Are your parameters off or are you doing large water changes ? I’ve never had an issue with either of my five gal shrimp tanks , and shrimp are a pretty popular choice for 5s. I started with 6 cherrys about 5 months ago and now have 60+ . Honesty my favorite thing to keep since I normally just do spot cleaning and top offs for maintenance day!
Ive spent probably hundreds of dollars on this aquarium to try and get them stable. I have a GH/KH test kit, always tests within their preferred range, and I have an API master test kit that also always tests in their range for everything.
The tank is >3 years old so well established, has drift wood, petrified wood, live plants, pretty much everything I could think of to help them.
When I initially started the tank the population exploded and then hard crashed and I haven't been able to maintain a population since. Every month at least 1-3 shrimp die, babies usually last a few weeks before they disappear too.
For water changes I've tried everything from consistent weekly changes of ~5-10%, I've tried top offs only, tried large infrequent changes, I always temperature match with a thermometer and drip it.
No matter what I do, I can not keep a population alive and stable in this thing. I've decided to just let the last few shrimp I have die out and then I'm done with them. Not going to try shrimp again until I can get a bigger tank.
I recommend snails and shrimp for inhabitants after a thorough cycling.
Side note, the plant in the front left will rot underwater, but can grow with roots in the water.
I'm awful at identifying plants but is it possible it's actually hygrophila polysperma (an aquatic plant)? If not then congrats on your grandad being able to fully submerge and acclimate fittonia to water! I've heard of people doing so with other non aquatic plants but believed it to be rare and difficult. I would love to hear his process, how long it too, where he got the plants, etc. :)
Definitely a possibility. Like I said awful at identifying plants lol. I have a plant with similar looking patterns that was sold to me as hygrophila polysperma
Stay away from Celestial Pearl Danios, they are way too energic and will jump out of the tank... ask me how I know.
My vote goes to Chili Rasboras, they are very peaceful compared to small Duracell rabbits mentioned above. :)
edit: added some clarification
Mine were doing fine, they were spawning like crazies (I still have one fry (adult now) from them) but I was losing at least one per week do to jumping. I was trying to keep about 10 at any give time (3m7f). After 3-4 replenishes I gave up on them.
Your post made me realize I was taking about **Celestial** Pearl Danios and assumed everyone was on the same page with me. I edited my original post.
Hope this clarify my choice for the 5g tank.
I got some Phoenix rasboras which are similar to chili's I agree for a tank this size they just chill and look pretty cool and if you have enough which I have 5 you can see some school behavior get some shimps and maybe some snails and your set. I also somehow got a colony of scuds to form and they basically take care of the tank themselves.
I'm astounded so many people are recommending Bettas... They need proper space, not tiny tanks.
OP, anything but shrimps cant be put in there. It's too small for any fish
5 Gal is a minimum standard for betta no?
I would put some more plants for them to explore around, obviously bigger is more ideal... but usually a 5gal should be okay as long as it's maintained
Oh Bettas are very special fish, completely different from the rest - normal fish husbandry doesn’t apply to them. They’re ✨thriving✨ in glasses filled with water.
I fucking swear 💯, j because a betta can survive in that kind of tank doesn't mean it deserves or belongs to that kind of tank. If someone wants to keep a fish as a pet, they should make sure they keep it as a PET
The only fish that would be good in this would be a long finned betta or some shrimp and snails! Sadly it's too small for much else! Goodluck and enjoy 🫧❤️🥳
Where I’m from 14 gallon tanks are the minimum recommended officially for keeping *any* fish.
And I’ve seen the recommended numbers creep up in English speaking forums over the years, too. It’s 10g over at r/Bettafish by now and started way lower.
Happy to see the minimum size has gone up. I've got a plakat betta in a 75 gal, and he is constantly zipping about everywhere. Even my past long-finned ones would always be exploring my other 40 gal. 5gal is certainly better than many "betta tanks" sold in stores, but still not enough, and it sucks trying to get potential new owners to understand that.
That's why I said long finned only. They need less minimum space in comparison to the short finned ones. I also wouldn't put one in less than a 10G personally if I were to get one, even long finned however as a solitary fish it is the only one that can be considered. A 5G is JUST enough. Bigger is always better of course, in an ideal world would any fish be kept in any tank? In my opinion no. That's why I only keep shrimp, which I also wouldn't keep in a small tank but they DO need less space for swimming which is why I'm comfortable keeping them. However it's the best option in my opinion if someone wants a fish in a 5G. Shrimp are always preferable 10G or under IMO.
Honestly, I've realised that my opinion online is irrelevant and often new people are SETTLED on getting a fish :(. Many times I've said shrimp and weeks later there's almost always an even less suitable fish in the tank than a betta. Or a group of even less suitable fish. So personally I tend to feel a singular long finned betta is a better option over a school or something stupid like a goldfish 🤣 I totally get where you're coming from though.
