5 gallon stocking options?

[Reykur]

Hey everybody, checking in about my 5 gallon tank that I set up a couple of weeks ago and I'm very undecided about what to put into this bad boy!
Before we get into some stuff, I seem to have a decent snail issue at this point, as well as what looks like 2 different kinds of microscopic white lifeforms that I'm calling daphnia at this point. I've seen one that is a very small white dot, can't see any detail though. The other I can see a little detail, it has a forebody with 2 smaller section trailing behind. They move on their own, they avoid capture. The small white dot generally stays until spooked, the other is all over the place on the glass. They aren't snail eggs, I've been removing clutches of those that I find. I have no fish, only snails, plants, detritus worms and small planktony stuff. I do have live plants. I dosed azomite yesterday and now all the inhabitants are crazy happy and moving around like crazy.
So I know shrimp are a great option, I could have a betta, guppies, tetras and raspboras. Any other options? I've been thinking of either cherry or amano shrimp and trying to introduce a betta to see if they would be cool about it. I've also thought about having a dwarf orange crayfish, but they don't seem to be nice to other species.
Tell me your thoughts.

 

[GuppyGuy333]

well if you go with schoolers like tetras or rasboras i don't really think you have the space for them to school or space to add the optimum number (recommended number for them is like 8-12 minimum with people often low-balling that number to 5).

I think a betta would be better than guppies. male guppies can get aggressive/rambunctious even though they aren't known for that; it is possible.....i speak from experience. and your tank is too small to deal with population explosions if you want to mix genders to tone down rowdiness.
5 gallon is considered a good minimum tank size.

does your tank have a filter, heater? are you using water conditioner?

I feel you on the population explosion!!! I have pond and ramshorn in my 55g. Good luck!!!

 

[Reykur]

It does have a filter and heater, I do use water conditioner even though it isn't required for my well water which tests very very well. Great advice about the small schoolers, I had the same thought a while ago but wasn't sure if they would conform to a smaller school or not. I agree about the betta being a betta option though.

I have these mini ramshorns that aren't breeding at all, but I had 1 bladder snail lay about a billion egg clutches and I'm currently dealing his next generation. They survived fenbendazole, the sacs have to be removed carefully because they can survive being crushed apparently. I'm going to make a snail trap and get rid of them though.

 

[AnimalKrazed]

Have you thought about African Dwarf Frogs yet? They are small, fully aquatic frog that you could keep in your five gallon. I would recommend up to about 5 or 6 in a five gallon. I used to keep them way back before I got rid of my tanks so I could focus on High School. They are pretty adorable, and easy to care for. I think you might be able to get a fish or some shrimp in with them since they don't take up any of the oxygen in the tank but you'd have to be careful with your bioload and keep the number of frogs low.

If not that, then maybe look into rolling with the Snail Infestation and get yourself a Mystery Snail. I think that you could get one Mystery in the 5 gallon. I don't really know much about them though since I have never actually had a Mystery Snail before.

 

[Reykur]

I have been considering ADF, but I used to have them in a community tank when I was in high school and they weren't my favorite additions to the tank. I've been leaning more towards shrimp though, probably wild type neocaridina divaldi since they're pretty neat looking, and I think it would be interesting to try and colonize them into producing mutations like cherry reds. Haven't decided yet...

I considered rolling with the snails, but this is my desk tank, so I don't want these bladder snails that snuck in. I've been pruning each one I find and don't plan on giving up without a fight. I will admit, I like snails, but I don't want a snail only tank... It just sounds boring to me :/ although a mystery snail is a good add in for a snail tank.

Do people keep snail only tanks? I guess I can see why, I've thought about setting up a 5 gallon for cultivating moss and live foods before.

 

[Toad]

Dwarf puffer, just one and make sure you keep up on water changes religiously. They eat snails and other stuff so it'd have to be kept by itself, but they have really neat personalities.

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[Reykur]

I haven't done any research on dwarf puffers yet, I'll look into them. Thanks