Stocking 3g nano tank

[Teddy's Mom]

Hi all, Happy New Year!
I'd like some opinions: I just scored a nice-looking little tank with "built in"/hidden filtration/heater, for free off Nextdoor.com. The main tank area is 3 gallons, with 1 more gallon circulating behind it. (Before any substrate etc.) I will use a little media from my established tank to get it cycled.

I'd like to plant it and stock it with some tiny schooling fish, but I don't want them to be in too small of a tank to be happy. I feel that it's too small for a Betta, and I don't want shrimp, because they remind me of spiders and give me the creeps. LOL

Could I do green tetras or are they too big? I really like them. What would you recommend? EDIT: plant suggestions also welcome!

Thanks!
DIane

 

[the loach]

How about galaxy rasboras? Don't get over 1"..

 

[Teddy's Mom]

Thanks for the idea--I haven't seen that fish before; they have very interesting coloration.

 

[dougall]

I'm always a fan of fish/animals in larger numbers


I'd likely go with Heterandria Formosa, they are one of the smallest livebearing fish, so you will likely have a decent number of them, for plants, it will depend on dimensions of the tank, and the lighting, but likely some sort of medium type crypts (say wendtii) would be nice and easy... and not too big.

bucephelandra would work well too, lots of other rhizomic or epiphitic plants will likely get too large for the available space.

 

[Teddy's Mom]

Thanks, dougall, I will google all of those. One thing about livebearers--won't they overpopulate pretty fast? I forgot to say, the usable tank area is 10" tall x 10" wide x 7" deep.

 

[dougall]

they don't breed as quickly as guppies... so it is seldom too bad.

 

[Teddy's Mom]

OK. I'm just a little leery because Platies multiplied like rabbits in my 40 gallon with no end in sight!

 

[DefJ123]

Ill add another vote for galaxy rasbora / celestial pearl danio as its referred to now. Awesome little fish, got 25 in one of my tanks

 

[sharon9476]

Fancy Guppy fish

 

[FreshyFresh]

Yep, love celestial pearl danios. Least killies like suggested above look interesting as well. Either will be a tough find in stock at a pet store, so you'd have to have them ordered or go through a local fish group.

Depending on how you want this 3gal, it could wind up being more work than keeping something with a much more versatile footprint and volume of water. More water volume is always a good thing if you plan on keeping fish in such a tiny tank.