10 Gallon....what next?

jennifer711983 · Post by **jennifer711983** » Fri Nov 07, 2014 12:26 pm

Hey all! I have noticed that a lot of people that care for hermit crabs also have some other fairly exotic pets and I wanted to pose a question to you. I just got all my hermies moved into the new 29 gallon tank and I got my 10 gallon cleaned out. My husband and I really want to use the tank for another critter...he wants some kind of lizard. What type of lizard (or other critter I'm open to ideas...) would be a good fit for a 10 gallon tank? Thanks!!!

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moonbeam · Post by **moonbeam** » Fri Nov 07, 2014 1:16 pm

We only have hermies in our house

I'm not sure that you could keep one of these guys in a 10g but this thread inspired me to invest in some crested geckos next: viewtopic.php?t=99536#p913060 they're just so darn cute!!

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YYWW · Post by **YYWW** » Fri Nov 07, 2014 2:08 pm

Oooooh! I gotta find another thread for you!
Here it is: viewtopic.php?t=99469
Fiddler crabs!

For more search Fiddler in General>Other Types of Crabs

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Post by **aussieJJDude** » Sun Nov 09, 2014 11:45 pm

How about some leopard geckos?

Or if you want to go crazy, how about some gerbils or mice?

Post by **wodesorel** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 4:32 am

Unfortunately a 10 gallon is on the small side for a lot of critters. There is just not a lot of space for even a small animal to move or run around in. Just like with hermit crabs, pet stores will tell you that the animals need less space then they really do. Make sure to research any animal you're thinking about with a specialist site to make sure you're not doing harm with too small of a cage. Just like with hermit crabs, recommendations have changed over the years. I believe the smallest that is recommended for leopard geckos and dwarf hamsters is a 20 long. Some species of ambush predators who don't move around much can be happy in a 10 gallon - most scorpions, some spiders, some species of toads and frogs depending on their gender, but they aren't very exciting pets because they don't move around and all they do is hide.

Anything under a 20 gallon is pretty much useless when it comes to small pets and fish.

I have a stack of 10s that aren't in use from adoptions over the years because there's nothing that I can put in them! It is a great idea to have a spare tank though in case something goes wrong with your hermits. It's wonderful to be able to set up a full tank in an emergency situation, especially if it's in the middle of the night, which is when things always seem to go wrong.

CallaLily · Post by **CallaLily** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 10:36 am

I second everything Wode said.

A juvenile crested gecko could live in a 10 gallon for a time but once bigger will need a bit more room.

I agree minimum size for leopard geckos is a 20 long.

I can't remember the exact minimum for hamsters but it's definitely larger than a 10g, even smaller species. I'll have to dig that one up. Edit: 20 long but its always stressed that that is the absolute minimum. Like with most animals, bigger is better.

3 female mice OR 1 male mouse can live in a 10 gallon quite happily. But once they're settled and tamed you'll likely find yourself wanting to give them a little more room.

A male Betta would do good in a 10 gallon aquarium.

It would make a great isolation tank.

Drakezilla · Post by **Drakezilla** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 3:35 pm

CallaLily wrote: It would make a great isolation tank.

I have a 5g and 10g in my garage as well, they can be used for ISOs for hermies, really?!

Cydonia1 · Post by **Cydonia1** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 3:41 pm

I use my 10 gallon as an ISO (That I thankfully haven't had to use!) but if you like fish I'd DEFIANTLY stick a betta in there. You could divide it and have two but you can't make a good double divider in a 10 and still give them all of the room so I wouldn't recommend it, if one of the two decided to maneuver their way over you'd have two hurt or dead fish on your hands.

It's expensive to set up, but it would be really worth it afterwards! You could also do Guppies, Mollies and some Tetra's I think?
Just be sure to Cycle your tank before adding any fish! http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/The_Nitrogen_Cycle There's zero reason to do a fish in cycle if you don't own the animals yet, no matter how pretty that one seems. Besides the stress and pain on the animal, do you really wanna spend 3+ months testing, removing and adding new water?

Post by **wodesorel** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 4:43 pm

Mollies need 30 gallons minimum. Guppies can be done, but full grown can be 3 inches and are extremely active so it's not recomended. The majority of the tetra species also get way too large. Out of the commonly found species only bettas are really appropriate. There are other easy species like sparkling gouramis, ember tetras, dwarf corycats, and a few others that are perfect for nano tanks, but they are normally next to impossible to find.

Cydonia1 · Post by **Cydonia1** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 4:47 pm

wodesorel wrote:Mollies need 30 gallons minimum. Guppies can be done, but full grown can be 3 inches and are extremely active so it's not recomended. The majority of the tetra species also get way too large. Out of the commonly found species only bettas are really appropriate. There are other easy species like sparkling gouramis, ember tetras, dwarf corycats, and a few others that are perfect for nano tanks, but they are normally next to impossible to find.

I don't keep fish yet so I was just going off what I briefly remember from readings and lists, thank you

HCA: Hermit Crab Association