10 g nano tank

[DiscusnAfricans]

Thanks to a new job opportunity, I have a reason to set up a new small nano tank. I find a really cool looking 10 gallon 'half-moon' tank that seemed aesthetically pleasing for an office environment, so I bought it and plan to set it up in a few weeks.

There isn't much old world that would be suitable for this size tank besides shellies, and I'd like to do something more active/colorful, so I think I'd like to go the new world/community route.

After hearing Rachel's talk on inverts and nano fish, I'm very interested in trying one of these community setups. The tank is taller than it is wide, so not a standard 10g footptint, so I'd need to have a few types of fish to occupy the different levels of the tank.

My first thought is the blue eyed rainbows, pygmy cories and some fancy shrimp. Would a small livebearer be too much to include? Is this tank large enough for the dwarf rainbows? Are there any cichlids to be considered besides apistos? Would a small rasbora, danio or tetra be a good dither/mid-level fish, or are the rainbows active enough?

Rachel - any chance you have your slides from the Aquamania presentation I could take a quick look at during the April meeting? I won't be setting the tank up until after the meeting, so I'm not in a rush to get the fish right away, but I'd like to start finalizing a stock list so I can put together an order.

Anyone else have any ideas or input? I've never done a tank this size for anything besides growing out fry, so I'm sure I have a lot to learn.

 

[msjinkzd]

Sure, I can bring the presentation for you to look through

I would consider, for a schooler, brevibora dorsiocellata- there are no good pics of them, but the have a bright blue lampeye, very active in the top half, and strong directional schoolers. They also have basically no prey drive, so can pair well with shrimp.

For the bottom,d warf cories are great.

If you are going to get a dwarf cichlid- nix the shrimp idea, though nerite snails can work. Dwarf cichlids will relish eating all your shrimp Though they do make good feeders, they will eat the entire population.

Dwarf rainbows (pseudomugils) would be fine.

Boraras are a popular choice to pair with shrimp.

 

[Becca]

Scarlet Badis - they're like little rubies and aren't big enough to munch on the shrimp.

I was also quite taken by the Celestial Pearl Danios available from Batfish - they're quite the little lookers. Can't wait until I can get around to purchasing a group!

White cloud mountain minnows, while less colorful, have very interesting behaviors - the males "dance" with eachother and show their yellow fin tips off. It's always a nice conversation piece when someone notices them doing the cha-cha...

What about checkerboard cichlids? They stay pretty small. They're not recommended for less than a 20 gallon, but I've kept them in a 10 and currently have a very happy pair in a well-planted 6.

 

[Becca]

Sure, I can bring the presentation for you to look through

I would consider, for a schooler, brevibora dorsiocellata- there are no good pics of them, but the have a bright blue lampeye, very active in the top half, and strong directional schoolers. They also have basically no prey drive, so can pair well with shrimp.

For the bottom,d warf cories are great.

If you are going to get a dwarf cichlid- nix the shrimp idea, though nerite snails can work. Dwarf cichlids will relish eating all your shrimp Though they do make good feeders, they will eat the entire population.

Dwarf rainbows (pseudomugils) would be fine.

Boraras are a popular choice to pair with shrimp.

Yep - those CBs took a few weeks to do it, but one morning I woke up and all I could find were my monster Japonica shrimp (you told me so). Of course, the Japonicas also made sure the other shrimp couldn't hide - the female kept ousting them from every nook and cranny they found.

 

[mchambers]

CPDs

I was also quite taken by the Celestial Pearl Danios available from Batfish - they're quite the little lookers. Can't wait until I can get around to purchasing a group!

I'll second the Celestial Pearl Danios. Very pretty little (an inch or less) fish and you could have quite a few in a 10 gallon.

 

[DiscusnAfricans]

Sure, I can bring the presentation for you to look through

I would consider, for a schooler, brevibora dorsiocellata- there are no good pics of them, but the have a bright blue lampeye, very active in the top half, and strong directional schoolers. They also have basically no prey drive, so can pair well with shrimp.

For the bottom,d warf cories are great.

If you are going to get a dwarf cichlid- nix the shrimp idea, though nerite snails can work. Dwarf cichlids will relish eating all your shrimp Though they do make good feeders, they will eat the entire population.

Dwarf rainbows (pseudomugils) would be fine.

Boraras are a popular choice to pair with shrimp.

Thanks, I'd at least like to look at the shrimp stuff for options, I'm just now getting to the point of being able to remember fish genus'. I'd like to do something colorful besides RCS, and I remember you had some really cool stuff.

