10g Cichlid Tank
- Thread starter test4echo
- Start date
We need more than that. If you want south american ciclids, you need soft acidic water. Microgeophagus Ramizri (german blue rams) or any of the apistogramma species ( I just got A. cacatoides , lovely fish. I also like the A. agasizzi
For africans, you need hard alkaline water, and I think shell dwellers are your only option there, though I tend to be more of a SA guy myself.
http://liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=1824 Not all of these are shellies, so make sure to check the specs. I believe the Julidochromis or neolamprologus are the ones you want.
As a generalization, SA cichlids do better in pairs, while africans prefer a 2 or 3:1 female to male ratio.
For africans, you need hard alkaline water, and I think shell dwellers are your only option there, though I tend to be more of a SA guy myself.
http://liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=1824 Not all of these are shellies, so make sure to check the specs. I believe the Julidochromis or neolamprologus are the ones you want.
As a generalization, SA cichlids do better in pairs, while africans prefer a 2 or 3:1 female to male ratio.
Last edited:
From my experience, get your water slightly soft and acidic, (use peat moss or drift wood if you need to) add a female ram (after the cycle of course) and let her get happy for a week or so, then add a male. 3 or 4 neons for dithers and an otto or 3 for cleanup. Overstocked by some standards, but keep your WCs up and they will be fine.
Note I added links to the fish metioned in my post above. Don't take the "dificult" rating of the rams too seriously. Mabey difficult for a noob fishkeeper, but not for an experienced fishkeeper/noob cichlid keeper
Personally I find Blue Rams somewhat difficult to keep...IME....even with perfect water quality. I prefer the Apistos, but they too would do better in a 20+ gal tank. Not to much can really go in a 10. Maybe some of the smallest of shell-dwellers
You could have a nice colony of Multifasciatus shelldwellers in a 10 gallon. Use a sand substrate with crushed coral and plenty of shells, escargot or whale eye shells work well them.
Start out with one male and 2 famales and before long you'll have a nice little colony in there.
Start out with one male and 2 famales and before long you'll have a nice little colony in there.
How fine should the sand be? I have a very fine gravel that could be called sand. Its not as fine as something you would find on a beach, but its pretty fine. So sand, shells, and some crushed coral? Do I need a different kind of filter, or will a hand-on-back power filter work?
HOB filter will work fine. I have them on my shellie tanks, but have the inlet up as far away from the sand as you can get it, to help prevent it from sucking up too much of the that stuff. Not good for the filter. It's a good idea to turn the filter off when you do a gravel vac or anything that will stir up the sand.
As long as the substrate is "sandy" it should be fine. Something that they can scoop up and move around. They really like to do that and will dig right down to the bottom of the tank, piling everything up mounds...lol.
As long as the substrate is "sandy" it should be fine. Something that they can scoop up and move around. They really like to do that and will dig right down to the bottom of the tank, piling everything up mounds...lol.