# 10 Gallon 'Centerpiece Fish'



## nchmi28 (Feb 8, 2015)

Currently the tank has 
5 Neon Tetras and
4 corydoras hastatus (although they look more like Corydoras habrosus)








The tank has a large filter that creates quite a bit of flow, but not enough to disturb the sand or push around the neons. 
Aqua Advisior puts the stocking level at 74%. :icon_ques We're looking for a small fish that will get along with the others, tolerates the heavier flow, and doesn't mind being the only one of it's type.
Current ideas we have going are
-Dwarf Gourami, not sure if it'll do well with the water movement and have heard that they are susceptible to diseases. 
-Sparkling Gourami, not sure about the flow or how well it'll compete with the other fish for food.
-Peacock gudgeons, flow may be an issue.
If any one knows of any other suggestions that'd be a good fit, please share them.
The other issue with the tank that I hope to fix soon is that the lid has a considerable gap in the back so we may run into a problem with the fish jumping.















I think I'm going to get some plexiglass and try to cut it to fit around the filter better. I'd also like to figure out a type of hinge, similar to the glass one currently on there, so the front can be opened with out lifting the back. If anyone has done something similar to this before I'd appreciate any tips or advice.


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## kelsier25 (Sep 16, 2013)

Check out the powder blue dwarf gourami. Mine seems pretty hardy, has a gorgeous blue that really stands out under lights, and is the most peaceful gourami I've owned. I have one in a 125g community and he gets along with everyone and his color really draws your eyes to him. Flow from my powerheads doesn't seem to bother him too much.

I'd avoid the peacock gudgeon. I loved mine, but his coloring wasn't as vivid as I had imagined. Also, he was pretty fussy and would only eat frozen bloodworms.


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## The Dude (Feb 8, 2011)

After seeing a Peacock Gudgeon for the first time a few days ago, I can't stop thinking about them. that would be my choice. If flow is too much throw some extra sponges in there to slow it down.


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## HDBenson (Jan 26, 2015)

If you have a high flow rate then sparkling gourami is probably not the best option. Go for the dwarf gourami or, scarlet badis perhaps. Apistogramma are good options as well.


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## RugburnTanks (Mar 31, 2015)

I have a male gudgeon and I used to have a female(until the male chased it to death😞) and they are cool fish. I don't know what your talking about they aren't fussy and they are colorful! I know every fish is different but I think it's a great fish especially for a smaller tank. If your going to get multiple of them get 3 females and one male.


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## nchmi28 (Feb 8, 2015)

HDBenson said:


> If you have a high flow rate then sparkling gourami is probably not the best option. Go for the dwarf gourami or, scarlet badis perhaps.


The tank belongs to my son, and although he takes very good care of it he is still young (almost 9) and the Scarlet Badis may be a bit too much of a challenge for him.


> Apistogramma are good options as well.


He does often talk about the fact that all of his fish come from South america and seems to enjoy the fact. Do you (or anyone else) have any recommendations of which one is a good community fish, hardy, and can handle higher ph (ours is 8)?


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## shloken38 (Aug 17, 2012)

Sparkling gouramis and badis are small....not really centerpiece fish. And I would think a 10 gallon is a little small to have an apisto with other fish. Apistos will be ok, but they do tend to carve out a little area for themselves. They may get PO's at the other fish. Why not go for a nice swordfish? They are friendly, hardy and have some nice coloring.


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## nchmi28 (Feb 8, 2015)

shloken38 said:


> Sparkling gouramis and badis are small....not really centerpiece fish. And I would think a 10 gallon is a little small to have an apisto with other fish. Apistos will be ok, but they do tend to carve out a little area for themselves. They may get PO's at the other fish. Why not go for a nice swordfish? They are friendly, hardy and have some nice coloring.


When I say "centerpiece fish" I really just mean pretty. A small size is okay since most of the time the fish are observed from a very close range. A swordtail is a good suggestion too, do they do okay being the only one of their type?