The brevibora sound neat, but I like the pseudomogils or borara better for color. Are they relatively hardy? Would you just recommend one of the two schools with the cories and shrimp, or can anything else be added? Would endlers snack on the shrimp too?

 

[DiscusnAfricans]

Scarlet Badis - they're like little rubies and aren't big enough to munch on the shrimp.

I was also quite taken by the Celestial Pearl Danios available from Batfish - they're quite the little lookers. Can't wait until I can get around to purchasing a group!

White cloud mountain minnows, while less colorful, have very interesting behaviors - the males "dance" with eachother and show their yellow fin tips off. It's always a nice conversation piece when someone notices them doing the cha-cha...

I'll have to check out the badis, CPDs and WCMMs to determine what works best as a group. I know I'm limited in numbers in a 10, I just want it to be an active tank and not appear empty.

 

[Avatar]

Or

A pair of small Apistos (like borelli) will groove/spawn in a 10 with a small foorprint as will Aspidoras and smaller Corydoras. Joshua has/had some very nice featherfin rainbows that would also seem to fit the bill.

One short-term option is to grab some tadpole eggs in a the next couple weeks out of a pond or ditch somewhere and watch unfold the rapid and always amazing story of the evolution of terrestrial fauna before you're very eyes. In Uruguay this is a semi-sacred almost universal practice celebrated during the annual midsummer "running of the frogs" (more of a syncronized mass release really that is characterized by a lot of amphibious/inebriated human/children hopping about) with a lot of side-betting about who's frog will be the first to water. It's why Matt goes almost every year and is able to pay for his excursions by juicing his entries with earthworms that are themselves juiced with spirulina. It's not for nothing they call him Jefe Rana...

Is anyone hearing spring peepers yet?

 

[hollyfish2000]

I thought I heard the peepers out at the barn when things were warmer i.e. before the fricking snowstorm. There's a creek running behind the barn. They can get very loud!:wub:

 

[Becca]

A pair of small Apistos (like borelli) will groove/spawn in a 10 with a small foorprint as will Aspidoras and smaller Corydoras. Joshua has/had some very nice featherfin rainbows that would also seem to fit the bill.

One short-term option is to grab some tadpole eggs in a the next couple weeks out of a pond or ditch somewhere and watch unfold the rapid and always amazing story of the evolution of terrestrial fauna before you're very eyes. In Uruguay this is a semi-sacred almost universal practice celebrated during the annual midsummer "running of the frogs" (more of a syncronized mass release really that is characterized by a lot of amphibious/inebriated human/children hopping about) with a lot of side-betting about who's frog will be the first to water. It's why Matt goes almost every year and is able to pay for his excursions by juicing his entries with earthworms that are themselves juiced with spirulina. It's not for nothing they call him Jefe Rana...

Is anyone hearing spring peepers yet?

That sounds amazing!

 

[msjinkzd]

I would second the minnows as well. I would avoid dario, as they can be finnicky feeders and you said in your email to me you want fish that readily take prepared foods.

CPD's (Danio margaritatus) are a beautiful fish, but relish hiding. I think you would be happier with something more outgoing, especially in an office building.

I have tons of CPD's at any given time,a dding something like endler's livebearers or male guppies can help bring them out of their shell, but they are inherently a bit shy.

As an alternative to cories, some of the dwarf (formerly yunnanilus, now Petruicthys) loaches are quite nice and very fun to keep. I have brevis in now, but am partial to cruciatus as well.

Dwarf rainbows or nice, but need more hardness than most of the other fish you are expressing interest in. This isnt' to say they won't work, just as an aside. As I have progressed in this hobby, I have become more prone to stock by loose biotope and they don't fit as well with most other things.

 

[Avatar]

Which part?

That sounds amazing!

The tadpoles, the festival or Mathew's sly role in it all? He's related to Darwin you know, but then so is everyone else if you go back far enough...


I picked up some Aspidoras at the last CatCon and have to say they rock. Very small and very energetic, sort of like a miniature version of the very best Corydoras. Mine are A. albater - great looking little dudes/dudettes and easy to spawn.

 

[msjinkzd]

aspidoras are fantastic- great addition to a small tank. They really, similar to habrosus and pygmaeus, utilize the entire water column. they do get slightly larger than the other dwarf "cory" types, but are an excellent choice that you could get from any number of club members.

 

[Andrew]

I heard spring peepers a couple weeks ago but they've hit the snooze button since.