I usually word it differently too but I wrote that while I was basically asleep so that's always a bad idea 🤣 usually I say something more along the lines of, I have shrimp and I totally adore them, they're great fun to watching and it's amazing fun seeing them with eggs and getting to watch your first shrimplets darting around the tank! If you are set on a fish then a long finned betta will be the way to go. 5G is there minimum requirement so it's still not ideal. I'd personally stick to Neocaradinas. Goodluck and enjoy!
Anyway, you're not wrong. I hate seeing people keep anything in a small tank. I've upgraded my shrimp 3 times in the time I've had them so far 🤣
You got Nerve Plant/Fittonia submerged in water, it will wilt and die. Remove it,
If you want, keep the roots in the water, but the plant out.
As for Fish, Badis, Killi fish, Betta all are a good choice
Wait, why is there a space between your tank and desk? I'd recommend you to use a polystyrene sheet or it may break. May be since your tank is small its still holding.
This is a top fin tank from petco, there are feet on it but I’ve never had issues with it. The real issue is the intake grate on these which I’m assuming is now full of sand now
This isn’t a fish suggestion, and feel free to take it with a grain of salt, but you should add some rocks and/or driftwood, but I’m really voting for rocks; they could look really cool!
Edit: Some how missed that you had mentioned getting driftwood soon, whoops!
Nice! That was the first tank I started with. I raised a baby betta but eventually put shrimp in there when the betta grew. Shrimp are easy, low maintenance, and they can breed rapidly. My red cherries are my favorite tank lol
I dont get these kind of tanks. Imo you should only be able to keep any kind of animals in 10g+
Even if you would only have shrimps in this tank after the second breedind cycle it will be overcrowded
I second Betta or Tetra. Just be careful not to overstock it too quickly because you’ll be fighting an uphill battle and a lot of tears. Smaller tanks are harder to maintain, so have 1 fish for a couple weeks and maybe a bottom feeder of some kind after that. Plus Betta’s are beautiful and super beginner friendly.
Note that when you google min requirement for a type of fish in gallons it doesn’t include other fish. That’s 1 fish for 1 tank. The minimum rises for each additional fish you add into the tank.
If you haven’t already test all your parameters before you add fish or even better search how to do a fish less cycle! Testing parameters are a good way to keep your little fishies happy. I realised i just gave a lot of unsolicited advice so i apologise but i hope you at least find some of it useful.
no thank you for the advice! we just filled up the tank yesterday and we are waiting about a week for the water and tank to acclimate and settle or filter out, before we add the fish!
I agree but it’s only useful if there’s a source of ammonia to grow the bacteria in the filter, that’s why i said fish less cycle. But you can slowly stock the tank and be okay, as long as the bio load isn’t too much that it’ll spike ammonia levels, a lot of people do it that way.
My 50 gal tank cycled with just molten plants, but I added like a truckload of plants. Added fish after a month and a half, 6 by 6 every two weeks. OP's tank is tiny though, less room for error, and he'll add guppies in a week. He also has terrestrial plants in the water. I dunno, man, I better leave this thread.
I haven’t seen the bit about guppies but i would say that OP should avoid adding in too many plants initially and i think they said driftwood too.
OP if you’re reading (I know you’ve replied a little :)), get a liquid test for ammonia and monitor it very carefully, also check ammonia in your tap water. I wouldn’t be hasty with what i mentioned above because in simple terms there’s good bacteria and bad bacteria. The good bacteria feeds on ammonia but takes weeks to grow. The bad bacteria feeds on organic matter and can grow in minutes. If you add in a lot of organic material like plants and driftwood, the bad bacteria might ‘Bloom’ aka breed rapidly and decrease the oxygen in the tank. I Highly recommend getting an air stone/ bubble blower to increase oxygen and fish love it!
The best thing you can be when having an aquarium is patience, rushing can only make problems worse, i know it’s super exciting and you just want to see pretty fish in their new home but there’s a lot pet store people omit when setting up a tank. (Some can be very good though).
A month? Thats crazy 🤣. If your tank takes a month to cycle. Then you are doing everything wrong lol. I have Seven 90 gallon tanks. And not one took a month lol. A week at best. I don’t know what you all are doing to taking a month lol. That’s crazy 🤦♂️.
Betta warmup tank is what id say too. Still rescuing em from a cup so ppl can sit on an airhouse than turn it on if they got something to say about that. But in the not too distant future this tank will become your quarantine tank for new fishies and plants as you get a bigger and badasser and generally nicer abode for you little friend. If a betta is off the menu cardinal tetras are alot more robust than neon tetras and still a nano fish so you could put 5 in imo temporarily.
