File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
I'm going to college in a couple of weeks and am thinking of pets I could possibly get in the future. Dorm rules say that only fish are allowed in tanks 10 gallons or less. What are some other options besides beta fish?
>> Anonymous
Well, keep in mind that anything you get that isn't a betta and will fit in a ten gallon will probably need full filtration, heating, and lighting.

A good rule of thumb for tank stocking is an inch of fish per gallon. Community fish would probably be the best choice for something as small as a ten gallon tank. You could get a group of schooling fish like danios, white clouds, rasboras, or neon/cardinal tetras. Some livebearers also make good 10g inhabitants, like mollies, platies, and guppies. I'd recommend going with all males so you don't have to worry about them reproducing.

After you decide what you want, you could figure out what you'd need as far as substrate, decoration, POSSIBLE algae eaters but I'd recommend just keeping the tank clean, not overfeeding, and correctly regulating the amount of light the tank gets to prevent algae growth.

What I would recommend against, whatever you decide to do:
Goldfish
Cichlids
Plecos of any species
Tiger barbs
>> Anonymous
>>287324

>>Cichlids
Except for checkerboards, shell dwellers (multifaciatus, brevis), german blue rams, compressiceps, calvus...
brichardis or julies would also be fine for a school year too if you got them small.

>>Plecos of any species
Except for...ya know....candy plecos and a few other Peckoltias I think...I've never seen one longer than 3 inches..I got mine at 1.5" 2 years ago and he is maybe 2 now..In a 55g.
>> Anonymous
>>287333
I knew someone would try to call me on this shit.

It's a tank at college and we have no idea what OP's previous fish experience is. Something as specialized as shell dwelling cichlids may not be appropriate, and I honestly have never liked the thought of "oh, you'll be able to keep them in the tank now while they're small." Is the OP willing to invest in a larger tank when they're done with college?

Again, with the plecs, you CAN find small species but we have no idea what the OP has experience or has access to.

And now that I've brought it up, OP, have you taken transporting your fish back home when college is over into consideration?
>> Anonymous
>>287343
forgot about every apistogramma known to man.

>>287324
neon/cardinal tetras everything on that list is infinitly more hardy than a cardinal tetra, and most could be had for similar price tags (german blue rams being the hardyness exception, calvus and compressiceps being the price exception)

>> like mollies
>>I honestly have never liked the thought of "oh, you'll be able to keep them in the tank now while they're small."
inb4fouror5inchmollies

>>blah OP blah blah
We both know we're just flexing our epeens right? cuase op will never have a fish tank in college. Op probably has a difficult time keeping himself alive, much less keeping anything besides his symbionts and parasites alive.
I base this on the fact that he does not want a "beta fish"... as opposed to "betta."
>> Anonymous
>>287355
I've heard/seen mixed stories about cardinals/neons. Sometimes they great and sometimes they suck dick at living.

Personally, though, I've never seen the more "community friendly" cichlids available in your average petstore (Walmart, Petsmart, Petco, what have you) which is where I imagine OP would end up going. It's all mbuna mutts or gigantic South Americans..

>>inb4fouror5inchmollies
I think huge mollies are awesome, and going by the inch/gallon rule then you would only get like two or three. But no one new to fishkeeping ever does that because they think the tank looks empty hurf durf.

>>We both know we're just flexing our epeens right?
Yeah. I don't see how you could realistically keep anything beyond a betta in college, fish wise. Who's seriously going to put all that effort into breaking down the tank and getting the fish home after school? Probably that typical mindset of "oh, fish only live like six months anyway" because no one knows how to take care of them.

Internet debate is always kool, dawg.
>> Anonymous
I had a pleco for 3 years in a 10 gallon tank. He was just your garden variety Pleco. Got to be about 3 inches long and stopped growing. Then all the fish died and the tank sat with just him in it with no filter. He got to be gigantic probably 8" long. My uncle has him now still in that same tank just hanging out and kicking up sand when people scare him. They grow to the size that they can be supported at. It wont grow huge if theres no room and no food.
>> Anonymous
>>287407
>>They grow to the size that they can be supported at..then they get stunted and die long before the normal 12-15 years

fixed
>> Anonymous
>>287407
Newsflash: The common pleco is supposed to get almost two feet long. Your reasoning is basically trying to justify cruelty, and, unfortunately, there are a whole lot of idiots just like you walking into pet stores and sticking oscars and plecs in their ten gallon tanks. When I used to work at a pet store, I could deny sales to people like you, and every time I did was a distinct pleasure.
>> Anonymous
>>287431
I bow hunted for those fuckers in some canals in Florida where they have been naturalized...fucking nuts, it's like having a god damn rabid pitbull at the end of your line fighting a 2 foot pleco. anyway, good times