1. i know how to cycle a tank but i want to know if i can take my 3 zebra danios out of thir 14 gallon tank and cycle my 10 gallon tank with them for a month and then put them back in their 14 gallon
2. do you like this stocking? 1 betta 3 swordtails and 3 cory caatfish, i have never had any luck with otos so dont even suggest those, also i dont really want shrimp or snails.
couple questions on fish compatibilaty and cycling?
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You could do that, but i always suggest doing a fishless cycle. You can read up on how to do them online. Also, you are going to overstock your 10 gallon tank. A ten gallon tank only holds abound 8 gallons of water. That means that you should have no more than 8 inches of adult fish. When you plan out your tank, make sure to keep in mind what size your fish will grow to.
1. using fish to cycle your tank has become an old and outdated method, and is NOT reccomended. If the ammonia spikes, while going through the cycle, doesn’t kill them, their gills and fins could be permanently damaged. It’s almost cruel. Go for the Fish-less cycle.
2. I do not like that stocking.
First, your zebra danios and the corycats you want to get are both SCHOOLING fish. 3 is NOT a school, it is a trio. For ANY schooling fish to be completly comfortable and happy it must be kept in a proper sized group of 6-8+
Second, 10 gallon tanks are tiny, and its BETTER to have an understocked tank rather than an overstocked one.
A BETTER stocking would be: 1 male betta and 6 pygmy corydoras. This is a fully stocked 10 gallon tank, btw. Besides, since livebearers have nippy tendencies, it’s best not to risk keeping them with bettas. It can be done… But I especially wouldn’t do it in such a tiny tank.
Remember…
OVERSTOCKED TANK = UNHEALTHY/UNHAPPY TANK
1.) if you already have a tank, no need to cycle: Just add some water and gravel from your current tank to the new one, test water as you would for a cycling tank, and once water is right, then bravo! You just did the easy way to cycle a tank.
2.) That tank (if it is a 10g, wich i am guessing it is) is overstocked. Swordies grow too big, they have much too flashy colors so the betta might see them as rivals, and you don’t specify what kind of cory you want. Some types of corydoras can grow 6″! Some other ideas are…..
1 dwarf gourami (2″)
5 white cloud mountain minnows (1″-1.5″)
2 peppered corys (2″)
or
1 betta splendens (2-3″)
5 harlequin rasboras (1.5″)
2 skunk corys (2″)
or
1 betta splendens (2-3″)
2-4 african dwarf frog (make sure they are dwarfs!! 1″)
or
2 platys (close relative to the swordtail! Grows much much smaller though, 2″)
2 guppies (2″)
2 panda corys (2″)
or
7 neon tetras (1″)
3 pygmy corydoras (1″)