# 10 Gallon Tank Issues



## schmankman (Aug 31, 2009)

Can somebody please help me out with this one, I am very new to this Forum.

I have a 10 gallon aquarium In my room. The current water tests very good with ph and everything else. I have a good filter wich I change weekly and a heater for my fish.

My fish Aquarium is a 10 gallon rectangle with medium sized gravel, a few soft fake plants, and a few other decorations inside. In the back corner I have a cave for fish to hide in.

My current fish In my aquarium are 2 honey dwarf goramis, and 2 red and blue goramis. One of them ( red and blue ) just died after his 2nd day and I am getting a refund, a new one from the pet store. I did own a nice dollar bill sized pleco with spots and a red tail. He jumped out and died the night I put my fish in.

The problems and questions I have are : 

Is there too many goramis in my 10 gallon already?

Can I purchase more small fish for my 10 gallon like neons or tetras or something?

Are there any small plecos out there that don't eat wood, or grow over 5 inches?

Why did one fish die, but the rest are perfectly fine?



I am a little confused right now with my freshwater tank and I NEED an algae eater that wont attack or multiply. please help in any way possible! THANKS!


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## Pingu (Apr 16, 2009)

Hey. Welcome to the site!

Now I'm no expert, being fairly new to fishkeeping myself so I'm sure more experienced people will give you advice. However, I wouldn't keep more than one dwarf gourami in a ten gallon tank. They are quite territorial, and will fight if too many are kept in small spaces - that could be why one of them died.

I think in a ten gallon you could keep one dwarf with a small group of tetras/guppies.

Just as a side. You say that you change your filter once a week - do you mean the sponges etc? If so you will be removing a good chunk of the bacteria that are breaking down the ammonia for you.

Bristlenose plecos stay smallish but they need some wood in the tank I think.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

actually lmost all species of loricaridae(plecos) need wood to chew on to aid in digestion...
but there are many other fish that will eat algae that will work for you..
try a SIAMESE algae eater..do not get a chinese algae eater as they really don't eat much algae and get quite large and very mean.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I wouldn't put a real SAE in a 10g. I gave mine away after they got too big for a 55g (but they did eat hair algae). 
Do you really need an algae eater? In a ten, you can stick your hand in and scrub the glass.


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## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

ewwww who wants to stick thier hand in icky fish poo water!?!? =)


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

-- funny funny


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## schmankman (Aug 31, 2009)

thanks for all of the help so far, but I DO need an algae eater because the algae grows very fast in my tank. And no, I made a mistake there in my typing, I change the bio filter NEVER, and the other one every two - three weeks.

I would like to take 2 goramis back and just keep two, finding out that they are territorial. The fish place did a horrible job choosing a good fish for my tank. All I did is ask: "what are the best fish for a 10 gasson tank" and they all said "goramis, because they are so hard to kill".

Well, Now I am finding that is totally UNTRUE. They are sort of fussy and territorial, not liking salty water.

What I would like now is to keep 2 dwarf honey goramis, and possibly get a few neons or fancy guppies or something else. But now Im stuck in a rut. 

So what I have in the aquarium now is 2 blue/red dwarf goramis and 2 honey dwarf goramis.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

why is there salt in the tank?are you trying to keep brackish water fish?.
for algae eaters that stay small ; try "american flag fish"you could keep a whole herd of them in a 10..


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## schmankman (Aug 31, 2009)

lohachata said:


> why is there salt in the tank?are you trying to keep brackish water fish?.
> for algae eaters that stay small ; try "american flag fish"you could keep a whole herd of them in a 10..


no, not neeping brackish water.


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

petsmart always says that gouramis need brackish water so perhaps that is why some people think that.
I think you have enough fish in your tank. 
otto's are nice and small. A bit difficult to get adjusted at first but do a good job of cleaning some types of algae. My little otto is coming up for 5 years old in january.
Flag fish can be a bit scrappy!


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