My new five gallon

[Jev12]

I just set it it up yesterday...at the moment I don't have a light for it I'm using a lamp lol...I'm using a sponge filter so I hop it works good...I'm going to be putting a betta and maybe some shrimp in there...my plants are java fern, java fern windelov, anubis nana and a few small stems of cambomba...oh and some Javan moss....so how do you guys like it????

 

[FishieKeeper429]

It seems a bit crammed. I'd just get one Betta for the time being. Don't add a shrimp until you have at least 10 gallons.

 

[Jev12]

Really??? You think it is crammed....hmm well ok I will just put my new betta in there then...what do you think makes it look so crammed just wondering???

 

[bud29]

I just set it it up yesterday...at the moment I don't have a light for it I'm using a lamp lol...I'm using a sponge filter so I hop it works good...I'm going to be putting a betta and maybe some shrimp in there...my plants are java fern, java fern windelov, anubis nana and a few small stems of cambomba...oh and some Javan moss....so how do you guys like it????

Looks good. I do recommend getting a new light ASAP though, as your lighting appears to be incandescent, not the right spectrum for plants. For a cheap but effective lighting solution, get a clip-on light from home depot for $8.50 and a 23w spiral CFL for it (make sure the color temperature is at least 5000k).

Your stock sounds good, just be careful as some bettas don't particularly care for shrimp (or anything, for that matter.)

 

[Jev12]

Lol yeah I'm going to be getting a light for it soon...and I will just have to see how this guy does with some shrimp and if it doesn't work I have two other tanks I can put them in so I will just have to see

 

[FishieKeeper429]

Really??? You think it is crammed....hmm well ok I will just put my new betta in there then...what do you think makes it look so crammed just wondering???

I meant with all the shrimp and the Betta it would be crammed. The tank looks spacious, just not enough for shrimp AND Bettas.

 

[Jev12]

Ohhh ok...not even a couple shrimp???

 

[jwh0818]

Yes you can add shrimp and a betta. The shrimp are harmless and a betta wouldnt mind a snack every now and then jk. 5g is plenty for shrimp and a betta

 

[Mebbid]

The shrimp take up almost no space so wouldn't contribute to cramped conditions of a small tank. Although, the SECOND I added some RCS to my betta tank he decided to eat one and killed another before I could remove them all. And there is no small amount of hiding places in my tank for them to stay.

 

[jwh0818]

Yes the key is hidding places like java moss for shrimps. Especially rcs. Bettas dont like colorful things. They have to be the center of attention. If ypu throw some ghost shrimp in then the betta should be fine

 

[bud29]

I meant with all the shrimp and the Betta it would be crammed. The tank looks spacious, just not enough for shrimp AND Bettas.

Shrimp are very small and inhabit a completely different part of the tank than the betta. You could easily have both in a 5g. Not that the betta will get along with them necessarily, however if it works out there is definitely room.

 

[Jev12]

Ok well that sounds good

 

[azmodan]

I keep RCS with my betta in a heavily planted five gal and he seems to leave them alone for the most part. I've seen him lunge a few times at them but they seem to dart out of the way pretty easily. He leaves them alone enough that they're spawning with no problem. However I will say this is sort of behavior is probably fairly unusual and in most cases the betta would kill them.

 

[Jev12]

Ok well I was going to wait until the plant filled in more so that there would be more hiding spaces...and of course if it doesn't work I will just put them in one of my other tanks

 

[Fishperson]

I meant with all the shrimp and the Betta it would be crammed. The tank looks spacious, just not enough for shrimp AND Bettas.

Most shrimp don't take up much room in the tank. They stay near the bottom whereas bettas stay near the top, so they would not be a problem. It should be fine with about 10 or so shrimp.