Want mini-monster suggestions

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Fish on Fire

Polypterus
MFK Member
Jul 7, 2007
2,669
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Visalia/Berkeley, California
Ok, I am in college right now and really missing my fishies back at home. I want to set up a little fish tank over here in my dorms. To be safe, I'm gonna keep it a 10 gallon max set up. I don't want bettas, already had enough of those, I want a mini monster tank. I was thinking about two possibilities, depending on what fish I can get up here around Berkeley (it would be great to meet some members up here in the Bay Area who could help me out with this in term of live stock/ plants/ black sand or gravel/ you know what I mean, lol.)

But I was thinking about a planted mini-pike set up, planted blue ram setup, possibly other apistograma species, or whatever else I may be able to keep in there along with some neons or few other tetras as dithers.

Any ideas? What other mini preds can be kept for a while in a tank that small? I want a little eye-piece of a set up. Only plants I'll have would be java moss and java fern though, hopefully buy a few small pieces of driftwood with some java moss and ferns growing on it already. Maybe some small carpet grass stuff on there too. Um, yeah, make suggestions please, lol, it would be wonderful if someone had a set up like this that they would sell to me, but yeah, please make suggestions as to what can be placed in there and will not outgrow it, at least not too soon.
 
Tiger barbs, man. They're not schooling fish, they're shoaling fish, they pair bond, and feed aggressively as a team. Feed them larger stick food, and watch them fight over it and tear it to pieces as a team. Rams stay pretty placid. You might be able to keep a convict, and a dinosour bichir wouldn't outgrow that tank before you get out of college, but it definitely would eat some tetras. I have a ten gallon set up as an amphibian set up with two clawed frogs and a firebelly newt. They take live feeders, but let a full grown betta alone.
 
How about in terms of cichlids? I'll consider African cichlids as well, haven't had an African set up for a really long time. What species stay small enough to be kept long term in a 10 gallon set up? I know shell dwellers can be kept like that . . . but I want something a bit more interesting.
 
My bro keeps rams in a 10 and they are doing great! 10 is a little small for dwarf pike though.
 
how about a 1 tiny dat? they take forever to grow!!! heh, you might have a degree by the time they got to big for it
 
The thing about the indo is that I already have one and it only takes worms and probably other live food. That's a bit expensive for a college kid. >.< I might go with a planted ram community, since a little peace would be welcome in this hectic college environment.
 
Is there a certian footprint or power usage you need to stick to? You could go with a taller tank. Why do you need to have a 10G Max?
 
rams would definitely do well. As far as africans, I keep a few mbunas in a 30, I feel like ten would probably be a little small, but might work for a couple of mbunas, or maybe a solitary jewel. A note on Jewel cichlids, though: they have a reputation for being violent, but mine has been one of the most peacefull fish! If you can find a chill jewel like mine, you'll be able to keep it with some tetras.
 
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