Culprit's 5 Gallon Biotope

Wassup guys and gals and welcome to my 5 gallon biotope thread! This idea was started mainly due to Baba and is kind of a prerun to see how I like the biotope life before possibly changing my high tech aquascaped 20 long into a biotope.

Now, I have a few fish ideas, but I want this to be a pretty specific biotope, so I'll pick a fish, and base the tank around it. Feel free to chime in with any fish ideas, specific biotopes, or just general input. Humor is always appreciated so lets make this a fun thread, not just a dreary "this and this happened today, and this is what the tank looks like now" bum bum bum no fun.

A little background on the tank. It was actually my first, and is a 5 gallon bowfront. It used to be a tetra glolight tank, and at one point it had 4 glolight tetras (white skirt), fake glowy plants and glowly gravel. Looked cool, but the poor fish. They did get moved after about a year and I started getting into fish-keeping and peacefully lived out the rest of their days in a appropriately sized tank. After they moved out, I tore the tank down, and dirted it, with an attempt at a scape. Filtration is a tetra whisper 10 (came with the kit), and a shop light with 7000k LED floodlight. I put a crypt in, some sagittaria, dwarf baby tears, and flame and java moss. Everything grew like weeds, even the baby tears. Eventually, I had to move it out up to the garage so I'd have space on my dresser for my JBJ 24 reef tank. Choices lol. After the tetras there was never any fish in. I tried a few times with RCS, but they always failed. Idk why. It would overgrow with moss a few times, and I'd sell it all off. Now its up in my garage so full of moss I can't see in. I have a spot for it now, and am looking to try out the biotope idea!

Here's some fish and invert ideas:
Dwarf Shrimp (Caridinia, Neocaridinia)
Male Betta
Female Betta
Wild Betta
Flame Red Badis's
Dario Darios
Sparkling Gouramis
Dwarf Pea Puffer
Ember Tetra
Adonis Tetra















n
HengelI Rasbora

 

I was about to sub this thread but this long list of possibilities made me tiredead: Will it continue to be so dreary???


Do you have a continent in mind? This would cut down on choices.
I would use the one where I would know I could get a variety of plants or live stock easily.

Looking forward to see this developing.

 

You're already subbed because you replied... unless you were a meany and unsubbed after you replied

Yeah its quite the list. I copied from the wetspot which is why their blue and linked.

There's so many different types, I want something that will be comfortable in a 5, and a bit unusal too, not something you find everywhere. So that probably puts a good bit of the tetras and rasboras out as sure they'd fit and be pretty happy but in the wild they'd roam a whole lot more, so it woulnd't be as natural. Of course, most nano fish that fit in a 5 are unusual so I'd say I'm good there. Honestly sparkling gouramis caught my atttention. It would be super cool if I got something that has a possiblility of spawning and rasining young.

Continent... Asia, or South America. Doesn't really narrow it down much does it. It doesn't have to be exactly from the same area, but I want fish that would come from the same conditions, ect. No different continents or different conditions. I have always wanted to try a betta just because its such a classic and they have good personalities or so I've heard. It just seems a little common, you know, everyone has a betta. (nothing against bettas! Don't kill me!)

I was reading up on it a bit, and the fact that ammonia is faaar less toxic because its in a different form was interesting, and useful. If I plant it, I'll barely have to cycle. Definitely a bonus as bacteria have a hard time in highly acidic conditions.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention, I have an RODI unit that I can use to get perfect water for this. So I can match pretty much whatever conditions.

 

My vote is for clown killies or dario dario. Or a bumlebee goby. In my opinion, everything else is pretty common.

Also, killies breed quite easily from what I've read if you're wanting that

 

I am German, being mean is my main perk.

I don't have anything against bettas. I just don't like the fancy once sold in cups at Petco. I think its unnatural and I also don't like to support this business idea. But each it's own.
If I would get a betta, I would get this one...

I think wetspot has those in stock.

 

Love this idea! Excited to see how this turns out. I vote for the blue axelrodI rasbora!

 

My vote is for clown killies or dario dario. Or a bumlebee goby. In my opinion, everything else is pretty common.

Also, killies breed quite easily from what I've read if you're wanting that

Ehh bumblebee goby not super interested in as I have gobies already and they look a lot alike the same, and I'd say act alike too.

Dario Dario are really cool and definitely on the list, clown killies also look awesome and cute but a bit worried about having a fish that only lives 1-2 years I think, if I couldn't get succesfull breeding it could be expensive.

