Alchemy129 said:
Overcrowded? The entire bottom row of fish in my sig don't take up any room. as the snail and shrimps dont even count in the equation at all. The frog likes to stay out of sight. The entire top 60% of my tank is empty unused space with only the betta popping up briefly from time to time, lots of free swimming space(almost the whole tank).
You don't want your tank to be brimming with fish. Think of it this way: you wouldn't want to have to see another person every time you turned a corner in your house. There is also the bioload issue..
When I had a 5g with a "showpiece" fish (i.e. a betta), I had *one* other organism in there, which was a dwarf frog. My 5g at school housed a single organism- a male paradise fish.
Alchemy129 said:
If your worrying about filtration and air quality i have a bio-wheel, 3 live plants and 5 differnt tiny scavengers that devour anyhitng on the bottom, and i clean regualrly and check the water regularly. Also the neons are very small and stick close together, with the guppy's being the same size only thinner.
You cannot count on ghost shrimp to keep your tank clean, for one. Remember, they are just reprocessing waste and then excreting their own into the system. This is the same problem people have with "cleaner fish" like plecostomus or Chinese algae eaters- in the case of the plecostomus they add far more waste than one might expect, but luckily this is not the case with your shrimp. Plants, while helping, can also not be relied upon to keep your water quality pristine in the quantity you mentioned. It is good to see that you check and clean your tank regularly. Remember that you are aiming for 0 Ammonia and Nitrite, and less than 20
ppm of Nitrates ideally (though some people do let them fluctuate as high as 40
ppm- it depends on the sensitivity of your fish).
Neon tetras and guppies do both reach a good size (with a little variation based on genetics and the quality of their environment), but more importantly, neon tetras need to be in groups of larger than five, and they need more room than a 5g can provide. They should also only be added to *mature* tanks of preferably six months in age, and must be chosen carefully. The hardness and pH of your water can also have a negative effect on these fish, and many are known to waste away over a period of months or develop diseases that quickly spread through their school.
Guppies, depending on what mix of males and females you have (it sounds to me like you have two males, so this shouldn't be as much of a problem), will easily overpopulate such a small tank.
Corydoras aren't the best choice for a 5g because like neons, they need to be in groups (3+), and some species get to a good size. They also need a lot of room to roam around the bottom.
The mystery snail also adds a considerable amount to your bioload- be careful if it dies as well, as they leave behind a very icky carcass.
Alchemy129 said:
I'm not trying to sound rude in this post or anything so please don't take it like that, just not what i was expecting from u guys, by the way i'll be getting around to posting pics of the tank later when i get ahold of a camera, the corner design gives is alot of open room..
What you should expect from this forum is that people will try to give you the best advice possible for helping your fish survive and thrive in your aquarium. That you are getting an unsupportive response for the addition of more fish should indicate to you that it will decrease the quality of life for the fish you have.
I would suggest getting rid of everything but the shrimp, the betta, and the frog (if you are certain that it is in fact a dwarf frog and not the similar African clawed frog). There is no guarantee that your betta might not decide to turn on the frog and/or the shrimp at some point, but the fact that it hasn't yet is a good sign. However, you may also want to return the frog if it is hiding all the time. This may be a sign that it is being picked on by the betta when you aren't watching.
If you are interested in creating a more balanced aquarium with top, midlevel, and bottom-dwelling fish I would suggest you invest in a larger tank. The common 29g aquarium would be a good idea and could host a variety of different topdwellers such as silver and marbled hatchetfish, or some of the smaller gourami species that will spend much of their time in the top- to midlevels.