In person, I always examine the tank’s frame, seams and seals. This would be an overstocked tank, but if you are set on getting more tropical fish just realize that you will need to perform maintenance more often. Learn how your comment data is processed. It is important that ample hiding places such as rockwork, driftwood, or PVC pipes be provided. This kit includes a simple biological filter and LED light perfect for raising plants and a few fish. It’s time to take a look at some of the best 10-gallon specialty and starter kits on the market and see if one of these set-ups is ideal for your needs. Some tanks are lower and wider than the standard to provide more room for swimming, while others may have curved or rounded front panels or corners. In a 10-gallon tank, you could fit a single betta and up to five inches of other fish. In many areas some species have become invasive, such as the rusty Crayfish. The curved corners make it easy to see into this tank from any direction, and it comes with some basic equipment like an LED light and internal filter. They build bubble nests for their eggs. Aquarium Source is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Before we wade in any further, let’s take a second to talk about weight. Let’s talk about what you need to know to pick the best 10-gallon fish tank for your next project! Not easy to move once filled with water, and needs a sturdy and durable place to reside. Tell us about your 10-gallon tank in the comments, or follow us online. One of the worst species of freshwater planted tanks is the silver dollar fish. Click on any of the animals below to learn more about it! The cheapest way to start an aquarium is to find a used tank and equipment that’s still in good shape. ... A crayfish tank is another option. Of course, plenty of unique and custom 10-gallons are around, and these come in a wide variety of shapes and styles. Blue Lobsters are vulnerable when they are shedding their exoskeleton, so landscaping the tank with live plants, driftwood, rocks, and/or caves is vital to their survival. How many should I get, and do other shrimp beside the 3 listed above work as well? 10 gallon aquariums are an ideal option for many aquarists because: While 10 gallons is an ideal option for many purposes, being neither too small nor too large, that doesn’t mean they’re always the right tank for the job. You’ll need to be sure the spot you’ve chosen for your tank can support its weight when filled with substrate, equipment and water. They have a labyrinth organ that allows them to breathe air. 10’s are easier to maintain than smaller tanks, but not quite as easy as their larger cousins. 3,021 Likes, 39 Comments - William & Mary (@william_and_mary) on Instagram: “Move-In looks a little different this year, and we know there are mixed emotions right now. The seamless front panel with rounded corners and low profile allows a fully unobstructed view into your tank. A large variety of inexpensive and premium filters, lights, heaters and other equipment. The first option is to get another one (if you have enough space). Because Oscars typically grow about 10 inches long in captivity, the minimum tank size recommended for a single Oscar is about 55 gallons. They make a great addition to a fully cycled community tank and are easy to care for in general. We want…” As adults all of your current tropical fish will total about 17 inches of fish. Gender : Easy to determine. Depending on the construction materials, an empty 10-gallon weighs somewhere between 5 and 11 pounds. This led to their reputation as the best size for a starter tank, which lingers in the industry today. Plastic tanks are the cheapest and the least durable of the three. As long as you have a robust filtration system and don’t overfill your tank with critters, you can likely get by with weekly water changes. African dwarf frogs were the reason I started my very first aquarium, and they are so much fun to observe. You’ll notice that I didn’t include acrylic or 10-gallon plastic fish tanks in the reviews. List of Animals A-Z. I have supplies I bought 30 years ago that still fit in a new standard 10 gallon! Their convenience and practicality also means that most aquarists hold onto their 10-gallons even if they upgrade to a larger tank. If you notice the coloration on your gouramis starting to fade, try supplementing their diet with freeze dried blood worms or live foods once in a while. Their anatomy is made up of many appendages such as the antennae, walking legs, swimmerets and uropods. Since a gallon of water weighs 8.34 pounds, 10 gallons weigh about 83.4 pounds. These tanks deserve better, so here’s a detailed buyer’s guide! Tank Mates : Many, given their usually peaceful nature. You’ll usually fill it with at least 10 pounds of substrate and possibly more if you’re raising live plants. First, double check that the desk, shelf or table you’ve chosen to place it on can handle the weight and is near an electrical outlet. The general rule of thumb is to allow a gallon of water for every inch of fish in the tank, but more room is always better. You may see this behavior at the surface of the tank with them. Equipment such as lids, hoods, lights and filtration systems may also add several inches to the overall dimensions of your complete set-up and/or the manufacturer’s spec sheet. Updated May 13, 2020Author: Mike - FishLore