Love this idea! Excited to see how this turns out. I vote for the blue axelrodI rasbora!

That's a good looking one for sure. Problem is ppl would be like, oh wow you have neon tetras, so impressed. Or the avid stocking police on FL be like GET THOSE NEONS OUT OF A 5 and I'm like WAHHHH DON"T KILL ME

I am German, being mean is my main perk.

I don't have anything against bettas. I just don't like the fancy once sold in cups at Petco. I think its unnatural and I also don't like to support this business idea. But each it's own.
If I would get a betta, I would get this one...

I think wetspot has those in stock.

And having a language that sounds like you're always mad and yelling!

I kind of like them, I wouldn't want a big huge long fancy tail. I'd get something like a plakat if I did go that route. But totally agreed on a wild-type.

 

That’s very true. I would also vote for CPD but I hear that they are kinda skittish. A pea puffer or a Betta would be kinda boring imo. I’d stick with a small school of some type of nano fish. Don’t let the stocking police scare you lol I sure don’t

 

And having a language that sounds like you're always mad and yelling!

That's because we are always mad and yelling. One need to get his point across.

Dario Dario are nice too. I personally wouldn't do pea puffer in a black water setup. Aren't they located in flooded meadow areas? Need to look that up again.

Killies would be kind a cool. If have a thick leaf litter bed on the bottom, you could gradually reduce the water level. Simulating dry period. This should initiate spawning.
Collect a few eggs to store them in a controlled environment (damp peat moss) and leave the rest in the damp leaf litter. When rain period comes, will the tank back up and see how many hatch.
If not enough survived, you have your fall back eggs you could hatch. Kind a cool but of course it needs some effort and you would need to look into an empty tank for a few weeks.

 

That’s very true. I would also vote for CPD but I hear that they are kinda skittish. A pea puffer or a Betta would be kinda boring imo. I’d stick with a small school of some type of nano fish. Don’t let the stocking police scare you lol I sure don’t

Agreed. Nano fish are the boss. Problem is picking the one I like best.

That's because we are always mad and yelling. One need to get his point across.

Dario Dario are nice too. I personally wouldn't do pea puffer in a black water setup. Aren't they located in flooded meadow areas? Need to look that up again.

Killies would be kind a cool. If have a thick leaf litter bed on the bottom, you could gradually reduce the water level. Simulating dry period. This should initiate spawning.
Collect a few eggs to store them in a controlled environment (damp peat moss) and leave the rest in the damp leaf litter. When rain period comes, will the tank back up and see how many hatch.
If not enough survived, you have your fall back eggs you could hatch. Kind a cool but of course it needs some effort and you would need to look into an empty tank for a few weeks.

Yeah, I think they're also brackish sometimes too.

Killies would be cool for sure but lots of work. I wonder if anyone would buy them. Would they survive without doing anything? I wonder if I could do killies and some other kind of fish. Mabye killies, and something like some kind of rasbora or tetra. Or killies and sparkling gouramis, btu that might get a bit fired up.

 

Agreed. Nano fish are the boss. Problem is picking the one I like best.



Yeah, I think they're also brackish sometimes too.

Killies would be cool for sure but lots of work. I wonder if anyone would buy them. Would they survive without doing anything? I wonder if I could do killies and some other kind of fish. Mabye killies, and something like some kind of rasbora or tetra. Or killies and sparkling gouramis, btu that might get a bit fired up.

Clown killies stay right at the top of the water, you might be able to do them and some other school or something like asian stone catfish, though I don't know if they're from the same area.

Also, I would buy them haha

 

Agreed. Nano fish are the boss. Problem is picking the one I like best.

Nano fish are boss lol I have 9 ember tetras in my 12g bowl and I love them

 

Nano fish are boss lol I have 9 ember tetras in my 12g bowl and I love them

I think nano's look cooler than bigger fish, I got chilI rasboras for my 29 gallon lol

 

I think nano's look cooler than bigger fish, I got chilI rasboras for my 29 gallon lol

I have to agree with you on that. A big school of nano fish looks way cooler than a few big fish

 

I have to agree with you on that. A big school of nano fish looks way cooler than a few big fish

That's why I'm getting about 20 Rasbora HengelI in my 20 long

 

That's why I'm getting about 20 Rasbora HengelI in my 20 long

For my 75 gallon I’m doing 60 neon tetras I love big schools of small fish

 

Nano fish in large groups are top notch. Culprit you assembled quite a like minded group here. Well done.

