I'm looking to have a small pair of cichlids in one of my 10 gallons. What would be a good pair to buy? I have some over turned coconut shells in there, it's planted....I'm hoping they might breed. My plan is not to breed them...if they do that's great, if not that's great too. I have never kept cichlids before though besides angels and I want to start small! So anyway, what else could I keep with a pair of small ones? I'm thinking cory's maybe?
Looking for some little ciclids.
- Thread starter Erynn
- Start date
Corys aren't cichlids - they are dwarf catfish and live on the bottom.
In a 10-gallon, you don't have room for too many fish, but if you really wanted cichlids, then a male and female german blue ram or a pair of gold rams would do the trick. Rams would be about the smallest cichlids available.
It's best to do lots of research before you buy fish - that's half the fun.
In a 10-gallon, you don't have room for too many fish, but if you really wanted cichlids, then a male and female german blue ram or a pair of gold rams would do the trick. Rams would be about the smallest cichlids available.
It's best to do lots of research before you buy fish - that's half the fun.
I know cories aren't cichlids!!!! Hahahaha....I meant I was looking for some other fish to go WITH the cichlids. I have been keeping fish for about 12 years now, just never kept cichlids. Actually once I had a bunch of Lamprologus Brichardi babies that grew nice and big, I sold them to my lfs!
Neolamprologous Multifaciatus from Lake Tanganyika are pretty nice - I have a pair in my 10 gal. They like the water to be pretty hard with a PH of around 7.8-8.2 and like sand to dig around in. They're shell dwellers, so you'd need to provide some shells for them to breed in. They will have multiple generations helping to care for the fry and only grow to about 1-1/2" max. I don't know if they can be kept with cories, but I know I have 5 white cloud minnows in with them as dither fish that are doing just fine. You do need to do smaller water changes with them (no more than 10% at a time because they're sensitive to large water changes. HTH! 
I know that cories prefer soft water. That having been said, it is a possibility that oft-bred Cories may be okay in rift lake water.However, I would not trust bottom-dwelling lake cichlids with Cories...they will too easily be seen as a threat and subsequently will be thrashed for having the audacity to be in their favorite region of the tank.
I would say either some Blue or Gold Rams, or maybe some Kribs. Neither get above 2" usually and the Kribs will breed like rabbits if you get a pair! They do get really aggressive about their territory when breeding tho, so you better watch the meandering Cories!
I wouldn't suggest Apistos with cories as some species don't seem to get along for some reason.
Curvicepts are also a nice dwarf cichlid...
Bill C.
I wouldn't suggest Apistos with cories as some species don't seem to get along for some reason.
Curvicepts are also a nice dwarf cichlid...
Bill C.