how big of a fish can i have in a 10 gal

[French Fry2]

How big of a fish can i have in a ten gallon.{how many inches}

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[kaotic]

Personally, I would try to keep it under 4 inches for the max size.

[simonblanco777]

I agree with kaotic (4"), because fishes more big are unhappy in a small tank.

[Richer]

Can't say for certain, it really depends on what kind of fish you want. Some fish, although small, can be very big waste producers... and thus won't work in a smaller tank, others can be medium sized, but low waster producers, and thus will do alright in a smaller tank. Other factors to keep in mind are, potential tankmates, type of tank setup, filtration, etc. etc.

What do you have in mind?

-Richer

[French Fry2]

i was thinking about small cichlids...[PS i have a barracuda in a 20 is that to small for him...

[ChilDawg]

I can't see much more than a pair of the S/A Dwarfs, Cons, or Neets in a 10g. I also can't see too many shell-dwellers in any more than a pair, although there are some small enough to do that. I think that the behavior of cichlids will be exacerbated by cramped conditions, so a pair (or a little more than that for shell-dwellers would be your best bet).

P.S. Why would you tell us that your barracuda is cramped? Get a bigger tank before you get more fish!

[French Fry2]

what fish can i have with barracudas???

[slipknottin]

Considering FW barracuda (Acestrorhynchus falcatus) grows to about 3 feet, Id say the 20 gallon is pretty small for it.

[ChilDawg]

I'm guessing that at its final size, nothing could be kept with it, but you need to get a much much bigger tank by that point, and no tankmates for it at any point.

[Erynn]

16 inches of fish is the max for a 10 gallon....but I always keep it under that just so that they are happier.

[JSchmidt]

I don't think there is any magic number of inches that are appropriate for a ten gallon tank. You need to consider the total size of the fish (including its mass), the efficiency of its digestive system, the typical behavior of the fish (open water swimmer vs. cave dweller), etc.

Sixteen inches of goldfish in a 10 would produce a much higher bioload than 16" of neon tetras...

Jim

[ChilDawg]

I think that 1" long thin fish are what are used to determine the 16"/10g rule. I understand the difference...putting a 16" Oscar in a 10g will obviously cause problems, since it is at least 4096 times as large as the 1" fish (assuming that it has the same general proportions as them).

[JSchmidt]

That's my point exactly... it's not a very useful rule, and can be rather misleading.

Jim

[BluEyes]

I thought it was 1" per gallon, anyways. Where do we get 16" in a 10g???

I'd also agree with no single fish being over 4" in a 10g. But, if you go for 4" fish, try to pick them more on the placid side. A 4" giant danio wouldn't be as happy in a 10g as a 4" pl*co...

As for what fish to keep with 'cudas, I *think* they are schooling fish, so another 'cuda of equal size might work well. Of course, those guys are swimmers, so they'll want a pretty big tank.

[Dragon_Lord_Tia]

1 of the most eligant fish in the water is the neon tetra in a shoal of 15 or more they are breath taking also try guppies,a pair of dewarf cichlids or a betta. why not a predator tank put a leaf fish or a cod something like that make it abit interesting


i am still 99% againced 10 gallon tank they deprive all fish from swimming room even if they dont realy swimm lime the african block head.i alway try to talk a person out of buying a 10 gallon tank casues there alsway back in a few mounths looking for a bigger 1

[BluEyes]

definately are much better tanks than a 10g.
If you are limited for space, consider a 15 as well - 12x12x24, so you only need 4" more width, and 2" more front-back in terms of desk space. IMO, a 15g is asthetically far batter, and of course, it gives the fish much more space...
then, if you can fit a 15, then a 20H has the same 'footprint' but is 4" taller, so lots more space for the fishies...
Of course, you could go "but it's just a few inches bigger..." all the way from a 5g to a 150g, so I guess you have to draw the line somewhere...
Try taking a tape measure and seeing how a 15 or a 20H would fit in the space available? If you can fit them, they are much better options...

[French Fry2]

thanxs for the suggestions but im just going to get a 10 gallon for breeding the fish i have...:p ;)

[wetmanNY]

Here's another approach:

You have a ten-gallon tank. How small a fish can you enjoy? Scarlet Badis? Corydoras hastatus? Microrasbora? Endler's Livebearer?

Those are four really interesting and beautiful kinds of minitaures for a miniature system! There are plenty of others.

[Richer]

I like wetman's approach... all too often people are asking whats the biggest fish they can fit into X sized tank. Personally, I find a tank filled with many smaller fish to be more appealing than a tank with one or two big fish.

Imagine, 100 neons in a 100 gallon tank, compared to two oscars in a 100 gallon tank. Although the oscars are entertaining in their own right, I think seeing a large school of blue, red and white coloured fish would be breath taking.

-Richer

[Dragon_Lord_Tia]

my oscars are so spoilt but still i would take a pair of oscars over a huge shoal of neons but neons are the most baeutiful fish not in a group of 10,20 but is a shoal of 50 above they are realy breath taking the biggest shoal of neons would have to be in a 500 gallon tank it was a about 500 to 700 hundred neon at the start - the few deaths + a few babies think about it.


im still against 10 gallon tanks no matter how small the fish is.

[French Fry2]

Ok thanxs for your ideas guys!!!:)

[TKOS]

A 15 gallon may be only a few inches bigger but it is way heavier. I know in my small apartment the shelf I have is suitable for the weight of a 10 gallon but I wouldn't dream of pushing it with a 15 gallon's extra 40 pounds of weight or so. Of course I am also very happy with 3 cories and 5 minnows, all of whom seem suitabel happy swimming amoung the plants.