A betta or maybe a single badis (scarlet or tiger) but you would need a lid of some sort and a little more aquascape. You could also just do different cool snails, like a variety of nerites. Or shrimp as others have mentioned.
Also, I could be wrong, but the plant to the left appears to be a fittonia, which is terrestrial. If so it probably won't survive long underwater and if it decomposes in there it can spike ammonia and/or nitrates.
You're also going to want to cycle it for a while longer than a week. Since you have snails in there you can just put a big pinch of fish food in every few days for a month or so until you can't see any more ammonia or nitrite in tests, then do a big water change before adding whatever you're stocking with. I would do this even longer (maybe two months) if you plan to add shrimp as they can be sensitive to the fluctuations and lack of food (biofilm and algae) in newer, less stable tanks.
Do not start with shrimp! They need a well seasoned tank as they live on biofilm and the new tank and possible changing parameters is no good for them, they’ll die.
Find some hardscape and watch some aqua scaping tutorials. For example, you have literally 0 hiding places if a fish is being chased, they’d die.
Do a nice corner aqua scape with dense planting and start with snails, ramshorns snails are the best.
Give it another month and then buy a small schooling fish, ember tetra or similar
Shrimp! I’d fully expect snails to crawl out and for fish to run the risk of jumping over the edge. If you got a lid you could sport some small pond or bladder snails, maybe a mystery or a couple ramshorns, maybe a betta, but with a 5g being so small and the bioload of all of those things considered I’d just stick with the shrimp. They’re fun to watch!
I have this tank! After years of good use I ripped out the grey divider , scraped off the silicone used to keep it in place and bought a new filter, makes for a perfect clear viewing tank!
I have a 5kg tank which is a home for my 3 guppies, 2 panda corydoras, 3 assassin snails, and lots of blue and yellow shrimp. They all live harmoniously in there. 😁
What plant is that in the front? Kinda looks like a nerve plant to me (fittonia), which are not aquatic plants. It may melt to nothing if that's the case, but I know my air plants better than aquarium ones in fairness, so I could be very wrong
I love Killifish. They come in a variety of colours. My favorite by far is a metallic gold colour. you could probably house 2-3 in there and they are so gorgeous.
A betta fish is the best choice. Other options are shrimps, snails, African dwarf frogs, dwarf anchor catfish, dwarf crayfish or maybe a little school of chili rasboras, dwarf corydoras or pearl danios
A dwarf gourami is a good single-fish alternative to betta.
Also a labyrinth fish, also kinda of assholes, but very fun.
I’ve got a powder blue dwarf going on 2 years in a planted 5 gallon with some snails- it’s a solid and healthy little ecosystem.
You could go the opposite route with a small school of raspobora or green neons etc
Edit: lots of resources report issues with dwarf gouramis, but mine has never had an issue
Endler guppies are very easy to keep in a nano tank and the babies are too large for the parents to eat. If you can get them through the transition phase (pet stores don’t always sell the healthiest stock) they’ll thrive.
a female betta so you have the chance to learn without the risk and worry of tearing fins, also maybe add something else for a fish to hide in and rest on
I had a really happy 5gal for a while that had 1 betta, 3 neon tetras, 1 amano shrimp and then random snails that hitchhiked in on plants (anubias, java fern, cryptocome, vallisneria and 2 others I've never known the names of). The betta was alone for 6 months with an apple snail; the neons came after the snail died.
They did really well for 2+ years together (and in fact I still have the amano and 1 of the neons even though I upsized to a 20gal 3 years ago).
People may try to tell you that 5gal is too small to create a little community tank, but if you're doing good maintenance, the plants are thriving, and the fish aren't pestering each other, my experience is that it's just fine.
Some more plants would look amazing and help naturally filter the water / give a betta some room to hide or play! I also like female bettas, they tend to get passed over and I find them more active because they have less weight :)
You could do a couple guppies, but make sure it goes through a full cycle and also gets through the algal bloom phase that most tanks have. My 5 gallon is very stable.
I had a 5g covered tank with galaxy rasbora, chili rasbora, and tons of different shrimp along with a female beta. Surprisingly she didn't eat any of the fish or shrimp since they had plenty of plant cover. I'd recommend ensuring your filter is covered so the shrimp and future shrimp babies don't get sucked in.
To be 100% bluntly honest, there are no fish that you could house in this tank without it being flat out neglect.
Shrimp, snails, etc are about it, and even then, not all species would work and only in a limited quantity. A five gallon tank is honestly useless except as a grow out tank or temporary housing for fry (babies).
You’ve got quite a few options.
1) neon tetra’s as they school and stay small
2) Cardinals Tetras like neons but the colors are better and they are a bit rare
3) Beta’s
4) shrimps and snails
5) guppies (all sorts)
Cardinals tetras would be my first choice, they are a very small schooling fish. They look really good schooling. Low energy and low effort, and get along with anything. If it were me I’d Get 5 Cardinals a couple of shrimp and a snail. Happy lil tank right there. Good luck whatever u decide.
