Question on a previous topic

[An t-iasg]

Does anyone remember the topic about what to do with a 5 gallon tank, besides bettas? I tried searching, but came up with errors.

I have two bettas in their own 5.5 gallon tanks. Each tank has its own heater and sponge filter. I got another 5.5 gallon tank, thinking to set it up with another betta. Well, I love my bettas, but I think it's time for something different! Besides the tank, I also have a 25-watt heater. I don't have another filter right now, but I could get a small HOB. Would the smallest HOB be too big for a 5 gallon? I don't know much about them since I just have sponge filters now.

So I tried to pull up that topic, but no luck! Does anyone maybe have it their bookmarks, and could link me to it?

 

[An t-iasg]

Sorry about the double entry. I didn't get the "message submitted" screen.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Well, I don't have the link, but I could maybe hook you up with an answer. You could try a small schooling fish. I recommend rasboras, they are cool. A couple of them would be nice. You could go with neon tetras, mollies, platies, white cloud mountain fish, anything small really. You could also try some goldfish, small ones or a couple of fantails, that would be cool. You actually have a variety of choices, what were you looking to get?

As for the HOB filter, Whisper makes a micro HOB filter for 2-5 gal tanks. It sorta hangs on the inside of your tank, but on the back. I have one in my 5 gallon tank now, works great!

HTH!

 

[Fruitbat]

Double post taken care of!

A small HOB would be fine on a 5 gallon tank but might set up a bit too much current for a Betta to be happy. Sounds like you've got all the right goodies for a new tank...now all you need to do is set it up and get some fish in it!!

 

[dralarms]

I have to disagree with the mollies. They get bigger that what is normally acceptable in a 5 gal, and they get MEAN as they age. IME, anyway.

 

[TankGirl]

I also disagree with goldfish in there. You could go the dwarf puffer route, or even a male and 2 female shelldweller cichilds, especially N. multifasciatus, which is the world's smallest cichild and stay very tiny. You could also do Endler's livebearer's in there, as they stay small. IMO there are really very few fish that will be comfortable in a 5gal, so it is wise to choose carefully!

 

[An t-iasg]

Thanks everyone!

Well, since I can't find the original topic, I'll toss out my own ideas. Sorry if these ideas were previously discussed:

1. 5 male guppies -- I don't think male guppies will fight like male bettas will, right? I really don't want fry if at all possible. Will the absence of females stress them?

2. Killiefish -- do killiefish easily spawn? Also I don't think that a group of males can get along. and I want more than one male killie.

3. Apistogrammas -- These I know the least about. Are they similar to the shell cichlids? Either one would be nice. Maybe one would be more suited to the 5 gallon. My tap water pH is 8 to 8.2, and I wouldn't have to mix it with RO water like I do for my bettas. (right?)

4. White cloud minnows -- do these easily spawn also? I think I read that they do.

 

[TankGirl]

Shellies would adore your tap water! Someone please correct me, but most of the apisto's I am familiar with prefer soft, acidic water. Kribensis is a dwarf cichlid that would do fine in your water, but a pair in a 5 gal would be pushing it. Maybe one, but they hide quite a lot, so you might not see much action.

How about shrimp and snails? Or maybe find one of those crawfish type crabs that usually eat tankmates. They would do great in a tank of their own. You can also get a dwarf frog.

 

[dralarms]

I also disagree with goldfish in there. You could go the dwarf puffer route, or even a male and 2 female shelldweller cichilds, especially N. multifasciatus, which is the world's smallest cichild and stay very tiny. You could also do Endler's livebearer's in there, as they stay small. IMO there are really very few fish that will be comfortable in a 5gal, so it is wise to choose carefully!

I missed the goldfish, thanks.

 

[Christmasfish]

ph

Wow! If it wasn't for the pH I would have had a handful of size friendly labyrinth fish for 5 gallons.
But they pretty much have lower pH ranges the smaller they are. so the 1 inch long paradise fish won't be a go (I think they like 6 or 6.5)
I dont know very many other fish groups well. Goldfish wouldn't prosper and all the tiny tetras are low pH fish too.

Those cute little cichlids someone posted a few weeks ago would be darling, the shell dwellers?. If everyone says they are the ones...they are pretty. I'd take that for a dollar! 8)

 

[Devilishturtles]

Wow, I guess I was wrong. IME, mollies and platies stayed small and never got agressive. I had 3 in a 5.5 gal tank for a long time and they were the happiest things ever. As for the goldfish, I thought that one or two would be ok in a 5 gal ? I know some people who have goldfish in a 5 gal and they have lived a long time, very healty fish. Anyways, good luck with what you do choose!

