New 5.5g beginner

[Julie0228]

Hi everyone. I'm new to the blog and just set up a 5.5 gallon. When I was in high school I had a 10 gallon but in my new apartment I don't have enough space for a larger tank right now. I set up the tank yesterday with filter and water conditioner. I will be leaving town on Wednesday for 4 days so I was planning on just letting the tank sit and do its thing while I'm gone. Was hoping to be able to add some fish when I get back. Was wondering about fish less and fish in cycling. What should I do? I would like as much advice as possible. Could I add a beta for a fish in cycle? Or maybe a couple danios or something? Thanks for the advice!


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[treemanone2003]

Welcome aboard !! Fish in or fish less cycling are both fairly easy. I've done fish in ever since I can remember, but that's just me. Here are some links on both styles.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/fish-in-cycling-step-over-into-the-dark-side-176446.html

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/

A betta in a 5.5 is doable and would be a much nicer home than a little glass bowl at an LFS.

Here is another link for some common abbreviations that appear from time to time that you may not be familiar with.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/faq.php?faq=acronyms#faq_acronyms_list

Hope these get you going in the right direction. Keep us posted and have a safe trip !!


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[Julie0228]

If I do a beta what would be a good tank mate? Maybe a dwarf frog?


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[treemanone2003]

I wouldn't do a dwarf frog/betta combo in anything less than a 10g. At most I would suggest apple snails or ghost shrimp. You could probably fit 6-8 ghosts in there or 3-4 snails.


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[FreshSaltGirl]

Are you thinking of putting in live plants? I'm doing a similar setup to yours in my dorm plants are always a nice addition and help maintain water quality as well as oxygen levels. Plus shrimp sure do appreciate the coverage just a thought.


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[Julie0228]

I've never had a tank with live plants. I would like to try. Anything I need to know about adding live plants?


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[FreshSaltGirl]

Me neither I know you need a plant friendly substrate, and about 15w (6500k) of lighting. Anubias, java moss, amazon sword, cambomba, and amazon frog it are probably what I'll be putting it. I won't be putting any extra co2 in, but will have either some fertilizer or nutrient tabs.

Pretty much establish the tank with seeding from my 40 gallon, then put the plants in, then the fish you can do the same or similar if you like. It's quite simple and beautiful. Will brighten up any dorm, or apartment in your case your choice. Some fake plants out there can be fairly high quality. But in my opinion, nothing beats the real thing.

 

[Julie0228]

I was thinking maybe a moss ball and some small floating plants.


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[FreshSaltGirl]

Moss ball? Good choice! They're nice and cheap. amazon frogbit is a floating plant, but then there's also duckweed. next time you visit your lfs, check out their stocks and prices, and decide from there

 

[Coursair]

I've never had a tank with live plants. I would like to try. Anything I need to know about adding live plants?


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You can ask more advice in the Freshwater>Planted Tank forum

For now ...

You can get Anubias nana "petite" or Java Fern. Neither is "planted". Both are tied to rocks or wood, so substrate doesn't matter. Java Fern will grow under almost any light.

I use black sand in my tanks.

Bettas need adjustable flow filters so you don't blow them around.


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