i have a ten gallon tank but i want to keep an aggresive fish in it?

Question

i was thinking about 2 pictus catfish or one jack dempsy

was thinking about 2 pictus catfish beacuse the pet store says they only need five gallons each but i also want a jack dempsy because they start of small at tstore and wont grow the big in my tank

was thinking about 2 pictus catfish beacuse the pet store says they only need five gallons each or i want a jack dempsy because they start of small at the store and wont grow that big in my tank

Answer 1

A 10 gallon is too small for either in the long run. You could do a really cool pea puffer set up in a ten gallon, and you could keep live plants too.

Answer 2

If you plan keeping them in a ten gallon tank a Pictus or a Jack Dempsey would not be a good choice. A Pictus Catfish can grow two feet long and a Jack Dempsey grow up to ten inches. A Convict Cichlid would fit suitable for a ten gallon tank, they grow 4-6 inches but, they have the similar aggressiveness of their larger cousins. They are also one of the most easiest fish to breed. I you really want to have a Pictus Catfish OR a Jack Dempsey, buy them small around 1-2 inches and as they grow bigger put them in a 50 gallon tank. If you have decided to get a Convict Cichlid folow the source below.

Hope I helped, Plz send Feedback

Answer 3

jack dempsey will need AT LEAST 55 gallons, not 10.
you could have one pictus catfish, but thats the only fish youd be bable to keep in the tank. however, this fish would be unhappy since they prefer to live in groups.

research dwarf cichlids. all cichlids are aggressive to a degree, and there are many that stay under 5 inches.
rams:
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_German_Blue_Ram_Mikrogeophagus_ramirezi.php
apistos:
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_agassizi.php
flag:
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_curviceps.php

research as much as you can BEFORE you buy the fish. make sure the tank is PROPERLY cycled (you will need to research the nitrogen cycle as well).

you cannot just buy any fish you want and stick it in a 10 gallon because its convinent for you. the fsh will become stunted and live an extremely short, unhappy, and painful life. the body will stop growing but the internal organs will continue to grow. this will cause organ failure and the poor, helpless animal will die. if you cannot provide a proper home for an animal, you should not buy it.

a JD in a 10 gallon is like you in a closet. you have just enough room to turn around, and thats it.
you cannot leave the closet, or you will suffocate. you have to go to the bathroom in your closet. you also eat and drink in your closet. all the while, you're depending on someone else to clean it ot for you.

please do the right thing.

Answer 4

Your pet store gave you some very poor advice. Pictus cats need a much larger tank, at least a 55 gallon, same goes for the JD. For a 10 gallon, I'd say the only thing that would suitable and that's aggressive(somewhat) would be a couple of dwarf puffers.

Answer 5

10 gallons is really too small for anything like that, you can buy smaller cichlids but the problem is although they are aggressive they also like to stay in shoals so I would say you need at least a 50 gallon tank if you are going to have them. You could try something like Betta Splendens (siamese fighting fish) they don't need a lot of water, they can be pretty aggresive and they have beautiful colouring. Hope this helps.

Answer 6

The Tank Is Too Small For Both Try Puffer Fish.

Answer 7

Both of those fish would need about a 40 gallon tank because of the Dempsey's size (10 inches) and the Pictuses' activity level. Good aggressive fish for that tank would be Dwarf Cichlids like Tanganyikan Shell Dwellers. They stay small (2 inches), but may be difficult to find and need a very particular tank setup. But like 5speed said, another great way to go is Pygmy Puffers, and as he said, they require heavily planted tanks.

Nosoop4u

For more fish options, check the link in my profile.

Answer 8

As has been stated, both of your choices are bad for such a small tank. Your only real option is a puffer fish or a small group of dwarf puffers. You might be able to keep a single Demasoni Cichlid in a 10 but I don't advise it since they like to live in groups and are best maintained in groups of 6 to 10.

Answer 9

Don't believe that a fish won't grow big just because they are in a small tank. You may stunt their growth, but they will still outgrow your tank. And like someone else mentioned the fish will more than likely suffer from health problems and die young.

Answer 10

i would not keep either of those fish in such a small tank.
if you want something aggressive, try some a pair of small african cichlids, a black paradisefish, or a peacock eel. although for a 10 even those fish are pushing the limits.
be sure you have good filtration and do weekly water changes of around 10-20%, and have more than 1 desirable cave/planted area/hiding place!