# 10Gal stocking question



## DoberMom (Feb 3, 2012)

Hello,

My bf has a 10 gal with a CT male, a bamboo or wood shrimp (whatever you call em, they have different names), and 2 Siamese algae eaters. Is this too much for a 10 gal? Another question is how do you take care of a bamboo shrimp? are they ok with sponge filters as opposed to power filters?


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## Micho (Aug 22, 2011)

DoberMom said:


> Hello,
> 
> My bf has a 10 gal with a CT male, a bamboo or wood shrimp (whatever you call em, they have different names), and 2 Siamese algae eaters. Is this too much for a 10 gal? Another question is how do you take care of a bamboo shrimp? are they ok with sponge filters as opposed to power filters?


First off the 2 Siamese Algae Eaters will grow to a very big size (6 inches!), they eat tons of algae, and probably will not survive in your tank. The thing is with most algae eating fish like Otos is that they need tons and tons and tons of algae to survive, I recommend trying to rehome your SAEs, they need an established tank that has tons of algae and live plants for them to eat, some people say minimum of 25g others around 60g+. 

Also the Bamboo shrimps are another issue. Bamboo shrimps are filter feeders which means the tank needs to have a steady current, this goes against that male CT you have, Bettas can't withstand strong currents. So, try re-homing them. 

Now if you successfully rehome both the SAEs and the Bamboo shrimps, a 10g alone with a CT male. Depending on the temperament of the Betta you can house a variety of things. Look in this thread to find out: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=97337


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

A bamboo shrimp could survive with a betta in a ten gallon.
What is of concern is the behavior of the shrimp. Many like to stand right in the filter flow with their arms out stretched. You should provide something for him to climb up to get near the current. This is a healthy bamboo shrimps behavior.
If he is on the bottom, picking through gravel, there is not enough food floating around. They need well established tanks and can be hard to keep.

Also, algae eaters must go, when they get big they suck the fish's slime coats, quite damaging to a betta..

After that, we need to know you pH and water hardness to make an informed decision for tank mates. Besides your bettas temperament, water parameters are the single greatest factor in choosing fish.


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## Micho (Aug 22, 2011)

Olympia said:


> A bamboo shrimp could survive with a betta in a ten gallon.
> What is of concern is the behavior of the shrimp. Many like to stand right in the filter flow with their arms out stretched. You should provide something for him to climb up to get near the current. This is a healthy bamboo shrimps behavior.
> If he is on the bottom, picking through gravel, there is not enough food floating around. They need well established tanks and can be hard to keep.
> 
> ...


I think you're thinking about Chinese Algae Eaters, Siamese Algae Eaters are less aggressive. SAE can only be territorial with their same species, it's best to keep only one or 5+ for a shoal.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Oh woops. All those sucker things are the same to me. Well either way, it's a no no right? xD


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## Micho (Aug 22, 2011)

Olympia said:


> Oh woops. All those sucker things are the same to me. Well either way, it's a no no right? xD


Yep still a no-no. SAEs get 6 inches long when fully grown. Also they need tons algae and need a well established tank, so a 10g wouldn't cut it. Maybe something around 25g+ with lots of live plants, and the tank being well-established.


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## fish monger (Dec 29, 2011)

Unless you really like algae eaters, I've found them to be worthless insofar as living up to their name is concerned. With the possible exception of the Whiptail Catfish, they all prefer to gorge themselves on the easy to get fish food. Who can blame them ?


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## DoberMom (Feb 3, 2012)

So.... it seems that neither of Spike's tankmates are ok? I do often see the bamboo shrimp picking at the substrate but I read somewhere that you can feed them algae wafers. Would they also be sufficient enough for the SAE? I know two isn't going to work but what about maybe just one? Or maybe just the CT male Spike and the bamboo shrimp? What are my options here? I personally have one 5gal and one 29gal. I'd like him to be able to keep at least one of his tankmates.


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## Micho (Aug 22, 2011)

DoberMom said:


> So.... it seems that neither of Spike's tankmates are ok? I do often see the bamboo shrimp picking at the substrate but I read somewhere that you can feed them algae wafers. Would they also be sufficient enough for the SAE? I know two isn't going to work but what about maybe just one? Or maybe just the CT male Spike and the bamboo shrimp? What are my options here? I personally have one 5gal and one 29gal. I'd like him to be able to keep at least one of his tankmates.


:l Bamboo shrimps are not supposed to go picking food from your substrate this means that they are starving! A happy Bamboo shrimp will not move for days and just set up his four little filters and feed himself. I really suggest you create a current for them and a place for them to stand near the current so they can just filter feed themselves. 

As for the SAE, no. They need to be in a bigger well-established tank with lots of live plants and algae for them to consume. Also just get your CT some other tank mates that can work? Cories if you have sand, or some species of tetras could work.