 

[zackcrack00]

Neon tetras are awesome for the ten, and maybe a pair of guppies, too! They would look very swell in planted 10 gallon together!

 

[DiscusnAfricans]

I would second the minnows as well. I would avoid dario, as they can be finnicky feeders and you said in your email to me you want fish that readily take prepared foods.

CPD's (Danio margaritatus) are a beautiful fish, but relish hiding. I think you would be happier with something more outgoing, especially in an office building.

I have tons of CPD's at any given time,a dding something like endler's livebearers or male guppies can help bring them out of their shell, but they are inherently a bit shy.

As an alternative to cories, some of the dwarf (formerly yunnanilus, now Petruicthys) loaches are quite nice and very fun to keep. I have brevis in now, but am partial to cruciatus as well.

Dwarf rainbows or nice, but need more hardness than most of the other fish you are expressing interest in. This isnt' to say they won't work, just as an aside. As I have progressed in this hobby, I have become more prone to stock by loose biotope and they don't fit as well with most other things.

Cool, thanks for the sound advice. Exactly why I like seeking advice from people with experience, not just the internet. I'll have to discuss rainbow details with you via email on a more detailed basis.

aspidoras are fantastic- great addition to a small tank. They really, similar to habrosus and pygmaeus, utilize the entire water column. they do get slightly larger than the other dwarf "cory" types, but are an excellent choice that you could get from any number of club members.

I do like the idea of cories who do more than just inhabit the bottom, so I'll have to consider that. Will have to talk to you about what shrimp are compatible with rainbows and cories, as far as diet and water conditions go.

Thank again to everyone for the advice. I'll take pictures once I start owrking on setting it up in a few weeks.

 

[scientist0724]

Oooo...I love that you're going to do a nano tank!

If you're going to do shrimp, definitely going with fish that won't eat them is the way to go.

I love the Emerald Eye Rasboras. I have a small colony myself in my 75g community tank.

I would suggest the Boraras with the shrimp. They do very nicely.

I also like Daisy Rice Fish. I have them in a small tank with shrimp and I don't think that they have made a dent on my shrimp colony.

Pygmy corys are great for the bottom and mid-water areas. I love mine!

Rachel has some great shrimp. If you want something interesting, try a few of her Green Lace Shrimp. They are filter feeders, but also will scavenge on the bottom. Add a small microjet to the tank and the Green Lace will hang out by it and open it's fans!

I believe that Rachel has some Green Balbautis, Rilis, and maybe some other interesting shrimp. I have a few too that are starting to grow in population size like Tangerine Tigers and Blue Pearls if you are interested.

If you are interested, I also have a book on nano tanks that is great. I don't know if Rachel still has copies of them, but it's a great book with so many beautiful pictures. I can bring you the book to look at during the next meeting.

Arlene

 

[DiscusnAfricans]

I also like Daisy Rice Fish. I have them in a small tank with shrimp and I don't think that they have made a dent on my shrimp colony.

Pygmy corys are great for the bottom and mid-water areas. I love mine!

Rachel has some great shrimp. If you want something interesting, try a few of her Green Lace Shrimp. They are filter feeders, but also will scavenge on the bottom. Add a small microjet to the tank and the Green Lace will hang out by it and open it's fans!

I believe that Rachel has some Green Balbautis, Rilis, and maybe some other interesting shrimp. I have a few too that are starting to grow in population size like Tangerine Tigers and Blue Pearls if you are interested.

If you are interested, I also have a book on nano tanks that is great. I don't know if Rachel still has copies of them, but it's a great book with so many beautiful pictures. I can bring you the book to look at during the next meeting.

Arlene

I still have some research to do, but I found some nice Ivantshoff rainbows at HOT yesterday and didn't want to pass them up since they're not common, so I'll have to build around them. Thanks for the shrimp advice, I'll touch base after going through her presentation and seeing what she has in stock.

I'd be interested in checking out your book if you don't mind bringing it. I'd probably buy a copy from Rachel if she still has them, I like how many options there are even for small tanks.

 

[golsama]

If you are interested, I also have a book on nano tanks that is great. I don't know if Rachel still has copies of them, but it's a great book with so many beautiful pictures. I can bring you the book to look at during the next meeting.

Arlene, I have that same book (bought it from Rachel). I absolutely love it and highly recommend it!

My nano tank currently has a group of boraras brigittae (that I also got from Rachel) and everyone always oohs and awes over them.

 

[Andrewtfw]

What is the name/author if this book you speak of?

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