AdminSocial Media: The Dwarf Gourami originates in the waters of India and is not only beautiful but they can be particularly hardy as well. Dennerle Scapers 10 Gallon Aquarium Kit with LED Light, Kit includes: Tank, clear cover, LED light, internal biofilter, under-tank mat, Kit includes: Tank, plastic hood with LED light, QuietPro HOB filter, preset heater, fish supplies and a care guide, Kit includes: Tank, plastic hood with LED light, Marina Slim Clip-on Filter, Fish supplies and a care guide, Kit includes: Tank, glass canopy with LED light, internal filter, fish supplies, Penn Plax Curved Corner Glass Aquarium Kit, Dimensions: 12.625 x 11.75 x 17.75 inches, Kit includes: Tank, hinged plastic lid, clip-on LED light, internal filter, under-tank mat, Low profile glass tank with a seamless front panel and rounded corners provides a great view inside, Slim, adjustable LED light with 12 diodes and internal biological filtration system, An ideal kit for aquarists interested in aquascaping, A little pricey since it doesn’t come with a substrate or a heater, Kit only offers biological filtration and filter may need an upgrade if you want to keep fish, LED is adequate for easy plants but may need an upgrade for more challenging species, Inclusive starter kit with all the basic equipment needed for a tropical fish tank, Standard glass aquarium and basic equipment is inexpensive, Comes with a sample of water conditioner, fish food, a fish net, and a basic aquarium guide, The heater is preset at 78°F and is not very durable, You’ll have to buy substrate and decorations for your tank, Samples of conditioner, fish food and the aquarium guide are often left out of the kit and can’t be counted on, High-quality standard glass tank kit includes basic equipment and supplies, The slim clip-on filter fits nicely against walls, LED light is perfect for raising plants and highlighting fish, Does not come with a heater, so you’ll have to buy one separately if you’re keeping tropical fish, The clip-on filter uses replaceable cartridges and does not have room for biofiltration or extra filter media, The modern, frameless design with an angled top edge for a beautiful view inside, Comes with an internal filter that’s out of sight and reduces noise, The slim glass canopy is nearly invisible and allows you to view the tank from the top, Not as inclusive as other kits, and you’ll have to add a thermometer and heater for keeping tropical fish, Have to lift the entire canopy to feed your fish, since there’s no easy feeding port or hinge, The LED isn’t very high quality and frameless tanks may spring a sudden leak since they aren’t as durable, Seamless style tank with rounded front corners is easy to view from the sides, Clip-on LED light comes with 14 diodes and highlights the interior well, Internal filter can be hidden in the back of the tank and is very quiet, Doesn’t come with a heater, so you’ll have to add one aftermarket for keeping tropical fish, LED does not come with a switch or timer, so you’ll have to unplug it to turn it off, Top of the frameless tank has sharp edges, so not ideal for children, Best Fish For A 20-Gallon Tank And How Many Can You Fit, Best Fish For A 10-Gallon Tank And How Many Can You Fit, Best Place To Buy Healthy Betta Fish Online, Compatible And Safe Tank Mates for Your GoldFish, How To Tell If Your Aquarium Snail Is Dead, SunSun HW-304B Pro Canister Filter Review, Best Low And Medium Light Aquarium Plants, Quick Comparisons of the 5 Best 10-Gallon Fish Tanks, 10 Gallon Aquarium Kits: Starter Tank Product Reviews, 1. Place a rubber mat under your tank to protect the surface. Turn your equipment on, adjust the filter and thermostat but leave the lights off while you cycle the tank for a few weeks to prevent algae outbreaks. This is also sometimes referred to as a “Leader tank,” and it’s the most popular type by far. If you’re still not sure, here are some additional pointers for choosing the perfect tank! If you’re looking for something a bit different, this frameless and seamless glass tank from Penn Plax could be the kit for you. If you’re still not sure which kit on my list is best for you: Jen has more than 30 years experience as a biologist, aquarist, and fishkeeper. Once your tank’s nitrogen cycle has stabilized, you can turn the lights on and start adding fish to your new tank! Another one may create a diversion for the one you already have. African Dwarf Frogs. They may become slightly territorial if placed in a smaller tank with other Dwarfs. Consider stocking with some easy beginner’s options such as: Finally, let’s talk about buying a kit or whether you should grab your equipment separately. If you add in a Bristlenose (adult size ~ 5 inches) and a dwarf gurami (adult size ~ 3 inches) you will have around 25 inches of tropical fish in your 20 gallon. If you’ve never maintained an aquarium before, it may be less expensive to buy a kit that includes a lot of the supplies you’ll need. Tankarium is reader-supported. Depending on the species, however, some shrimp species require acidic or alkaline water to get breeding. Portraits are a great shape to go with if you’d like to aquascape your 10-gallon tank, but they aren’t ideal for fish-only set-ups. If you’ve never owned a tank before, then this inclusive kit from Aqueon could be the best and least expensive way to start a tropical aquarium. Rinse your