# Dwarf Cichlid Suggestions for 10g Aquascape?



## MissLissa (Dec 12, 2013)

Hello! I'm new to this forum, and to cichlids (but not fishkeeping) and would love some information on dwarf cichlids.

My 10g tank recently lost it's last inhabitant. It's been running for about 10 years as a lo-tech planted breeding tank for Celestial Pearl Danios. To keep it going I have my ancient plakat male betta in there, who is thrilled to have twice his usual space 

Here are my tank specs as of 5pm tonight:
*Tank Dimensions:* about 20L x 12W x 12H
*Substrate:* 100% Seachen Flourite
*Filter:* Whisper Ex20 filter that I rigged with additional filter foam to work somewhat better, and also not to suck up teeny baby fry. I'm looking at getting a better filter, since this was fine for the CDP's but I'm not sure it would be adequate for much else.
*Lights:* Regular old canopy lights, nothing special. I think they are the Aqueon 2.0's right now, but I didn't keep the packaging so I can't be sure. The tank is somewhat close to a window (it doesn't affect the temperature) so that might be why my plants do so well under less-than-ideal lighting.
*Temp:* 78F (for the betta; was at 74 for the CDP's)
*pH* 6.8
*KH* 5 - my tap water tends towards low KH
*Nitrates:* 0
*Ammonia:* 0 (my test isn't sensitive enough to pick any up if it's there)
*Maintenance:* Weekly water change, about 25% with conditioned tap water. I also do fertilization with Seachem Flourish when I remember (about once a month), since my plants do much better with it. No other additives.

Current Plant List:
Java Fern
_Cryptocoryne wendtii_ "Bronze" and "Green"
_Anubias barteri _v. 'nana' on Mopani wood
_Vesicularia ferriei_ 'Weeping' on Mopani wood
_Utricularia graminifolia_, near-complete lawn

Current Stock List:
One extremely pleased Betta, whose ungrateful carcass will be put back in his perfectly lovely, aquascaped 5g nano once I have my new stock figured out
A few hitchiker snails

Okay. So I have been very interested in dwarf cichlids (specifically _Mikrogeophagus ramirezi_ and several _Apistogramma _sp.) for quite a while, but I didn't have anywhere to put them since every tank I had was full of tiny delicious Celestial Pearl Danio fry. Over the past two years, my CDP colony aged out, and now I have the luxury of a few empty 10gs. One I'd like to keep as a quarantine/hospital tank, one I'd like to keep for maybe raising a handful of fry (or possibly for a certain impossibly spoiled betta), and the third I described above, and I'd like to stock with something a little more personable than the perpetually-shy, nearly invisible CDPs.

Would this set up be acceptable for a pair of _M. ramirezi_? If not, would a pair (trio?) of _Apistogramma_ do better- maybe _cacatuoides_, _macmasteri_, or _hongsloi_? I have seen all four at my local LFS, and the manager told me they are semi-regularly available because they come from a local breeder.

I'm mainly concerned that the tank may be too small for _ramirezi_, and that they seem to be so very sensitive that my ham-handed lack of mad cichlid skillz would get them killed. I haven't heard that _Apistogramma _are likewise as sensitive.

Does any one have any suggestions? Would I be dooming a couple of Rams to a long slow unhappy death if I put them in the 10g?


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## Broodwich (Jul 16, 2013)

2 Mikrogeophagus ramirezi would probably be ok in a 10g setup (i had 2 in my 15g tall which has a smaller horizontal footprint which larger is better). key word might be "Had" tho as my male became very unhappy and stopped eating (i'm still working on bringing him back). Apistogramma however i would recommend a larger tank (20 long would probably be the smallest i'd put a pair of those in).

If it turns out to be to small of a tank are you prepared to setup another tank (either a 2nd or a larger replacement for the 10)?


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## MissLissa (Dec 12, 2013)

Absolutely. I have more 10g's sitting in my garage than any two people could shake a stick at, since I was breeding CDP's for a decade! They are dry, though, so would require cycling. If it wasn't working out- if the pair didn't get along, for example- I'd plop one of the Rams in the quarantine tank then cycle a new 10g as the quarantine tank. I do have a planted 30g show tank right now, but it has a peaceful community in it (peacock gudgeons, dwarf gourami, scarlet badis, danios, rasboras). I'm not sure I want to stick a cichlid in there! The water chemistry would be all wrong, let alone the carnage that would probably follow.

Thanks for the vote of confidence!