 

[dralarms]

I had 2 dalmation mollies in my 55 gal and between the 2 they killed around 20 female betta's (not all at once).

 

[TankGirl]

I think it is Enki that has the Neolamprologus (or, Lamprologous) oscellatus, one of the shelldwellers, and recently posted pics. I have heard that they are slightly more aggressive than other types of shellies, which might be amplified in a 5-gal, but N. brevis might be worth a consideration. Your tap water really is perfect for that type of fish. A sand substrate, some escargot shells and a rock or two (valisneria is a good plant for your water, as well, if you can keep it from being dug up by the fish moving their shells around). Okay, I promise I am going to quit harrassing you and let you decide...

 

[An t-iasg]

Devillish Turtles, I would think also that 3 platies could be ok in there, as long as you keep scooping the fry out! I would still watch for signs of stress or aggression among them, as I would with any new fish set-up. Thanks for the filter recommendation. I think I saw the Whisper filters in Wal-Mart.

TankGirl, is valisneria the same as tiger val? I had that once, and it was so pretty. But it died, because the dumb ol' lfs didn't tell me about how to care for plants. I just put them in regular colored gravel! (So here I was with my first tank, lots of live plants that died quickly and made a huge ammonia spike, stressing my poor (first) betta very badly....well, it's no wonder that I found a nice hatchery instead of going back to the lfs! End of rant!)

Thanks everyone for your replies! I realize that a 5.5 gallon is rather small to do a lot with, but since I already have it, I thought I'd try for something besides bettas. I'll check out my favorite hatchery soon and see what's available!

 

[TankGirl]

I am not familiar with tiger val, but most valisneria consists of long, ribbon-like leaves, which twist or corkscrew in some varieties. It is probably too big for a 5gal anyway, I reckon.

 

[PlatyLady]

I asked months ago about my 5.5 gal. It's still empty, have had others things to do unfortunately.

Anyway, some of the suggestions I remember were: White Cloud Mountain Minnows, Chocolate Gourami or two, more small livebearers (guppies, platys), neons, a crab, a betta, shrimp.

Oh, and I have an AquaClear mini filter on it. It came with the tank.

 

[PlatyLady]

And about the platies, two, maybe three could work. Probably best to get all the same sex though.

 

[An t-iasg]

Thanks, TankGirl and Platylady! The tiger val I had did have corkscrew leaves, and it was rather small. Maybe I'll give it another try, since I know just a little bit more about aquatic plants. (I'll have to read up a little -- for instance, I don't want all the big CO2 setups, so I'll have to see if it's possible to maintain a plant with only some liquid ferts or the correct substrate).

Platies would be nice too -- I didn't know that you could go with a small group of the same sex. I hope they are easy to distunguish between male and female. Would a group of males fight? I wondered the same thing about guppies. I don't think a group of male guppies would fight (like male bettas would) but in the absence of females, I'm not sure if that would lead to stress among the males or not.

I'll have to see what the hatchery has -- I'm thinking some pretty orange platies or some shell cichlids! One good thing about the cichlids is that they would like my high pH tap water. But I already buy RO water to mix half and half with my tap water for the bettas, so I guess getting another gallon of RO water wouldn't be that bad.

Oh, decisions, decisions!

 

[TankGirl]

You won't need to mix RO for the shellies, if I understand you correctly. I am growing valisneria (it is taking over completely!) in my 44gal without any kind of ferts, just sand and hard, alkaline water. The lighting is a single 25watt fluorescent, believe it or not! It is spreading all over the place, and really thrives in sandy substrate. It did not do so well in my 55, which has softer, more acidic water and gravel, with much higher light.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Males and females are easy to tell apart. Just look at the anal fin, on the bottom, right below the tail kinda. A male has what is called a gonopodium, an anal fin that sorta sticks straight back, doesn't curve out. A female has a anal fin that fans out. When you see them in the tank, the difference is pretty clear in the two.

A group of the same sex wouldn't fight...but I would take a guess that a group of males would probaly get a little territorial around mating time without a female. I don't know if females would get the same way or not? As for your choice, I would go with the chiclids. IMO, better varieties and a little hardier than platies. Also, I agree with tankgirl, you won't need to mix RO water in, chiclids thrive in hard water.

Good luck with what you do choose!

BTW: If you choose to get a livebearer, and you don't want fry, make sure the female(if you get one) doesn't have a gravid spot( a dark spot above the anal fin) That, plus if she is fat, is a pretty good sign that she is pregnant, and you will have fry soon, just wanted to add this in before I step off of my soapbox