substrate well, or if it comes packaged in special water just add it straight to your tank. Each style of tank has its own advantages and disadvantages, and some are harder than others to find equipment for. 6. Learn more. If the sealant is sloppy or unevenly applied I avoid buying the tank. In terms of quality and price, these kits were superior and there’s a lot more options for glass tanks too. Unbox your tank and equipment, remove any labels and rinse everything clean. But this doesn’t give you as many options as buying a kit or individual items. They require less maintenance than 10s and don’t suffer as much from the sudden ammonia spikes that can crash a smaller tank in a matter of hours. Harder to maintain and requires more effort than a larger 20 or 30-gallon tank. While they make a good size for new aquarists to learn on, they can also be a little tricky. An adult Mexican Dwarf Crayfish is hardly more than 2 inches or 2.5 centimeters, however, you should not keep more than one specimen in a 5-gallon tank. Ideal for an aquarium with shrimps from the Sulawesi Lakes, the pH is between 7.5 and 8.5. Why are 10-gallon fish tanks so popular? Though small in size, the Mexican Dwarf Crayfish come with huge personalities. I found a set of 5, which include Painted Fire Red, Blue Dream, Sunkist Orange, Velvet Light Blue and Neon Yellow Shrimp. Tankarium is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Acrylic tanks are made from a high-quality type of plastic that is lighter and more flexible than glass, but also more expensive. This starter kit from Marina includes a high-quality standard tank and is a little more compact than the Aqueon, since it uses a clip-on 2-stage filter instead of a classic HOB. If you add in a Bristlenose (adult size ~ 5 inches) and a dwarf gurami (adult size ~ 3 inches) you will have around 25 inches of tropical fish in your 20 gallon. This is even more crucial when housing multiple crayfish in the same tank. To provide a bigger margin of safety, I aim to use furniture that can support at least 150 pounds for my 10-gallon aquariums. Food : Will eat flake, freeze dried and live foods. Portraits are a great shape to go with if you’d like to aquascape your 10-gallon tank, but they aren’t ideal for fish-only set-ups. It’s not always easy to identify a high-quality tank from a marginal one when looking at pictures and descriptions online. There are two primary types of 10-gallon tanks, and many unique styles. It’s an ideal size to start with if you have an interest in aquascaping. Dennerle Scapers 10 Gallon Aquarium Kit with LED Light, 4. Breeding : Can be difficult. Of all the fish tanks on the market, no other capacity is as popular as the humble 10-gallon aquarium. She is an expert in setting up new tanks and maintaining naturally-planted freshwater habitats, and has experience raising a wide variety of aquatic species. Glass tanks are considered the standard, and while they have disadvantages they are still my preference for 10-gallon aquariums. These useful tanks and their associated starter and speciality kits are often covered along with other nano tank set-ups, but only rarely get time in the spotlight. Each of our animal facts pages covers a range of topics about that animal, including their diet, habitat, breeding patterns, their physical characteristics, unique personality traits and behaviors and more. Small enough to fit on sturdy desks and tables and doesn’t require a special aquarium stand. Usually the female is gray in appearance. Set up your filters, heater and light and fill the tank with conditioned water. Fish Disease : Freshwater Fish Disease - Diagnose, Symptoms and Treatment. While the older, used tanks you’ll see at garage sales may appear nearly identical, these days there’s a lot more variety to choose from in a new tank. By contrast, in the case of Neocaridina and various Caridina species, a pH of 6.5-7.5 pH, Red Bee shrimp should be kept at a pH of 6.2-6.8. You may already have a good idea of the type and style of 10-gallon you’d like to get after reading the sections above. I really like the Dennerle, and if aquascaping is in your plans this could be the best tank to start with. More likely to crash from a sudden spike in ammonia or have an unexpected algae outbreak than larger tanks. Novices often gravitate towards them for starter set-ups, while experienced keepers use them for quarantine, hospital and breeding tanks. While 10s make good options for novice aquarists or children’s tanks, in truth, a 20 or 30-gallon tank is a better size for a starter tank. If you wanted a desktop set-up or a tank that didn’t require a special stand, you were either limited to a fish bowl or went with a 10-gallon. Aqueon Ascent Frameless LED Aquarium Kit, 5. Inexpensive and can be used and reused for years, Less likely to develop scratches over time, Won’t absorb or release chemicals in the water (although the silicone sealant may), Can crack or shatter if something hits it the wrong way, Won’t turn yellow or become discolored with exposure to sunlight, May have sharp corners or edges that could cause injury, Minimal distortion effect when looking into the tank, Easy to find in cornerless, rimless and custom shapes, Easily scratched, dinged and cosmetically damaged, Corners and edges are rounded and less likely to cause injury, More noticeable distortion when looking into the tank, Turns