Stocking ideas for 10 gallon tank?

[muzikalmatt]

I'm looking for fish stocking ideas for my new 10 gallon bedroom build. Currently I have a single small banggai cardinalfish and I'm looking to add one or two more fish over the next several months. I'm definitely in no rush, so I have time to plan and wait on fish availability if I need to.

At first I was thinking maybe a diamond goby and a tailspot blenny, but I've also been looking at small wrasses like the pink-streaked wrasse or the yellow banded possum wrasse. Both of those fish are a harder to find, but I'd like to do something different with this tank. I already have a yellow watchman goby and bicolor blenny in my main 40g tank. I've actually considered trying to catch my bicolor and rehome him in this 10 gallon tank because he's nipping corals in my 40, but that's another story.

Any ideas for cool fish to add to this tank, particularly something unique and colorful? I'm definitely not trying to overstock the tank so even a single additional fish if it's a cool centerpiece would be fun.

 

[DeniseAndy]

In a ten gallon, a diamond goby would not do well. A tailspot sure, no small wrasse would do well long term. Even the bangaii will need more space than 10g. Maybe move to 40g as they get larger.

Good news, there are some cool little fish that would do great. Any of the Trimma or Eviota genus of gobies are super fun! Plus, with 10g you can get quite a few of them. Neon gobies are really cool too. A shrimp goby pairing. I love filling the little tanks. Jester goby. I think you are seeing a trend as gobies tend to be smaller.

 

[GARRIGA]

some Frogfish stay small enough they likely wouldn’t outgrow a ten plus rather sedentary. Would have to be the only fish in the tank but rather interesting. Can be trained to eat frozen and I suspect might even eat Hikari Massivore Delite pellets. Those things swell up and look like a mortal of food.

 

[muzikalmatt]

In a ten gallon, a diamond goby would not do well. A tailspot sure, no small wrasse would do well long term. Even the bangaii will need more space than 10g. Maybe move to 40g as they get larger.

Good news, there are some cool little fish that would do great. Any of the Trimma or Eviota genus of gobies are super fun! Plus, with 10g you can get quite a few of them. Neon gobies are really cool too. A shrimp goby pairing. I love filling the little tanks. Jester goby. I think you are seeing a trend as gobies tend to be smaller.

I'll be moving the banggai to the 40 gallon when he gets too big. He's pretty tiny right now, maybe an inch if that.

Thanks for the suggestions! I hadn't looked into those smaller species of gobies. Would a Wheeler's Goby work? LiveAquaria has the minimum tank size listed as 10 gallons for them and pairing one with a pistol shrimp could be fun.

 

[DeniseAndy]

I did have a leaf fish (similar) in a 10g and it was fun. If you want only one fish and have to live feed it until it will take frozen. Mine jumped out before I had it trained on frozen. I was not happy. It happened because the lid slipped as I was herding my kids to school.

 

[muzikalmatt]

some Frogfish stay small enough they likely wouldn’t outgrow a ten plus rather sedentary. Would have to be the only fish in the tank but rather interesting. Can be trained to eat frozen and I suspect might even eat Hikari Massivore Delite pellets. Those things swell up and look like a mortal of food.

Ooo a frogfish! Now that's interesting. I followed Inappropriate Reefers' frogfish build on YouTube a while back. They're a very unique fish for sure! Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[DeniseAndy]

For these smaller guys check out Biota. They have tons of them and since captive bred, hardy.

 

[muzikalmatt]

For these smaller guys check out Biota. They have tons of them and since captive bred, hardy.

Great! I prefer captive bread species if I can get them. I'll definitely look into that.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Here is one pic of my spotted dwarf goby (1 of 4 in tank) and black bellied (1 of 3 until last week - I accidentally had one jump while cleaning and did not see it on the floor- so tiny). These are in a 6g.

 

[Unitylover]

a clown goby could be nice, maybe a helfrich firefish

 

[Unitylover]

also, if you dont want to spend the $120 dollars on the helfrichi, you can keep an exquisite firefish for $50 instead, you will have to put it in a 20 gallon in the future though.

 

[Cell]

My pink streaked is so dang timid I can't imagine it would be comfortable in a 10G without much hiding space. I cannot have a saltwater tank without at least one clownfish.

 

[i cant think]

Bryaninops gobies are adorable and you could get a group of Atleast 6 in that tank.

 

[Unitylover]

My pink streaked is so dang timid I can't imagine it would be comfortable in a 10G without much hiding space. I cannot have a saltwater tank without at least one clownfish.

thats a good idea, but the clown might murder the baggani cardinal

 

[Tonycass12]

Clown goby, Molly's

 

[Gp!]

Dwarf seahorses!

 

[i cant think]

My pink streaked is so dang timid I can't imagine it would be comfortable in a 10G without much hiding space. I cannot have a saltwater tank without at least one clownfish.

A clownfish one a 10g? IMHO that’s a murder scene with the clownfish being the culprit unfortunately.

 

[Unitylover]

A clownfish one a 10g? IMHO that’s a murder scene with the clownfish being the culprit unfortunately.

yes, If the tank isnt large enough, they become serial killers lol