Help me stock a 5.5?

[jetajockey]

pygmy cory are kinda boring and not very cory-like imo.

You could do a native nano tank.

 

[maxwellag]

Just out of curiosity, what do sparkling gouramis eat? I have a 5.5 gallon tank as well, and might get some...

 

[Morgie]

Just out of curiosity, what do sparkling gouramis eat? I have a 5.5 gallon tank as well, and might get some...

They're omnivores and need both vegetable based and meaty foods. I'm probably going to feed a high quality flake and floating granule food as well as live food. :>

 

[maxwellag]

They're omnivores and need both vegetable based and meaty foods. I'm probably going to feed a high quality flake and floating granule food as well as live food. :>

And will they eat freeze dried krill or brine shrimp? Also, do they have to be moved to brackish and salt water eventually?

 

[Morgie]

They're freshwater, so no need to move them into brackish water!
I'm sure they will eat freeze dried food, but I don't generally feed freeze dried food because it can cause bloat. If I do feed it I give it to my larger predatory fish (like my sunfish) that can actually process it well and get some nutrients out of it with no ill effects.

 

[maxwellag]

They're freshwater, so no need to move them into brackish water!
I'm sure they will eat freeze dried food, but I don't generally feed freeze dried food because it can cause bloat. If I do feed it I give it to my larger predatory fish (like my sunfish) that can actually process it well and get some nutrients out of it with no ill effects.

Awesome! I will portably get one for my 5.5! but would only one fit, or could I put in two or three?

 

[Morgie]

what kind of fish do you currently have in that tank?

 

[maxwellag]

what kind of fish do you currently have in that tank?

I don't have anything in it right now. It is cycling.

 

[Morgie]

If you only want to have sparkling gouramis you could do 2-3 :>

 

[maxwellag]

If you only want to have sparkling gouramis you could do 2-3 :>

What about annual killies? How many of them could I have/

 

[Morgie]

annual killies? I honestly wouldn't put more than three in a 5.5
you may be able to do 2 killies and 1 sparkling gourami. I haven't had any experience keeping the two together so I'm not sure how well they would get along in a small tank, though they are both peaceful species.

 

[Morgie]

strike that, I would definitely stick to a pair of killies instead of a trio, they can become aggressive with each other.

 

[maxwellag]

annual killies? I honestly wouldn't put more than three in a 5.5
you may be able to do 2 killies and 1 sparkling gourami. I haven't had any experience keeping the two together so I'm not sure how well they would get along in a small tank, though they are both peaceful species.

Oh. Ok. Sorry about my typing error! Lol! Sometimes auto correct changes my typos to random words too. I will probably start off with a pair, but im not sure where I can find any, especially the female ones.

 

[jetajockey]

There's all kinds of 'annual' killifish with different sizes and temperments, it's hard to generalize about multiple genera like that.

 

[maxwellag]

Well what is the kind that is striped light blue and orange?

 

[Morgie]

haha! It's no problem, I was able to get what you were saying
I've seen some killies at petsmart, although I'm pretty sure they weren't properly labeled (typical). I only noticed them because my mom pointed them out as being cute, but I had to remind her they'd be gobbled up in a second in any of my tanks :b

 

[Morgie]

There's all kinds of 'annual' killifish with different sizes and temperments, it's hard to generalize about multiple genera like that.

Very true! I still think I'd keep a max of three no matter what the particular species of annual in a 5.5

I think the blue and orange kind are called nothobranchius, but I think they come in other colors as well.

 

[Morgie]

Here's my tank, as a "before" model:

I wasn't lying when I said it was run down.
This is going to be my big project for today. It's got a ton of hair algae. Most of the plants are dying so I'll be taking those out and starting completely fresh.
To do:
Remove plants
Clean algae
Vacuum gravel
Clean decor
Replace some gravel with sand (?)
New plants
Natural decor (real driftwood/root system)
Diffuse current

I'll keep you posted with updates.

 

[Morgie]

A day's worth of work!
I only had time to go to a local petsmart, so I definitely don't have all the plants I want (no grasses yet boo!) but it's a start!
Current plants:
Wisteria
Moneywort
Java Fern (x1)
Mint Charlie
2 "betta bulbs" (pretty sure they're some type of aponogeton but who knows?)

I also added some dried oak "branches" for a bit of depth. I'm looking around in my house for some appropriately sized driftwood but I haven't found anything good yet.
It looks so much better now though! I love working on tanks hehe :>