yellow when exposed to sunlight and over time, Scratches easily and can crack with too much pressure, Noticeable distortion effect when looking through the side, Can be molded into many different shapes, including bow front and cornerless tanks, Turns yellow with age and exposure to light, Can soften when exposed to higher temperatures and may not be suitable for some types of equipment, Male Betta fish or a pair of female Bettas, Small rasboras like the Harlequin or Chili, Livebearers like guppies, mollies, platies and swordtails, Snails like Mystery, Nerite and Malaysian Trumpet. If you are planning to keep Blue Lobsters with other crayfish or other large types of fish and invertebrates, is important to keep them in a tank with plenty of hiding places. They come in a huge variety of shapes, colors and sizes, with the average reaching 6.9 inches in length. Here’s how the different tank materials stack up against each other: What are some good fish for a 10-gallon tank? The male is more colorful while the females are less colorful. Care Level : Easy, good for freshwater beginners with a tank that has completed the aquarium nitrogen cycle. When you buy via the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. There are a couple of color varieties including the Blue and the Flame Red. The male is more colorful while females are usually gray. Temperature : 77°F - 82°F (25°C - 28°C). You can also opt for a bare-bottomed tank if you’d prefer a minimalist or modern appearance. Temperament / Behavior : Mostly peaceful and hardy, they are good fish for beginners. While they all hold the same amount of water, their internal and external measurements vary depending on their specific shape and whether they have a frame, rim or elevated base. © FishLore.com - providing tropical fish tank and aquarium information for freshwater fish and saltwater fish keepers.About FishLore | The narrower base and vertical orientation means they provide less room for swimming. They are popular with beginners, and while a 20 or 30-gallon is easier to maintain it can be a lot less expensive to start with a 10. It’s not the most durable design, but the angled panels allow for a beautiful view inside. Common Names: Blue, Sunset Gourami, Powder Blue Gourami, Neon. While these tanks are too small for goldfish, they are the perfect size for nano fish. Penn Plax Curved Corner Glass Aquarium Kit. You’ll definitely need a sturdy table to set your tank on (see weight section below). 10 gallons of water can cause a lot of damage if it springs a sudden leak! Despite their popularity, there are not many online guides specifically covering 10-gallon aquariums. There’s a few reasons why they tend to be the size of choice for new fish keepers. These could be a good choice for shrimp tanks, although you’ll be more limited in terms of the equipment that will fit. This would be an overstocked tank, but if you are set on getting more tropical fish just realize that … The glass canopy and LED are practically invisible, and the internal filter fits in a corner of your tank. Vary their diet for optimum health. Photo Credit : Photos copyright JJPhoto.dk. A classic 10-gallon tall tank measures about 16 x 8 x 17 inches on the inside and is taller and narrower than the standard. I was thinking about getting shrimp to clean my tank. It even includes a heater, although the quality is dubious. Easier to maintain than smaller nano tanks and much easier than fish bowls. They are not picky eaters. These tanks usually have a plastic frame and rim, and some may also come with an elevated base. They are large enough to hold several interesting nano fish or invertebrates. You’ll notice a bit of variation when you’re looking at the manufacturer specs and dimensions for various 10-gallon aquarium kits: The most common type of 10 is the standard size, which measures about 20 x 10 x 12 inches on the inside of the tank. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. As you can see, it never hurts to pick up an extra 10-gallon tank even if you’re not using one as your primary aquarium. What can you expect to find when you’re researching your options for 10-gallon tanks? Ideal size and capacity for breeding, hospital and quarantine tanks. African dwarf frogs are easy pets. The LED light is integrated into the plastic hood. They should accept most fish food including flakes, freeze-dried, frozen and live fish foods. It also comes with some water conditioner, fish food, a fish net and an aquarium guide. I was surprised to see that 10-gallon tall aquariums are not easy to find anymore, although there are a lot of portrait style options in the smaller sized nano tanks. A classic 10-gallon tall tank measures about 16 x 8 x 17 inches on the inside and is taller and narrower than the standard. Ideally, however, a 75-gallon tank is best for one adult Oscar and, if you plan to keep more than one, you will need a tank at least 100 gallons in capacity. You won’t have to limit yourself to a specific manufacturer or customize your equipment so it’ll work with your tank. You can tuck this tank right against a wall or shelf. Due to the size and waste production of this crayfish, a minimum 30-gallon, well-filtered aquarium is necessary for one adult. If you want a rimless or seamless tank, either the Aqueon Ascent or the Penn Plax could be the pick for your home, depending on which style you prefer.