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What to do with a 10g?

FishInMaryland

FishInMaryland

Members
The last panda cory in my son's 10g died this morning, and now we're wondering what to put in there. Our water is hard and high pH (8.0)...perfect for cichlids, and we do have a 55g full of them that are doing well. In his room he also has a 20g with peppered cories and otos, and another 10g with albino cories and otos. These other 2 tanks are also doing welll. We could put more peppered cories or albinos in the 10g, but he thinks that's boring. Any suggestions? Please keep in mind that once we decide, I'll likely be looking to pick up whatever we go with at the next meeting, so I need club-sourced suggestions! Oh, the 10g that needs fish also has 4 otos in it now, and they're doing fine.

Thanks!!

Ruth
 
Avatar

Avatar

Plenipotentiary-at-large
Ouch this hurts

Pains me to say it, but if you're using your tap water as is and essentially accepting it's pH as delivered and probably hardness (mineral content) as well, you're better off with species that are either tolerant of such or naturally pre-adapted for higher alkalinity/hardness, i.e., Rift lake species. Other options to be sure but no sense swimming against the current so to speak. You can do Ocellatus shell-dwellers in a 10 and even get them to spawn - it's pretty cool watching them guard their broods in their respective shells.
 
FishInMaryland

FishInMaryland

Members
Perhaps not too clearly, but that's exactly what I was asking...what can fit in a 10g, and stand the water parameters? I'll take a look at the Ocellatus shell-dwellers. Thanks for the suggestion.
 
T

toddnbecka

Members
I've never kept ocellatus, but everything I've read about them indicates they need a larger tank than 10 gallons unless you already have an established breeding pair. Multi's are the smallest species of cichlid, and their colonial behavior is better suited to such a small tank. Outcasts are less likely to be maimed or killed before you have a chance to move them.
 
T

toddnbecka

Members
Not doubting your word, just passing along the impression I had from reading numerous posts about gold ocellatus (come to think of it, they were all gold) being holy terrors and killing conspecifics in 20 gallon tanks. Even in larger tanks they only cared for the fry until they were free-swimming, then either ignored or ate them.
Multi's are generally considered much more likely to work out in a 10. I once saw a 15 gallon tank that had multiple layers of escargot shells and dozens of the little buggers of all sizes living among them.
 
dogofwar

dogofwar

CCA Members
A 10g is a mighty small tank... I'd probably go with some interesting wild-type livebearers...

I agree that it's a bit snug for shellies.

Matt
 
rich_one

rich_one

Members
While I am a New World kinda guy at heart, I am hard pressed to find a better purpose for a 10 gallon than a colony of multies!

-Rich
 
Leffler817

Leffler817

CCA Members
How about a pair of Kribs? I think they'd be OK in a 10. I have a group of Brevis, another type of shellie, in a 10 that are doing great. :)
 
hotwingz

hotwingz

Members
Kribs are cool! I was thinking about that for a ten im about to have freed up.

Sent from my PG86100 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 
FishInMaryland

FishInMaryland

Members
minifoot77 said:
i have a food prep ten :) its got jewels in it with 8.0 ph and tons of babies :)
Click to expand...

Ok, now that I've done a bit of research, I have to show some ignorance.....are you referring to jewel cichlids when you say "jewel?" Jewel cichlids get kind of big for a 10g, don't they? Or, am I totally misunderstanding what you mean by "food prep ten" - is that a nonstandard size?

Man, I hate to ask questions like this :(, but how else am I going to learn????

Ruth
 
Shane

Shane

Members
the 10g that needs fish also has 4 otos in it now, and they're doing fine.
Click to expand...

Are they staying? If so, Rift Lake cichlids are not a good choice of tankmates.
-Shane
 
Leffler817

Leffler817

CCA Members
I had a pair of full grown Jewel cichlids in a 10 and they were fine.

I think Caleb uses the fry as food for others, hence the food prep... ;)

Also, you could do a group of 1.5" Dwarf Compressiceps. They won't need a bigger home for ten years and you'll upgrade to a 15 gallon for 10 more years. Ugh! :smashfreakB:
 
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