First Aquarium Fish

[tori.lock]

I'm going off to college soon and am planning on getting a 10g tank, since it's the only pet I'm allowed and I'm so used to having animals to look after. I have a few questions, but the most important would be what kinds of fish.

I'm pretty set on getting a few Albino Cory Cats, but I want to know how many that can comfortably house (I want more than one, since they school) and still have enough room for a few little schooling middle-top dwelling fish. I want an easy-care fish, and nothing too shy, since I'm sure in a dorm there will be people in and out.

Another big thing is if it's worth the time and energy for a planted aquarium. I'd like to give my fish real plants, but I haven't yet heard enough pros and cons for them. If I go with the real plants, what would be some good easy-care species for Cory Cats and whatever else I decide to get.

Anything else you think I should know would be really appreciated. I'm researching the exact care, and of course once I find out what fish I want I'll do a bit more work on that. If you have any good brands/sites/shops that would be great to know.

 

[thincat]

welcome to the site. I will let someone that knows about freshwater tanks to chime in on this.

 

[tori.lock]

I'll actually move this, I believe it's not sorted so well.

 

[kangster]

get the biggest tank you can fit/afford or you will regret it later
click on my tank on the left and see what i have in my 10 gallon

 

[joy13]

Albino cat fish get pretty big for a 10 gallon there is a couple of others you might want to check into habrosus and pygmaius .

 

[happygirl65]

You could go planted with a 10 gallon. You can get some Java Ferns, mosses and a crypt or two (depending on the variety they can get bushy)
I love corys also they are fun and fascinating. I think you could have 4-5 of them and a small school of neon tetra or rummynose tetra....most tetras stay small which will really help in your case.
With low light plants (and your standard hood light) you should be able to keep most low light plants without any special substrate just regular gravel and some root tabs for the crypt plants or vals.
Check out the planted tank section for more info on plants for your set up.
I have personally gotten plants from many members here in the barter/trade section which is always a good way to go for quality inexpensive plants....there is also a seller online (started on ebay) called mikeswetpets.com who has great plants and at a good price and he will replace anything that doesn't survive in shipping only happened with me once but he was great about replacing.....you can also check out aquabid.com
Good luck, sounds like a fun tank.

 

[melosu58]

Double posts combined

 

[darkmule27]

I understand your pain with only being allowed a 10g I'm in the same boat. Don't forget that you'll need to transport the aquarium. First, make a long list of possible fish you want. Then research.

A 10g is too small for any cory beyond the 3 pygmy species. You can regularly find the pygmy cories on aquabid.

I'm planning an Amazon biotope-ish aquarium mainly for marbled or marthae hatchetfish. It will have 5 minor red serpae tetras and 3 otos with the 5-7 hatchets. I also have a very oversized DIY filters. I'm using a mix of fake plants (water wonders silk plants look amazing and the fish love them) and real. Some people will say real plants are the only way to go, but using fake as well is fine. For example, some of the plants I'd want would be far too demanding for what I want.

 

[happygirl65]

The demands of the plants you wish to keep is a very real consideration. Research is always recommended.

 

[Fromthelbc]

yea, i have a bunch of fish in my 10g... you should be able to house a large assortment of fish...

 

[tori.lock]

I've gotten mixed messages about the cories. Some people are saying I can house several in a 10g, and others saying I can't have any. When you say that I could house several of the albinos, do you know the exact species for that?

Thanks for all the info so far.

 

[Fromthelbc]

corys are fine, you should be able to house 6 comfortable, i think the other person was thinking about albino channel cats, which can get up to 100+ pounds...

 

[tori.lock]

Alright, just one last question and I think that I'm done. I've been looking at different tetras, and it seems that they can be fin nippers. Any idea that this might be a problem to the cories?

 

[happygirl65]

In general, fin nippers wont bother cory's they would bother slow moving fish with long thread fins like angels, and gouramis. And for what it's worth I think you would be fine to house several cory's in a 10 they really don't usually exceed 2 inches and are usually smaller in my experience. I think the pygmy variety are cool and would allow you to have more but you should be fine with the easy to find variety.
I also think that barbs tend to be nippier than any tetras I have seen. Most tetras would be fine.

 

[tori.lock]

Thanks everyone. I think I have my tank mostly planned out now. Now it's all depending on what I can afford.

 

[Mystery]

Many corys can get pretty big, like 3-4 inches. I have a 10g and went of pygmaeus corys that top out at about an inch, so I could have a decent social group.

 

[kangster]

i have 6 cory. habrosus with 12 neon tetras...and they live peacefully

 

[tori.lock]

so I lied, got a few more questions.

1.) Should I get an algae eater? I've heard that they can cause more waste than they clean. If I should, what kind is best. If not, what's the best way to maintain the tanks cleanliness?

2.) I want to stay away from campy looking decorations, I want it to look natural, but I saw a crocodile skull decoration online that I was fond of and was curious if anyone had any luck getting them to look natural. I was thinking if it was settled right, with some moss and plants it could look good, but you never know how these things play out. Not to mention it was a bit costly. On this note, what are good DIY or cost-effective hiding spots for fish?

 

[meegosh]

Question 1:
It really depends on your preference. I personally like corydoras catfish, they do a good job of eating the food that falls to the bottom. They also keep the bottom of my tanks looking 'busy'. I would steer clear of the plecos with a 10g as they do create a lot of waste.

If you wanted more fish for the middle/upper levels of your tank, you could get away with having no bottom feeders. You should use a gravel vacuum to remove all the detritus and uneaten food.

Question 2:
Again, its all personal preference. I have a piece of decor I got from walmart a while back. It is two barrels, one on its side and the other upright. It had some funky colors on it a while back but now it has been 'aged' and is a more natural color. I have also gotten some java moss to attach to it. It is one of my favorite pieces of decor now. If it isn't too much money, try it and see if you like it. If not, take it out and toss it! I've heard of people using coconut shells that are cut in half for caves. They cut a 'door' out of the half shell for the critters to get in. I heard good things about those and java moss attaches easily to the shells.

 

[happygirl65]

If you do decide on an algae eater I recommend ottocinclus (sp?) They stay very small and do a decent job of cleaning algae.....pleco's even the dwarf variety are poop machines and would limit other stocking options for you in a 10 gallon. I would stick with Otto's or mystery snails to keep your glass clean and the cory's to catch the uneaten food.

I used to have one of those coconut shells too.... it was really cool. misses attaches fairly easily and I buried it in the substrate mostly....the cory's liked it as did the pleco I had.