I don't think I have room to run a 10 or 20 gallon, I was told that the shrimp help clean waste off of gravel and do not increase the min. water req
I was also told the that the pleco would consume algae off of the side of my tank and only required .5 gal
and by told I mean "read off of the walmart price tag"
will the pleco be stunted growth wise I just want him there to prolong needing to change the water out every week with messy fish
is there anything I can do with a fluval chi? that's honestly about as big as I want to get with an aquarium
I live in California do I still need a heater?
shrimp will clean up some waste but they won't eat poop, they will mostly just clean up left over food.
Plecos do eat algae but not enough to really off set the waste the waste they produce and they need more than just the algae a tank will produce, they need waffers or other options to feed them A snail is a better bet if you are looking for algae control and low bioload. Though really wiping it off the side of the tank is just as good. It's harmless and my fish actually like to eat it themselves.
Honestly, I don't say this to be rude, there isn't a nice way to say it though, stunting isn't really a worry.. your fish won't survive long in that bowl. They need a filter and they need a heater and a lot more room. Weekly changes are the requirement for a properly stocked tank of a proper size. Your bowl is really going to need you to change water every day, maybe more, if you want them to survive.
You could work with the 5 gallon. It may not be as exciting as you hope it to be as it really doesn't give a ton of room. You could happily do a betta(male or female) and try some shrimp in there. He may try to eat the shrimp but it's worth a shot, a snail or two is an option as well.
The important thing is that you have a filter and a heater and do your research first. Pick your tank size and then research what is suitable for it and get a test kit! You can get a master kit for about 30 bucks usually and it is very important to help kepe you aware of what is happening in your tank as far as toxins go. Those tags and pet store advice are rarely correct and following them will often get you into a lot of trouble. As mention plecos average a foot or more in length but can reach 2 feet if given the space. Keeping it in something .5 gallons juts isn't even an option. It would die within days.
I never did mention about the plants though. You can keep them in any size tank, the important thing is to be sure you have enough light to support them. Most lights that come with kits aren't strong enough and the plant will often die. Keep an eye out for that with your current plant because it will add to you toxin levels.