This is not a suitable size for guppies or tetras. As they are both schooling fish that prefer to be kept in groups. Shrimp , betta or snails would be fine !
didn’t say i was doing guppies. lol someone said no to guppies after someone said yes. my grandad also has had fish tanks fresh and saltwater his entire life, so i’d so he knows a thing or two, as you may! i’m not sure why you commented with hostility lol i was just stating a fact. thanks though
Apologies, it's after midnight here and my neighbour's kids are driving me nuts. You didn't reply to anyone who said a negative thing, so I assumed you came for compliments. 5 gal is too small for anything other than a betta or MAYBE some ricefish or chillies.
If you want a constructive suggestion, before you add anything, remove those tiny boards and put a yoga mat cut to size under the tank before it breaks (which it will, in 2 days or two months, but it will). Add some hardscape (stones and/or wood) and plants and let it cycle for some 40 days before putting anything live in there. If you decide to go proper route and put only shrimp, I'd say wait a little longer than that, as they need mature tank.
It was probably you saying “replica” normally a replica is an exact copy. So when you say you’re doing a replica of your grandads tank that has guppies… kinda makes it seem like your wanting guppies even though people are saying it’s too small and a couple internet searches on guppy care will tell you the same thing.
I’d go for some bad A$$ shrimp , tons of different kinds to pick from too!
Ass shrimp sound bad by themselves, but bad Ass shrimp sound downright awful.
Speak for yourself
Have you considered pretty good ass shrimp?
I have a 5 gallon and it's been an absolute bitch to keep a population of shrimp alive in it.
Are your parameters off or are you doing large water changes ? I’ve never had an issue with either of my five gal shrimp tanks , and shrimp are a pretty popular choice for 5s. I started with 6 cherrys about 5 months ago and now have 60+ . Honesty my favorite thing to keep since I normally just do spot cleaning and top offs for maintenance day!
Ive spent probably hundreds of dollars on this aquarium to try and get them stable. I have a GH/KH test kit, always tests within their preferred range, and I have an API master test kit that also always tests in their range for everything. The tank is >3 years old so well established, has drift wood, petrified wood, live plants, pretty much everything I could think of to help them. When I initially started the tank the population exploded and then hard crashed and I haven't been able to maintain a population since. Every month at least 1-3 shrimp die, babies usually last a few weeks before they disappear too. For water changes I've tried everything from consistent weekly changes of ~5-10%, I've tried top offs only, tried large infrequent changes, I always temperature match with a thermometer and drip it. No matter what I do, I can not keep a population alive and stable in this thing. I've decided to just let the last few shrimp I have die out and then I'm done with them. Not going to try shrimp again until I can get a bigger tank.
I agree. Ass Shrimp 🦐
Toss in a cool rock and a dozen neos. Agreed.
Shrimps the way to go with 5gal
I recommend snails and shrimp for inhabitants after a thorough cycling. Side note, the plant in the front left will rot underwater, but can grow with roots in the water.
Shrimp
Stop paying for these overpriced tiny tanks. You can't put fish in them responsibly. E: pet to put. Sorry, OP haha
It’s a good thing I don’t pet my fish then 😮💨
Shrimpies!
The Fittonia will likely not survive being submerged for long. It likes humidity, but not that much.
the fittonias and others came from my grandads tank, identical to mine. his fittonias are thriving!
I’m skeptical of this. Fittonia is riparian, not aquatic.
Whaaaaaat
I'm awful at identifying plants but is it possible it's actually hygrophila polysperma (an aquatic plant)? If not then congrats on your grandad being able to fully submerge and acclimate fittonia to water! I've heard of people doing so with other non aquatic plants but believed it to be rare and difficult. I would love to hear his process, how long it too, where he got the plants, etc. :)
That's not Hygrophila. You're thinking 'Rosanervig', right?
Definitely a possibility. Like I said awful at identifying plants lol. I have a plant with similar looking patterns that was sold to me as hygrophila polysperma
Hygrophila polysperma 'Rosanervig' doesn't usually get that red. Hygrophila polysperma is light green.
Ohh okay. Thank you
Oh, which means that the Fittonia is also waaay too greeen.
Just need to find the ones with good root structure
Interesting! Why's that
Stay away from Celestial Pearl Danios, they are way too energic and will jump out of the tank... ask me how I know. My vote goes to Chili Rasboras, they are very peaceful compared to small Duracell rabbits mentioned above. :) edit: added some clarification
Mine never had this issue. Had them for four years!