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## Kalyke (Dec 1, 2014)

Will american flag fish or paradise fish kill your tetras and cories? They have nice colors.

Bump: The American Flag Fish. Jordanella Floridensis. a 2.5 inch killie fish. New world. very colorful is my top pick. (The pardise fish gets too large and will eat the tetras).


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## HDBenson (Jan 26, 2015)

Kalyke said:


> Will american flag fish or paradise fish kill your tetras and cories? They have nice colors.
> 
> Bump: The American Flag Fish. Jordanella Floridensis. a 2.5 inch killie fish. New world. very colorful is my top pick. (The pardise fish gets too large and will eat the tetras).


Swordtails will need a tank bigger than this and prefer cooler water than what you have for your current fish. They are fine ast solitary specimens in a larger tank though. Flagfish can be temperamental as can the Paradise Gourami. AND the Paridise Gourami is very capable of eating those small fries - maybe no the Corydoras but, certainly the Neons.

And, Rams will need much warmer water than the Neons will tolerate.


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## dpod (Sep 16, 2014)

A female betta might work well. Platies are also always a good option, as they're smaller than swordtails but just as colorful


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## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

Male guppies could be a great choice. If you dont want them to breed. Very hardy, lots of different colors and patterns out there as well for him to pick from.

My other thought, a big male bristlenose. There are some variations; albinos, reds, calicos, longfin, shortfin, green dragon, etc. I feel like they are not often thought of as a "centerpiece" fish with them hiding a lot but they are very easy to tempt out with food and always fun when you get to see them. Plus, in a ten gallon they wouldnt be able to hide too much.


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## nchmi28 (Feb 8, 2015)

Thank's for all of the suggestions, we have some research ahead of us. I never realized how many types of dwarf South American Cichlids there are, or how much conflicting information there is about them. I was just looking at the Dwarf flag cichlid (Laetacara curviceps) and one site list their maximum size at 5cm another list it at 10cm! We read over this information and all of the suggestions in this thread and his face was beaming the whole time. The tanks have been a great common interest for us to bond over. He's really enjoying reading about all of your great suggestions, thanks again and if you have any more keep em coming.


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## HDBenson (Jan 26, 2015)

Laetacaras can get kind of big.. for a ten gallon. Although they can get up to 4" LONG they are pretty thick and are tall too. For pretty I'd go with a dwarf gourami or two/three sparkling gourami. Bettas are a good option too but do remember they ARE tropical fish that require warm water ALL the time - at least upper 70s(76-82f). You could also do a single male Blue Ram(Mikrogeophagus ramirezi). These will also need water in the 80s - not something the neons like.


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## NotCousteau (Sep 25, 2014)

I would do one king betta. They are just as colorful as the fancy-tailed bettas, but have short fins and do well with current. They'll be super happy alone. You always read that bettas can be difficult to mix with other fish, but in my experience, they always calm down and leave your other fish alone after a few days of posturing. I've never had a male betta kill any fish of any kind.

Good luck with your decision.


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## shloken38 (Aug 17, 2012)

Hmmmm....I find it odd that some are saying the 10 gallon is too small for a swordfish, yet they recommend a ram. Not sure I agree with that. Rams are territorial, so they will chase others away from their spot. I've kept a single swordtail in a 10 gallon with other fish with no problems. And they always lived a long time. I guess everyone's got their own thoughts on that, which I respect.


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## HDBenson (Jan 26, 2015)

shloken38 said:


> Hmmmm....I find it odd that some are saying the 10 gallon is too small for a swordfish, yet they recommend a ram. Not sure I agree with that. Rams are territorial, so they will chase others away from their spot. I've kept a single swordtail in a 10 gallon with other fish with no problems. And they always lived a long time. I guess everyone's got their own thoughts on that, which I respect.


