FishPerson

After my tank is done cycling, i have a very long list of possible fish to live in my 10 gal., one of them being a ram with some kuhli loaches or somthing else (suggestions). would this work, or do i need a bigger tnak for one?

capekate

Your loaches would get to 4 inches, and with two of them you are up to 8 inches in that 10g tank. The rams get to 2.25 inches. You should have them in more space than a 10g, I'm afraid.

~ kate

FishPerson

so just stick with the loaches + dwarf gourami?

capekate

... a dwarf gourami needs more room too.

~ kate

Jacko

Pretty much, I wouldn't do the loaches in anything less than a 20 gallon with sand. If you don't have sand you will rarely see them and if you do, you will barely ever see them. I found my kuhlis like live tubifex in sand since they could hunt and then they were alot more active. IME, Dwarf Gouramies are better off in a larger tank but seeing as the commercial stock is of low quality, they rarely ever live to their full potential in any tank due to the Dwarf Gourami Disease (there was a TFK article on this). I have however had luck with Honey Gouramies in a 10 gallon, I had 1 male, 1 female.

Personally, rams do alot better as a m/f pair and a 10 gallon tank is not big enough for that. I would recomend you try another species of dwarf cichlid like the A. borrelli or viejita (<personal favorite).

FishPerson

what is a borrelli or viejita? is that their scientific names or their real names?

Jacko

Scientific, they don't have widespread common names as far as I'm aware. Apistogramma borelli and Apistogramma viejita. I have a m/f pair of Apistogramma viejita. Try googling them both, to me they seem like a blue and red version of each other.

Another choice would be a female Apistogramma nijssen, if you were to add a male when she doesn't want to mate then she would likely rip him to shreds. If you do want to breed them then get the female and condition her for breeding then add the male and as soon as the eggs hatch remove him to another tank.

FishPerson

wow. one look at each of these fish, and i alredy want them! they are absolutly stunning. However, i don't really want to breed, so would it still be safe to have a male and female? (im guessing that having a female/male makes them happier?) Are these good in a 10 gal? if so, what kind of requirements do they have? (caves, temp, etc...)

Jacko

Which ones? The viejita and borelli or the nijssen? Borelli appreciate caves but might spawn in them, the good thing about borelli however is that their broods aren't very big at all, about 15-20 fry. Planted tank with a coconut shell cave and a little bit of open space is good for them, ph of 7.2-6.5, tem between 78 and 82. Pretty much like any other apistogramma.

A. viejita can be difficult to find, I got lucky on mine since I have seen them no where else other than aquabid.

FishPerson

so does having the opposite sex make them happier? or could you have two males (if you wanted)

Also, if i had a pair, what other fish could go in there, or do they look/do best with only them two?

capekate

Hi Fishperson..
its not a good idea to have two males in the tank, they may end up fighting with each other.

~ kate

FishPerson

thanx. If i get a male and female, will they spawn often? if so, what can i do with the eggs? also, how readily are the borelli's found in pet stores? and, one more thing, does your tank have to have lots of open space for them, or is it okay how i have it: 10 gal. tank, two medium sized plastic plants on the left side of the tank (i want to get live's eventually) and a Bell on its side (acting as a cave) in the left back corner with the middle open

Jacko

They are readily available in all my LFS's, not the chain stores like Petsmart and Petco. Costing about 3.99-5.99 a peice, alot cheapeer than a GBR anyway.

I recomend getting some more plants, live ones would be good. What is your current ph? Also, are you sure the bell is inert? It could be leaching metals into the water, I would recomend replacing it with a coconut shell or a clay pot.

Supplement their feeding with a weekly or twice weekly treat of frozen bloodworms, tubifex worms or brine shrimp.
They might spawn, they might not, it all depends on the conditions. If they do spawn, then they will take care of the eggs and as long as you have fry in the tank they won't breed again untill the fry are full grown, and it takes the fry about a year to become full grown.

You could do a school of dither fish with them, like neon tetras or glowlights since both are fine with the params required.

FishPerson

Here is a pic that i just took of my tank. the bell is plastic. Could i feed them flake or pellets for the rest of the time b/t the live/frozen? anything else i should know?

Attached Images

Dscn05080001.JPG (35.2 KB, 6 views)

Jacko

I'd recomend you get some more plants in the back and sides/middle, maybe some short ones like dwarf hairgrass up front and near the cave.

Flake and pellet foods will be fine for staple in between the live/frozen food feedings. I have discovered mine have a fondness for mysis shrimp and shrimp pellets. Feed them once a day and skip a day once a week, fast them that day with either an algae wafer or nothing, it gets them some vitamins that they don't get from either staple or treat.

After the tank has been established and running for more than 2 months I would get a couple of Otocinclus for algae control.

Other than that, I can't think of anything else. If I do I will be sure to post it.

FishPerson

Well, right now my tank is still cycling, so now is the wait.

FishPerson

Another question: Do most fish stores sell frozen fish foods? I don't think i have seen it at my LFS.

Jacko

You might have to ask an employee, they usually have a freezer somewhere. Petco and Petsmart both carry frozen foods, Petsmart is the better of the 2 since they don't have half the freezer full of dead rats and mice, instead just silvers and frozen fish food.