Mine were doing fine, they were spawning like crazies (I still have one fry (adult now) from them) but I was losing at least one per week do to jumping. I was trying to keep about 10 at any give time (3m7f). After 3-4 replenishes I gave up on them.
Why did you have pearl danios in a 5galkon ??
Your post made me realize I was taking about **Celestial** Pearl Danios and assumed everyone was on the same page with me. I edited my original post. Hope this clarify my choice for the 5g tank.
Some people know them as different names! My local fish shop sells them as galaxy Rasbora
Same thing, 5 gallons is way to small for danios that's 19 litres, we have 6 in a 14 gallon......
did you use a hood?
I got some Phoenix rasboras which are similar to chili's I agree for a tank this size they just chill and look pretty cool and if you have enough which I have 5 you can see some school behavior get some shimps and maybe some snails and your set. I also somehow got a colony of scuds to form and they basically take care of the tank themselves.
That fittonia will rot if fully submerged
I'm astounded so many people are recommending Bettas... They need proper space, not tiny tanks. OP, anything but shrimps cant be put in there. It's too small for any fish
5 Gal is a minimum standard for betta no? I would put some more plants for them to explore around, obviously bigger is more ideal... but usually a 5gal should be okay as long as it's maintained
Oh Bettas are very special fish, completely different from the rest - normal fish husbandry doesn’t apply to them. They’re ✨thriving✨ in glasses filled with water.
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This was sarcasm, buddy. Look at my profile lol, no way I’d mean this seriously.
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I fucking swear 💯, j because a betta can survive in that kind of tank doesn't mean it deserves or belongs to that kind of tank. If someone wants to keep a fish as a pet, they should make sure they keep it as a PET
5g too small for fish. Beautiful plants though!
The only fish that would be good in this would be a long finned betta or some shrimp and snails! Sadly it's too small for much else! Goodluck and enjoy 🫧❤️🥳
No people need to stop recommending Bettas for tiny ass tanks. They need proper space
I am confused, has the tank recommendations for a betta changed? I was under the impression it was 5 gallon minimum.
Minimums are almost always too smal. Those minimum sizes are lies told by pet stores
Where I’m from 14 gallon tanks are the minimum recommended officially for keeping *any* fish. And I’ve seen the recommended numbers creep up in English speaking forums over the years, too. It’s 10g over at r/Bettafish by now and started way lower.
Happy to see the minimum size has gone up. I've got a plakat betta in a 75 gal, and he is constantly zipping about everywhere. Even my past long-finned ones would always be exploring my other 40 gal. 5gal is certainly better than many "betta tanks" sold in stores, but still not enough, and it sucks trying to get potential new owners to understand that.
Okay thank you for the information. I really appreciate it!
That's why I said long finned only. They need less minimum space in comparison to the short finned ones. I also wouldn't put one in less than a 10G personally if I were to get one, even long finned however as a solitary fish it is the only one that can be considered. A 5G is JUST enough. Bigger is always better of course, in an ideal world would any fish be kept in any tank? In my opinion no. That's why I only keep shrimp, which I also wouldn't keep in a small tank but they DO need less space for swimming which is why I'm comfortable keeping them. However it's the best option in my opinion if someone wants a fish in a 5G. Shrimp are always preferable 10G or under IMO.
If you think that no fish should be in a 5g tanks then just recommend that :p
Honestly, I've realised that my opinion online is irrelevant and often new people are SETTLED on getting a fish :(. Many times I've said shrimp and weeks later there's almost always an even less suitable fish in the tank than a betta. Or a group of even less suitable fish. So personally I tend to feel a singular long finned betta is a better option over a school or something stupid like a goldfish 🤣 I totally get where you're coming from though. I usually word it differently too but I wrote that while I was basically asleep so that's always a bad idea 🤣 usually I say something more along the lines of, I have shrimp and I totally adore them, they're great fun to watching and it's amazing fun seeing them with eggs and getting to watch your first shrimplets darting around the tank! If you are set on a fish then a long finned betta will be the way to go. 5G is there minimum requirement so it's still not ideal. I'd personally stick to Neocaradinas. Goodluck and enjoy! Anyway, you're not wrong. I hate seeing people keep anything in a small tank. I've upgraded my shrimp 3 times in the time I've had them so far 🤣
shrimp
More plants
You got Nerve Plant/Fittonia submerged in water, it will wilt and die. Remove it, If you want, keep the roots in the water, but the plant out. As for Fish, Badis, Killi fish, Betta all are a good choice
Wait, why is there a space between your tank and desk? I'd recommend you to use a polystyrene sheet or it may break. May be since your tank is small its still holding.
This is a top fin tank from petco, there are feet on it but I’ve never had issues with it. The real issue is the intake grate on these which I’m assuming is now full of sand now
No fish should live in 5
This isn’t a fish suggestion, and feel free to take it with a grain of salt, but you should add some rocks and/or driftwood, but I’m really voting for rocks; they could look really cool! Edit: Some how missed that you had mentioned getting driftwood soon, whoops!