Any fish small enough can be kept in a 10g, it doesn't mean they should be in there. 10g aquariums are a good size for Blue rams - Bolivian rams, not so much. I use to breed both wild and domestic rams. I had them in both community and breeding situations in tanks from 5.5g up to 55g. When taken care of they breed anywhere without much fuss. I've had many of my males in 10g communities with Corydoras and a small schooling species for a few years before moving/selling/trading occupants without issues. At the same time, I would never put a swordtail(unless one of the dwarf species) in anything any shorter than a 20g long.


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## shloken38 (Aug 17, 2012)

HDBenson said:


> Any fish small enough can be kept in a 10g, it doesn't mean they should be in there. 10g aquariums are a good size for Blue rams - Bolivian rams, not so much. I use to breed both wild and domestic rams. I had them in both community and breeding situations in tanks from 5.5g up to 55g. When taken care of they breed anywhere without much fuss. I've had many of my males in 10g communities with Corydoras and a small schooling species for a few years before moving/selling/trading occupants without issues. At the same time, I would never put a swordtail(unless one of the dwarf species) in anything any shorter than a 20g long.


I agree with you to a certain extent. While you kept Blue Rams in a 10g and were successful, I did the same with swordtails. If you read up on Rams, minimum 20g is recommended. We can agree to disagree, which is fine. That's what forums are all about, right?


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## Jaxfisher (Jun 2, 2013)

*10 gallon centerpiece*

A quick fix for the open area of the tank would be plastic needlepoint canvas from the craft store. You can cut around the filter w/ scissors & at least your tank would be covered for about $1 while you do the plexiglass thing.


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

I wouldn't necessarily say that a center piece needs to be large.
Saying that because of the bio-load in a 10g which I have two of.
I just have one adult male, one juvy male and one female Elassoma in one tank
and two females, one adult one juvy in the other tank.
If I shut off the power or it goes out because it does that around here one or two times a year, once for 23 hrs for the longest one...it don't hurt anything.
So I don't know how difficult they are, but I'd think Badis(trio) would work.
For that matter a trio of Ember Tetras might be nice.


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## NotCousteau (Sep 25, 2014)

Raymond S. said:


> I wouldn't necessarily say that a center piece needs to be large.
> Saying that because of the bio-load in a 10g which I have two of.
> I just have one adult male, one juvy male and one female Elassoma in one tank
> and two females, one adult one juvy in the other tank.
> ...


I have one badis badis in my 10 gallon, and I have to agree that they make great centerpiece fish. (I'm looking for a mate for mine.) They're bold, curious and really cool-looking.


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## HDBenson (Jan 26, 2015)

Friendly exchange of ideas and opinions does make the world go 'round.. agree to disagree!!


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## nchmi28 (Feb 8, 2015)

Jaxfisher said:


> A quick fix for the open area of the tank would be plastic needlepoint canvas from the craft store. You can cut around the filter w/ scissors & at least your tank would be covered for about $1 while you do the plexiglass thing.


I actually have some of that lying around somewhere, thanks for the suggestion.

Bump:


NotCousteau said:


> I have one badis badis in my 10 gallon, and I have to agree that they make great centerpiece fish. (I'm looking for a mate for mine.) They're bold, curious and really cool-looking.


I also have one Scarlet Badis in my 10 gallon, who currently only has the company of shrimp and snails. I also would love to find him a girl friend (or 2) but I may eventually settle on a small school Boraras for his tank mates. My son likes to watch my Badis but doesn't like the idea of trying to make sure one is getting enough to eat in his own tank.


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## esr209 (Apr 17, 2015)

How about a Bolivian ram? He might enjoy a couple more places to scurry off behind though.


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## shloken38 (Aug 17, 2012)

Raymond S....Ember tetras are awesome, but you need a school, which should be minimum 6 (more is definitely better). And they are small enough that you could go 10 in a 10g and still add more stock.

And HDBenson...you, my friend, are a good sport! Hard to find people like us out there. A good debate/discussion is only good if you are not arguing. I hope all of this has helped the OP at least a little....


