EMG: thanks for the advice. I think I'll just get heaters for the 5 and 2.5 and see what happens if I get any 1gs.
Small tanks- discussion thread
- Thread starter dorkfish
- Start date
I've got a 2.5 gallon with amano shrimp and 2 elusive endler's, a 5.5 betta tank with 3 white clouds, a lone leftover glass catfish that freaked in the 55, and snails, and a 10G with endler's and cherry shrimp for my small tanks.
My house is cold and the walmart jr. heater did not keep my 5.5 warm enough, so it now has a 25W heater that is great. It has a whisper 10i (I think) for filtration, as does the 10G (which has a 25W heater also).
The 2.5 gallon has the walmart jr. heater which works great and the red sea nano-filter, which I can not recommend highly enough. Best money I ever spent.
The 2.5 gallon has anubias nana, dwarf hairgrass, java moss, and some vals (which will eventually outgrow the tank). The 5.5 has melon swords, java moss, and various cuttings that I let float until they develop roots.
The 10G has some glosso (not sure if it will grow at 2 WPG), microswords, anubias nana, melon swords, crypts, and of course java moss for the endler babies.
IF you use endler's be prepared for a bigger tank. I started with a trio 6 weeks ago and I have at least 15 now.
My only thought is that I should have removed the amano from the 2.5 and put them in the 10 and put the 6 cherry shrimp in the 2.5 G so I'd have a better chance of seeing them. The amano I think would be very active in the 10G. If I can ever see all the cherry shrimp I may do that, although everything is coming down in three months for a move anyway.
Jackie
My house is cold and the walmart jr. heater did not keep my 5.5 warm enough, so it now has a 25W heater that is great. It has a whisper 10i (I think) for filtration, as does the 10G (which has a 25W heater also).
The 2.5 gallon has the walmart jr. heater which works great and the red sea nano-filter, which I can not recommend highly enough. Best money I ever spent.
The 2.5 gallon has anubias nana, dwarf hairgrass, java moss, and some vals (which will eventually outgrow the tank). The 5.5 has melon swords, java moss, and various cuttings that I let float until they develop roots.
The 10G has some glosso (not sure if it will grow at 2 WPG), microswords, anubias nana, melon swords, crypts, and of course java moss for the endler babies.
IF you use endler's be prepared for a bigger tank. I started with a trio 6 weeks ago and I have at least 15 now.
My only thought is that I should have removed the amano from the 2.5 and put them in the 10 and put the 6 cherry shrimp in the 2.5 G so I'd have a better chance of seeing them. The amano I think would be very active in the 10G. If I can ever see all the cherry shrimp I may do that, although everything is coming down in three months for a move anyway.
Jackie
Emg thanks for posting this. I don't know what it is exactly, but there is something amazing and beautiful about tiny planted tanks that really draws me! I just bought my (spoiled) betta a 10 g and now I want a little tank again 
Regarding Endler's Livebearers, what temp do they prefer? You mention that they don't need a heater, but I didn't know they were cold water fish. I thought they were a variation on a guppy...
Regarding Endler's Livebearers, what temp do they prefer? You mention that they don't need a heater, but I didn't know they were cold water fish. I thought they were a variation on a guppy...
heres my 7 gallon, is this considered small?
i plan to add cryptos soon.
fun part of keeping small tank is taht water parameter chages so quickly you cant be lazy and youre always challenge to maintain. it keeps me motivated
i plan to add cryptos soon.
fun part of keeping small tank is taht water parameter chages so quickly you cant be lazy and youre always challenge to maintain. it keeps me motivated
I am not EMG, but I do keep endler's livebearers. They can be kept without a heater--but one of the advantages of having a heater is a stable temperature. I keep my endler's at about 76 and they do really well. I have talked to my LFS (Uncle Ned's Fish Factory in Millis, MA, one of the best) and they recommend heaters for most fish primarily for the issue of stable temps. If you keep your house at the same temp all the time, I don't think it would be a problem, but we turn our temp down to 60 at night and weekdays when noone is home. That's a pretty drastic temp shift in a small tank.
The only tank I don't heat is my newts tank, where the temp stays about 70 year round.
Jackie
The only tank I don't heat is my newts tank, where the temp stays about 70 year round.
Jackie
yeah, what Minnesota said. We don't turn out heaters down at my house...too lazy and we'd always forget..lol....so temps here are steady at 72F. I have a few endlers in my river tank and they do fine without a heater.
Minnesota.....do you have any pics of your tanks ?? Love to see them !
MissO....LOVE that 7 gallon ! Very nice job, it looks bigger than a 7 !
See, that is the fascination with small tanks that some just don't "get". If you work your scale right, it's amazing how they look like a miniature little world ! You just have to choose wisely what plants you use and the stock you choose, has to match the scale ..and of course....be able to do well in that tank size.
Bravo folks !! :thm:
Minnesota.....do you have any pics of your tanks ?? Love to see them !
MissO....LOVE that 7 gallon ! Very nice job, it looks bigger than a 7 !
See, that is the fascination with small tanks that some just don't "get". If you work your scale right, it's amazing how they look like a miniature little world ! You just have to choose wisely what plants you use and the stock you choose, has to match the scale ..and of course....be able to do well in that tank size.
Bravo folks !! :thm:
Just took this pic of my 2 gallon planted hex. This one has one betta and one little ghost shrimp. I have echo-complete substrate underneath the sand in here. I just cropped the plants back, so they're pretty sparse. That water sprite will fill in fast though.
EMG,
Some day, you are going to have to try hets in your micro tanks. I think you would have a blast with them.
Once the weather warms up, I am hoping to order some more and add them to a 10 gallon planted tank.
Some day, you are going to have to try hets in your micro tanks. I think you would have a blast with them.
Once the weather warms up, I am hoping to order some more and add them to a 10 gallon planted tank.
