5 Gallon Tank

So currently I started a 5 gallon tank. Not sure what kind of fish I want to put in it, but I was wondering if I needed a bubbler in it. Does it matter what kind of fish I put in it if it needs a bubbler? Also, I hear the rule of thumb is a inch of fish per gallon. Is this correct?

 

oh boy are you new? Not much can be put in a 5gallon, id suggest a betta. They do great in 5 gallons! Bubblers are optional, once again depends on fish you are getting. The inch per gallon rule is a common misconception, Because i cant put a 5inch discus in my 5gallon... That dosent work

 

Your profile says you have a 55 gallon tank. Did you miss a 5 here or did you add and extra 5 on your profile?

I have always had and airstone/bubbler or two in my tanks. I think lots of times it is personal preference. I feel like it helps keep the surface of the water fresh.

 

I just started a new 5 gallon tank on top of my 55 gallon.

 

For a 5 gallon tank you are looking at:

A single betta with no tank mates
or
1 or 2 African Dwarf Frogs
or
Shrimp and/or snails

You might be able to have a betta with a single snail in that tank.

 

The 1in of fish per 1 gallon rule is pretty out-dated, BUT, it is a good rule to keep in mind when stocking. Many people will say there isn't much you can comfortably put in 5G and they're right...But that doesn't necessarily mean it can't be done.

For a 5Gal tank, you're going to have to do a Nano set up. So if you DO want fish, you'll have to stick to either nano's only, shrimp only, or 1 betta with MAYBE some snails. (1 or 2).

If you were to do fish, I would think 3 of the following species would fit okay...BUT, 3 is technically already 'over-stocked' so keep that in mind...
-ember tetra- celestial pearl danio- white cloud mountain minnow- (1) pea puffer-(2) peacock gudgeon- (1) betta- (1) female betta- (there are other options that I haven't listed)

If you were to do shrimp, you could probably house about 10 in a 5gal tank. But I could guarantee you most on this forum would consider that over-stocked.

I have a 2.6 gal spec, I put 4 amano shrimp, 1 nerite snail, and a (very small/young) crayfish (soon to be cichlid food) in there.
Edit: All my tanks are over stocked. Over-stocking is when you have too many fish to where they can't swim comfortably w/o disturbances from other fish OR the ammonia in the tank is much too high for the BB or oxidize. So, it's basically a touch and go thing from my experience. Though I know that If I were to post a picture of my tanks, everyone on this forum would want to discuss my 'stocking issues'. So take my advice with a grain of salt.

Do tanks need air stones?
No, its really personal preference. It adds more oxygen to the aquarium through water flow (and of coarse air bubbles). If your filter is strong enough to create plenty of water flow, then no, you do not need a bubbler.
Can a bubbler ever be a bad thing?
No, it's totally optional and really up to you. I have bubble walls along the backs of all my tanks because I like the look, but that is the ONLY reason I purchased a $50 air pump + $20 worth of air pump supplies for all 4 of my tanks...lol. Was the look.

 

Thank you for the information. It has helped me. I was wondering what would be good to put into it.

 

Try looking at dwarf tetra/livebearers (BUT ONLY KEEP 1 SEX) on google. Depending on where you buy your fish, you may not have a good selection to really get an idea of what is out there.
Glolite rasbora stay smaller but I'm not sure how small they stay....not sure if those would be okay in there.

The bestest options that I know of, for that size tank IF you wanted to do multiple fish, would either be ember tetra, OR celestial pearl danio. I had 3 CPD in my 2.6 for awhile and they did okay.
OOOO! 3 scarlet badis might work as well. forgot about those guys.

Edit: Also, when I said 10 shrimp, I was excluding the larger species like amano and yamano shrimp. (I bought amano's for my 2.6 because it was empty and algae ridden, so I figured it was the best option and where I work, they're cheaper if you buy 4 and all my other tanks have cichlids....) So, if you do a small shrimp colony, go with:
-cherry shrimp-blue crystal shrimp- indian tiger shrimp- bee shrimp- green algae eating shrimp- (and again, others that I'm forgetting).

 

i would not suggest schooling fish for a 5 gallon and i woulkd also not suggest a pea puffer for some one that is new.
most speices of shrimp would be fine.

 

There is ONE schooling fish I can think of that might possibly work; chili rasboras. Full grown, they're less than an inch long. But they can be difficult to find, and honestly even though 5 gallons is listed as the minimum tank size for a small school of them, any schooling fish does better in a larger tank with a larger school. You also wouldn't be able to keep anything but a small school of these if you did this. There just isn't room for a school of chili rasboras AND something else.

 

@Donal Gregory look at this Stocking List For 5 Gallon Nano Aquariums

 

I don't like recommending schooling fish for a 5G either. I did add a disclaimer. I mentioned it because I know that some people buy smaller tanks expecting to put 5 things in it. And when they come here and we swear back and forth that the tank can ONLY house 1 fish...when that's not necessarily true....is limiting and I'm trying to open up options, not limit them.

And if he's going to put a schooling species into the tank regardless, I'd rather it be a species that would do BETTER in the tank than worse. I.E. giving options for nano species. As I said, no fish can be house with other fish in a 5 gal COMFORTABLY, that is true...But can it be done...I've done it.

Also, pea puffers can be finacky, I just realized it's a dwarf type that would fit. Had he showed further interest I would've elaborated.

 

There are many options on schooling fish for five gallons.

 

no one has said that only one fish can go in a 5 gallons...

pea puffer are diffucult to care for and require live or frozen food. they fit fine in a 5 gallon but for a beginner, yeah no.

 

Thank you all for the information. It has give me more options on this tank. Again thank you all

 

On your profile, you state that you don't know of the nitrite cycle? is this true and would you like a re-cap because it's really important when starting up a new tank.

 

I have the mobile app, and come to reference when I am looking for info. I have not updated my profile in a couple of years

 

If you have enough plants then a bubbler isn’t necessary. My 20 gallon was fine without one, and it’s the same after I put one in it. For the gallon per inch rule, it can be true, but some fish need more space than others, regardless of size, and others may only be a couple inches long, but they can be very tall or wide. If you were wondering what to put in the tank I’d recommend a a betta and maybe two ore three neon tetras. Or if you don’t want a betta or already have one, then a dwarf gourami or a couple of guppies could work. Also a couple of shrimp and a snail for a clean up crew.

 

I'm sorry, I'm bringing in experiences from other threads, it has happened.

And I agree with you, whenever I sell a PP I always make sure to let the buyer know of their requirements, but...I'd never tell a 13yr old customer/their parent looking to buy this cute puffer for their first tank that they can't have it because they're not experienced enough.....All it takes is education and one to learn.....

I'm sorry, I agree with you 100%, but I'm just trying to be informative/help this person out. It's up to them what they choose to go with given the information presented.

P.s. with that being said, pea puffers are not the best option. .

 

As mentioned above, the 5 gallon stocking list is really good. Personally I think there are a lot of things that can go in a five gallon. There are several micro rasbora species that are a great option, chilis are the most popular and Rachel O'Leary sells them. I have 8 in a 3 gallon (hope I don't get jumped on for mentioning that haha) without issue, they're very pretty and easy to care for.