1.5 cube tank.

[BrianBSHS]

Hi everyone!
I go to college up in NH, and my school did a student activity where they gave out little feeder fish. Well, I felt any pet the school wanted to give me, I'll gladly take, it's a little lonely with no roommate.
So my friend's fish died, and fast forward a trip to PetSmart, I bought a tetra 1.5gallon tank, and another fish.
Currently the tank only has the 3i whisper filter that came with the tank, and the light is completely useless, it scares the fish when I turn it on, so I leave it off. These feeder fish are cool, for like 30 seconds, and I really want to do something I can look at and be proud of.


I would really like a planted tank that has a shrimp or two, or a snail, and maybe 1 fish, if it isn't asking too much. I don't mind requiring a heater, I can go pick one up, and hopefully the filter I have would be sufficient. I don't have a preference between saltwater or fresh, though, next semester (when I move into a suite), I plan on bringing up an old 20 gallon my brother is giving me. I have plans for that, but am really hoping this little 1.5 gallon can teach me a lot.


Like I said, I'm new to all of this, so please be patient. I've read a bunch of threads already and might like some RCS and a badis badis. I've heard the badis badis would eat the little shrimplets, so I would add him after the shrimp have established a home and the plants have gotten time to thicken up a bit. I honestly have no idea what would go well together, I hope someone can point me in the right direction. All questions are welcome and appreciated.


I actually just got the plants for my tank from the lps.
I got an Anubia and a Java Fern.

Is there anything I'm supposed to do special with these? I think leaving stock the light on will be fine and when the plants finally take root, I can do some other things with the tank.

Here is a picture of my current tank

Got both fish saying "cheese" too. The water is still cloudy from when I had my hands in there moving things around, but I like the set up so far. Just hope they both survive. Would java moss be better if I wanted to eventually move in some RCS?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Hi and welcome!
I just going to say it, your tank is too small for any fish unfortunately. Those 'feeder' fish look to be common (maybe comet) goldfish. They can grow to over a foot in length in the first few years of life.
Do you know what cycling is?
FISHLESS
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/artic...-Guide-and-FAQ-to-Fishless-Cycling/Page1.html

FISH IN
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/artic...g-but-I-already-have-fish-What-now/Page2.html

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/fish-in-cycling-step-over-into-the-dark-side-176446.html

BEGINNERS GUIDE
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/artic...-to-Starting-a-Freshwater-Aquarium/Page1.html
Here are the guides.
If recommend rehoming the goldfish ASAP.
Your tank will make a great little shrimp tank. Some java moss, anubias and java ferns will work well.

 

[BrianBSHS]

Hi and welcome!
I just going to say it, your tank is too small for any fish unfortunately. Those 'feeder' fish look to be common (maybe comet) goldfish. They can grow to over a foot in length in the first few years of life.
Do you know what cycling is?
FISHLESS
The (almost) Complete Guide and FAQ to Fishless Cycling

FISH IN
I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?!

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/fish-in-cycling-step-over-into-the-dark-side-176446.html

BEGINNERS GUIDE
Guide to Starting a Freshwater Aquarium
Here are the guides.
If recommend rehoming the goldfish ASAP.
Your tank will make a great little shrimp tank. Some java moss, anubias and java ferns will work well.

Thanks for the response, the comets are going to be in there until the tank is cycled, then I'm going to replace them with some shrimp, but are you also saying that adding any fish in after the shrimp won't work? I was really looking forward to adding a predator to control the shrimp population.
After I add in the shrimp, the comets will be going to a friend who will be taking care of them.


What information is more important right now is any and all information on the java fern and anubia that I just put in the tank. There is no CO2, or fertilizers, the lady at the petsmart where I bought the plants from never specified I do or buy anything extra, so I never did. I don't want these new plants to die, will they be okay left in the tank with the comets?


EDIT: Also, would I benefit from buying a few more plants? Would I need to remove them to add the shrimp, how many, and what, plants should be in the tank when I introduce the shrimp, and how many shrimp should I introduce? I've heard of this tank supporting 20+ shrimp, but it wouldn't be able to support about 5 shrimp and 1 fish?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Thanks for the response, the comets are going to be in there until the tank is cycled, then I'm going to replace them with some shrimp, but are you also saying that adding any fish in after the shrimp won't work? I was really looking forward to adding a predator to control the shrimp population.
After I add in the shrimp, the comets will be going to a friend who will be taking care of them.

