# What to do with a 10g tank?



## Katrina! (May 25, 2012)

The tank I am purchasing is a small 10g tank. But I don't want to overload it with fish nor put a fish that will get to big in it. 

This tank will be on display in our living room so I would like to make it look like a mini show tank. But I don't know what to put in it. Anyone have ideas for small show tanks. I'd like to stick with freshwater fish for a while and then eventually someday I'd like to do a small saltwater tank.

I have a small tank (2g) that is being set up in my bedroom for a Betta. I've already bought the silk plants and a little cave so he has a hidey-hole. Just looking for the right Betta for it!


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## hanky (Jan 18, 2012)

Well how about a betta ? I know you plan on one for your other tank but IMO you cant get a much nicer show fish than that.

or a bunch of red cherry shrimp and some danios or guppies?


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## Tomorrowland (Mar 9, 2012)

If you want the Betta for your small tank, I totally second the Guppies idea. You can get some brilliantly colored Guppies. I'm going to be turning my 15 gallon into a Guppy tank in a few weeks (going to get a pair of Neon Blue Tux Guppies and Orange Sunshine Guppies with some ghost shrimp). They're beautiful.  Glofish (Danio rerio) would be very pretty too. I'd suggest some Guppies or a school of some small Danios or Tetras with some inverts, heavily planted.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

You could heavily plant and put no fish in it and still be a show tank.


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## zero (Mar 27, 2012)

plants, dwarf puffer fish and yellow mistery snails....would look wicked!


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

10 gallons is tinier than you think. How about plants, a Betta and 4 of either neon tetras, glowlight tetras, Rasbora heteromorpha, or cardinal tetras? If you are lucky and have a good aquarium store around, rather than a chain, pencil fish would be beautiful. It shouldn't hold more than 4-5 small fish.


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## Katrina! (May 25, 2012)

I think I might do a Betta in this tank as well. It is going to sit directly across the room from my mom's favorite spot so when she gets out of bed (she is not doing so well and nearly bed-ridden so her up on the couch is rare) she can watch the fish. Guess I need to get everything started soon! Thanks for all the suggestions!


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## Crazy (Mar 1, 2012)

If you want something different you can do a wild betta


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## Brendalynn23 (May 1, 2012)

I a think a betta and platys or mollys are nice. I have 2 female platys, a betta and a male and female pair of lyretail mollys and they are quite lovely. They get along wonderfully.

CrazyMFFM- awesome idea of the wild bettas, they are so neat!


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## Katrina! (May 25, 2012)

I'd love a wild Betta but don't have the slightest idea where to purchase one at. I'd like to find a breeder in FL but I'm not having much luck.


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## Hawk1018 (Apr 12, 2012)

I agree that a betta would be great in the 10gallon. He would be so happy and spoiled. You could do some nice plants in there and some shrimp would be cool. There are all kinds and colors of shrimp too.


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## simplykayla76 (Mar 10, 2012)

Sunset Platy Fish are beautiful


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Well, depending on your willingness to do the maintenance you can always research betta albimarginata and betta channoides.They are very small wild species.I have a pair of channoides in a ten gallon,heavily planted.They do well with a sponge filter.You would have to do weekly waterchanges,and be willing to feed frozen as well as pellets, and flakes ever so often.They are wonderful little guys not many have heard of.The red,black and white of the males show off nicely on the green plants.


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## GalGuppy (May 4, 2012)

I'd go with guppies! I have some and they are beautiful. And they won't get too big


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## Katrina! (May 25, 2012)

I discussed it with my Mom and she has decided she would like some Guppies instead of a Betta. 

Jut have to set up a tank and cycle it and then I will be ready to go get some.

Just hoping she won't do like she did with my last tank and drop random things in it ... *Mad*


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## luananeko (Aug 27, 2010)

Just a word of caution with the guppies... You may want to stick with a group of 5 males and no females or they will quite happily overpopulate your little tank in short order


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## Katrina! (May 25, 2012)

luananeko said:


> Just a word of caution with the guppies... You may want to stick with a group of 5 males and no females or they will quite happily overpopulate your little tank in short order


Good point, except I have no idea how to sex them ... Would the pet store know how? (I'd surely hope so!)


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## luananeko (Aug 27, 2010)

Katrina! said:


> Good point, except I have no idea how to sex them ... Would the pet store know how? (I'd surely hope so!)


Trust me, guppies are super easy to sex. The boys will be the ones with the biggest tails and colorful bodies  The girls are usually pretty plain and aren't as good if your goal is for a showy tank.


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## jbrown5217 (Nov 9, 2011)

If you want to get a mix of female and male guppies you could possibly put in a dwarf gourami as well. They will eat the babies, also if I am not mistaken guppies will eat fry ,especially if the fry do not have a place to hide.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

Katrina! said:


> The tank I am purchasing is a small 10g tank. But I don't want to overload it with fish nor put a fish that will get to big in it.
> 
> This tank will be on display in our living room so I would like to make it look like a mini show tank. But I don't know what to put in it. Anyone have ideas for small show tanks. I'd like to stick with freshwater fish for a while and then eventually someday I'd like to do a small saltwater tank.
> 
> I have a small tank (2g) that is being set up in my bedroom for a Betta. I've already bought the silk plants and a little cave so he has a hidey-hole. Just looking for the right Betta for it!


You could try a beaslbob build using the link in my signature.

Just a thought

Worth at most .02


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## luananeko (Aug 27, 2010)

beaslbob said:


> You could try a beaslbob build using the link in my signature.
> 
> Just a thought
> 
> Worth at most .02


Only try his methods if you want an ugly/smelly tank with unhealthy fish...


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Not recommended for a beginner.


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