5g Fish Ideas??

[Kellifer]

I am looking for some fish that are small enough to fit in a five gallon tank. I'd like fish that are colorful and have personality if possible. Thanks.

 

[KevinES]

Well in a tank that small it depends on how well it is filtered. If it is filtered well you might beable to do a small group of peacefull fish. I had 6 Neon tetras in a 5 gallon and it worked greated (I did have a 10 gallon filter on it.) The only down side is they don't exactly zip around. Maybe 4 or 5 Harlequin rasbora? Once again I would only do this if you keep up on cleaning or over-filter the tank. If not, a Beta would probably be the best option.

 

[Kellifer]

I keep it filtered. But its only a 5g filter.

 

[redruckus]

beta of the plakat/halfmoon plakat variety just because of the size, 1-2 nerite snails of any kind i recomend the horned nerite snails all nerits dont breed in fresh water... aquascape it with some nice drift wood maby a nice rock and some low maintnence plants (java ferns, java moss, anubias, dwarf hair grass carpet, duckweed/indian fern/amazon frog bit as floating) make the things in the tank look good and the fish is just an addition thats the best thing to do with small tanks

 

[KevinES]

Oh have you considered shrimp? I just got some shrimp and I love them. The ghost shrimp actually swim around. The red cherry shrimp are very pretty too.

 

[redruckus]

cherry shrimp would actualy be a realy cool adition to what i listed above but you might have to decide between the snails and the shrimp because i dont know how the 2 will get along but you could get a smaller crayfish or freshwater lobster that would do good in a 5gal tank just feed the beta "hikari bio-gold beta" food all the other foods i have tried made my beta sick that blood worm/brine shrimp anything that sinks the cray fish, shrimp, or snails will get but if you go for cray fish a sinking protien based pelet food is recomended once again i would go with hikari you pay more but its quality

 

[KevinES]

I don't think snails and shrimp are a problem together. Shrimp are fast and can swim and snails have a hard shell. I don't see why they wouldn't work together. (I have an onion snail in with my shrimp)

 

[redruckus]

well then your options have now increased but i would do Nerite snails because the dont eat plants like mystery/onion snails with a crayfish they do come in cool colours and a nice large halfmoon plakat beta but the shrimps would be easyer if you decided to plant the tank the crayfish cam be a bit "rough" on planted tanks

 

[KevinES]

Onion snails, or at least the ones I have are Nerite snails. They will leave plants alone and won't reproduce. Mine lays eggs but they never hatch.

 

[redruckus]

ok then you have nerites your good but if you wana make the little tank "pop" i would get 2 "horned nerites"

 

[jenatron]

No to neon tetras and harlequin rasboras. They both school and are too active. (If your Neons just sat around, Kevin, then there was something wrong.)
Also, typically it's suggested you get a filter rated for two times the size of your tank even when you're not overstocking.
Your options are limited: 1 african dwarf frog, 1 betta, snails, shrimp. There's not much readily available for that size tank.

Edit: i should clarify, by readily available i mean typically found in stores.

 

[Kellifer]

Okay. I have a heated tank. Is that okay for a betta?? EDIT: this is just a tank for me to start with. If i like it Ill get a larger one.

 

[HN1]

There are a lot of other fish that would be appropriate. They aren't going to be available at the typical chain store though. Boraras species, micro-danios, sparkling gourami, chocolate gourami, pygmy cories, etc. Inverts are a very good option. A betta is too. The key to stocking a small tank IME is to do it gradually and over a longer period.