What information is more important right now is any and all information on the java fern and anubia that I just put in the tank. There is no CO2, or fertilizers, the lady at the petsmart where I bought the plants from never specified I do or buy anything extra, so I never did. I don't want these new plants to die, will they be okay left in the tank with the comets?

Can I get you to read the link above 'I just learnt about cycling but I already have fish'. You will need to follow this. Using 'hardy' fish to cycle a tank is an old school way of thinking. I fish-in cycle all my tanks with the a few fish I intend to keep in the tank and do daily water changes to keep the toxins down and protect the fish. Keeping ammonia and nitrite down at a level that will not harm the fish in a 1.5g tank with two messy goldfish will be next to impossible. The ammonia will rise and the fish will start to suffer from ammonia poisoning, burns and a lowered immune system leaving them open to disease.

Goldfish do eat plants but anubias and java ferns are hard to kill and apparently taste bad to the fish. I have both in my goldfish tanks no issues. They don't usually need fertilizers or co2. They will get all their nutrients from the fish and new water introduced to the tank. They don't need co2 injection.

 

[absolutangel04]

Hello.
The links Mumma provided are really good, so make sure to read them and ask us any questions you have.
What are the dimensions of your tank?
I keep a 2.5g rcs tank and I love it. They are really fun to watch. They do reproduce quickly once you get them established, but if you are planning to set up your 20g tank, you can always just use the random shrimplets or dull colored adults as food for fish in your 20g.

 

[BrianBSHS]

Can I get you to read the link above 'I just learnt about cycling but I already have fish'. You will need to follow this. Using 'hardy' fish to cycle a tank is an old school way of thinking. I fish-in cycle all my tanks with the a few fish I intend to keep in the tank and do daily water changes to keep the toxins down and protect the fish. Keeping ammonia and nitrite down at a level that will not harm the fish in a 1.5g tank with two messy goldfish will be next to impossible. The ammonia will rise and the fish will start to suffer from ammonia poisoning, burns and a lowered immune system leaving them open to disease.

Goldfish do eat plants but anubias and java ferns are hard to kill and apparently taste bad to the fish. I have both in my goldfish tanks no issues. They don't usually need fertilizers or co2. They will get all their nutrients from the fish and new water introduced to the tank. They don't need co2 injection.

I did read the link, I guess I wasn't thorough enough though. Thank you again for all of the helpful information. I'll have to come up with a regimen for weekly water changes.

 

[BrianBSHS]

Hello.
The links Mumma provided are really good, so make sure to read them and ask us any questions you have.
What are the dimensions of your tank?
I keep a 2.5g rcs tank and I love it. They are really fun to watch. They do reproduce quickly once you get them established, but if you are planning to set up your 20g tank, you can always just use the random shrimplets or dull colored adults as food for fish in your 20g.

the dimensions are:

7.5inch wide tank
1.5gallons

 

[BrianBSHS]

If I just planted the plants, when will I start to see healthy plant growth? The fern looks like it will probably die soon, none of its leaves look particularly healthy.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

If you plant them in gravel you have to make sure the rhizome stays above the substrate or it will rot. they are both fairly slow growers. They will need to adjust to your tank before they start to grow.

What exactly is your light?

Weekly water changes will be fine once you have your shrimp but in a cycling tank with goldfish your looking at twice (or more) daily large water changes.
I recommend you get a liquid test kit (API master test kit) do you can keep an eye on how much ammonia and nitrite is present and how they cycle is going.

 

[TankerJs]

I love to keep small tanks--right now I have 3 "nano" tanks and I am starting to work on my fourth. I agree with mumma that your tank cannot cycle or even handle the goldfish. If I were you I would take them back to the store or give them to your friend as soon as possible. I know they seem like an easy and cheap way to cycle your tank, but if you really want fish in there I would suggest something extremely small. AqAdvisor.com will show you species that are a possibility for your tank and filtration. I would suggest keeping just some shrimp (maybe 10) in there with some Malaysian Trumpet Snails...which some pet stores will even give you for free. If you are dead set on having some sort of fish you could always check out an Endler's Livebearer. They are very active so the tank may not be the best, but it definitely could sustain it...the question is the quality of the animal's life. They are very similar in most aspects to guppies, but they are much smaller and have a smaller bioload. Hope this helped you out and I hope the best for those goldfish and the animals that will soon be inhabiting your tank! Good luck and welcome to the best hobby ever!
Here are some links on the animals I explained above and how to take care of them. The snails are easy to take care of. They will reproduce like crazy and eat whatever food is left over each day, which is very helpful.
Fish Care Profilesendlerslivebearer.html
Red Cherry Shrimp | The Shrimp Farm

 

[BrianBSHS]

If you plant them in gravel you have to make sure the rhizome stays above the substrate or it will rot. they are both fairly slow growers. They will need to adjust to your tank before they start to grow.