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## HDBenson (Jan 26, 2015)

shloken38 said:


> Raymond S....Ember tetras are awesome, but you need a school, which should be minimum 6 (more is definitely better). And they are small enough that you could go 10 in a 10g and still add more stock.
> 
> And HDBenson...you, my friend, are a good sport! Hard to find people like us out there. A good debate/discussion is only good if you are not arguing. I hope all of this has helped the OP at least a little....


+1!!! Agree on both these points! AND I too have a 55g I've been toying with for months.. I can't seem to choose what's going in it, lol!


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## grizzly_a (Sep 9, 2014)

How about other killifish?


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## Myrr (Jan 13, 2012)

As mentioned, a female betta splendens would be a decent option. As mentioned, a King betta wouldn't be a great match for a stocked 10g. They're big dudes, and can be just as mean as any male splendens. A standard male would be better, better still a flashy colored female.

As for your jumping dilemma- I had an ADF in a 5g with the same kind of gaps. I used the plastic presentation sheets you can get at most stores, cut to fit. Resists moisture buildup, adheres well through static, heavy enough to resist a jumper. I had good luck with it


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## Clear Water (Sep 20, 2014)

Why not build on what you have more neon's and cory's? 20 neon's would look good and would add a lot more color. I understand having center piece fish but have schools of fish also looks very cool.


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## nchmi28 (Feb 8, 2015)

Clear Water said:


> Why not build on what you have more neon's and cory's? 20 neon's would look good and would add a lot more color. I understand having center piece fish but have schools of fish also looks very cool.


20 neons in a 10 gallon tank would be quite overstocked. For my son the appeal of having 1 small fish, that is happy on it's own, is that he can get one more different types of fish to observe the behavior of. He spends quite a bit of time observing them at close range. He likes discovering the different little behaviors of each fish (he was tickled pink when he noticed the corries sifting sand through their gills). I think he has made up his mind to get a Peacock Gudgeon, I think it's a good choice as it gives him a solitary fish with, different behaviors from his other fish, for him to observe.


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## shloken38 (Aug 17, 2012)

I hear peacock gudgeons are awesome. I've been considering these guys for a few weeks.

Hey HDBenson...I went ahead and set up the 55g! Been running for a little over a week and already have cory eggs all over the place. Still throwing around ideas for stock and plants.


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## HDBenson (Jan 26, 2015)

shloken38 said:


> I hear peacock gudgeons are awesome. I've been considering these guys for a few weeks.
> 
> Hey HDBenson...I went ahead and set up the 55g! Been running for a little over a week and already have cory eggs all over the place. Still throwing around ideas for stock and plants.


GGRRRRR... jealous!! It's okay though. I'm toying with a 10g DSM at the moment. I got some Bucephalandra "Lamandau mini velvet" in a few weeks ago that are doubling in size every week!!! And I'm thinking about tearing down my 20g long and doing a major overhaul. I've also recently started a quest for the "ultimate DIY low-tech substrate"! I haven't looked close enough to tell but either my nerites or, my assasins have bred in one of my tanks!

Sorry for the side-bar OP!! Peacocks are pretty and lively. That would be good for a single specimen as I hear they CAN be boisterous when breeding. Mine never were though. I had a male and two females in a couple tanks that worked out well. A single betta would be good as mentioned a couple times already.


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## shloken38 (Aug 17, 2012)

Yeah, sorry for the hijack OP. But I'm actually paying attention to this thread anyway because it's stocking time for me as well. Probably this weekend. Just can't make up my mind! So awesome to have all this extra space......haha


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## HDBenson (Jan 26, 2015)

@shloken38, you should do a HUGE school of Irianthera wernerii - like 30!!! That's what I'm going to do when I get my 55g going again... eventually, lol. Just imagine 10 or more males "flicking" at each other! WOW-zer!!


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