't need to buy much because it grows suprisingly fast.

Nosoop4u

Answer 2

Whoa! Too many fish for a 10 gallon. I'll get to plants in a bit.

Depending on the kind of pleco you plan to get, they will grow from about 4" (clown pleco) to 18" (common pleco). The ones you see in stores are just babies.

Tetras, barbs, and danios should be kept in schools of 6+ by species. So for every type of these you buy, you should get at least 6 of that kind. Otherwise they tend to be aggressive toward the other fish in the tank, and the barbs and tetras become fin-nippers. Your betta won't be looking so good with that.

Kuhli loaches and corydoras should be in groups of at least 3-4 each.

At most, I would suggest one group of bottom fish (3 corys or 3 loaches) and one school of either the tetras, barbs, or danios (and stick with a smaller species).

If you noticed, I left the pleco out of the choices for bottom fish - they like to eat plant material, and they'd probably try whatever plants you put into the tank. You don't say what type of lighting you've got, so I'm guessing it's the standard fluorescent tube that is sold with standard tank lights. For this I would suggest you try something fairly easy to grow like Anubias or Java fern. You should be able to find them in any of your local pet stores. I would also suggest you put them into a separate container of water for about a week before you add them to your tank. This can prevent a snail or brush algae problem from developing if the plants are carrying any "extras" you may not want.

Answer 3

your tank is very overstocked. before you get plants, i would strongly consider getting a much larger tank.
bettas are very territorial, especially in small spaces.
cory's are small but are best kept when in groups.
plecos can get more than 2 feet long. needing at absolute least 55gallons.
kuhlii loaches are also rather small but like each others company.
barb. what kind? i hope its not rosy or tinfoil. rosy gets 6 inches and tinfoil gets to 16 inches.
danios are very active and need to be in schools of six. this would require at least 20 gallons.
tetras also like to be in school of 6. they are not as active and would be fine in a 10.

if following the "inch per gallon" rule, 5 tetras would stock the tank. adult size is a little under 2 inches. 2inches times 5fish is 10 gallons. i would say you could have 6 tetras and 3 cory's and have a perfectly healthy setup.

as for plants, get what appeals to you. make sure it's aquatic and research its maintenance requirements and how big they can get.

Answer 4

I would recommend some Hornwort and possibly get a small piece of driftwood with some java fern growing on it. These plants are easily cared for and the hornwort will thrive as a floating plant if the pleco knocks it out of the gravel. Hornwort also grows rapidly under good lighting conditions so you'll have a tank full of it before you know it. (On a side note I also worry about the overcrowding. Danios and Tetras are schooling fish and need between 3 and 5 of their own kind with them. And the pleco will soon get way too big for your 10 gallon)

Answer 5

you can get plants at most pet shops -- also on ebay if you use ebay. for a start i would recommend java fern and the anubias family of plants. you tie them to rocks or driftwood and drop them in. other things you can get are apongeton bulbs, water lily bulbs, and onion bulbs (crinum) -- they don't need any special treatment. there are lots of other plants to choose from too.

DON'T get a pleco for a 10 gallon tank -- they grow huge (bigger than your tank!). barbs are usually better in a 20 gallon tank -- they get to be 4-6 inches.

Answer 6

Have you ever been to the fish section in Wal-Mart? Well, they have some bulbs, you burry them under the gravel in your tank, within a week they start growing. They are very nice for any tank! They run about $2.79 or so for 5 or 6 bulbs.

Answer 7

It sounds like your tank is going to be over stocked. be very careful with this. Also where tetras are colorful you may have a problem with the betta