5 gallon tank

sbundy

AC Members
Oct 29, 2005
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i just set up a 5 gallon tank for my girlfriend. we filled up with water and let it sit for a week. i put in the aquaclear product as well as cycle product. i need some ideas on kind of fish to put i there and how many tat would be suitable for this size tank

thanks
 
No need for Cycle...it's a snake oil product. If you want to add bacteria to the tank and try to get an "instant biofilter" then try BioSpira. Most people have had great luck with it.

However I would suggest just doing what is called a "fishless cycle." That is where you get a bottle of plain ammonia (not the sort with any perfumes or anything...the ingredients should just be water and ammonia) and add a certain amount to the tank regularly while testing to see if the bacteria is acting.

If you search around this forum or google you're sure to find a good article on how to do a fishless cycle. This way (it usually takes a little less then a month) when you add fish to the tank, it's already prepared for them and they won't have to suffer through ammonia and nitrite.

Now the number of fish you'll keep depends on the fish. A five gallon can usually house between 2 and 6 smaller fish safely. There are sooo many to choose from so I'll just throw out a few personal favorites in various combinations that would likely work in a small tank. The basic ingredients are one small-tank suitable non-schooling fish and a small school of small schooling fish or small catfish:

A betta, two small corys and two otocinclus. (My current setup in a five gallon is a male betta, two corys, an oto and a bamboo shrimp.)

A betta, four small schooling fish like neon tetras, white cloud minnows or harlequin rasboras. (Avoid danios they can nip a betta)

A honey gourami, a cherry barb and two small corys or otocinclus.

Those are just some examples. You can mix and match those except for putting in two bettas or two gouramis or a gourami and a betta. Remember to stay only with the tiny gouramis like the honey gouramis. Others are too big for that tank. I'm rooting for the betta though, as they do well in small tanks and are relatively hardy and very attractive.
 
is there a place that shows all the differnt types of fish and some information about them?
 
sbundy said:
i just set up a 5 gallon tank for my girlfriend. we filled up with water and let it sit for a week. i put in the aquaclear product as well as cycle product. i need some ideas on kind of fish to put i there and how many tat would be suitable for this size tank

thanks

There is only one fish that can fit in a small tank very well, the least killie/dwarf live bearer, Heterandria formosa, aka the least killie or dwarf live bearer. These guys are hard to come by, these are usually a special order from your pet shop but they are great fish.
The males reach about 1/4 of an inch long at full adult hood and the females are larger at an inch. They are very peaceful fish and thrive in tiny tanks. I own a small colony right now in my 5 gallon. I plan on getting more soon for an outdoor container. But they do well having plants like hornwort floating on the top of the tank and they eat crushed fish flakes.
drobniczka.jpg

Heterandria%20formosa.jpg

heterandria.jpg


If you have any questions please feel free to PM me.
 
The generic suggestion for smaller tanks like that seems to be the betta. I think (single) dwarf gouramis do okay in 5 gals, too. this site has pretty pictures of lots of different kinds of fish. See what you like, and ask here about them-- there are people here that can tell you if the fish you fancy will be okay.

However, I'll warn you that impatience is a fatal sin in this hobby-- please make sure your tank is cycled properly before adding any fish! It's a pain to have to wait, but adding fish too quickly means WAY more work for you, and may end up killing your fish in the end.
 
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