I am a fairly new aquarium owner. i wanted a small tank that would fit nicely into my bedroom without taking up too much space. I bought a 5.5 gallon. I am being told now that many fish will die in a tank this small and that i am wasting my time. currently i have a pleco, a cory, 4 rainbows, and 3 platies. they all seem to be doing relatively well. I have had the tank for about 3 weeks now. I am not going to stock the tank with any more fish as i am aware of the problem that overstocking can create. i cange abo0ut 30% of the water once a week and am taking good care of the tank. I was wondering if anyone has had experiences with tanks this small? What was your outcome? I am aware that larger tanks are prone to doing better than small ones...but with the proper care can't a small tank do just as well? Let me know what you all think...any advise would be appreciated.
Are small tanks bad???
- Thread starter steffi0122
- Start date
Welcome steffi0122 
Unfortunately, you are overcrowed. In a 5.5 tank, the pleco alone (depending on species) can grow 12" or more.
Most don't like small tanks because they can be very unreliable in terms of water quality being very unstable. Larger tanks are more forgiving with water quality, overstocking, etc.... Advanced aquarists reserve smaller tanks for Betta's, breeding and quarantine tanks. This is not to say you shouldn't have a smaller tank, it will be necsssary to pay a bit more attention to it as well as cuting back on your fish load.
Unfortunately, you are overcrowed. In a 5.5 tank, the pleco alone (depending on species) can grow 12" or more.
Most don't like small tanks because they can be very unreliable in terms of water quality being very unstable. Larger tanks are more forgiving with water quality, overstocking, etc.... Advanced aquarists reserve smaller tanks for Betta's, breeding and quarantine tanks. This is not to say you shouldn't have a smaller tank, it will be necsssary to pay a bit more attention to it as well as cuting back on your fish load.
small tanks are less stable in thier water quaility and it is easyer to overload them ie its not the extra cardinal or two that overloads a 75 but that cardinal and his brother grows and it might in your small tank..
that said
there are small fish like black phantom tetras, pygmy corries, heterandria formosa(a livebearer that only gets to an inch) ottocinclus, ember tetras(again an inch) exc. that sometimes would be lost in to large a tank
plecos get large very large for the common ones, rainbows like thier swimming room and some get 4-6 inches, platties can reproduce increasing the load in the tank
you can have a nice small tank but you have to choose your fish carefully as many do get to large for such a tank
that said
there are small fish like black phantom tetras, pygmy corries, heterandria formosa(a livebearer that only gets to an inch) ottocinclus, ember tetras(again an inch) exc. that sometimes would be lost in to large a tank
plecos get large very large for the common ones, rainbows like thier swimming room and some get 4-6 inches, platties can reproduce increasing the load in the tank
you can have a nice small tank but you have to choose your fish carefully as many do get to large for such a tank
The problem with small tanks is that they can go bad really fast. One mistake and you've got a bunch of dead or really sick fish. The larger tanks give you a little more room for mistakes because the larger amount of water will buffer itself somewhat. I have a 6gal for my son's room. It runs well, but it doesn't take much of an error to cause a week's worth of correction. Two weeks ago he decided the fish "looked hungry", so he dumped four squares of freeze dried tubifex worms, and two squares of brine shrimp in the tank. I didn't find out about until the next day when I walked into his room and saw a very nasty aquarium. I'm just now finishing that cleanup (water changes and clogged filters). If you stay on top of it, the tank should be fine, but I believe your tank is overstocked. With that many fish, I'd get a 30 gal minimum.
Good luck, and welcome to the world of fish.
Good luck, and welcome to the world of fish.
I forgot this in my earlier post but you may have a problem with your tank heating up to fast or cooling down to quickly, be sure to check your temperature daily, add a heater if you haven't already done so and purchase test kits that enable you to test for nitrites and ammonia.
Yes, that tank is too small for the fish you currently have, as the others have said already. But that doesn't mean you have to run out and instantly get rid of your fish. It takes time for them to grow.
If you wanted to keep the fish you have and invest in a larger tank (i have a 5.5 gallon, 20 gallon, and 32 gallon all in my bedroom, btw!), then you have at least a few months to do so. If the fish stay small for a while they will be ok in thier temporary home until you get a larger tank. But not for too long, only about 3 months or so, the plecos grow pretty fast.
If you don't want to get a larger tank, then i would reccommend trading in your fish at your lfs and getting a betta and some cory catfish (maybe 3). A betta would be fine in the tank and the cories would help clean the bottom.
If you wanted to keep the fish you have and invest in a larger tank (i have a 5.5 gallon, 20 gallon, and 32 gallon all in my bedroom, btw!), then you have at least a few months to do so. If the fish stay small for a while they will be ok in thier temporary home until you get a larger tank. But not for too long, only about 3 months or so, the plecos grow pretty fast.
If you don't want to get a larger tank, then i would reccommend trading in your fish at your lfs and getting a betta and some cory catfish (maybe 3). A betta would be fine in the tank and the cories would help clean the bottom.
I have 2 5 gallon tanks. One has a betta and 4 amano shrimp and the other has 3 platies. And I worry about the platies being overcrowded. They do well, though one hides in a cave all day until feeding time and babies are mostly eaten or removed fairly quickly.
I change the water a couple of times a week and I suggest that with the large number of fish you have that you do the same.
The pleco really has to go. The smallest plecos still get to be 4-5 inches and a 10 gallon is considered the absolute smallest you can use.
A 5 gallon tank has its purpose but in a way has to be very carefully planned or else it is doomed to fail.
I change the water a couple of times a week and I suggest that with the large number of fish you have that you do the same.
The pleco really has to go. The smallest plecos still get to be 4-5 inches and a 10 gallon is considered the absolute smallest you can use.
A 5 gallon tank has its purpose but in a way has to be very carefully planned or else it is doomed to fail.
LMOUTHBASS
My hypocrisy goes only so far
oh man!!! uh oh
You've got a pleco!!! that thing needs at lest 20g just to start but will need even biger than that
the rainbows are schooling fish they can't school in 5 g's of water
the tank is tiny so you shoul only keep 2-3- small fish in there tops or maybe a betta if you got the pleco to eat algae bring him back cause he will die in your tank and get a snail instead
You've got a pleco!!! that thing needs at lest 20g just to start but will need even biger than that
the rainbows are schooling fish they can't school in 5 g's of water
the tank is tiny so you shoul only keep 2-3- small fish in there tops or maybe a betta if you got the pleco to eat algae bring him back cause he will die in your tank and get a snail instead
I think the tank in question is undoubtedly overcrowded.
Overcrowding a tank of any size predisposes it to crashes if something goes bad.
I don't agree that small tank are any less stable inherently than any other tank (except maybe for changes in temperature). A lightly stocked small tank is just as stable as a lightly stocked larger tank. The problem is likely that new fishkeepers are more prone to buying smaller tanks, and they're probably more likely to overstock, too.
Jim
Overcrowding a tank of any size predisposes it to crashes if something goes bad.
I don't agree that small tank are any less stable inherently than any other tank (except maybe for changes in temperature). A lightly stocked small tank is just as stable as a lightly stocked larger tank. The problem is likely that new fishkeepers are more prone to buying smaller tanks, and they're probably more likely to overstock, too.
Jim
