10 gal w/ hard water stocking

KendraMc

i may be getting a tank i haven't planned for: a 10 gallon one. i have hard water/higher pH (pH about 7.8). what do people recommend? i already have tiger barbs, which i don't think would be happy in that small of a tank. i also have swordtails, which i might put some of in it (i have one preg female) but i want something different, and preferably not just one fish. there isn't a lot in the profiles that say 10 gallons will really work, and i don't want to get started with bettas (i don't think i'd be able to stop :/).

Santaclaws

You could fill it with cherry shrimp you can put at least 20 in a ten.

OddballFishCoveter

Well, if you're looking for something different, you could put around three Bamboo Shrimp into that 10 gallon, providing that you're willing to wait until the tank is thoroughly cycled, as these shrimp wouldn't do well in a recently established tank. These shrimp have fans instead of claws that catch nutrients in the water and then eat the nutrients off, hence the reason for a well established tank. It's also recommended that the filter gives some good flow, otherwise a powerhead is needed. I know this isn't exactly a fish as you stated, but I've seen these guys in my Pet Supplies Plus and they're very cool to watch. :D

Guppies or Endler's Livebearers are an option as well, since they stay fairly small and are easy to care for. Six or seven could do well in a 10 gallon.

Just some options~

Byron

There are the Endlers Livebearer already mentioned. There are also some small fish in the cyprinids that do well in medium hard water, have a look at Celestial Pearl Danio, Emerald Dwarf Rasbora, Eyespot Rasbora. Click the shaded names to see our profile of each species.

Among the rift lake cichlids there is the shell cichlid, I've forgotten the name at the moment, but commonly referred to as "shellies."

Byron.

Zorse

Something different to add would be Tanganyika shell dwellers like the poster above mentioned. One type I know of that can be kept in 10 gallons are neolamprologus multifasciatus, but I believe there are other types as well that can also be kept in a 10 gallon.