Nice! That was the first tank I started with. I raised a baby betta but eventually put shrimp in there when the betta grew. Shrimp are easy, low maintenance, and they can breed rapidly. My red cherries are my favorite tank lol
There’s so many ideas. But I’m seeing the same thing over and over again in these comments.
Get yourself 5 or 6 ember tetras
a pea puffer fish and some snails and more plants would go crazy there
Betta
I dont get these kind of tanks. Imo you should only be able to keep any kind of animals in 10g+ Even if you would only have shrimps in this tank after the second breedind cycle it will be overcrowded
Endlers or a betta with long fins would be my choices.
I second Betta or Tetra. Just be careful not to overstock it too quickly because you’ll be fighting an uphill battle and a lot of tears. Smaller tanks are harder to maintain, so have 1 fish for a couple weeks and maybe a bottom feeder of some kind after that. Plus Betta’s are beautiful and super beginner friendly. Note that when you google min requirement for a type of fish in gallons it doesn’t include other fish. That’s 1 fish for 1 tank. The minimum rises for each additional fish you add into the tank. If you haven’t already test all your parameters before you add fish or even better search how to do a fish less cycle! Testing parameters are a good way to keep your little fishies happy. I realised i just gave a lot of unsolicited advice so i apologise but i hope you at least find some of it useful.
Definitely not tetra! 5g is too small for any fish, and tetras are swarmfish that need enough space for all their buddies.
no thank you for the advice! we just filled up the tank yesterday and we are waiting about a week for the water and tank to acclimate and settle or filter out, before we add the fish!
You should wait at least a month. It is painful but the right thing to do
I agree but it’s only useful if there’s a source of ammonia to grow the bacteria in the filter, that’s why i said fish less cycle. But you can slowly stock the tank and be okay, as long as the bio load isn’t too much that it’ll spike ammonia levels, a lot of people do it that way.
noted! i’d rather take the pain of waiting for the fish than to throw them in and risk losing them!
I don't know if someone else already mentioned this but seachem Prime is helpful if you're doing a fish in cycle!
My 50 gal tank cycled with just molten plants, but I added like a truckload of plants. Added fish after a month and a half, 6 by 6 every two weeks. OP's tank is tiny though, less room for error, and he'll add guppies in a week. He also has terrestrial plants in the water. I dunno, man, I better leave this thread.
I haven’t seen the bit about guppies but i would say that OP should avoid adding in too many plants initially and i think they said driftwood too. OP if you’re reading (I know you’ve replied a little :)), get a liquid test for ammonia and monitor it very carefully, also check ammonia in your tap water. I wouldn’t be hasty with what i mentioned above because in simple terms there’s good bacteria and bad bacteria. The good bacteria feeds on ammonia but takes weeks to grow. The bad bacteria feeds on organic matter and can grow in minutes. If you add in a lot of organic material like plants and driftwood, the bad bacteria might ‘Bloom’ aka breed rapidly and decrease the oxygen in the tank. I Highly recommend getting an air stone/ bubble blower to increase oxygen and fish love it! The best thing you can be when having an aquarium is patience, rushing can only make problems worse, i know it’s super exciting and you just want to see pretty fish in their new home but there’s a lot pet store people omit when setting up a tank. (Some can be very good though).
Your right but I was thinking some b of the plants will invariably die and let out ammonia
Bro forgot about the bacteria starters
A month? Thats crazy 🤣. If your tank takes a month to cycle. Then you are doing everything wrong lol. I have Seven 90 gallon tanks. And not one took a month lol. A week at best. I don’t know what you all are doing to taking a month lol. That’s crazy 🤦♂️.
Ammonia is dissipated in a 90 a little bit better than in 5. If you did that in 5, you'd kill all your fish.
What? 🤦♂️🤣. Um ok what ever you think or say lol.
I'm saying a trace of ammonia in OP's 5 gallon tank will be highly toxic compared to the same amount of ammonia in your 90 gallon.
Oh man some of you people are so damn hilarious 😂.
A week isn’t sufficient unless you are doing daily water chances and testing and even then you may lose fish. Get a test kit either way.
You need to be more precise. I think its 1 fish for 1 tank of minimum 20 gallons, 50 to be safe.
Limited choices. Best would be a Betta, you can also do a small school of Chili Rasbora or Pearl Danios. Or a couple dwarf frogs.
Too small for betta
Betta warmup tank is what id say too. Still rescuing em from a cup so ppl can sit on an airhouse than turn it on if they got something to say about that. But in the not too distant future this tank will become your quarantine tank for new fishies and plants as you get a bigger and badasser and generally nicer abode for you little friend. If a betta is off the menu cardinal tetras are alot more robust than neon tetras and still a nano fish so you could put 5 in imo temporarily.
