What to put in a 1g?

[JohnPaul]

Add me to the list that disagrees highly with keeping a betta in a 1g.

As for what you could do (some random brainstorming):

• Plants only. Maybe use the tank to grow/cultivate plants and then as they get larger transfer them to one of your other tanks
• Culturing live food, as someone else already suggested. I hadn't thought of that one myself but it's a great suggestion.
• How about a nerite snail? They can't reproduce in fresh water so no worries about a population explosion, and some of the nerites (like the zebra nerite, red spotted nerite, or horned nerite) can be quite colorful and very attractive. And nerites are easy enough to find, I think some of the folks active on these forums here sell them in fact.
• Or, alternatively, you can use it as a breeding tank for some other species of snails. Maybe pick one of the really colorful varieties of the European ramshorn snail. I myself have ones that are a beautiful tangerine/orange color (picture here), but they also come in pink, red, blue, and perhaps other colors. You could use the 1g tank to raise up the baby snails and eventually transfer the larger ones into one of your other tanks.
• A lone amano shrimp, especially a smaller one, might be an option too. Another cool creature.
• one or two Thai Micro Crabs. These are relatively new to the hobby and so there is not a ton of info about them yet, but these things are TINY. Full adults are only about the size of a dime (!!!), and as of yet no one has been able to successfully breed them (a pair will mate & have eggs, but the larvae seem to die a few days after hatching) so again, no worries about a small tank being overrun.

Hope that gives you a sense that you do indeed have possibilities. In the meantime, if that tank is cycled but your fish is dead you need to be sure you get some ammonia into the tank (at least a tad) otherwise your good bacteria are going to start dying off.

 

[Deenalove]

OMG I want those mini crabs! I LOVE crabs, but then again I like the snail, I want a blue one. grrrr lol. lol I think the crabs will be more active and I can keep the Blue Ramshorn in my 5g when I move my shrimp out TY for the advice soo much. Hmm now where to get the crabs... lol

 

[Deenalove]

And I also have it for a fry tank, but it has been almost a month and the Mollies have not had any fy

 

[JohnPaul]

I've seen the micro crabs on Aquabid before, though I just checked now and didn't see any listings currently. Maybe just keep your eyes open and check their auctions from time to time. You might also get involved in some of the freshwater inverts forums and ask around on those--the people who have had micro crabs are often the same people who have shrimp tanks, as the crabs & shrimps basically need the same sorts of conditions and can even be kept together.

 

[Deenalove]

Ok cool. But no stores near by sell them you think? I am going to call one by me and ask if they can order them. How much do they normally go for?

 

[ezy33]

I would vote for a "Siamese" Fighting Fish. 1g not too small IMO and liveaquaria.com.

 

[Deenalove]

The Siamese fighting fish is a betta I dont like to keep them in a 1g

 

[Deenalove]

JohnPaul, what should I have in for the crab if I get them? Some small live plants? a few things to climb and hide in?

 

[thincat]

If you can't get the crab, try and see if you can get some "Opae ula" or the hawaiian fire shrimp. They are slightly bigger then Brine shrimp and really nice looking and you can keep a bunch in a 1g.

http://www.fukubonsai.com/M-L5b2.html

 

[Deenalove]

AWESOME shrimp!! I got a pond snail the size of a nickle it is yellow and black. I am going to do some small plants and I saw some cool Yellow cherry shrimp too. I will look into those shrimp your saying, but would they hurt the snail? They are pricy though, at about $5 each

 

[JohnPaul]

I've never kept the micro crabs but from what I hear they love climbing in/on plants so having some plants in the tank would be good, as well as some "hiding places" for when they molt. Unfortunately, they are sooo new to the hobby that I think the odds of you ever finding them in any pet stores about zero--you would basically have to buy them online if you want them.

The shrimps won't hurt the snail or vice-versa. However keep in mind regarding the Opae ula that they are actually brackish water shrimps, not pure freshwater. They can adapt and survive in freshwater, but in their native habitat they are found in brackish water and it is best to keep them in brackish water in captivity.

A few of those (if you go brackish) or Yellow shrimp (if you stay fresh) would be fine choices too.