Returning to Fish Keeping

[NinaK]

Hi Everyone,

After 10 or so, I'm considering starting a small freshwater tank. We used to keep mbunas and peacocks in a 90 gallon tank until we decided to get new floors

I'm looking at no more than a 10 gallon tank and I'm hoping you guys can point me in the dire action of inhabitants that prefer rocks only. I'm a bit intimidated with live plants.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[Wills]

Hi Everyone,

After 10 or so, I'm considering starting a small freshwater tank. We used to keep mbunas and peacocks in a 90 gallon tank until we decided to get new floors

I'm looking at no more than a 10 gallon tank and I'm hoping you guys can point me in the dire action of inhabitants that prefer rocks only. I'm a bit intimidated with live plants.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Hi welcome to the forum I admire your hope of staying to just one small tank! I said the same thing 3 years and 6 tanks ago...

In terms of a fish that will do well with rocks and a 10 gallon tank how about a small group of Shell Dwellers from Lake Tanganyikan - couple of species you could do which would dictate numbers (some do best in pairs some do best in trios or groups).

Wills

 

[AlexT]

Welcome Nina. I was out the hobby for 10 years and back last month. I had a large tank of Mbuna and similar as well.

What are the levels of pH, KH and GH in your water source / tap water.

 

[emeraldking]

Hi & welcome to TFF, Nina...
When your small tank is running, feel free to post some pictures of it...

 

[The603]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[NinaK]

Hi welcome to the forum I admire your hope of staying to just one small tank! I said the same thing 3 years and 6 tanks ago...

In terms of a fish that will do well with rocks and a 10 gallon tank how about a small group of Shell Dwellers from Lake Tanganyikan - couple of species you could do which would dictate numbers (some do best in pairs some do best in trios or groups).

Wills

Thank you, Wills! I loved my mbunas but sadly, I don't have the floor space for a tank they require. I love the idea of Lake Tanganyikans and I don't know why I didn't think about that as an option!

I know what you mean about the 'one tank' wishful thinking. I probably should have added that we also had a 30g nursery and a 10g quarantine tank for some time.

I just knew I'd get sound advise from this sight!

 

[NinaK]

Hi & welcome to TFF, Nina...
When your small tank is running, feel free to post some pictures of it...

Thank you! And I most certainly will post photos once everything is up and running!

 

[NinaK]

Welcome Nina. I was out the hobby for 10 years and back last month. I had a large tank of Mbuna and similar as well.

What are the levels of pH, KH and GH in your water source / tap water.

Hi Alex,

I haven't gotten that far yet. I can tell you though that our tap water has a low pH and is very soft. That being said, I used crushed coral for our substrate, bumped up the pH, etc with a bunch of products and what comes to mind was Seachem Prime, for one. We did regular water changes, 30% weekly. And we had an Eheim canister filter and two aqua clear hang on back filters too.

We had it up and running well for about 6 years (I think).

What are you keeping now, AlexT?

 

[AlexT]

Well ironically, I am now a bit the opposite! My tap water is hard and alkaline which was ideal for Mbuna, but now I use a mixture of 80% RO water and 20% tap to make it softer, and I went for corydoras catfish and tetras in a small 110L tank. All the best with your comeback and keep us posted!

 

[Uberhoust]

Good luck, small tanks seem to me to require much more attention. I have tried 10s but haven't much luck, for me 20 long is the smallest tank I have had success with.