So which fish should i get?

[Brandon K.A]

I have a 5 gallon fish tank (NOT MUCH AT ALL) that had some small guppies in it. Well, One of my guppies died and was stuck on the filter, so i turned off my filter and took out the fish, then plugged the filter back in and all this bad stuff shot out, like a bunch of random I would say dirt or something, and then the water started foaming, then all my guppies died. I guess maybe it was because the filter hasn't been changed for awhile, and that maybe next time I should add water to the filter once I plug it back in. Well anyway, I have cleaned my tank and now I am looking to see what kinds or kind of fish I should put in my tank? Maybe one Betta? As I hear you should only have a limited amount of fish in a 5gal tank. Sorry for my long story, but this is my purpose for being here, and to meet other people who know a lot about this stuff, and for me to learn all this stuff and eventually get enough funds for a bigger tank!

Best,
Brandon

 

[NODAK1979]

You could get a few glass cats if you wanted. They hardly move around. I'm not sure about tetras, as I've never kept them, but they're small and look kind of cool in a school.

 

[Bettababe1011]

Five gallons is the minimum for a Betta. You could have ONE male or ONE female in there. Not at the same time, of course. I would suggest getting a bigger tank, but I know how you feel. I have a tank that will be available after I move my frog to a bigger tank, and I don't want it to just be empty after I upgrade. So I would say either a Betta, or some shrimp. The Betta, contrary to popular belief, needs a heater and a filter. My Betta, the goof that he is, swims in the filter current. Some like the current, and some hide from it.

Courtesy of Dakota's iPod.

 

[meegosh]

Glass catfish are schooling fish that can easily reach 2.5" so I don't think they would be a good choice for a 5 gal.

 

[Big-j]

If I had a five gal. I'd do a shrimp/invert tank, get alot of plants and then get just shrimp, inside a month or two there will be eggs and soon after, even more shrimp, I have a few in my ten gallon and I'm always checkin on them to be sure they're still alive

 

[BigJim]

+1 for a betta or shrimp.

Never change your filter media unless it's falling apart. Rinse it out well in a bucket of old tank water or dechlorinated water. Doing this will preserve your beneficial bacteria colonies and keep your tank healthy. Ignore what the manufacturer says on the box. They just want to sell cartridges.

 

[doogle]

a betta sounds good, they live fine in smaller tanks than that...i beleive 1-2 gallons is the norm...they are happier alone, with clean water if you fave a warm 72*house or more, then you dont need a heater. wouldnt want less than 72*f

 

[mudraker]

Was your tank cycled before the guppies died?

And how often did you change the water (PWC).

I doubt debris from a dirty filter killed the guppies. But water that has been left unchanged will invite all manner of disease into the tank, especially a small one.

IMO, you should read up on the nitrogen cycle and maintaining a clean tank before restocking so your new fish won't suffer the same fate.

 

[CoyoteWildfire]

Glass catfish are schooling fish that can easily reach 2.5" so I don't think they would be a good choice for a 5 gal.

I have to agree. Even three glass cats was technically too much for my ten gallon tank with any other fish in there... And they're a schooling fish so you'd want no less than three in there to be safe. Furthermore, they're really quite sensitive to light and in a tank that small, the light bearing down on them could be more harsh than they would really enjoy...

Also, if you had your fish die like that, I would certainly recommend cleaning out the tank and the gravel and starting fresh. Make sure to cycle your tank first, though you could probably cycle it with the Betta since they're pretty hardy, if you didn't want to play it safe. Just bear in mind the risks involved... And keep up on your PWCs. A new tank that isn't cycled ought to have 10-20% daily PWC for a couple of weeks. I also recommend StressZyme for boosting the cycle.

Once you get the biological filter going after cycle, I would recommend having you keep your filter lasting as long as possible, even washing it back into the tank water. The beneficial bacterial that builds up in the cartridge is really helpful, so if you hadn't changed the filter in a while, I kind of doubt that was what killed your fish.

Plus, you could get a small plant or two and do a couple shrimp or a snail if you wanted. Or if you wanted to get a couple of fish, you could probably get a small school of neon tetras or even two or three serpae or white skirt tetras. It would really stock your tank pretty high, but tetras do tend to be pretty hardy and as long as you kept up on your PWCs and monitored your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels, you should be fine.

 

[Brandon K.A]

Thanks eveyone for all the information!!!! I am thinking about just going with the Beta or maybe a dwarf puffer. I have cleaned out the gravel, water, and filter cartridge. I have the tank up and running, so all I am missing is fish. The water is clear so that should be a good sign. I do have to do some research on PWCs and nitrates etc. I got a lot to learn and research!

