New to FW, setting up a ~5g tank

[atte]

Hey everyone, I'm looking to set up a nano freshwater tank for my college dorm room. I have plenty of experience with saltwater, but I'm a fw noob. I don't remember sw being this intimidating haha

I really like all of those Iwagumi/Amano inspired aquascapes - is something like this possible in a simple setup for a beginner? I've done a bit of research but I'm still pretty clueless so bear with me. I want something low maintenance and simple that I can fit on my desk or bookshelf, so I've narrowed it down to a nano tank around 5 gallons. Would this Finnex 4 gallon be OK, or are there better starter kits you can recommend? For fish, I'm perfectly fine with a betta but I've done that before so what are some more interesting options? I like the look of neon tetras even though they are the basic starter fish.

Most of my questions have to do with lighting/plants. From what I have seen, strong lighting can be achieved pretty easily using regular CFL screw type bulbs. What about CO2 dosing? This is something I'm pretty confused about because of all of the options. What plants (keeping in mind the Iwagumi style if possible) are easy to maintain? Can CO2 be dosed entirely through additives like Excel and Flourish?

Sorry if I'm asking too many questions! I've read up on some of this stuff but I'd like to get it as clear as possible before I start buying things. Thanks!

 

[librarygirl]

Hi! An Iwagumi should be possible in a smaller tank. Here's a google search which has info from various forums and even some youtube videos.

You stocking options are pretty limited to either a Betta, shrimp, or nano fish like ember tetra, celestial pearl danio, glowlight tetra, or chili rasbora (there may be more, those are the ones that come to mind). A 5 gal isn't appropriate for Neon Tetras IMO as they are very active fish and need a lot of horizontal swimming space.

I can't help with the plants/lights as I'm still learning that side myself.

Keep asking questions. Good luck!

 

[BigJim]

An Amano tank is anything but a simple beginner setup. They require lots of light, lots of fertilizers, pressurized CO2 injection, and constant trimming.

If you've never had plants in an aquarium before, start with some easier plants. Crypts, mosses, and java ferns offer a lot of variety and are easy to grow without CO2 and fertilizers.

 

[atte]

Thanks for the advice! It looks like I won't be going Iwagumi then because I want this to be as simple as possible. I think I will use gravel for the substrate or maybe black blasting sand. I've picked up a 5 gallon standard kit from Walmart. Will the stock lighting be enough for things like java fern, dwarf hairgrass, and java moss? If not then I might get that Finnex linked above - it comes with a 26W 6500K CFL.

 

[BigJim]

The stock lighting will be plenty for the ferns and the moss. The hairgrass should survive, but it probably won't carpet the tank completely.

I'd recommend sand over gravel for plants. The smaller grains let the plant roots get a better grip. If you plant the ferns in the substrate, don't bury the rhizome.