Newbie. 5 gallon tank help

[Martine]

Hello, I'm just starting out with a 5 gallon tank , I know it's small but that's what wanted. I've got the tank but no fish yet, what would be an ideal fish to put in this tank and how many? Thanks.

[Maxw47]

Is it cycled? Don't even think about fish if it isn't. Too many new fish keepers skip this step and it makes too many problems.

[aquandrew]

betta, least killifish, shrimp or a pea puffer theres not much else that can go in a 5 gallon

[Martine]

The tank has been running days now.i know that it needs to be set up and running before fish are added. I have had tanks before and know the basics but not is many years so I consider myself a newbie again lol. Maybe I'll get a bigger tank once I'm sure this is running well to put some "real" fish in

[Maxw47]

It doesn't need to run a few days, it needs to run like a month. The tank has to go through the nitrogen cycle, do you know what that is? Then you can add fish.

[PockX]

I would go with a pea puffer, personally.

[Mumma.of.two]

Originally Posted by Martine

The tank has been running days now.i know that it needs to be set up and running before fish are added. I have had tanks before and know the basics but not is many years so I consider myself a newbie again lol. Maybe I'll get a bigger tank once I'm sure this is running well to put some "real" fish in

Running the tank for a few days is not considered a cycle unfortunately. You need to introduce an ammonia source to start, continue and maintain the nitrogen cycle.

Please read this article. It will explain the ways to cycle. You can decide what way best suits you and go from there.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articl...ium/Page1.html

[Martine]

Apparently I didn't know that , why don't they tell you these things when u go to pet stores and purchase. They said 24 hours. But I guess they aren't experts. I've come for advice, I haven't killed any fish and there is nothing in the tank yet. If it needs to run a month or so that's fine

[Martine]

Thanks for the advice everyone

[PockX]

There are products out there to jumpstart your cycle and also other ways to cycle it (fish/fishless)

[Unicorn1]

Originally Posted by Martine

Apparently I didn't know that , why don't they tell you these things when u go to pet stores and purchase. They said 24 hours. But I guess they aren't experts. I've come for advice, I haven't killed any fish and there is nothing in the tank yet. If it needs to run a month or so that's fine

It's great you came here first! It's better just to come here, they don't normally really know much.

[Maxw47]

I think it's awesome tht you understand and are willing to learn about the cycle and go through it. Too many people go out and trust the pet store employees thinking the cycle really isn't necessary.

[Martine]

Think I am wasting my time with a 5 gal?

[Maxw47]

It's up to you. A 5 gallon can get a little boring imo, but it can be a lot easier to clean and keep up with too.

[Unicorn1]

What kind of fish do you want? I'm actually looking for a tank more of your size to downgrade to, because I love bettas and would like to focus on just one fish. If you're looking to have a full tank with lots of fish you may want to consider an upgrade. You should be excited about whatever tank you decide on, but I think little tanks are fun

[PockX]

I really enjoy my 40 breeder and my 29 but I also like my 10 gallon..it's very easy to maintain. And raising guppies is fun too. :P