10 Gallon Stocking Ideas?

[Nicholas pilgrim]

HI all,
I currently have an empty 10 gallon aquarium that I used to use for fry. I was wonder what could be put in there. I would like some shrimp with a fish but if this stock wouldn't work I'm open to any ideas for possible stocking. (P.S this aquarium will be planted).
thanks, all help needed.

 

[imba]

14 cherry shrimp
12 rasbora maculatas
1 nerite snail

 

[Morosith]

14 cherry shrimp
12 rasbora maculatas
1 nerite snail

I like this stocking. Could also replace the rasboras with 12 ember tetras or a smaller (about 6) school of celestial pearl danios.

 

[Nicholas pilgrim]

cool thanks, I like that stocking idea

 

[Brizburk]

ChillI rasboras, you could do 20 easily! They are amazing to watch, super active and inquisitive. I currently have 10 in my 10 gal and they follow my finger around the glass. They explore every inch of tank! Great micro fish!!!

 

[BackyardFish]

You could do a pea puffer cummunity.

Or maybe some dwarf rainbow fish.

I like the idea of chillI rosboras. You could do 20-25 with some neocardina shrimp.

 

[Nicholas pilgrim]

Could I do 7 red cherry shrimp, 1 oto cat and a small school of 10 chilI rosboras.

 

[BackyardFish]

Could I do 7 red cherry shrimp, 1 oto cat and a small school of 10 chilI rosboras.

Yep! That would work.

I'm not sure if chillis will eat baby rcs, but either way, provide a bunch of plants, and some will make it!

 

[Nicholas pilgrim]

I always heavily plant my aquariums anyway so that was already the plan.

 

[Jellibeen]

I believe otos like to be in large groups. I’m not sure how many you could fit in with that stocking, but they do like to be around like their own kind.

 

[BackyardFish]

I believe otos like to be in large groups. I’m not sure how many you could fit in with that stocking, but they do like to be around like their own kind.

Good catch!

 

[Brizburk]

Yep! That would work.

I'm not sure if chillis will eat baby rcs, but either way, provide a bunch of plants, and some will make it!

ChillI rasboras are soooo tiny they eat fry food... I think even the tiny shrimplets are safe. My chillis will eventually go in my 36gal with bloody mary shrimps.

 

[BackyardFish]

ChillI rasboras are soooo tiny they eat fry food... I think even the tiny shrimplets are safe. My chillis will eventually go in my 36gal with bloody mary shrimps.

Ok, I have never personally kept chillis, so thanks for clearing things up!

 

[Nicholas pilgrim]

I think ill have just the shrimp and chilI rasboras then. Do the shrimp need any extra care or do they just need planted and other places to hide.

 

[BackyardFish]

I think ill have just the shrimp and chilI rasboras then. Do the shrimp need any extra care or do they just need planted and other places to hide.

you can provide extra food if wanted, but if there's plants and algea, they will be fine.

 

[Jellibeen]

I think ill have just the shrimp and chilI rasboras then. Do the shrimp need any extra care or do they just need planted and other places to hide.

You should definitely cover your filter intake! If you were keeping fry, then whatever you were using should be fine but if you switch filters, make sure to use a sponge pre-filter or DIY it with a pantyhose so no one gets sucked up.

 

[Gavius]

6-8 harlequin or 10 chillI rasbora or cardinal tetra
4 panda cory or 6-8 pygmy cory (pygmy cory and chillI rasbora look really nice together)
Cherry shrimp/amano shrimp (highly recommend amano as they are more active and better at eating algae)
1 nerite snail

Get some easy, low light, fast growing plants like anacharis, java moss, dwarf lettuce too

 

[Jellibeen]

For shrimp, you should also look into your gH/kH. It’s important that it isn’t too high or too low. Too high, and they won’t be able to escape from their molt. Too low, and they won’t be able to build a new exoskeleton. I add a little bit of Equilibrium since my tap water is a tad bit on the low side. You want the kH to be at least 2 and the gH at at least 6.

Edit: you can also add crushed oyster shells to your tank, that way you don’t have to add something to every water change. I have some in the filter.

 

[Brizburk]

Ok, I have never personally kept chillis, so thanks for clearing things up!

You're very welcome. They grow to less than an inch in length and school up nicely. I'm new to keeping them, my first 10 are still in qt but they recognize me and will follow my finger around the glass. Apparently they don't do well with strong current, my qt has low flow but my main tank has a good size filter so we will find out. They are too tiny to eat pelleted food so make sure you have frozen daphnea and cyclops on hand. They love the frozen foods (mine do anyway).

 

[Brizburk]

I think ill have just the shrimp and chilI rasboras then. Do the shrimp need any extra care or do they just need planted and other places to hide.

Shrimp love Cholla wood and mosses to hide in as well as plants to explore and hide in and calcium to eat. I use cuttlebone, I plop in in the tank and it will eventually sink, you'll only need a small chunk at a time. Essentially one cuttlebone should last a couple years. The shrimp will eat leftover fish food and dead plant debris. I would however feed them a quality sinking shrimp food, some come in wafers. I like HikarI brand. Its something your chillI rasboras will nibble on too.

From my own experience in fish keeping, pelleted food should be properly sized to your smallest fish. ChillI rasboras are too small for even the micro pellets. I once had a small tetra die after having a pellet that was too large, get stuck in his mouth. I didnt know what to do. There was nothing I could do. He died with that food lodged in his mouth preventing him from closing his mouth. Its something ive thought about when feeding ever since.

 

[Donovan Jones]

If you're up for natives, heterandria Formosa, pygmy sunfish, and leptolucania ommata would make great inhabitants

 

[Jellibeen]

Thanks for the info on chilI rasboras! I’ve been thinking about getting some for my 10 gallon as well.

 

[Brizburk]

If you look closely enough you'll see them

 

[Colt47]

10 gallons make great shrimp tanks or you can go for a small school of 6 Neons or Cardinals, Cherry barbs, Harliquin Rasboras long as the fish fully gown is under 2”