5 Gallon Tank How would YOU stock a 5 gallon?

I would say the same for most of the fish you listed....they need larger tanks.
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All of my bettas have 20+ gallons minimum except for a disabled old girl in a 15. My 7-year-old gal is in a 75 by herself!

I agree, I'd put most of those fish in larger tanks - those are "suggestions", not recommendations :)
 

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  • Thread Starter
  • #52
Alright so here are my ideas so far.
1 Pygmy sunfish and 6-8 chili rasboras
1 scarlet badis and 6-8 chili rasboras
1 or 2 pea puffers
Trio of sparkling gourami and 3 Asian stone cats
-1 thermometers
Okay this is kind of off topic but what live foods would be good for the Dario and Pygmy sunfish, would daphnia be good? Grindal or white worms?
 

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As with many fish, seasonal fluctuation is better than keeping temperatures at a constant level. In winter it is best to keep them a lot lower; mine are kept at 16-18 C during winter, and 25+ C in summer. It simply follows room temperature.

Plants, anything.
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #54
As with many fish, seasonal fluctuation is better than keeping temperatures at a constant level. In winter it is best to keep them a lot lower; mine are kept at 16-18 C during winter, and 25+ C in summer. It simply follow the temperature in the room.

Plants, anything.
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Thanks! After further research, I think the Dario are better for me than the Pygmy sunfish. So 1 scarlet badis and 6-8 chili rasboras would work?
 
Thanks! After further research, I think the Dario are better for me than the Pygmy sunfish. So 1 scarlet badis and 6-8 chili rasboras would work?
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I would go with a single Dario in a neutral water, heavily planted setup, with lots of neocaridina shrimp. Or with a group of chili's in a blackwater theme. But that's me.

Don't ask me if it would work. I favor single-species tanks.
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #56
I would go with a single Dario in a neutral water, heavily planted setup, with lots of neocaridina shrimp. Or with a group of chili's in a blackwater theme. But that's me.

Don't ask me if it would work. I favor single-species tanks.
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Yeah the tank is black water, but I know if I went for species only I would go for chilis and not the badis
 

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  • #60
Her name is papu. It means bean in Finnish, I don’t have the best camera but here are some photos
 

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  • Thread Starter
  • #63
The pea puffer is doing well, just fixing a parasite issue, after further research I’m concerned having a pea puffer alone In a five gallon is not good for it. She has plenty of room, but is missing the social nature of pea puffers. Would any of you advise to rehome her? What would you replace her with?
 
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  • #64
quick update: she’s still adorable. However. I am getting this guilty feeling that I am holding her back from happiness because she isn’t in a bigger tank with her own kind. Should I rehome her?FFFF6F25-AFEE-4252-9034-5925107AB511.jpeg
 
Aww I love a murder bean !

You don’t really have the option in this size tank to give her mates. Is a tank upgrade an option ? You could give extra murder beam mates but the tank would need to be structured correctly.
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #66
Aww I love a murder bean !

You don’t really have the option in this size tank to give her mates. Is a tank upgrade an option ? You could give extra murder beam mates but the tank would need to be structured correctly.
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Unfortunately an upgrade isn’t an option. My parents would never let me. She is gaining weight recently after I medicated for parasites, so she is really doing well physical health wise.
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #67
Alright I’m reviving this thread because the pea puffer passed away and I need something fresh and a good change. I recently got fluval stratum for the tank and I plan on letting it grow for a while before stocking with fish. But I want to have some shrimp and not necessarily a colony but I’m ok with just adults.

some fish I’m thinking of stocking

chilli rasboras
Clown killifish
Scarlet badis (less excited on this one due to feeding)
Plakat betta
Dumbo ear betta
Female betta
I wish there was a smaller peacock gudgeon
Celestial pearl danio
Dwarf anchor catfish
Pygmy sunfish.

Any suggestions?
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #69
All i got in my 5gallon is a betta, may add a nerite if i find one that looks cool.
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Sweet. That was what I had for a couple of months after the pea puffer but the betta passed away due to unknown causes.
 
