What else can I put in my 5 gal.?

[Rava]

Y'all knew I was gonna ask eventually! :D If I got lonely looking at just Vitara in her 2.5 gallon, you bet I'm even more lonely looking at da one little fish in that big ol' 5 gallon. :laugh:

I'm debating whether or not to consider adding additional fishes now, or restrain myself and just wait for Vitara to finish her lifetime. I got her as a baby, so I don't know how long that'll be (she's a little over a year now, possibly about 1.5).

I've always had the poorest luck with fish, so I'm terrified of upsetting the whole tank by adding something. But I haven't tried keeping any fish, besides bettas, since years ago, either. I know more now, in other words (at least- I hope I do!).

So what are your expert recommendations? I did a search on these forums for stocking a 5 gallon, but everyone else was stocking bigger tanks. :( (lucky them!) And then I googled it, but ran right back here, afraid of trusting any of that information! So you guys are stuck helping me, again! :p

I'm in love with guppies, but worry a little about them reproducing. I'm also worried about feeding two different foods... I'm a chronic worrier when it comes to watching fish eat. If I don't see the food go in each little mouth, I'm worried! I LOVE Tetras, but those have to be schooled, and I don't have enough space for that in a 5 gal. I think, right?

I looked into ghost shrimp, as I see those recommended everywhere, but I can't stand the sight of them. I had some scary experiences with crayfish once... :sad Just a little too icky for me.

I'm looking into re-decorating the tank either completely natural (brown gravel, green plants, earthy tones) or gothic (black gravel, darker plants and ornaments). If you could recommend fish that would go well with either of those decor, that would be cool. :)

Any and all suggestions and tips are MUCH appreciated! I'm sure most of you know the feeling of looking at lonely fish tanks, at some point in time. :D

EDIT: Forgot to mention, I'm hoping to add some live plants (hopefully java moss or fern) soon, and perhaps a little snail as well. Don't know if that makes any difference... I also don't have a filter going, but I do have one- if I can figure out how to use it!

[kikuchiyo]

Guppies are out. Guppies and bettas don't usually get along; bettas often go after male guppies because of their fins, and guppies can be aggressive with shy bettas. Plus, get one male and one female and they'll murder the biological filtration when the spawn. You don't have enough room for more than one male guppy anyway, they like to have their own territories.

You're right, you don't have room for a school of tetras.

You wouldn't have to feed two different foods - all fish pellets (outside speciality herbivore, and even that's similar) are the same. Everyone in the tank would be fine with betta pellets plus the occasional fine dining experinece; live or formerly live food.

You might be able to put a few cory catfish in there, 2 - 3, but that's still really pushing it. And for their best health, 3 is the minimum. The only other small bottom dwelling fish I can think of are ottos.

You don't sound like you want shrimp, but they're amusing little buggers, adorable in a crustacean kinda way. Then again, I thought my pet crawfish was adorable too, in a bizarre, bug like way.

African dwarf frogs are a potential, if you're willing to put in the time to feed them carefully. As are snails (apple, maybe?).

Fish especially hardy fish small enough to fit in your tank, don't care much about decor, but dark colored bottoms and a lot of cover are apperciated by most small fish.

Don't worry about your betta being lonely - she's not. Bettas don't need company, and often they're not particularly fond of it. I think she'd be fine living her life as queen of the castle, as it were. And it's easier for you - less fish waste means less stress and the water quality degrading far less quickly. You can certainly add a few things (I would say ADFs, snails, and ghosts defintely, MAYBE to some small bottom dwelling fish, probably a no to anything else) but you don't have to.

[TKOS]

I am a bit confused. Are you looking to move the betta to a 5 gallon and then add fish or are you looking to setup a separate 5 gallon tank and want to put fish in it.

Either way look at apple snails, or possibly a dwarf frog. Make sure you don't get a clawed african frog as it would eat you betta. The dwarves are very docile and cute. Look for webbed front feet. The clawed frogs actually have big claws in the front.

[Rava]

I know she isn't lonely- I'm the one that gets lonely looking at just one fish in there. :D

TKOS- I currently have a 5 gallon tank with one female betta in it. I was asking if there are any other kinds of fish I could put in with her (just one or two fish).

I'll look into getting a snail the next time I'm at Petsmart. I already planned to get one of those. :)

I tried an ADF awhile ago, back when Vitara was in a 2.5 gallon. He never got to eat, and because I worry about them eating so much, I eventually ended up removing him. He died awhile ago. Could an ADF eat the same betta pellets I'm feeding Vitara? I might worry less if I was only putting one kind of food in, that way I don't worry Vitara eats his food and all he's left with are betta pellets- if he can even find those!

So I couldn't add just one Mollie or a Swordtail or a Platy or anything? Not even a goldfish?! :laugh: I can be patient if I have to, really I can! :D

Thank you for your help and time! :)

[kikuchiyo]

Mollies: Need very brackish water to be healthy, far more salt than a betta can stand.

Swordtails: Need a lot of swimming space. 20+ gallons.

Both would probably pick on the betta, especially hyperactive swordtails.

Platies might pick on your betta too.

Goldfish: don't live at the same temperatures as bettas, put out entirely too much waste, and eat different foods (they are herbivores, not carnivores). Goldfish and tropical fish don't go together.

