Starting/stocking little 2.5 gal tank

[clockradio]

Well I finally got to putting together this little tank that was given to me.
The question is what would go well in it. The tank is rectangular with a bow front. Its got a little whisper filter (not sure what type, it goes inside the tank) but no heater. I just started it up today so any suggestions on cycling. As for stocking, I'm not sure since it's small. I thought of a ghost shrimp and maybe some other tenants. :? Well let me know it any ideas come up. By the way, I'm pretty new to this so go easy on me.

 

[willowthepoet]

a betta? or maybe two guppies. there's not much that can go in such a small tank.

if you like non-fish aquatic stuff, try an african dwarf frog or two and an oto.

 

[mohawksquirrel]

A betta or adf with a few ghost shrimp would look great in a 2.5. It's my personal preference not to use filters on tanks of this size, but rather do 100% water changes weekly. Also, I've heard of male bettas getting their fins suck in those Whisper filters that come with the type of tank you have (a mini-bow?).

 

[Blazeherd2306]

IMO a 2.5 gal is too small for any fish, including a betta. Shrimp is the only thing I can think of that can be kept in a tank that small.

 

[clockradio]

yeah I think its a mini-bow. I wouldn't want to put any fish in there that wouldn't be happy. Well I'm open for anything not just fish.

 

[coolchinchilla]

Snails! Aquatic snails are really cool creatures. www.applesnail.net. One or two apple snails could go in such a tank.

 

[aquakev]

red cherry shrimp or/and pigmy a few pigmy cories. You may also be able to fit in these lamp-eye killie, Aplocheilichthys macrophthalmus macrophthalmus. Mine are in a 5g and they are seriously small but pretty cool to look at.

 

[Snuffleupagus]

Everyone is probably right that sticking with inverts is best, but I've got one of those same 2.5 gallon mini-bows right now with a dwarf puffer in it that seems to be doing fine. He likes to come out and say hi to me. I may upgrade him to a 5 or 10 gallon someday when I figure out where I would put another tank, and relegate the 2.5 gallon to a shrimp/snail/frog haven. I don't, however, necessarily think a larger tank is a necessity, since the puffer is so small and can be happy enough by himself.

 

[Hrafnkel]

I second the dwarf puffer idea. I have a dp in a 2.5 minibow and he seems pretty happy.

 

[jrp1588]

I think a betta would do just fine in there

 

[clockradio]

Well I saw a picture of a puffer and it looks nice. But then again so does the cherry shrimp.
8O decisions!
well I'll see if the lfs has either and we'll see then (they usually are limited in selection)
thanks y'all

 

[Hrafnkel]

No problem, always a pleasure to help a fellow Texan. If you have a petsmart anywhere near ya, they carry DPs, and pretty cheap. Just don't get both, if you value the shrimp.

 

[Tiffi]

I'm not sure about the betta or dwarf puffer, since I think they deserve something bigger and better than a 2.5gal.

Still, EVERY aquarium (exspecially small ones) benefits from a filter, if not to say it's absoulutely neccessary to have a filter! Changing 100% of the water only once a week of a such small tank is irresponsible. Exspecially small tanks can turn very easily and the water quality is disastrous from one day to the next.

I would go with shrimps, red cherry shrimp or maybe red crystal shrimp (more expensive). If they are kept by themselves they can even breed since there are no predators in the tank. That's what I'm still planning, getting a nice planted mini tank and putting some pretty red crystals in it to breed and sell them .