A top spawning killifish and a mop is a good use of a 5g.
My 5g currently has 3 rabbit snails and some plants in it.
 

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A list of suggestions based on past successes:

A small pack of sparkling gouramis
One pea pufferfish
4-5 ember tetras, chili rasboras, or other equivalently tiny shoaling fish
1 betta, completely alone if he is especially sassy
species-only shrimp tank of a rare color or variety
1 scarlet badis, possibly along with other tiny peaceful fish
Temporary grow-out and observation tank for new baby kuhli loaches
Clown killis

I VERY highly recommend keeping live plants and cherry shrimp with almost all these options. While you might have the luck to get an especially murderous fish, in my experience, shrimp can survive and successfully reproduce while sharing a tank with pea puffer and bettas. You won't get a massive colony but they won't die out.

Aquatic Arts is a great source. It's pricey, but the quality's worth it. I highly recommend waiting for a sale though.
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #74
A top spawning killifish and a mop is a good use of a 5g.
My 5g currently has 3 rabbit snails and some plants in it.
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Thank you. I currently have a few pond/bladder snails in the tank and I don’t plan on getting a pea puffer so it looks like they are staying.
You could keep 3 male guppies in a nicely planted 5 gallon tank with no problems.
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Thanks! Guppies are pretty cute. My favorites are the panda guppies.
A list of suggestions based on past successes:

A small pack of sparkling gouramis
One pea pufferfish
4-5 ember tetras, chili rasboras, or other equivalently tiny shoaling fish
1 betta, completely alone if he is especially sassy
species-only shrimp tank of a rare color or variety
1 scarlet badis, possibly along with other tiny peaceful fish
Temporary grow-out and observation tank for new baby kuhli loaches
Clown killis

I VERY highly recommend keeping live plants and cherry shrimp with almost all these options. While you might have the luck to get an especially murderous fish, in my experience, shrimp can survive and successfully reproduce while sharing a tank with pea puffer and bettas. You won't get a massive colony but they won't die out.

Aquatic Arts is a great source. It's pricey, but the quality's worth it. I highly recommend waiting for a sale though.
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Thanks! I love cherry shrimp. They have done well in my tanks in the past. I’d say chilli rasboras are my first choice at the moment as far as fish go. Scarlet badis are amazing I just wish they were easier to feed.
Blue ram or harlequin rasbora would be a good option for a 5G if they haven’t already been mentioned. Along with some amano shrimp and nerite snails.
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I agree on the amano shrimp and nerite snail, however I do think that both the ram and the rasboras need more than a 5 gallon. Thank you though!
 
Blue rams need 20 gallons but shrimp and nerites are awesome
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Ah fair enough. When I got my first tank a while back I was told by the LFS that blue rams would be ok in a 5 gallon. I think this is another example of fish stores telling you anything to get a sale, definitely something I’ve learned to look out for! Luckily I didn’t get them anyway.
Thank you. I currently have a few pond/bladder snails in the tank and I don’t plan on getting a pea puffer so it looks like they are staying.

Thanks! Guppies are pretty cute. My favorites are the panda guppies.

Thanks! I love cherry shrimp. They have done well in my tanks in the past. I’d say chilli rasboras are my first choice at the moment as far as fish go. Scarlet badis are amazing I just wish they were easier to feed.

I agree on the amano shrimp and nerite snail, however I do think that both the ram and the rasboras need more than a 5 gallon. Thank you though!
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Yes apologises I was mislead there by the LFS. The harlequin rasbora would be fine in a 5 gal. That’s what I kept in my 5 gal along with shrimp and nerites and didn’t have any issues. But it’s up to you
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #77
So I just had to break down my five gallon due to a crack and save all the water and decor, so I have even more time on my hands. Currently I want chilli rasboras more than any other fish for the tank. Although there are a few others that would be cool too.
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #78
So as it turns out the “crack” was a calcium stain, and I have 2 5 gallons now. I gave one to my sister so she can get into this amazing hobby, but now I have a brand new tank and I’m just waiting for a background to arrive then I will aquascape. Fluval stratum is a pain to work with…
 

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