# What could I stock in a 10g??



## sparkiesford (Feb 19, 2007)

I am thinking of making my 10g a cichlid tank if possible. Is there many cichlids that are small enough for this? If so which ones? Thanks in advance?


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## bscman (Mar 23, 2007)

In a 10gallon? Umm....fry?

You *could* do one of the following in a 10g:

Dwarf Julidochromis 
Dwarf Neolamprologus (the "Brichardi-Type" or "fairy cichlids") 

HOWEVER, I would still recommend at least a 20g...more room = more active = happier fish = happier owner!

I don't think I'd house any cichlids in anything less than a 29/30g, and even then I'd be sticking with the smaller species, like those mentioned above. A 30g will also open up the doors to a few more options.

Most would require at least a 55, with 75+ being a best choice...so stick with dwarf species in smaller tanks ;-)


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## sparkiesford (Feb 19, 2007)

OK I just thought I would ask, I have a 55g but it is already home to quite a few critters. One other thought if I kept my tiger barbs, 2 angel fish and 2 rainbow sharks in my 55g would it be OK to add a few cichlids of some sort? I know those fish are at least semi-aggressive would they be OK in there together with some form of cichlid?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Not julies or brichardi type. But little shell dwellers- Neolamprolugus multifaciatus, N. Margarae etc. For soft water 1 pair of rams or small apsitos or Dicrossus sp. . The trick is to start with a mated pair for the 10. For the 55, many people keep rams or apistos with angels, the trick is to have lots of cover on the bottom (plants, caves etc.) Angels are slow enough that some food will fall to bottom dwelling peaceful fish (don't know about the sharks). More aggressive mid-dwelling cichlids will pick on the angels or beat them to the food.


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## judya (Jan 23, 2005)

By the way, angels ARE cichlids. In the 55 you could keep rams, apistogrammas, kribensis, altho I don't know hat the rope or dragon fish are, or how they and the cichlids would get along. In the 10 you could keep a small colony of small shelldwellers from Lake Tanganyika - neolamprologous multifasciatius (my favorites), or a pair of apistogrammas or rams.


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## judya (Jan 23, 2005)

sorry - WHAT the rope fish or dragon fish are.


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## gnuisance (Oct 4, 2007)

It all just depends man...I had a friend who had two full grown oscars in a 47 gallon tank and they were perfect. It is important to give a fish the room it needs but you definitely don't need a crazy huge tank for cichlids...


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## Betta1 (Jan 5, 2007)

I've got multifaciatus in a 20L and I'd highly recommend the tank for this fish, with nothing more then 1 breeding female (who unfortunatley died recently) and 2 mature males I've developed quite an interesting colony. A 10g really doesn't have much floor space for shellies so if it's possible a 20 long would be your best bet (same dimensions as a 29g just shorter). My shellies are grumpy little sob's when it comes to anyone that isn't a shelly so don't plan on having anything else in the tank unless you know of something compatible.

In my 29g I've got angels and albino kribs (baby kribs) but this tank is very overstocked with to many small fish and to many fish that get to big so new homes will be had.

In my 55g I've got pure tanganyikan as well as two plecos and it's a great tank, though a bit of advice if the price difference isn't much a 75g would be a much better tank.


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## sparkiesford (Feb 19, 2007)

LOL this thread has been dead for about 6 months, I am actually going salty now. I just got a 65g AGA tank. 

Thanks for suggestions.


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## redpaulhus (Jan 18, 2005)

gnuisance said:


> It all just depends man...I had a friend who had two full grown oscars in a 47 gallon tank and they were perfect. It is important to give a fish the room it needs but you definitely don't need a crazy huge tank for cichlids...


Those probably were NOT "full grown" -- I've got a not-quite-full-grown that is at least 3 inches WIDE - well over a foot long - and weighs at least 2 lbs - and looks cramped in a 125g tank...

Just like I've "got a friend" who drives drunk, knowing somebody who does something doesn't mean its the right thing to do... 

Back to the original question -- I'd go with shell dwellers - like was mentioned above, _neolamprologus multifaciatus_, _n. brevis_, etc.

While I keep my breeding colony in a 55g, I keep a few multi's in my 5g desktop tank at my day job - they would be fine in a 10g.


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