Is it possible to keep Altolamprologus in a 10gallon?

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HerCrenVie

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 21, 2007
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Is it possible to keep Altolamprologus (calvus, compressiceps, fasciatus) in a 10gallon?

If not, are there any species (except shell-dwellers) I can keep comfortably in this tank for life? I was thinking maybe one of the smaller Julies..?

I'm a newbie to African cichlids in general so pardon me if this sounds daft.

Thanks in advance for any input. :)
 
I wouldnt, you would be better off getting a 30 gallon tank. The extra room is important and will allow you to keep the fish much more comfortable and safely. Ten gallons are very hard to maintain compared to other larger tanks because the tiny size means there is much less room to manuever when there is a problem with water quality etc.. Plus less room for the fish, cichlids need room. Most people also dont want to keep a single small fish in a tank and that is what you would have to do in a ten gallon. I only use ten gallon tanks for the fry when my fish breed. If you didnt want shell dwellers and you cant or wont get a 30 gallon then the only other fish off the top of my head that would do ok in a ten gallon is a new world cichlid called a bolivian "ram" or " blue ram" . They reach a adult size of around 2 inches and are peaceful. You could have a pair (male and female not just two fish) in a ten gallon but the 30 gallon would make them alot more happy. They like warmer than normal water around 84 degrees, very low ph (under 7) and soft acidic water. They are fairly hard to keep and you should know what your doing before you get them, but if you all ready know what your doing then they would work for you. Hope this helps.
 
cichlidgirl;2565959; said:
I wouldnt, you would be better off getting a 30 gallon tank. The extra room is important and will allow you to keep the fish much more comfortable and safely. Ten gallons are very hard to maintain compared to other larger tanks because the tiny size means there is much less room to manuever when there is a problem with water quality etc.. Plus less room for the fish, cichlids need room. Most people also dont want to keep a single small fish in a tank and that is what you would have to do in a ten gallon. I only use ten gallon tanks for the fry when my fish breed. If you didnt want shell dwellers and you cant or wont get a 30 gallon then the only other fish off the top of my head that would do ok in a ten gallon is a new world cichlid called a bolivian "ram" or " blue ram" . They reach a adult size of around 2 inches and are peaceful. You could have a pair (male and female not just two fish) in a ten gallon but the 30 gallon would make them alot more happy. They like warmer than normal water around 84 degrees, very low ph (under 7) and soft acidic water. They are fairly hard to keep and you should know what your doing before you get them, but if you all ready know what your doing then they would work for you. Hope this helps.
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Thanks for the reply. Yeah I do know about Mikrogeophagus, but I prefer a hardwater species. I wondered if a pair of Altolamprologus compressiceps would work in my tank, since most individuals only grow to about 10cm.

I wouldn't mind shellies, but only if actual shells are not required, because I can't get my hands on any real shells. What species would you recommend? L. brevis? I don't really like them though, most of the time only the male is visible and the reclusive females hide in their shells all day long.
 
I kept some Daffodils in a 15 gallon. 3 daffodils, 3 tiger barbs and a little tiger pleco. Two of the daffodils paired off, killed the 3rd and bred like crazy for about a year. Bought a 55 gallon at that point, dropped them in with a breeding colony of Yellow Labs.
 
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