ADFs usually have to be fed by presenting them bloodworms in small tongs or something. Leopardess put up a good FAQ on ADFs on the forum. Search for it.

[aquariumfishguy]

Oh yeah, and since he forgot to add... Goldfish only get about 1-1.5 foot long. :p

[LittlePuff]

5gal isn't near enough room for any cories.There need to be more than three, and they are way too active for that small of a space.
Shrimp will most likely get eaten. I'd go for the frog or snails.

Kim

[aquariumfishguy]

Where do people get the notion that cories have to be in some big group? I have many of these fish, and yes many are in groups of 5 or more... but I also have a 30 gallon aquarium with just 2 cories. They do fine, and are as "happy" as any of the other fish.

This, again, is why I question where/who people came up with the myth that cories can't thrive in small numbers?

Anyway, 5 gallons really is too small for cories. I wouldn't keep them in anything below 10 gallons. The more room the better! ;)

[kikuchiyo]

Depends on the betta. Some bettas will eat shrimp when they molt, some won't. A lot probably depends on your hiding places too, as the shrimp instinctively go into hiding when they're vulnerable.

Paradisefish, on the other hand, are big enough to take shrimp out easily.

AFG: You can keep clown loaches and neon tetras alive indivdually too, but doesn't mean they're particularly thrilled about it. From my experience I don't think it's a myth - corys will schoal, given the chance, and a pair is still better than one by itself. They do seem to be more active and healthier in large groups. As I mentioned somewhere else, fish are animals not robots, so everyone's experience differs, but I think generally they do better in groups. Again, biologically speaking, corys live in huge groups in the wild and from my experince and what I've read, they seem to do best in groups in aquaria as well.

[aquariumfishguy]

Hmmm… well in all given respects, loaches and some tetra groups are much different than cories are. My cories that are just 2 in a tank are just as active or “thrilled” as the cories in a tank with 5-6 others. This is why I find that cories “needing” to be in large groups is just a myth.

However, I wasn’t talking about all other schooling fish. I totally agree with most schooling fish needing to be in groups to really thrive. Cories though? IME, not so much. Again that is just my experience.

[Rava]

*laughing* I was kidding about the goldfish there... ;)

[TKOS]

I do know that Orion Girl keep khulie loaches in a 5 gallon, 3 I think. But then she has been keeping them for quite awhile and knows what they can tolerate.

As for cories, I have 3 different species (a single of each) in a 10 gallon. 2 of them even spawn occasionally though they never have any babies. They seem very happy.

The frogs have to have the food sink to the bottom, they don't tend to go to the surface to eat. Reptile tablets or sinking shrimp tabs would be a good idea.

I have a betta in a 5 gallon. He is friends with a bunch of snails and 4 amano shrimp. Lots of plants keep the tank looking pretty good.

[aquariumfishguy]

Originally posted by Rava
*laughing* I was kidding about the goldfish there... ;)

(I figured that) ;)

[aquariumfishguy]

Originally posted by TKOS
I do know that Orion Girl keep khulie loaches in a 5 gallon, 3 I think.

Oh really? See, I've never kept them so I don't know all the specifics, but dont those loaches get near 5 inches? They are narrow-bodied, but still... it seems like they wouldn't be able to move much in a 5 gallon, with 3 of them. OG - how do you do it! :D

[kikuchiyo]

Well, I don't remember khuli loaches ever really "swimming" very much like corys or anything, they tend to wriggle and wrap themselves around objects, unless they were dashing to the bottom of the tank when being released or wriggling around at night searching for food (though they were active at night). No real back and forth swimming, so it kinda makes sense they wouldn't need as much space.

[ash]

My Kuhlis are very active, certainly as active as cories. Would dwarf cories work? do you have hiding spots where they could escape the betta if need be?

[aquariumfishguy]

Dwarf Cories, even they are called "dwarfs" still get near 2.5 inches like most other cories out there. I wouldn't get them... not for this tank.

[hcgirl80]

Ghost shrmp get along with bettas, and you could even try putting some in both tanks; 3 in the five gallon, and 2 in the 2 gallon.

[TKOS]

With shrimp you generally get 1 per gallon of tank. I have 4 in my 5 gallon and they do great. That is with amano and ghost shrimp of course.

[dwayne]

Originally posted by aquariumfishguy
Dwarf Cories, even they are called "dwarfs" still get near 2.5 inches like most other cories out there. I wouldn't get them... not for this tank.

I thought dwarf cories only got to about 1.5"... I stand corrected.

And as far as keeping cories in a group, I have a group of 4 in my 29 gallon tank, and to be perfectly honest, besides feeding time when they are all hovering around one wafer on the bottom, I really don't think they even realize that there are other cories in there with them! They are all over the place, one zipping up the side of the tank, another dashing by the front, one hanging out on the driftwood, and another dashing in and out of the clay pot... I got 4 of them, because that was what they had in the tank at lfs... I would have gotten 6 if they had 6 to sell me, but not because I thought they wanted a big group, but because they are cute boogers!!

~Tara

[hcgirl80]

Well in the profiles on this site it says they grow to be 1" but that isn't always right(no offense to admins and mods).

[ash]

I meant pygmy cories- they only get around an inch or so.
Although- now that I think about it they would be better than kuhlis but still not ideal fir a five.