My sister in law's boyfriend is getting a 10g tank setup for Christmas.

I had come up with a few stocking ideas, but thought you guys would potentially have some good stocking ideas as well.

The one I keep coming back too is:

1 - Gourami, Dwarf, honey or pearl or one of the smaller guys as the "show fish"
5 - Cherry Barbs
3 - Dwarf Loaches

I'm fairly sure the gourami is newbie friendly, and I can't kill cherry barbs if I try, however I am unsure about the loaches. Clown loaches are the only ones I've kept and I find them to be pretty much indestructible, but I'm not up on the dwarf guys and how they'd fair.

Loaches could be swapped with corys I suppose, and I know some barbs are a bad combo with gourami, but I've never seen the cherries go after anything except plants.

Your idea is good.

Another option(s):

5-6 of one species from the following: neon tetras, glowlight tetras, white cloud mountain minnows, black neon tetras, cardinal tetras, harlequin rasboras, cherry barbs or zebra danios. I recently picked up some flame tetras, they're tiny, but gorgeous. The seven I have in a ten gallon tank tank are hardly noticeable. Wish I would have picked up 12.
3 - any corydoras or 3 dwarf loaches
2 - otocinclus

I'm partial to otos, as they are great algae eaters.

WYite

I would try and steer away from otos for now but that is just my opinion. I have found they are aggressive algae eaters and in a new setup there wouldnt be much for them to munch. A good touch in a few months after the tank is well established. Personally I like both ideas. What is she looking for, color, lots of fish a few fish?

This is my idea...

5 harlequin rasboras or any of the tetras Ivan mentioned (top to middle)
5 Hatchet fish (Marbled, Silver) (top)
2 Rainbow darters (bottom)

I the the natives would be fine in warmer water.....thats my 2 cents anyway.

This is my sister in laws bf not her, but he doesn't have any real idea.

Basically, he likes fish but didn't know anyone who kept them. He went to a PetSmartCoMart where they told him he could get a fish bowl, and then sold him some tropical fish for in the bowl. Not even a betta, but some community tropical fish. No filter no nothing, and I'm sure I don't need to tell you how that worked out.

So the first time he came down here, he was like a kid in a candy shop. I don't think there was a fish here at the time he didn't like, but after the epic fail of last time, is running everything by me. I've already covered tank set up and cycling it, but he wanted my input on fish that wouldn't outgrow the tank, and some real plants.

I didn't think of otos. Those guys are cool too. A bag of algae wafers should take care of the lack of food initially, I'd think. The flame tetras are pretty. I also ran across some Galaxy Rasboras looking at the other ones. I'm tempted to set up a little tank with them for myself.

I've never seen the rainbow darters available, do they sell them by you MC or did you have to go catch them?

Some good ideas already.

I do like the harlequin rasboras. That's actually what I have in my 10gal.

I have also kept dwarf loaches too and they seem to be pretty hardy fish. If you are looking for hardy fish for the tank I wouldn't include otos in that category. Kuhli loaches are an option too.

I have also kept a betta in with some neons or cardinals which makes for a nice tank.

I have seen a lot of people have bad luck with the dwarf gouramis too. They are nice looking but tend not to be too hardy of a fish and come with a lot of physical deformities sometimes depending upon the breeder.

Just my 2 cents.

My experience has been limited to only three of them, but I found that the moonlight or whatever the heck the fairly common blue shiny dwarf gourami are called were pretty sturdy. I know Chocolates are supposed to be like on par with discus as far as difficulty level, but I haven't heard much about the other dwarf vanities.

Is that all of the dwarf gourami or have you heard of some better than others D?

This is guy's very first tank, so I'm trying to come up with fish that are forgiving in case he messes something up, or misses a water change or it turns out the kit filter is a piece of crap, or any of the other things that can go wrong on your first aquarium.

Oh. I was all set to throw some questions about the Darters at you, if you had kept them. They're pretty, but I'm thinking special order fish is not a good first go.

One of you guys used to keep Killifish, too didn't you? How it go with them?

I've never kept any darters or killies before.

Dwarf blues are the ones I was referring to. I've heard a lot of people comment that their fish don't live past a couple of months. It is supposedly due to some "dwarf gourami disease" that is an incurable virus which has been spread due to the large demand for these fish and the poor breeding practices associated with them. If you can find a good stock you should be fine though. I have just decided to stay away from them.

Colony of shell dwellers!