Are there small cichlids suitable for 5 gallon tank?
- Thread starter jake72
- Start date
What size tank is "very small"? A 10g is as small as I've had (but no cichlids), a 20g long would allow some options. But some might be ok as a single fish...
Sorry put it in the title but not the body of the post; 5 gallon tank. My other tanks are all full but I have this 5 gallon tank; this picture is out-dated and the plants have filled in a bit:
Right now it has some shrimps and 5 tetra. I was hopeful to add an apisto but it appears there are no good candidates that will fit. So i need a nice 1 inch pair of cichlid that like tap water.
Right now it has some shrimps and 5 tetra. I was hopeful to add an apisto but it appears there are no good candidates that will fit. So i need a nice 1 inch pair of cichlid that like tap water.
Well, your tank looks nice! But I'm going to suggest just 1 apisto or ram of any species. Females are most times smaller, yellow(-ish) for apistos & would look nice. She may well snack on your shrimp. A 5g doesn't have a lot of options...
Yea. I'm not sure. Kind of like my shrimps; they are not bothered by the tetra and i've seen them 'bump' into the tetra numerous times. I should provide an up-to-date picture. Hum... someone recommend Peacock Gudgeon and I've considered a trio of sparkling gourami. Not sure... i really like the borelli in my 40 pity they won't fit. Maybe i'll get a second 1 inch pair and put them in the 5 for a while to grow out. Of course not sure where i would move them when they get larger; maybe the 29 guppy tank.
NoodleCats
AC Members
Yeah, no cichlids for that tank size, unfortunately.
Could try out a scarlet badis though, it would work for the tank size and suit your water fine.
Downside is it is a fussy fish to feed, preferring live food or mayyybe frozen. Not often will they accept prepared foods.
A sparkling gourami or pair will absolutely demolish your shrimp.
I actually just got a badis myself, neat little fish. Fun watching hunt the microfauna in the tank. Mine is still a juvie, so colours haven't developed yet. Adult mature males get nice orange red stripes with blue iridescence on the fins
Could try out a scarlet badis though, it would work for the tank size and suit your water fine.
Downside is it is a fussy fish to feed, preferring live food or mayyybe frozen. Not often will they accept prepared foods.
A sparkling gourami or pair will absolutely demolish your shrimp.
I actually just got a badis myself, neat little fish. Fun watching hunt the microfauna in the tank. Mine is still a juvie, so colours haven't developed yet. Adult mature males get nice orange red stripes with blue iridescence on the fins
Won't badis also eat the shrimp or are they better option with shrimp than sparkling gourami or Peacock Gudgeon. I guess a third option would be to buy some 3/4 inch borelli and raise them in the 5 and then move them as they approach adult hood. Of course where to move them is an open question but that might work itself out by the time they are older.
What do you feed your badis - any luck weenie it to prepared food. I hate the idea of hatching bbs the rest of my life or a badis life.
What do you feed your badis - any luck weenie it to prepared food. I hate the idea of hatching bbs the rest of my life or a badis life.
NoodleCats
AC Members
Well I tried my shrimp both with the badis and the sparkler. The badis is leaving them alone at juvenile size, but my sparkler is attacking one's as large as his whole head and eating them. So, badis is a bit better. Shrimplets may get picked off though. But that'd be no different than with any cichlid too.
You could do frozen foods, apparently they're supposed to do well on that too but mine so far didn't care to try it.
Ive got a container of seed shrimp, cyclops, and other microfauna, that's what I'm feeding mine. Likes the worms in the jar especially.
Can also do grindal worms, banana worms, white worms, etc.
Yea - i just don't want to be wormy. Don't really have a good place to let worms crawl around the condo. Guess if i go that route i'll be stuck with bbs for life; or maybe i could find some guppy frys or even pleco frys. Seems i have more a of a pleco problem than a guppy problem these days. Know much about those Peacock Gudgeon. Hum. I did find 25 sterbai eggs this morning. Stuck them in a cup - maybe i should just raise the sterbai fry in the 5. Any idea what they eat ? Will they eat firstbite stuff or do i have to hatch bbs for them.
NoodleCats
AC Members
Badis aren't big enough to eat guppy fry.
First Bites is just fine for sterbai cory fry, or can do BBS if you wanted. They do grow faster with BBS, but First Bites is good too.
The gudgeons would even eat adult shrimp as far as I am aware, and do better 10g up.
What about a couple clown killifish? They're small, and aside from small shrimplets should leave the shrimp alone. And aren't as fussy to feed.