 

[CoyoteWildfire]

Believe me, when I started my tank, I had no clue either. AA really saved my rear and taught me a LOT. Even with the water clear, I recommend letting it go for two weeks, doing 10-20% PWCs each day. Then if you want to rush it and not wait until your tank is fully cycled, put the Betta in and continue daily PWCs to keep ammonia down.

A brief overview, and I'm still pretty noobish regarding this as well so I may be a little erroneous, but ammonia is from fish waste or added to your tank yourself. Ammonia then turns into nitrite, and then further into nitrate, which is good for your fish, which produce more ammonia. The whole process allows good bacteria to grow in your filter and in your gravel bed, which further supports happy, healthy fish. Nitrites aren't good for your fish either, but plants really help in this area, taking both ammonia and nitrites and turning them into nitrates as well.

There's a thread on the forum that goes into amazing detail regarding it... I recommend reading up on it. It will teach you a lot.

 

[Bettababe1011]

a betta sounds good, they live fine in smaller tanks than that...i beleive 1-2 gallons is the norm...they are happier alone, with clean water if you fave a warm 72*house or more, then you dont need a heater. wouldnt want less than 72*f

Bettas are often kept in those small tanks, but that doesn't mean it's good for them. Seventy five and up is generally the best temp for a Betta. Mine does best at seventy eight to eighty. The temp from the room and the tank aren't always the same though, so a heater is definitely recommended. The males have to be alone, but females can be in a sorority of about five or more. In a five gallon, that's not a good choice though. The most important is never put two males or a female and male together. They will kill each other. Females should only be kept with males for breeding purposes.

Courtesy of Dakota's iPod.

 

[CoyoteWildfire]

Bettas are often kept in those small tanks, but that doesn't mean it's good for them. Seventy five and up is generally the best temp for a Betta. Mine does best at seventy eight to eighty. The temp from the room and the tank aren't always the same though, so a heater is definitely recommended. The males have to be alone, but females can be in a sorority of about five or more. In a five gallon, that's not a good choice though. The most important is never put two males or a female and male together. They will kill each other. Females should only be kept with males for breeding purposes.

Courtesy of Dakota's iPod.

I can't deny that she does have a point. Fish tend to do better with more living room.

Thing is, one Betta compared to needing a school of different other fish (given that you'll need to get up to six or more of a single fish to have a proper school and to ensure proper social health and behavior) seems to me to be the lesser of two evils. Especially in such a small tank.

Dakota, given your position against a Betta in a five gallon, could you please provide a suggestion as to what fish you think would be a better idea and why? I think that would be more helpful. :]

 

[Bettababe1011]

I think they're fine in a five gallon. I was saying that the one to two gallons that the guy I quoted was saying was the usual was bad. A Betta will do fine in a five gallon as a minimum.

Courtesy of Dakota's iPod.

 

[Bettababe1011]

Oh, and I meant that the sorority I had mentioned wasn't good for a five gallon.

Courtesy of Dakota's iPod.

 

[Brandon K.A]

I ended up getting 1Beta and 3 Tetras. Thanks for all the info btw. So far they seem to be getting along.

 

[CoyoteWildfire]

I think they're fine in a five gallon. I was saying that the one to two gallons that the guy I quoted was saying was the usual was bad. A Betta will do fine in a five gallon as a minimum.

Courtesy of Dakota's iPod.

Thanks for the clarification!

I ended up getting 1Beta and 3 Tetras. Thanks for all the info btw. So far they seem to be getting along.

Best of luck to you. I hope you enjoy your new tank and that your fish do too. :]

 

[Kat1103]

Once you get it cycled, you should check out the bettas. My betta is beautiful and very curious. Just be careful when buying one and try to pick out a healthy one. petsmart and petco don't always carry the most healthiest ones. I got mine at local fish store.

 

[siva]

Glass cats are schoolers that should be kept in groups of 6 or more and easily reach 4". I decided they were too big for my 29 gal...guess that's just me. IMO the only things appropriate for a 5 gal are 1 betta, ADF's, shrimp, and/or snails.
Doogle I really feel like that's bad info. A betta should never be kept in 1-2 gallons of water. A tank that small can't be heated properly. And they can barely move..it's just not right. Of course people do it but people do really stupid things. Bettas like warm water...warmer even than a lot of fw fish. I won't even use a preset temp heater for mine..has to be one with a dial so I can acheive a perfect 80F.

 

[siva]

No tetras of any kind should be kept in a 5 gal tank.