Nedd quick advice!

My girlfriend has finally given in to me to sell back the fish in her Eclipse Five Gallon tank and get something more appropriate. Right now she has:

4 Dwarf Gouramis
1 Chinese Algea Eater

Its WAY too much fish for the small tank. Even worse, there is always extra food around because over EVERY weekend she had to drop in a three day feeder. Anyway, I have her new tank down to two options, tell me what is best or add your own. But do it quick, she want to do this today!

1)
2 Cory Cats
2 Oto Catfish
2 2 Neons

2)
1 Cory Cat
1 Oto Catfish
2 Neons

Either one would be significanlt less Bioload than she had before. Its pretty well filtered with an established Bio-Wheel and a Sponge/Carbon pad.

Suggestions?

[Billsgate]

The 3 species you chose like to be in groups, so I'd think you better go with 2 or even 1 specie.
I personally would go for 4-5 neons and some shrimp or snails. Or 3 neons and 3 cories.

Good luck choosing!

I wanted something to eat algea, something to eat waste food, and something to swim. Can I get that combo in a 5 gallon?

[An t-iasg]

You're taking back the current fish? That's probably a good idea. I've never had the fish you're considering, but looking over your two stocking lists, the neons, cories, and otos all like to be in groups of more than two. If it was my tank, I would get 6 neons. Only one or two cories, or neons, would be too skittish and would tend to hide and not swim around freely. Maybe 2 cories would be ok -- I've never had them, but have read that they are most active and happy in larger groups. However, a larger group of them may be pushing your bioload, and you'd be back to the situation you just got out of! So, again, if it was my tank, I would get a colorful group of tetras, and maybe for some bottom cleanup, some ghost shrimp. Ghost shrimp don't add heavily to the bioload.

[Alchemy129]

i think ur selling the 5 gallon just a little short there , it may be small but it can support a little more then just two small fish (neons) and a bottom feeder. Especially concerning neons they like to be in groups and school so u don't have to worry about the stress of being crowded and bumping into eachother they prefer to swim around tightly next to eachother, in fact once u put 5 or 6 in i bet they would all stay in the same little corner of the tank huddled together most of the time. they would be happier to have a bigger school as opposed to personal room cause they wont use it anyway, 5 0r 6 is ok....im not saying to drop 15 in or anyhitng don't get me wrong.plus its a well filtered aquarium.
And on a side note i'd like to put in my 2 cents on for the choice of fish as ur girl is the one taking care of them. Neons aren't exactly the hardiest fish you can choose from so i wouildn't recommend them for her setup. not to mention they are almost the "standard" aquarium fish that everyone has,at least in my opinon and from what i seen, but then again i'm one who loves oddball fish, so alot fish seem basic and boring to me.

I just spend the last hour or so gravel vacing her filthy tank (I have a motorized one that keeps the water in the tank, it just filters out the crap into a bag. Then we did a 30% water change and put in a new sponge/carbon filter and took back the fish. The tank looked 100% better.

We finally decided on 6 neons and 2 peppered corys. Also, I made her promise to stop feeding them so much food. I think her tank will be a lot better now, and its a good feeling

[QTOFFER]

Originally Posted by Tony Starks

We finally decided on 6 neons and 2 peppered corys. Also, I made her promise to stop feeding them so much food. I think her tank will be a lot better now, and its a good feeling

That's still a wee bit overstocked, but if your GF keeps up with the water changes, it should be fine. In any case, it's way better than it was before. Try to convince your GF to skip the weekend feeder blocks - they really muck up the tank - the fish won't starve if they miss two meals a week. And I don't think you'll miss the algae eaters. In a tank that small, it's really not a big deal to wipe out the algae by hand.

Originally Posted by QTOFFER

That's still a wee bit overstocked, but if your GF keeps up with the water changes, it should be fine. In any case, it's way better than it was before. Try to convince your GF to skip the weekend feeder blocks - they really muck up the tank - the fish won't starve if they miss two meals a week. And I don't think you'll miss the algae eaters. In a tank that small, it's really not a big deal to wipe out the algae by hand.

You are preaching to the choir [acronym:17a3de6101="quarantine or quart depending on context"]QT[/acronym:17a3de6101] I've already told her all that today, and she is a smart girl, so I expect her tank will be great really soon.

[QTOFFER]

My fish miss a weekend's worth of meals at least twice a month...it only makes them that much more happy to see me when I get home on Sunday nite!