Advice for a 5 gallon set up

[abbilong]

Hello!

I have never owned fish before, but I would love to get into the hobby. I own a 5 gallon tank (which is the largest my apartment complex will allow) and would like some advice on what to stock it with. I have read up on the cycle, and I already expect to wait a while before I put any fish in it, but I have no idea what I should be planning for. I was considering a betta, but would really love a community tank if there is anything that would be compatible with a tank that small. Any ideas and advice would be appreciated!

 

[MyFishAddiction]

I don't think you can do a community in a five gallon. What you can do is:
1 pea puffer
1 betta
shrimp
(maybe) 2-3 guppies (but it might be too small.)
Welcome!

 

[JLAquatics]

Hello!

I have never owned fish before, but I would love to get into the hobby. I own a 5 gallon tank (which is the largest my apartment complex will allow) and would like some advice on what to stock it with. I have read up on the cycle, and I already expect to wait a while before I put any fish in it, but I have no idea what I should be planning for. I was considering a betta, but would really love a community tank if there is anything that would be compatible with a tank that small. Any ideas and advice would be appreciated!

First of all, Welcome to Fishlore! It is great to see you around! Now onto the question you asked.

Personally, I do not recommend putting any fish other than a Betta in a 5 gallon tank. The reason for that is that most small fish that you think may be compatible for a small setup will require the presence of more of their own kind. However, don't give up hope just yet, there are other interesting things you can put into a 5 gallon tank.

Shrimp: This makes a great and fun tank setup that I 100% recommend. Shrimp have much lower bioloads than fish, meaning that more of them can be kept in smaller confines. Neocardinia shrimp such as Cherry Shrimp will look stunning in your tank with their bright colors and interesting social behaviors. However, something to note with any shrimp is that they do much better in the presence of live plants. This is because biofilm will grow on the plant leaves, a prime food source for Cherries (or other shrimp)! Live plants are much easier to grow than you may think, so feel free to look around here on Fishlore if you have any questions or create another thread if you are curious on this aspect. If you are not feeling confident with ornamental shrimp just yet, trying feeder shrimp like Ghost Shrimp may also be a viable option for you to consider as well.

Snails: Yup, the organism that many people needlessly hate on. I personally love to have snails in all my tanks as they aid in breaking down decaying plants and detritus. They are like miniature landscapers in your tank! However, for a 5 gallon tank I would recommend a single Nerite Snail with the Betta or Shrimp (Avoid Mystery Snails, they grow much too large for a 5 gallon tank and there are reports of Bettas eating the tentacles on these snails). The Nerite Snail requires brackish water to reproduce, meaning they won't overpopulate your small space provided. They also are regarded as one of the best algae eaters around and are attractive to boot, many wins in one!

All in all, my own stocking recommendations for a 5 gallon tank are as follows;

1 Betta, 1 Nerite Snail
or
5-6 Cherry Shrimp (may reproduce rapidly with males and females, keep that in mind), 1 Nerite Snail

 

[darkcat]

Hi! Welcome to the forum! I hope you can learn something new. Feel free to ask any questions!

You can't really do a community tank, but if you want to put a lot, shrimps or snails can be good. These are some fishes you can keep, but should be kept alone (they need swimming space and/or aggressive) :
Betta
Pea puffer
2 African dwarf frog

You should be doing water changes once a week and test water.

 

[jkkgron2]

I don't think you can do a community in a five gallon. What you can do is:
1 pea puffer
1 betta
shrimp
(maybe) 2-3 guppies (but it might be too small.)
Welcome!

Maybe one pea puffer, or one betta , or 2-3 guppies but I wouldn’t keep any of them together.

 

[ProudPapa]

I'd also like to welcome you to the forum. One of my favorite stockings for a 5-gallon tank is neocaridina shrimp (also known as cherry shrimp, though there are several color varities) and snails.

 

[peachsonas]

Welcome to the forum!! You could do a betta and a nerite snail together in a 5 gal.