What exactly is your light?

Weekly water changes will be fine once you have your shrimp but in a cycling tank with goldfish your looking at twice (or more) daily large water changes.
I recommend you get a liquid test kit (API master test kit) do you can keep an eye on how much ammonia and nitrite is present and how they cycle is going.

The light I have is the 9 led "moonlight" that came on the tank itself. It's probably a piece of crap, but it's all I have right now.

I love to keep small tanks--right now I have 3 "nano" tanks and I am starting to work on my fourth. I agree with mumma that your tank cannot cycle or even handle the goldfish. If I were you I would take them back to the store or give them to your friend as soon as possible. I know they seem like an easy and cheap way to cycle your tank, but if you really want fish in there I would suggest something extremely small. AqAdvisor.com will show you species that are a possibility for your tank and filtration. I would suggest keeping just some shrimp (maybe 10) in there with some Malaysian Trumpet Snails...which some pet stores will even give you for free. If you are dead set on having some sort of fish you could always check out an Endler's Livebearer. They are very active so the tank may not be the best, but it definitely could sustain it...the question is the quality of the animal's life. They are very similar in most aspects to guppies, but they are much smaller and have a smaller bioload. Hope this helped you out and I hope the best for those goldfish and the animals that will soon be inhabiting your tank! Good luck and welcome to the best hobby ever!
Here are some links on the animals I explained above and how to take care of them. The snails are easy to take care of. They will reproduce like crazy and eat whatever food is left over each day, which is very helpful.
Fish Care Profilesendlerslivebearer.html
Red Cherry Shrimp | The Shrimp Farm

I did sort of want a fish in there to maintain the shrimp population. Is it really that bad?

 

[TankerJs]

Yes it really is for that size of tank. I mean some fish will be able to live in there, but they won't really be happy. The shrimp population will be maintained by the filter anyways, plus whatever shrimp you have left over that you need to get rid of people will buy them on the forums, and you can even trade them to most family owned pet stores for in store credit, so in essence you could go without a fish and work towards a bigger tank for a fish! I have talked to a local store around me and they said for every shrimp I bring them they will give me 50 cents of store credit (not very much...) so my plan is to breed them all summer and keep saving up to get a bigger tank. If you really want fish here is what I suggest:
Go to Walmart and buy an AquaCulture 10 gallon tank starter set.
You'll also need gravel and a heater, which you can get for $20.
All of that together will cost you $50, and really it's all you need to start the tank. You can move your plants into there and that should work fine for some fish and shrimp.
The best tankmates for shrimp are otocinclus, snails, and alot of people keep bettas with them.
The ideal 10g shrimp and fish tank (if I didn't want to breed them) would be:
40 RCS
1 Male betta
2 otocinclus
some MTS

 

[BrianBSHS]

Yes it really is for that size of tank. I mean some fish will be able to live in there, but they won't really be happy. The shrimp population will be maintained by the filter anyways, plus whatever shrimp you have left over that you need to get rid of people will buy them on the forums, and you can even trade them to most family owned pet stores for in store credit, so in essence you could go without a fish and work towards a bigger tank for a fish! I have talked to a local store around me and they said for every shrimp I bring them they will give me 50 cents of store credit (not very much...) so my plan is to breed them all summer and keep saving up to get a bigger tank. If you really want fish here is what I suggest:
Go to Walmart and buy an AquaCulture 10 gallon tank starter set.
You'll also need gravel and a heater, which you can get for $20.
All of that together will cost you $50, and really it's all you need to start the tank. You can move your plants into there and that should work fine for some fish and shrimp.
The best tankmates for shrimp are otocinclus, snails, and alot of people keep bettas with them.
The ideal 10g shrimp and fish tank (if I didn't want to breed them) would be:
40 RCS
1 Male betta
2 otocinclus
some MTS

How do you know when a fish is happy? Do you ask them? 1 bubble for yes? 2 for no?
I'm not trying to be rude, but honestly... they're goldfish .

I know people like to use the analogy, what if someone locked you in a closet too small for you to grow...
and, well, if I was locked in a closet, that stunted my growth to the size of a midget, and gave me food, and a tv and cable.. I don't think I'd mind that much.

