You may be setting up a new tank and are wondering what fish may be ideal to add to it, you may like the idea of keeping Daisy Ricefish and are wondering if they would fit into a 10 gallon tank.
But what tank sizes are ideal for Daisy Ricefish? Will you see aggression in a 10 gallon Ricefish tank? Can you breed Ricefish in a 10 gallon tank? And how many Ricefish should you keep?
We aim to answer these questions in the article below:
How many Daisy Ricefish should be kept together?
Daisy Ricefish are highly social, schooling fish, they live to live in groups, where they shoal together in the small pools and reedbeds they are naturally found in.
For this reason, when keeping them in captivity, it is best to mimic their natural lifestyle by keeping them in a reasonably sized group.
If kept in small numbers or alone, Ricefish can become stressed, skittish, or even aggressive at times, as they feel a lack of safety and comfortability in reduced amounts.
What happens if you add too many Daisy Ricefish to a 10 gallon tank?
Adding too many Ricefish to a 10 gallon tank can result in an ammonia spike, as the increase in fish waste will bring with it, a rise in ammonia levels.
Unless this ammonia is dealt with by a strong filter, water changes, and live plants, the build up will cause the water to become toxic, which will eventually kill your fish.
It is best to stock a 10 gallon tank lightly, as it will lessen the risk of an ammonia spike and will reduce maintenance.
How many Daisy Ricefish can I put in a 10 gallon tank?
In a tank as small as 10 gallons, it’s always important that you select the right number of fish, and do not overstock the tank.
Overstocking is one of the most common problems beginners face when they get their first tank. It is too tempting for people to go out and purchase around two dozen fish so that the tank looks “full”.
However, it is extremely important that the tank remains lightly stocked, as the low volume of water means that the space will foul quickly, and the water can easily become toxic with all the fish waste.
When it comes to keeping Daisy Ricefish in a 10 gallon tank, you need to bear in mind their social needs as well as their environmental needs, and find a balance.
A good number to keep is around 6 – 8 Ricefish, which allows them to form a small school, while not being too many for the tank’s filtration to handle.
How many male Daisy Ricefish can I put in a 10 gallon tank?
Male Ricefish can be quite territorial when they are in breeding condition, they will scrap over territory and mating rights to females, sparring and delivering nips to the tail and fins of one another.
For this reason, it is best to keep the male population low in your Ricefish tank, and having a ratio that favours more females than males.
This way the competition is reduced, and the likelihood of fights happening is lessened.
Having a school that consists of around 1 or 2 males, and 5 females would work best in a 10 gallon tank.
How many female Daisy Ricefish can I put in a 10 gallon tank?
Female Ricefish are not territorial like the males, and very seldom fight with each other, so you don’t need to worry about housing specific numbers of them to avoid aggression.
If you go for a mixed sex group however, we advise keeping more females than males, a 1:3 ratio works best.
Can I breed Daisy Ricefish in a 10 gallon tank?
It is actually very easy to breed Daisy Ricefish in a 10 gallon tank, so long as you can separate the parents from their eggs and young, either by using a divider, or preferably, by having a second aquarium on hand.
Ricefish will eat their eggs and young in most cases, so for the best chances of success it is best to spawn your Ricefish in one tank, and once the eggs have been laid, move the adults, or the eggs to another tank.
By doing this the eggs are safe in their own environment, where they can hatch and grow without the threat of being eaten by their parents.
If the eggs can be separated from the adults, then your chances of success in breeding Ricefish in a 10 gallon are fairly high, so long as you provide proper husbandry and care for the fry.
What is the best filter for a 10 gallon Daisy Ricefish tank?
Ricefish seem to do well with any type of filtration, they don’t seem to mind a current in the tank, and are perfectly capable of swimming around in moving water.
There is a limit however, and Ricefish will not enjoy constantly swimming against a very strong, blasting current, so be sure to keep the flow rate down, if you do have a pump filter.
Our best success has been with sponge filters, especially when breeding Daisy Ricefish, as the lack of an intake or current means that the eggs and young can thrive, while the filter still produces excellent levels of filtration and oxygenation.
10 gallon Daisy Ricefish tank maintenance
Daisy Ricefish are low maintenance fish, they do not have any specific dietary requirements, and will take most fish foods, have a low bioload, are non aggressive and are able to tolerate a range of water parameters.
Aside from your regular standard aquarium maintenance; feeding, cleaning, water changes and testing, there isn’t much else you need to do to keep your Ricefish healthy.
Can I keep other fish with Daisy Ricefish in a 10 gallon tank?
As always, we typically try to recommend larger tanks for community setups, simply because the small space a 10 gallon provides is not enough to house a school of Daisy Ricefish, as well as another group of a different species of fish.
It would be better to use a 20 gallon tank for your community setup, although it is entirely possible to create a 10 gallon mixed community with the right species.
Here are some fish we like to keep with Daisy Ricefish that are able to live in a 10 gallon:
- Endlers
- Guppies
- Platies
- White Cloud Mountain Minnows
- Harlequin Rasboras
- Cherry Barbs
Can I keep invertebrates with Daisy Ricefish in a 10 gallon tank?
Yes, you can keep Daisy Ricefish with invertebrates, although not every species we can recommend, most aquarium invertebrates will work in a planted Ricefish tank quite well.
Shrimp
Cherry Shrimp work great with Ricefish, as they are at little threat of being eaten or bullied.
While Ricefish may be able to prey on very young shrimplets or newly mauled young, the adult shrimp are quite safe, and can be bred in the same tank as the Ricefish, accepting that there is enough cover in the form of dense plantlife.
Amano Shrimp and Bamboo shrimp also work great with Ricefish as they are at no risk of being killed and eaten by the small fish.
Daisy Ricefish are also able to live in a slightly saline or Brackish environment, which is the ideal habitat for these types of shrimp.
Snails
Any aquarium snail will work well with Ricefish, as their tough shells keep them protected from attack, and their bottom feeding lifestyle helps keep the tank clean.
Snails are excellent cleanup crew, and we always recommend them for planted tanks, as they help to decompose fish waste, uneaten food, and will consume algae. They are great for establishing a natural ecosystem in your tank.
Snails also like hard water, with plenty of calcium, which Ricefish also prefer, making them ideal tankmates.
Crabs and Crayfish
While it is entirely possible to house Daisy Ricefish with Crabs or Crayfish, due to their nimble and agile bodies, ability to live in brackish water, and preference for swimming at the top level of the tank.
We don’t really recommend keeping these fish with crabs or crayfish in a tank as small as 10 gallons, as the space is too small, and your fish will end up in the jaws of a large crustacean.
In a larger tank, this is certainly doable, but you may still occasionally lose a fish every once in a while.