 

[Danny002]

I agree with the suggestions of a betta or a shrimp tank! I can't really comment on the pea puffers as I don't know much about them, but I've heard they're lovely fish, so they might be worth looking into. I can give you some pros and cons of the betta and shrimp though (from my own personal experiences)

Betta (1):
Pros- lots of personality, variety in appearance, quite hardy (leaves a bit more room for newbie mistakes), can be paired with a nerite snail in your tank size (unless it's insanely aggressive)
Cons- can be more prone to health issues, sensitive/ thin fins (highly recommend using only live plants if possible), generally must be kept alone

Shrimp (~5):
Pros- can have multiple in your tank, interesting interactions, lower bioload, nice colors, create more of an "ecosystem" within the tank
Cons- can be more picky about parameters, will likely require quite a bit more research and setup, live plants are VERY highly recommended, will probably be more expensive than other options

Personally, for a beginner, I would go with a betta. They may seem boring but they have a lot of personality and I find them very fulfilling to keep. However, some people also find great joy and relaxation in shrimp keeping. It's all about what you're looking for and what you want to invest, but I think those are your two best options. Either way, I hope you enjoy your tank, have fun with it!

 

[awilkinson871]

I agree with a betta and a nerite snail. Shrimp need a matured tank (usually 3 months old) and pea puffers can be aggressive and very finicky eaters. Caring for a betta can give the skills to get you ready for a larger tank.

 

[hoopyfrood]

I would like to second the snail recommendation. I got my mystery snails mostly for cleaning purposes, and now I like to joke that there are some fish in my snail tank. I LOVE THEM.

Welcome to the hobby! I hope you find something you like!

 

[MySquishy]

Welcome to fish lore!
Have fun setting up your tank!

Scarlet badis (Dario dario) might also work in 5 gallon. They’re tiny, but beautiful fish. (I think there are blue ones too) From what I’ve read, they aren’t always accepting of non-live food though.
A betta is probably a better choice to start with. My favorite is the placket koi betta; on my list for someday

 

[MacZ]

Scarlet badis (Dario dario) might also work in 5 gallon. They’re tiny, but beautiful fish. (I think there are blue ones too) From what I’ve read, they aren’t always accepting of non-live food though.

Definitely not a beginner fish and should go in a 10.

 

[Rose of Sharon]

Welcome to Fishlore!!!

I love this community, and I am sure that you will, too!

I have 5 gallon tanks, and I have only ever kept single bettas in them.

If you do get a betta, you might want to stick to the long finned variety, as the plakats usually need more room to swim and are much faster.

I keep veiltails, so it works for me.

I recommend a female for you to start with as they are a little more active than the males, and just as personable and lovely!

 

[wrs2]

Welcome! As a beginner I would echo everyone and say do a betta. And I agree with Rose of Sharon, go with a long finned variety. In the future, after you have more experience, a small group of Hara jerdoni would be fine in a 5 gallon as they do not move around much or require a lot of space. But, since it's your 1st fish, get a betta.

 

[abbilong]

I don't think you can do a community in a five gallon. What you can do is:
1 pea puffer
1 betta
shrimp
(maybe) 2-3 guppies (but it might be too small.)
Welcome!

Thank you for the advice!

First of all, Welcome to Fishlore! It is great to see you around! Now onto the question you asked.

Personally, I do not recommend putting any fish other than a Betta in a 5 gallon tank. The reason for that is that most small fish that you think may be compatible for a small setup will require the presence of more of their own kind. However, don't give up hope just yet, there are other interesting things you can put into a 5 gallon tank.

Shrimp: This makes a great and fun tank setup that I 100% recommend. Shrimp have much lower bioloads than fish, meaning that more of them can be kept in smaller confines. Neocardinia shrimp such as Cherry Shrimp will look stunning in your tank with their bright colors and interesting social behaviors. However, something to note with any shrimp is that they do much better in the presence of live plants. This is because biofilm will grow on the plant leaves, a prime food source for Cherries (or other shrimp)! Live plants are much easier to grow than you may think, so feel free to look around here on Fishlore if you have any questions or create another thread if you are curious on this aspect. If you are not feeling confident with ornamental shrimp just yet, trying feeder shrimp like Ghost Shrimp may also be a viable option for you to consider as well.

