Is 10L too small for ANYTHING?

[Alliel]

Hi all -
I'm totally new here, and have just inherited 2 small tanks. I knew they were small, but I've just spent an hour or so reading this forum and googling around, and it seems that these tanks are just TOO small. For.. anything.

They're about 10L each - a woman at my work has a tank on her desk, and I mentioned that I wanted one too. Then arrived at work to find two tanks on my desk - one with a lonely black moor in it (that her 3 fancy goldfish had been attacking) and another empty. Apparently some a-hole had been keeping an axolotyl in it, which is just criminal.

Both tanks are about 10L (2.6g), which I now know is WAY too small for a black moor. Or any kind of goldfish at all. I brought one home with me tonight and have just put water conditioner and gravel in it and started filtering it. I actually went to what I thought was a good aquarium on the weekend and asked about a tester kit or basically 'what do I need to make sure this fish's water is ok', and was told that tester kits are expensive and most people don't bother with them, for "just goldfish". So walked out with some water conditioner, gravel and a filter for the empty tank. I now know that that was pretty sh*t advice..

Anyway.

I have this 10L tank - before I start cycling properly, is this tank too small to actually keep anything in? A male betta?
I think I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to have to get a better tank at home for the black moor, because it's just cruel to keep him in a 10L tank. So maybe if I set up a larger tank at home for him and a friend, I can .. yeah, I don't know what I'm going to do.

Help! Should I not bother cycling this 10L tank and just get a bigger one? Is there any use for it at all?

Thanks for any help in advance!

 

[Tank Girl]

Hi and welcome! You're right, 10 liters is way too small for a goldfish of any kind. You'll need at least 75 liters (20 gallons) for one fish. Even bigger if you want a friend for it. Don't listen to the person who told you not to bother with a test kit. It's some of the best money you can spend! Water can look "fine" and be deadly to fish and the only way to know is to test it.

I probably wouldn't use the 10L for anything. Why not just get larger tanks and start out right?

Hope this helps and good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Mebbid]

Provided you heat it and filter it a 10l tank is acceptable for a single betta. A tank that size would also be awesome for a colony of shrimp.

 

[FWFishTanks]

Maybe a couple male endlers or a dwarf shrimp colony, like Mebbid stated.

 

[Alliel]

Thanks everyone! I just got another message from a friend who needs to get rid of their tank and goldfish. They're going to deliver it to me and help set it up, so maybe I'll just work with that tank and see how I go. Then depending on how large it is (apparently it's quite big? But I've never noticed it when I've been to their house, so it can't be THAT big..) maybe add a fish.

I posed on facebook that I was so excited about my work desk fishtank and suddenly everyone is throwing themselves at me with tanks and fish they don't want!! I have to be careful or I'll end up an inadvertent hoarder!

I also just ordered a tester kit and heater, so will maybe do a little shrimp colony or betta in the 10L. Or .. who knows. This is so exciting!

Thanks again for your advice and comments, this is such a friendly forum so far. Far less terrifying than the dog ones I'm on, who put everyone through a baptism of fire for the first 500 posts

 

[Tank Girl]

Lol! Have fun! Sounds like you're well on your way to MTS (multiple tank syndrome)!

Make sure your kit has tests for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph - those are the really important ones.

Lastly, if you're keeping goldfish make sure you have tons of filtration and change most of the water every week. They really need it and you'll avoid a lot of health issues.

 

[trennamw]

What Mebbid said. I keep a betta in a 3 gallon that technically has only 9 quarts of actual water in it. It has a Tetra Whisper filter, a good heater with a thermostat, and is heavily planted (was heavily decorated with plastic plants). Just commit to changing half the water out more than once a week. I use some airline tubing, suction cups, and gallon jugs to siphon out and then siphon in, without a lot of fuss.


Sent from my iPhone with three hands tied behind my back.

 

[Autumnsky]

Welcome to the fun! That is appx. 2.5G.

Goldfish - anyone who starts or wants to keep them, I show this:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...uire-big-tanks-visual-perspective-265871.html

Basic rule for tank size is 20G (75.5L) for the first Goldy and 10G (37L) for each additional.

There is an additional requirement for filtration as well as kinds of Goldys which would be better suited to keeping together.

Back to the 10L

Dwarf shrimp tank, Betta and a pair of Endlers. There are other nano tank fish which would work, but a Betta would be fun, though a slightly larger tank is more comfortable after you get the rocks and plants in there with the filter tubes and heater.

Honestly I had one Betta which was more sedentary and was good in a 2.5G, and another one which wanted to really get out and swim around, which I moved into a larger tank, he was MUCH happier in the larger tank, so I will say that it may depend on the fish as well.

My dwarf shrimp are fabulous and I really LOVE keeping them. Check out our invert section for additional info.

Also be concerned with the wellness of all these new fish people are wanting you to take.

 

[Alliel]

Thanks Autumnsky! Yeah, I saw that thread on the size of fancy fish - it's so awful that so few end up able to reach their full size and life expectancy

I just picked up the tanks from my friend - the biggest is actually MUCH larger than I expected, it's a 3 foot one! I just measured, and it will hold about 140L. They also gave me a hexagonal prism tank that holds about 30ish L, and another 10Lish one. The goldfish has been living in the 10L one, so I just cleaned out the prism and he's in there for now. The large tank is so big, I'm worried about it being too heavy to have on the side bench in the kitchen, which it where it was going to go. And its stand doens't seem very sturdy.. I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet :/

I can also now introduce my Betta, who I got on the weekend. Here he is in his tank He's pretty sedentary so far, but I've only had him since Saturday, so he's probably still settling in and getting used to not living in a jar..