But yeah sorry if I sound blunt and rude but that's the truth.


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## DoberMom (Feb 3, 2012)

No it makes sense. Thanks. We have a sponge filter in the 10 gal. Doesn't that create a filter? I do have a power filter that I am not using. Would that be better than a sponge filter? Would that be stressful on the CT? What about the SAE? would they do well in my 29 gal? It's still cycling. My bf does like the look of neon tetras. How many could I have in the 10 gal if it was just the tetras and the betta?


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## Micho (Aug 22, 2011)

DoberMom said:


> No it makes sense. Thanks. We have a sponge filter in the 10 gal. Doesn't that create a filter? I do have a power filter that I am not using. Would that be better than a sponge filter? Would that be stressful on the CT? What about the SAE? would they do well in my 29 gal? It's still cycling. My bf does like the look of neon tetras. How many could I have in the 10 gal if it was just the tetras and the betta?


Sponge filters although great for Bettas do not work with Bamboo shrimps. I suggest using the power filter and baffling it if it's too strong for your Betta. It'll provide some current, make sure you have something near the current so your shrimp can stand on it.

SAE, tough one. There's no place to put them eh? Your 29g would've been a great place for them if the tank was already set-up and well-established, along with lots of live plants and tons of algae for them to eat. I really don't know where you can place them. . 

Neon Tetras some people wouldn't reccomend them, they're active and a bigger tank than 10g would be better. Maybe Ember Tetras? You could do 6 ~ 8 of them.


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## DoberMom (Feb 3, 2012)

Alrighty I'm gonna have to talk to him about it. I've got three different types of live plants in my tank, but I only know one of them is bamboo and the other two I have no idea. He got the SAE specifically for his algae problem. He's got a lot of hair algae and they've been doing a great job so far. He'll be a bit disappointed. How do you think Oto cats will do in his tank?


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## Micho (Aug 22, 2011)

DoberMom said:


> Alrighty I'm gonna have to talk to him about it. I've got three different types of live plants in my tank, but I only know one of them is bamboo and the other two I have no idea. He got the SAE specifically for his algae problem. He's got a lot of hair algae and they've been doing a great job so far. He'll be a bit disappointed. How do you think Oto cats will do in his tank?


Bamboo? Bamboo isn't an aquatic plant just saying it's semi-aquatic, the roots and stem can be under water but he leaves can't be in water or it won't survive. Hair algae is usually caused by excessive nutrients, the plants can't take in any more so that's where the algae comes in. If you put more plants in the tank they will out compete the nutrients and the hair algae will slowly go away. If they're having lots of algae to eat that's good, but once the hair algae is gone they're going to starve. :/

Otos are another tricky things, since they are hard to breed in captivity, how we catch them is by using cyanide, and that stuns them allow people to catch them easier. With this method their immune systems are weaken and they are more susceptible to die. Otos should only be bought if you have a well established tank with lots of live plants just like the SAEs, they will build their immune systems back up in a healthy tank. 

If your boyfriend has a well maintained tank with lots of live plants and lots of algae Otos will do fine, but they will run out of algae in a 10g pretty fast. Considering you have to buy 3+, you'll need to give them a lot of algae to feast on.


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## DoberMom (Feb 3, 2012)

I see. Maybe they will do ok if they are supplemented with veggies?


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## Micho (Aug 22, 2011)

Yeah they'll eat blanched zucchinis, cucumbers, spinach, etc.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

If you do run out of algae, I know with algae eaters like panda loaches that also rely heavily on it, you can just put a couple rocks in a jar, leave it in the sun, fertilize if you feel the need to, and algae will grow, which you can just plop in your tank for the otos. Alternatively, you can buy dried algae that's flattened out. Otos are possible to keep, so don't get too discouraged, they really seem like great little guys, but you have to be careful with them.


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## DoberMom (Feb 3, 2012)

Thanks for all the advice. I doubt I'll ever have an endless supply of algae. Does anybody? I like the growing your own algae idea  thanks


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## Micho (Aug 22, 2011)

DoberMom said:


> Thanks for all the advice. I doubt I'll ever have an endless supply of algae. Does anybody? I like the growing your own algae idea  thanks


In NPT or tanks with a lot of live plants in general. A healthy sign is that some algae is present. The reason why algae eaters do so well in larger tanks, well-established tanks with a lot of live plants is because the algae is produced faster than the algae eaters can eat it. 

Growing your own algae or dropping in some blanched vegetables works either way, or algae wafers.


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## DoberMom (Feb 3, 2012)

Will the ember tetras eat the betta pellets? I'm thinking about going that rout.


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## Micho (Aug 22, 2011)

Pretty sure they will.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Yes, but you will need really tiny ones. My embers will scoff the microbetta pellets and the microcommunity pellets just fine, but they cannot get their little mouths around the NLS pellets I also feed.


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