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## Cichlidman14 (Jul 17, 2013)

I agree with the rams. They are VERY sensitive, to water quality though. I had a breeding pair of rams that passed away. I got the fry to live for 1 day then belly up. Though currently i have 3 wild caught rams. 1 is already colored up nicely the other two i expect to be another male and 1 female. Baby brine shrimp is a great food for them to eat as they grow. I keep my trio in a 37 gallon at 80-82 degrees and a P.h. of 7-7.2.


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## shelbynjakesdad (Mar 13, 2013)

I know this was posted in the South American section, but have you ever considered the shell dwellers from Lake Tanganyika? They are very interesting fish that can be kept in small tanks... they are what started my cichlid addiction.


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## Jayhawk (Sep 21, 2002)

Tanganyikan shellies would be great. But A. borelli would work in there as well.

Eric


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## pablo111 (Dec 10, 2013)

If it's well planted with lots of hiding spots there's no reason you can't get away with a mellow species of Apisto or maybe some blue rams. It's going to be ultra, ultra tight, but with the right setup, it can be done. An old friend of mine bred blue rams in a very well laid out 10 gallon.


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## MissLissa (Dec 12, 2013)

Thanks for the suggestions!

About the shellies: a very good fish friend of mine had shellies and they were great for a few months, but then she had a massacre in her 20g tank. I'm not sure what the real issue was, but they ended up slaughtering each other virtually overnight, Tropheus-style. It seemed like a good set up to me, but like I said I don't know much about cichlids so maybe she had too many males or not enough shells or something. Her experience for sure has turned me off the shellies, though they are adorable,and have very interesting behaviour. I'd be constantly stressing that they were about to eat each other while I slept. I'll look into them, though,since they are exactly what I'm looking for, except for that lol


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## Jayhawk (Sep 21, 2002)

A male, two female trio set up of N. brevis would do unbelievably well in there...add some guppies to swim up top, and you'll see the cool territorial behavior I mention in the article in the shellie corner in the library. Brevis do displays, but are really, really peaceful for shellies.

Eric


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## shelbynjakesdad (Mar 13, 2013)

I've kept N. Multifasciatus in a 10 gallon for almost a year and they are doing very well. I started with 1M and 2F. The 2 females disputed territory in the beginning, but eventually they figured it out. I have not seen any real violence - if you get multiple males, some will likely have to be removed... but once you sort that out, you should be good.

They breed all the time and are great parents who protect their fry. My tank got a little crowded after 6 or 7 months with all the fry who were maturing, so I have been selling a few to my LFS. That is one thing you will have to consider, but for me it is not a drawback... they actually pay for themselves with a ll the credit I'm getting from my LFS!


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## Jarrods (Sep 11, 2011)

If you want to keep your plants, especially the Utricularia graminifolia I would not go with multis as they would dig and dig. I had similis for a while and no plant could get established


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## shelbynjakesdad (Mar 13, 2013)

Jarrods said:


> If you want to keep your plants, especially the Utricularia graminifolia I would not go with multis as they would dig and dig. I had similis for a while and no plant could get established


Very true... multies are like bulldozers with fins! I find it one of the most interesting parts about them, but rooted plants will not fare well.


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## MissLissa (Dec 12, 2013)

I really like the idea of shellies, but my water is very soft, and I'll have to play with the KH before I decide to do that way or not. I'd be very okay with doing away with the plants; I've done planted tanks for so long that I'd actually like to try something else. I'll have to take another look at the shell dwellers!


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## pablo111 (Dec 10, 2013)

You can use something like Kent R/O right to harden the water. How's your pH and your kH?


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## ahud (Aug 22, 2009)

If doing shell dwellers stick with brevis or multis. You could try two pair of brevis in the 10g. I'm not sure about keeping brevis in trios, seems like once a pair formed they would pick on the odd man out. A lot of people mess up by going with occies and similar types in small tanks, which are more aggressive and tend to fall out with one another for no apparent reason. I had 15 adult occelatus in a 6ft tank and it was pretty interesting. I can't imagine how some people get lucky with them in 10s. For SA dwarfs, I could see A. borelli working easily. I'm super biased, but I think the Apistogramma are more interesting in the long haul because of the parental care. Shell dwellers don't do much beyond guarding the shells, which they do with or without fry.

You can't go wrong with either! Here is a great website for introductory care on dwarf cichlids: http://www.dwarfcichlid.com/index.php
Great site for explaining what we mean by providing a complex environment.


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## rupertoooo (Dec 7, 2005)

A small group of Badis Badis and a couple Licorice Gourami's would work very well.


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