10 gallon single

[Gideyon]

I just wanted some feedback.   I will be having a 10 gallon soon.  Gravel substrate, silk plants. 

1) are there any fish that can live and thrive in solitude other than a betta?   And they can manage 70-75 degrees (or colder if I remove the heater).  My heater is really struggling to get to 80 in my basement. So I need to keep it lower. Which makes a betta difficult. 

2) if I decide to go cold water, I've considered a school of white clouds.   But are there any that are larger cold water fish and can be in solitude?  Or a pair in a 10?

3) I've also thought about the honey gourami which I really like. But I'm concerned about hardiness.  Are they prone to get sick?   Or is that only dwarf gouramis?   And are they perfectly fine in solitude?  If I dared to do so, can they be in pairs if both males? 

 

Note:  I prefer single because I don't have space for a hospital or quarantine tank.  But at least with cold water, I can use a household container without an extra heater.   I also want to keep the bioload down.

 

[laritheloud]

I don't know about anything else, but I find honey gouramis delightful to keep and healthy. They are not susceptible to Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus like Trichogaster Lalia (powder blue dwarf gouramis, dwarf gouramis, neon blue dwarf gouramis, flame dwarf gouramis, etc). Just make sure you get true Trichogaster Chuna and not the thicklipped gourami (they need at least 15 gallons and grow to be larger) which is often labeled in stores as a Sunset Gourami. Some shop clerks will mis-identify a juvenile thicklip as a juvenile honey. They look quite different once you're sure of the differences.

Gouramis will do okay by themselves. If you get two male honeys, they may squabble a little bit in a 10 gallon but they aren't really violent, they just chase, for the most part. Two females or a male and a female might be a little better but you'll miss out on the bright colors if you go for two females.

[Jungle Fan]

@Gideyon if you want your fish to prosper and have a long life I would go with the white clouds  for a 10 gallon unheated tank. You probably could hold either two Tosakin (twisty tail), or Bubble Eye goldfish in a 10 gallon but both of these species are kind of easily susceptible to disease because of the features that have been selectively bred into them, fantails tend to get a bit larger and do much better in a 20 gallon tank but most goldfish enthusiasts I've known seemed to have a 55 gallon for their choice of tank  I would advise against the honey gouramis because while they are listed for a range from 71 degrees Fahrenheit to 80 degrees Fahrenheit they do better in the mid, to higher range, and from my experience in a tank with lots of plants for hiding spots. I don't mean to be negative, I just want you to have a good experience and be able to keep your excitement for fishkeeping, and not be disappointed in short order. White clouds are really interesting and beautiful fish, and it is a shame that they have become extinct in their natural habitat in China because it was largely destroyed.

Some links so you can form your own informed opinion.

https://aquariumsathome.com/what-goldfish-can-live-in-a-10-gallon-tank/

https://www.serendipitywave.com/how-many-goldfish-in-a-10-gallon-tank/

https://www.aquariumsource.com/white-cloud-mountain-minnow/

https://planetfish.org/honey-gourami/

 

[Taco Playz]

White clouds are a good choice. I have a group of them in a 5 gallon and they are very happy. Story time: A long time ago I had three white clouds in a 3 gallon. Note It was when I was super new to fishkeeping. I had one white cloud that lived for about 4 years. He lived through new tank syndrome and everything a beginner hobbyist would go through. HE LIVED THROUGH ALL THAT. They are the hardiest fish in my opinion and I would definetly go with them.

[Gideyon]

With white clouds, I read that 5 in a 10 is good, yet a group of 6 is minimum. Which do you prefer? 

Also, if of that 6 (or 5) I mixed gold white clouds with normal ones.  Is that okay?

[GameCzar]

You might be able to get away with one Paradise Fish, I think an Empire Gudgeon might be too big.   I think a Badis can do around 68F also. 

There's quite a few schooling/shoaling fish if you wanted more than a single.   CPDs, American Flagfish, Zebra Danios, and Platies.  

Edited July 26, 2021 by GameCzar

[Taco Playz]

I have 5 in a 5 gallon I do tons of water changes though.

[TheNanoAquariumGuy]

How about not a fish but an invert like a crayfish.  You could also do cherry shrimp and keep a colony and not worry about hospital tank or anything like it. 

[Nana Finopolis]

I vote for white clouds. They are so underrated. I have the gold variety but I love them all.

[Patrick_G]

On 7/26/2021 at 11:07 AM, GameCzar said:

You might be able to get away with one Paradise Fish, I think an Empire Gudgeon might be too big.   I think a Badis can do around 68F also. 

There's quite a few schooling/shoaling fish if you wanted more than a single.   CPDs, American Flagfish, Zebra Danios, and Platies.  

The Paradise fish is an interesting idea. It’s beautiful and can tolerate the temperature. 

[GameCzar]

On 7/26/2021 at 2:20 PM, Patrick_G said:

The Paradise fish is an interesting idea. It’s beautiful and can tolerate the temperature. 

You're not kidding, these things are just striking!