My goldfish seem "happy" in this 1.5 gallon tank, they swim around, and eat flakes. Maybe if they look like they're getting bigger, I'll move them, or get rid of them, but it's like 2 inches of fish, in a 1.5 gallon tank.

Maybe if they weren't 13cents each.



I guess I'm just too novice to have an attachment and unparalleled love for 25 cents worth of fish that don't do anything.

That's why I thought the shrimp would be cool, because they can breed in something that won't take up my whole room.

 

[maxwellag]

Hi and welcome!
I just going to say it, your tank is too small for any fish unfortunately. Those 'feeder' fish look to be common (maybe comet) goldfish. They can grow to over a foot in length in the first few years of life.
Do you know what cycling is?
FISHLESS
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/125/1/The-almost-Complete-Guide-and-FAQ-to-Fishless-Cycling/Page1.html

FISH IN
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/124/2/-I-just-learned-about-cycling-but-I-already-have-fish-What-now/Page2.html

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/fish-in-cycling-step-over-into-the-dark-side-176446.html

BEGINNERS GUIDE
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/131/1/Guide-to-Starting-a-Freshwater-Aquarium/Page1.html
Here are the guides.
If recommend rehoming the goldfish ASAP.
Your tank will make a great little shrimp tank. Some java moss, anubias and java ferns will work well.

It isn't too small for least killifish, though

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Whether they are 13cent fish or $13 fish, they shouldn't be treated any different. They are in your care so it is your responsibility to take care of them. If you are not willing to provide them with a proper home you should give them to someone that will.
Goldfish grow fast, get large and can live for 20 years if kept correctly.

A moonlight will not provide the correct lighting for your plants. A cheap option is a desk lamp that takes cfl bulbs. You can get cfl 5000-6700k or 'daylight' rated and that will grow plants.

 

[TankerJs]

Look I am just trying to help you out so you can successfully enjoy the hobby too. Obviously you know more though. The goldfish are completely happy in there, they love having their gills burnt every time they gasp for air. They love to swim all over in their own waste.
I was really trying to give you good advice and work with you to help you out. That's what this forum is all about. I trust what people tell me here because they are experienced. I come here for advice, and when people tell me something I don't like...I still listen, because at the end of the day they have more experience than me and I know they are right even if it is disappointing to me. I'm new at giving advice, but the advice I did give was valid and justified. Sorry for trying to help.
If you don't think the goldfish are interesting, then why do you even have them by the way? I think goldfish are amazing to watch they are so beautiful and do funny things all the time! Other fish are exactly the same. Just in a different size or shape.

 

[gman42]

if you think there only 13cent fish just get rid of them, cycle your tank the correct way. research shrimp, and what snails you would like, and do it all the correct way. when i first started fish keeping i did the same thing as you, and i was always dissapointed in the long run. just start your tank off right, get a book, or research the shrimp, and plants. get a test kit, and then buy your shrimp, and snails.

 

[BrianBSHS]

if you think there only 13cent fish just get rid of them, cycle your tank the correct way. research shrimp, and what snails you would like, and do it all the correct way. when i first started fish keeping i did the same thing as you, and i was always dissapointed in the long run. just start your tank off right, get a book, or research the shrimp, and plants. get a test kit, and then buy your shrimp, and snails.

Do test kits expire? I think my parents still have some old fish stuff at home that I can pick up and bring back. As far as the plants go, the fern's roots are growing and it looks like there's a new leaf growing. The Anubia still looks the same.

 

[maxwellag]

if you think there only 13cent fish just get rid of them, cycle your tank the correct way. research shrimp, and what snails you would like, and do it all the correct way. when i first started fish keeping i did the same thing as you, and i was always dissapointed in the long run. just start your tank off right, get a book, or research the shrimp, and plants. get a test kit, and then buy your shrimp, and snails.

there is no correct method to cycle it, as long as you raise enough beneficial bacteria to support the bioload of the stock. Fish in cycling is correct if done properly, but usually includes lots of water changes.

 

[BrianBSHS]

there is no correct method to cycle it, as long as you raise enough beneficial bacteria to support the bioload of the stock. Fish in cycling is correct if done properly, but usually includes lots of water changes.

I'm trying to keep up with water changes, but it's so hard because I don't really have a syphon, or a place to put the water. The easiest way I've found is scoop the fish out, put them in a different tank, carry the tank down the hall to the bathroom, do the water change, get back to my room, rearrange everything in the tank back to where it belongs, and then put the fish back in.

I don't really have a bucket to carry water back and forth, or even store fresh water..