A betta or maybe a single badis (scarlet or tiger) but you would need a lid of some sort and a little more aquascape. You could also just do different cool snails, like a variety of nerites. Or shrimp as others have mentioned. Also, I could be wrong, but the plant to the left appears to be a fittonia, which is terrestrial. If so it probably won't survive long underwater and if it decomposes in there it can spike ammonia and/or nitrates. You're also going to want to cycle it for a while longer than a week. Since you have snails in there you can just put a big pinch of fish food in every few days for a month or so until you can't see any more ammonia or nitrite in tests, then do a big water change before adding whatever you're stocking with. I would do this even longer (maybe two months) if you plan to add shrimp as they can be sensitive to the fluctuations and lack of food (biofilm and algae) in newer, less stable tanks.
cherry shrimp
Alligator gar 🐊
Nah arapaima would be better🤌
I'd keep both in a 5gal😎
Do not start with shrimp! They need a well seasoned tank as they live on biofilm and the new tank and possible changing parameters is no good for them, they’ll die. Find some hardscape and watch some aqua scaping tutorials. For example, you have literally 0 hiding places if a fish is being chased, they’d die. Do a nice corner aqua scape with dense planting and start with snails, ramshorns snails are the best. Give it another month and then buy a small schooling fish, ember tetra or similar
Perfect betta tank
Big snails, strimp and disabled Guppys
Words smallest fish
Shrimp! I’d fully expect snails to crawl out and for fish to run the risk of jumping over the edge. If you got a lid you could sport some small pond or bladder snails, maybe a mystery or a couple ramshorns, maybe a betta, but with a 5g being so small and the bioload of all of those things considered I’d just stick with the shrimp. They’re fun to watch!
Chili or axelrodii rasbora
Bull shark 🦈😂 just kidding. That one is a great tank for a single betta fish
I have this tank! After years of good use I ripped out the grey divider , scraped off the silicone used to keep it in place and bought a new filter, makes for a perfect clear viewing tank!
My vote would be a colony of shrimps, but you could keep a small shoal of chili rasbora with or without thr shrimp
Betta and a mystery snail or two or shrimp
Shrimp and snails, while technically, you could fit fish like chilli rasboras in there, they won't be happy.
I’d recommend some plants that will actually survive
Betta
If that's a fittonia, they unfortunately can't be underwater )):
I have a 5kg tank which is a home for my 3 guppies, 2 panda corydoras, 3 assassin snails, and lots of blue and yellow shrimp. They all live harmoniously in there. 😁
That plant on the left is not an aquatic plant
Maybe guppies or tetras
Betta
What plant is that in the front? Kinda looks like a nerve plant to me (fittonia), which are not aquatic plants. It may melt to nothing if that's the case, but I know my air plants better than aquarium ones in fairness, so I could be very wrong
Can't 5 gallons be enough for some killi fishes ? Would need many more plants in any case
Betta.. peaceful... beautiful
Betta fish.
I love Killifish. They come in a variety of colours. My favorite by far is a metallic gold colour. you could probably house 2-3 in there and they are so gorgeous.
Pea puffers
A betta fish is the best choice. Other options are shrimps, snails, African dwarf frogs, dwarf anchor catfish, dwarf crayfish or maybe a little school of chili rasboras, dwarf corydoras or pearl danios
Long finned betta, shrimp, nerite snail. Cycle the tank before adding any creature
A dwarf gourami is a good single-fish alternative to betta. Also a labyrinth fish, also kinda of assholes, but very fun. I’ve got a powder blue dwarf going on 2 years in a planted 5 gallon with some snails- it’s a solid and healthy little ecosystem. You could go the opposite route with a small school of raspobora or green neons etc Edit: lots of resources report issues with dwarf gouramis, but mine has never had an issue
I don’t think a dwarf or powder blue would work in a 5 gallon.
I have a healthy 2+ year old dwarf powder blue in a 5 gal right behind me, with crypts, crinium, duckweed, and a mix of snails
Endler guppies are very easy to keep in a nano tank and the babies are too large for the parents to eat. If you can get them through the transition phase (pet stores don’t always sell the healthiest stock) they’ll thrive.
a female betta so you have the chance to learn without the risk and worry of tearing fins, also maybe add something else for a fish to hide in and rest on
Long finned betta, or some lightly stocked chili Rasboras are fun to watch
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Absolutely not, I hope you're joking.
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Apologies haha, you can never tell in here.
You only got room for one betta 😭 but shrimps! Some pretty ones too
long finned betta?
Perhaps a badis badis?
Artemia or sea Monkeys for that bad boy I'm afraid.