 

Nano fish in large groups are top notch. Culprit you assembled quite a like minded group here. Well done.

I don't know how I did it. But I like it! Nano fish RULE

I need to hurry up and get the tank broken down. But I've just been lazy lol. Of course, xc season is almost finished, and that takes up most of my time. In the winter I'll have more time for fish stuff... until I start track and soccer

 

Hmmm Nart was a bad boy and gave me an idea to turn it instead of a freshwater biotope into a saltwater mud/mangrove/macro algae biotope. Thoughts?

 

I think it sounds interesting but on the other hand I think a 5 gallon might not give you the real estate to make it close to nature yet interesting. My 2 cents.

 

I agree. It sounds very interesting but are there many nano sw fish you'd be able to keep in a 5 gallon?

 

Culprit I say dooooo it. go with the easy stuff. Here's an idea.... AC HOB filter on the side.... and get the largest HOB fuge/fish breeders that you can fit on the backside of the glass. that adds extra water volume to the 5g, not only that you'll be able to pack it with all sorts of macro-algae to try and create a natural bio-tope. Keep it to only 2-3 types of corals and just let it take over the tank.

You'll be limited in fishes you can keep in there, neon gobies (I'm pretty certain they'll breed in there too) and various sort of clown gobies would be all I would put in there. Oh yeah, you can put a pistol shrimp and pistol goby in a 5 gallon too.

 

Culprit I say dooooo it. go with the easy stuff. Here's an idea.... AC HOB filter on the side.... and get the largest HOB fuge/fish breeders that you can fit on the backside of the glass. that adds extra water volume to the 5g, not only that you'll be able to pack it with all sorts of macro-algae to try and create a natural bio-tope. Keep it to only 2-3 types of corals and just let it take over the tank.

You'll be limited in fishes you can keep in there, neon gobies (I'm pretty certain they'll breed in there too) and various sort of clown gobies would be all I would put in there. Oh yeah, you can put a pistol shrimp and pistol goby in a 5 gallon too.

I have the AC50 from where I replaced it with the 110 I got from the guy with the nanocube. Make my own miracle mud mixture (I've read you can do it like a dirted tank in freshwater), and put in tons of macros, 2-3 types of softies and some nems mabye. Mangroves too.

I really want a pistol shrimp and pistol goby as they'd be like the centerpiece. Then mabye a neon gobie pair. II might try and set that up today

 

I'd only do either or for the fishes. I wouldn't mix both the neon gobies and pistol gobies together in a 5g.
The territory is a bit small. Might be a bit stressful to either of the fishes over time.

Miracle mud is a joke.... imo.
Just fill it with a deep sand bed or bio-media.

 

I would recommend "Reef Secrets" from Nilsen & Fosså for some nice biotope descriptions and photos.
I got it used for $20 off Amazon.

 

I'd only do either or for the fishes. I wouldn't mix both the neon gobies and pistol gobies together in a 5g.
The territory is a bit small. Might be a bit stressful to either of the fishes over time.

Miracle mud is a joke.... imo.
Just fill it with a deep sand bed or bio-media.

Do you think BangaiI Cardinals would eb too small? It'd be their perfect habitat. See?

It inhabits a variety of shallow habitats, including coral reefs, seagrass beds, and open areas of sand and rubble. It is most common in calm habitats on the protected side of larger islands.[4] It is often found associated with the seagrass Enhalus acoroides and the long spined sea urchin Diadema setosum.[3] It occurs among various living benthic substrates such as sea urchins, sea anemones, and branching corals; young fish are most commonly associated with sea anemones, while juveniles and adults occur most frequently among long-spined sea urchins and branching corals, as well as sea stars, hydrozoans, and mangrove prop roots.

By miracle mud, I mean like how I make my dirted tank. organic potting soil about 1 inches, under a sand cap of about 3". Like what would happen in the wild, a kind of muddy silty bottom. Or I could just do a DSB of about 4 inches and just not touch it.

Get some seagrass, put a nem in it and some softies and let it go wild.

 

Bangaiis get hugeeeee. I personally wouldn't put them in a 5g.

 

Bangaiis get hugeeeee. I personally wouldn't put them in a 5g.

True. So I think its going to be neon gobys because A) captive bred sell for good prices, and B) shrimp gobys, from what I've been reading, are notoriously hard to get past the first few days.