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What would be a good pair of fish to put in a ten gallon? I know they need to be small but I don't want them to be minnow size because that's not my thing.
Any ideas?

Sorry to say a 10g is not actually suitable for larger fish.
You could get a school of small fish to give the appearance of a bigger fish. Certainly not live bearers other wise you will have a population over load very quickly.

don't want them to be minnow size because that's not my thing

If that is the case you better get a large tank

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Keith

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I was looking at Cichlids that are 2-3 inches and also and Killifish. Does that seem to big?

not that it is the best thing to do, but two bolivian rams could potentially live in a 10g along with pairs of various other dwarf cichlids. My dad has a pair of Kribs along with a various few other fish in a 10g... but you never see the Kribs, they are always hiding...

well planted with a sexed pair of rams would be the best way to do it... that way theres less fighting... why do you want a pair? why not one small cichlid and a few tetras or something like that?

also is the 10g a standard glass tank or is it different?
what do you plan or have for decorations and/or substrate and plants?

\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"

Cichlids unfortunatly will get to big for a 10gal..
..and they need alot of rock to hide, so placment of rock would then take away from the space left for the fish to swim and be happy..
you need to choose a fish that will not get to big..providing room to grow as well..
you might do ok with a couple of Dwarf Gouramis, thay come in nice colours..but not to add anymore fish after that..some can be on the aggressive side..and 2-3 ottos for the bottom or Cory cats..
thats about all you will fit in a 10gal..or as mentioned a sm shoal of 5-6 or 6-7 tetras..
if not allowing room for a fish to grow.."you" will stunt its growth and then soon sickness will set in and the fish will parish..
Sue

Well the pair of fish would be the only fish in the tank so they won't be bothered or have to share room with others.

A pair German Blue Rams or Bolivian Rams (which get to approx. 3 inches) all by themselves in a ten gallon tank doesn't sound like a good idea?

IMO the Rams wouldnt reach thier potential size of 3 inches in a 10 gal tank..without being sickly..
If your not keeping what would be appropiate for a 10gal look to be re-stocking that tank every 3-6 months..
Its amazing how naive some fish hobbist can be. We all learn from experience I know.., but with all the info provided for us out there now a days, its seems only right to follow what most hobbyist have been doing for years..We can now learn from them..take the advise..
Many fish in the hobby now a days can live long lives in captivity and reach potential size, provided we give them the space and to grow and condition and quality of water needed.
Take the popular Goldfish (carp) for instance, hardy fish right.. I cringe when I hear how people have kept them for 1-2 yrs in thier tank.....sad when Goldfish can live 25-35 yrs..and yes in captivity.. just what are they so proud of..
A customer of my has had the 3 for 18+ yrs..found stable conditions for his set up and stuck with it... he was smart about it.. He put 2 little goldfish in a 80+ tank and let them grow..and did they...
Do your research on the fish and size, life span etc etc ... Its truly the only way you will be happy with this new hobby you have picked for yourself..

Shelldwelling cichlids would be fine in a 10. Have a look at brevis and multies.

You might also want to look at badis, sparkling gouramies, crayfish, dwarf frogs, a paradise fish, and maybe even wild bettas.

Other than not minnow-sized, what are you looking for in these fish?

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Sparkling Gouramis! I almost forgot about those! Thank you for reminding me Call

I also will put the Badis and the Paradise fish into consideration. As for the Shell-Dwelling Cichlids I am not sure... I don't know how to keep a high pH, usually I can only keep it neutral or a little acidic. I have heard of putting coral in the tank or using chemicals but I'm still uncertain.

I am against using pH UP and pH DOWN products. They are a waste of money and way too difficult to use effectively. All you need to do is buy a substrate that is carbonate based. You can mix it with any other substrate you want, and also some limestone and shells won't hurt.

You'll find that it will keep your pH high and the hardness up, just how the little fishies like it.

Hi,
Maintaining a pH in the 8's is easy and can be done
naturally w/o the use of buffers. As was mentioned
simply use any carbonate as your substrate.

In a 10G tank you don't have room for enough rocks to
maintain the high pH so the only alternative is to use
crushed limestone, crushed dolomite, crushed
oyster shells, or crushed coral as the substrate.
An interesting combination is one of crushed coral and
crushed oyster shells. With the right mixture, the "look"
can be interesting.

Frank


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Thanks guys