Stocking a 5 gallon

[GuppyMan]

Hmmmm I never thought of a frog. Would there be enough room for a frog and a fish? How big do they get? Which of the above fish are the flashiest and "swimmiest" if that makes sense?

I already know that a 5 gallon is too small for Danios, as much as I would LOVE to get some Glo-fish.

Of the fish you have listed above, and some googling, I really like the look of the Sparkling Gouramis. Those are some cute little fish! If I were to stock my 5 gallon, could I put two or three of these in with a snail and some shrimp or a frog? Do they tend to leave shrimp alone? I love the idea of multiple species in there, but I definitely do not want to overload the tank.

What would you suggest?

Thanks!

ETA: After doing some googling, I am now not so sure about the sparkling gouramis. I have been reading that they can be very aggressive and require various live foods and also need daily water changes rather than weekly. I honestly don't think I am up for that much work. I don't want to raise live food, I have no way to get to a LFS daily, or even weekly and although they are a cute little fish, the definitely do not sound like they would be good for a beginner.

Off to do more research. *sigh*

i have a breeding pair of GloFish. Like 3 would do good. or i think the white clouds would be a better chose

 

[Dwarf Puffers]

Really, I'd skip the brig and get 6 embers or rasboras. They'd be happier with more to school with.

How about a frog and a craw fish. Throw in a feeder fish (dead?) and watch them do battle.
i have never tried this don't know if the craw fish would hurt the frog or the frog might eat the craw fish.
just an idea

Very bad idea.

i have a breeding pair of GloFish. Like 3 would do good. or i think the white clouds would be a better chose

Bit small for active schooling fish like danios and white clouds. OP said it himself.

 

[Lupin]

Ok, so how about three or four Ember Tetras or Dwarf Rasboras, a handful of Cherry Shrimp and a Bridgesii snail? Are all of those compatible? Is that too much for a 5 gallon? Would it create enough interest in there?

Soooooooooooo excited!!

Keep 6 of either species. It'll be fine. Make the tank heavily planted though so they'll feel more secured in their surroundings. Once you notice your shrimps breed like rabbits, you can get a better excuse for another tank.:thumbsup:

 

[PumpkinPie]

Keep 6 of either species. It'll be fine. Make the tank heavily planted though so they'll feel more secured in their surroundings. Once you notice your shrimps breed like rabbits, you can get a better excuse for another tank.:thumbsup:

I will most probably skip the shrimp if they are likely to start reproducing in there. I don't want to deal with overpopulation and having to figure out how to get rid of them or feel pressured to get a bigger tank before I am able to financially.

Is my tank really able to handle 6 Rasboras or 6 Ember Tetras? I am definitely more interested in a snail than they shrimp anyway. Can I still put a snail in if I skip the shrimp? Can snails live as a single, or do they prefer to be in pairs?

Thanks for all of the help. It definitely helps to pass the time while I wait for my tank to finish up! :thumbsup:

 

[jackiomy]

Snails need 2.5 gallons apiece because of their bioload. Also if you end up with a female once she reaches sexual maturity she will want to lay eggs so you have to drop the water level or she might go walkabout. What kind of filtration do you have in mind?and you will need a heater with almost all of thos fish except the whiteclouds.

 

[jm1212]

dont rule out Badis badis

 

[Lupin]

Is my tank really able to handle 6 Rasboras or 6 Ember Tetras? I am definitely more interested in a snail than they shrimp anyway. Can I still put a snail in if I skip the shrimp? Can snails live as a single, or do they prefer to be in pairs?

It should be able to handle 6. Yes, you can put snails there. You have a choice of mystery snails (Pomacea diffusa), assassins, nerites or Sulawesis (Tylomelania sp.) whichever you like. They can be kept singly. Assassins prefer meaty foods. If you can produce some pond snails, the assassins will be more than happy to chase and eat them away. They aren't all that prolific unlike some snails. PM msjinkzd, Arakkis or Sounguru for these.

If you like nerites, you have plenty of species to choose from. Their colors look almost painted but they aren't. Very pretty to look at. Look up Vitta usnea, Clithon corona or the famous Neritina natalensis. msjinkzd or Arakkis will have them available for you.

Sulawesis are available in various colors. These grow to 2-3 inches. PM Arakkis if you want some. By the way, these are plant eaters so umm...be careful but they're tempting on the other hand.:naughty:

As for the P. diffusa, don't confuse with them the voracious plant eating species such as the P. canaliculata. Diffusas prefer dead and decaying plant matter but you can supplement them with calcium enriched veggies such as collards, snail jello (see sticky threads in Freshwater Invertebrates section), any commercial pellets, algae wafers and soft green algae (that you can culture if you like). If these snails lay eggs above the waterline, you can always crush or freeze the eggs if you don't want to breed. Keep the tank closed. Diffusas can get out of the water to look for spawning sites and this must be avoided if you don't want them to suffer damaged shells.

All snails should not be kept in an environment with pH at 7.0 or less. Shell erosion is critical in these levels as acidic water erodes their shells badly. Keep pH at 7.8 and above.

Snails need 2.5 gallons apiece because of their bioload. Also if you end up with a female once she reaches sexual maturity she will want to lay eggs so you have to drop the water level or she might go walkabout.

:iagree:

If the female has been with the males for some time, chances are the eggs are fertile otherwise they are plainly infertile. Depending on temperature and humidity, the hatch rate and time length of hatching will vary. So far, I recorded 8 days for the cana eggs kept in conditions with temperature at 27 degrees Celsius.

 

[evelyn80]

id do a male beta, some cherry shrimp and 2-3 snails! that would so sweet! and plant it with javaferns, moss and anubias

 

[blue2fyre]

My little 5 gallon currently holds a bunch of pond snails and one black mystery snail. I hope to add a pretty betta, but I will also consider many of the suggestions listed here. I thought the only option for a 5 gallon was a betta

 

[Lupin]

The trouble is the betta will eat the shrimps.