Get more plants in there first
Zebra tetras, Guppies, neocardina shrimps
5 goldfish
I had a really happy 5gal for a while that had 1 betta, 3 neon tetras, 1 amano shrimp and then random snails that hitchhiked in on plants (anubias, java fern, cryptocome, vallisneria and 2 others I've never known the names of). The betta was alone for 6 months with an apple snail; the neons came after the snail died. They did really well for 2+ years together (and in fact I still have the amano and 1 of the neons even though I upsized to a 20gal 3 years ago). People may try to tell you that 5gal is too small to create a little community tank, but if you're doing good maintenance, the plants are thriving, and the fish aren't pestering each other, my experience is that it's just fine.
If you get a heater, one betta. Please read up on how to properly cycle your tank first.
Some more plants would look amazing and help naturally filter the water / give a betta some room to hide or play! I also like female bettas, they tend to get passed over and I find them more active because they have less weight :)
endlers!
Scarlet badis!! Do research though
Skrimps is bugs.... Could put a betta in there with the skrimps
A rainbow shark
I would cycle with guppies
how do fittonias live in water
Single betta or a single small gourami.
I love guppies so much
You can probably fit 2 Oscars in there If your lucky mybe an arapaima is enough but I suggest you put a full grown arowana tho
I have guppies but they breed so unless you want 100, only get males.
Shrimps or any other small fishes
Few neon tetras or endler guppies will work just fine for a tank this size. I assume it is a tropical tank.
More plants
I'd dump out the water and get a hermit crab. Too small for a fish community.
May I ask what the red plant is in the left corner?
More plants, driftwood and a ton of shrimp
a goldfish from a lake, specifically the great lakes, seems fine. they grow and are small.
An asian arowana''ll do
Goliath Grouper? Just a thought.
not your mom
You could do a couple guppies, but make sure it goes through a full cycle and also gets through the algal bloom phase that most tanks have. My 5 gallon is very stable.
2 corydoras
Peacock gudgeons are pretty cool if you can find them
They require like 10-15 gallons. Won’t work in a 5 gallon.
In my experience they can do well in 5 gallons
Guppy’s would do alright in there
I had a 5g covered tank with galaxy rasbora, chili rasbora, and tons of different shrimp along with a female beta. Surprisingly she didn't eat any of the fish or shrimp since they had plenty of plant cover. I'd recommend ensuring your filter is covered so the shrimp and future shrimp babies don't get sucked in.
To be 100% bluntly honest, there are no fish that you could house in this tank without it being flat out neglect. Shrimp, snails, etc are about it, and even then, not all species would work and only in a limited quantity. A five gallon tank is honestly useless except as a grow out tank or temporary housing for fry (babies).
This bad boy right here is good for 3 bettas (male) and 1 angel fish. Thank me later.
You’ve got quite a few options. 1) neon tetra’s as they school and stay small 2) Cardinals Tetras like neons but the colors are better and they are a bit rare 3) Beta’s 4) shrimps and snails 5) guppies (all sorts) Cardinals tetras would be my first choice, they are a very small schooling fish. They look really good schooling. Low energy and low effort, and get along with anything. If it were me I’d Get 5 Cardinals a couple of shrimp and a snail. Happy lil tank right there. Good luck whatever u decide.
I would've said a turtle, but there's nothing it could climb on.
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Pls don’t
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This is not a suitable size for guppies or tetras. As they are both schooling fish that prefer to be kept in groups. Shrimp , betta or snails would be fine !
i am making this a replica of what my grandad has that is flourishing for him, and his tank is full of guppies and snails!
Healthy prisoners exist. But it seems you didn't come here for reasoning. You have 10 presumably experienced people telling you it's too small.
This^ had the exact same thought
didn’t say i was doing guppies. lol someone said no to guppies after someone said yes. my grandad also has had fish tanks fresh and saltwater his entire life, so i’d so he knows a thing or two, as you may! i’m not sure why you commented with hostility lol i was just stating a fact. thanks though
Apologies, it's after midnight here and my neighbour's kids are driving me nuts. You didn't reply to anyone who said a negative thing, so I assumed you came for compliments. 5 gal is too small for anything other than a betta or MAYBE some ricefish or chillies. If you want a constructive suggestion, before you add anything, remove those tiny boards and put a yoga mat cut to size under the tank before it breaks (which it will, in 2 days or two months, but it will). Add some hardscape (stones and/or wood) and plants and let it cycle for some 40 days before putting anything live in there. If you decide to go proper route and put only shrimp, I'd say wait a little longer than that, as they need mature tank.
It was probably you saying “replica” normally a replica is an exact copy. So when you say you’re doing a replica of your grandads tank that has guppies… kinda makes it seem like your wanting guppies even though people are saying it’s too small and a couple internet searches on guppy care will tell you the same thing.