Snails: Yup, the organism that many people needlessly hate on. I personally love to have snails in all my tanks as they aid in breaking down decaying plants and detritus. They are like miniature landscapers in your tank! However, for a 5 gallon tank I would recommend a single Nerite Snail with the Betta or Shrimp (Avoid Mystery Snails, they grow much too large for a 5 gallon tank and there are reports of Bettas eating the tentacles on these snails). The Nerite Snail requires brackish water to reproduce, meaning they won't overpopulate your small space provided. They also are regarded as one of the best algae eaters around and are attractive to boot, many wins in one!

All in all, my own stocking recommendations for a 5 gallon tank are as follows;

1 Betta, 1 Nerite Snail
or
5-6 Cherry Shrimp (may reproduce rapidly with males and females, keep that in mind), 1 Nerite Snail

Thank you for all the advice! I think I will plan to go with a Betta fish and a Nerite Snail

 

[MyFishAddiction]

Maybe one pea puffer, or one betta , or 2-3 guppies but I wouldn’t keep any of them together.

Right, thats what I meant.

Abbilong, dont do all of those! one of what I mentioned!

 

[abbilong]

I agree with the suggestions of a betta or a shrimp tank! I can't really comment on the pea puffers as I don't know much about them, but I've heard they're lovely fish, so they might be worth looking into. I can give you some pros and cons of the betta and shrimp though (from my own personal experiences)

Betta (1):
Pros- lots of personality, variety in appearance, quite hardy (leaves a bit more room for newbie mistakes), can be paired with a nerite snail in your tank size (unless it's insanely aggressive)
Cons- can be more prone to health issues, sensitive/ thin fins (highly recommend using only live plants if possible), generally must be kept alone

Shrimp (~5):
Pros- can have multiple in your tank, interesting interactions, lower bioload, nice colors, create more of an "ecosystem" within the tank
Cons- can be more picky about parameters, will likely require quite a bit more research and setup, live plants are VERY highly recommended, will probably be more expensive than other options

Personally, for a beginner, I would go with a betta. They may seem boring but they have a lot of personality and I find them very fulfilling to keep. However, some people also find great joy and relaxation in shrimp keeping. It's all about what you're looking for and what you want to invest, but I think those are your two best options. Either way, I hope you enjoy your tank, have fun with it!

PS: If you have more questions, feel free to PM me once you hit your 50 messages (comes quicker than you think)

Thank you for the advice, and I will almost definitely take you up on your offer! I do plan on live plants regardless, but I think I've settled on a betta and a nerite snail

Welcome to fish lore!
Have fun setting up your tank!

Scarlet badis (Dario dario) might also work in 5 gallon. They’re tiny, but beautiful fish. (I think there are blue ones too) From what I’ve read, they aren’t always accepting of non-live food though.
A betta is probably a better choice to start with. My favorite is the placket koi betta; on my list for someday

The placket koi betta is an absolutely beautiful fish! If I can find one of those locally, I really love the way they look

 

[JasperWard]

Hi! Welcome to the forum! I hope you can learn something new. Feel free to ask any questions!

You can't really do a community tank, but if you want to put a lot, shrimps or snails can be good. These are some fishes you can keep, but should be kept alone (they need swimming space and/or aggressive) :
Betta
Pea puffer
2 African dwarf frog

You should be doing water changes once a week and test water.

I woukd not recommend keeping adf in this small a tank

 

[Netti]

A betta is your best bet as everyone else said. Shrimp can be tricky for new tank owners especially if you want them to breed. Also takes a few weeks for them to feel comfortable enough to start breeding.

Snails are good, they'll do a lot of good for your tank as well in terms of helping clean up. Plakat Bettas are amazing and are more forgiving with decoration and water flow. If you get a betta with long fins, you'll have to make sure there is very quiet flow and nothing sharp in your tank as it might tear the fins and stress out the fish.

