12 gal tank ideas

[Galligak]

Hi, I'm new to AA and I have a 12 gallon tank. I've raised fish for a bit of my life but I stopped and now want to restart. I have a turtle tank (55gal) that has a 1 1/2 year old yellow bellied slider that I love to pieces but it (the tank) also came with two gold fish... I also have 2 betta in 2 different tanks (2.5gal each). I want to try something else. I have a 12 gallon tank that currently has a common snapper- but we're going to get rid of it soon- and I want to put some fish in it. I know a bunch about cycling (read lots of web pages, forums, books, etc.) so I know that but I want a few good ideas on what to get in the tank. I'm clueless. I have a 9 year old sister who wants something exotic-ish but something that a high schooler with multiple extra-circular activities and a 4.0gpa to keep up. Any, and I mean any, ideas would be welcomed!

I also have a 5.5 gal tank as well so ideas would be good for that one too. (don't say betta because I already have 2)

 

[MartinBlank]

In a 12 gallon you could maybe do a dwarf gourami as your centerpiece fish with a small school of smaller tetras (6-8) and perhaps a small school of corys / dwarf corys (4)?

Or you could do a species tank and get a larger school of say cardinal tetras. Perhaps 14 or so? They would look really pretty in a large group like that.

Are you thinking of live plants?

 

[Galligak]

I was thinking maybe one or two live plants and then maybe a few more fake ones. Also, thanks for the ideas!

 

[Galligak]

By the way do you have an ideas for the 5.5gal tank? I've read a few other people's ideas for 5.5 gal tanks and they all say shrimp! But I'm not sure what type would be the best or if it's a good idea at all!

 

[MartinBlank]

5.5 gallon non-invert / non-betta? You could do a small group of endler's livebearers. They stay tiny. I would say 3 or 4. Just have to watch out for fry (or go all males, though don't know if you would have aggression issues)

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Ooh, you're starting a new tank! I've always wanted to start more and more tanks, but I don't have enough room in my house.
You have A LOT of options with a twelve gallon. Do you like fish that school together and shoal or do you like fish that are aloof and independent? Tetras, cories, rasboras, and some barbs would work in a school, while some of the more territorial but peaceful species are dwarf gouramis and rams. Also if you were looking to do a biotope a few cardinal fish with some cories wouldn't look so bad either. Tell us what you want!
Five gallon, and you don't want a betta? Hmm...what comes to mind is a dwarf puffer. If you're experienced enough, you could try, however only keep ONE to a tank. If you try to keep two, you better make sure that the tank is THICKLY and HEAVILY planted, otherwise they'll just go at each other. Even if it was one, I'd still plant a lot, that way he has room to explore.
Also, any nano-fish would work. They're basically small fish that do good in small tanks.

The choice is for you to make. I hope you have fun with it!

 

[Galligak]

Is this a gouramis? Because if it is I have one, it was one of the fish that came with my turtle tank and I've never been able to figure it out! If it is I like the idea of having a multi-species tank. As for the 5.5 gal tank I love the idea of a dwarf puffer! I looked up a bunch of stuff about them because that was actually what my sister wanted but I didn't know which one to put it in and I wanted more than one kind of fish. These are wonderful ideas and I defiantly think that if my fish is a gouramis then I'm going to get some tetras or can I get danios? Or can both work??

 

[Bud]

That is indeed a gourami. There are some dwarf danios that could work. I like the micro rasboras...they're growing on me. Especially the chili rasboras and the galaxy rasboras.

 

[Galligak]

Okay thank you so much! I've tried categorizing it so many times and when I googled gourami I thought that they looked the same. So I guess that I should take the poor guy out of the turtle tank and put him in the 12 gal with some other fish when the time comes. I'll look into the other fish you just mentioned soon. Thanks again!

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Small danios willl work in a twelve gallon. But not the ones you see on the market, like zebra or especially giant danios. IMO, they're very active and need a lot of room to swim.

 

[Galligak]

I thought that I read somewhere that gouramis could possiably eat/harm the tetras or small fish, is that true?

 

[bruinsbro1997]

usually not, unless you get slightly agressive males of some species like opaline gouramis. Any dwarf gourami will do fine, however the one in the picture is not, but it's okay.
Usually it's the other way around, tetras are sort of nippy, they nip at the gourami's fins. I've never had this problem though.

 

[Galligak]

Okay thanks. I think that I'm going to t a dwarf gourami because I don't think the one I have would like going down in tank size... I've also picked out getting 5 or 6 neon tetras and a few ghost shrimp (like 4 or 5) is that an okay mix?

 

[bruinsbro1997]

IMO I think it's an okay combo, because neons don't have big enough mouths to eat the ghost shrimp anyway. Same with the dwarf gourami.

 

[Galligak]

Okay now all I have to do is wait for the common snapper to leave then I'm going to get started! Yay

 

[Galligak]

Even though I said that I was going to the tetras I'm rethinking that. I think instead I'm going to do a tank with only fish from southeast Asia. I'm thinking a dwarf gourami, 6 bamboo shrimp, 6 or 7 galaxy rasboras and 3 scarlet badis. I've done sone research and it says that this is okay, now I want to know from you guys because I'm thinking you know best

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Your tank is twelve gallons right? Galaxy rasboras (aka Celestial Pearl Danios, but they're always referred to rasboras for some reason) will do fine in a ten gallon. For the scarlet badis, either get one male and two females or all females, because males are usually agressive towards other males. Right now I think your tank is almost stocked, if not fully stocked, so don't add any more fish and keep up on your water changes.

 

[Galligak]

Yeah I wasn't going to add anymore just this and I was going to look for female Scarlett but I've heard they're hard to find. Thanks for the go ahead