I went right to bettas for my first fish, they really do have amazing personalities!

 

[IntegralGuy]

Go with snails, a betta, or shrimp. Don't get a pea puffer, they're very picky about food, and are scaleless so they're incredibly sensitive to ammonia, and aren't a great beginner fish for those reasons, and they need to be in an already established tank.

 

[member133559]

I'm late to the party, but FWIW, the group of Glow Light (not GloFish) tetras in my 5.5 gallon seem to be thriving. Heavily planted but with some areas to swim freely. No glass surfing, no unusual aggression to be noted.

I'm not saying I'd recommend doing the same, but it was a compromise of all sorts that has been working out so far rather well. The setup is around 3 months old.

 

[Papasmerf73]

I have 2 male guppies, a small mystery snail, and some cherry shrimp. It's an awesome tank and so much fun. Very peaceful.

 

[Pfrozen]

Asian stone catfish, hara jerdoni can work in a 5 gallon tank. They need very little space as they spend most of their time camouflaged and sitting still. Maybe not very interesting tho

 

[MacZ]

Asian stone catfish, hara jerdoni can work in a 5 gallon tank. They need very little space as they spend most of their time camouflaged and sitting still. Maybe not very interesting tho

Do better in a group, a bit like Corydoras in that regard. Might end up to be too much bioload.

 

[Sobhan]

Definitely not a beginner fish and should go in a 10.

Not at all true, I live in India and they are found here quite readily. Contrary to what people believe they are actually social fish and live in groups of 4-6. I don't know where most online sites got their info about this fish but it is mostly wrong. You can try aqadvisor and it will definitely suggest you you could keep 3-4 of them in 5-6 gallons. The problem is that most people think they are aggressive and keep them alone which in turn makes them scared and territorial.

 

[MacZ]

Sorry to disappoint your assumption, but neither got my info on that fish exclusively from websites nor do I use AqAdvisor as I find that site all but correct most of the time. I would keep a group but definitely in a bigger tank like a 10 or 20 gallon. I find they are not beginner fish as my experience is they prefer live food and are easily outcompeted.

 

[Ouse]

Welcome to Fishlore.

I see many people here recommending only a betta and a nerite snail like it’s the only combination that can fit. I haven’t scoured this entire thread, but I know some have had success in keeping chili rasboras or celestial pearl danios (abbreviated as CPD) in 5 gallon tanks. If you’re a beginner I’d stay away from bettas because linebred ones have become weaker and shorter lived over time. Long finned bettas in particular have trouble swimming.

Shrimp such as amanos and neocaridinas are popular in 5 gallon tanks although the two mentioned will begin to suffer in a low pH and KH. Invertebrates live off of calcium carbonate and if there’s not enough their shells begin to deteriorate. Using a 5 gallon as a shrimp tank will likely work better than using fish because of the small space and the tiny bioload of shrimp.

Many will often recommend six individuals is the absolute minimum size a shoal of fish should be, but I disagree because six is no magic number and fish can’t count. I ignore such advice and recommend you do too. A shoal of four or five fish won’t act any different to a shoal of six fish.

About Aqadvisor, I would rather believe people who have experience in keeping fish rather than a calculator which doesn’t take into account the bioload and temperament of fish, but only size, and sometimes not even that.

 

[ruud]

I believe a single dario could work in a 5 gallon as they are not so active in the sense of movement (which can actually be a turn-off for many people) and pretty hardy (for instance, in most cases no heater is required). As mentioned in this thread, darios live in groups albeit from what I conclude on basis of what people have observed in their habitat, these groups tend to be very loose, so I´m not sure how fair it is to house a single specimen. And as also mentioned, I wouldn´t bet on anything other than live foods.


Returning to the original question; a 5 gallon community (fish) tank seems unreasonable for various reasons and aa far as a dario is concerned, it would be outcompeted by other fish if you throw in live foods.