Weird Fish In Nano Tanks

[Caleb Smith]

So I recently bought a fluval spec V (5.6 gallons) and I'm currently deciding how to stock it. It is going to be a heavily planted desktop tank that I'm taking to college so the fish need to be hardy because I will have to move them over the summers and possibly breaks. That being said, I having compiled a short list of fish I am interested in and I was wondering, of these fish, what you would suggest and if any of them are compatible:

Wild Betta
Pea Puffer
Mexican Dwarf Orange Crayfish
Celestial Pearl Danios
Ember Tetras
Pygmy Sunfish
Scarlet Badis
Bumblebee Goby
Clown Killifish
Least Killifish
Endlers
Fancy Guppies

I understand that for many of these fish, there is debate about their min tank size and that in a small tank, the water quality/stability will be more difficult to maintain but I am more than up for the challenge. If I choose the Betta or the Puffer, they obviously will be the sole fish. So of those fish, which ones would you suggest and what nano community could I form with them? Or what other recommendations do you have???

 

[mothra]

So I recently bought a fluval spec V (5.6 gallons) and I'm currently deciding how to stock it. It is going to be a heavily planted desktop tank that I'm taking to college so the fish need to be hardy because I will have to move them over the summers and possibly breaks. That being said, I having compiled a short list of fish I am interested in and I was wondering, of these fish, what you would suggest and if any of them are compatible:

Wild Betta
Pea Puffer
Mexican Dwarf Orange Crayfish
Celestial Pearl Danios
Ember Tetras
Pygmy Sunfish
Scarlet Badis
Bumblebee Goby
Clown Killifish
Least Killifish
Endlers
Fancy Guppies

I understand that for many of these fish, there is debate about their min tank size and that in a small tank, the water quality/stability will be more difficult to maintain but I am more than up for the challenge. If I choose the Betta or the Puffer, they obviously will be the sole fish. So of those fish, which ones would you suggest and what nano community could I form with them? Or what other recommendations do you have???

Hey there!

I'm not so sure about the other fish, but I have a Pea Puffer & if you decide on a Pea Puffer, on top of needing a little more space (10g+ -ish) they are terrirotial and might try to attack/eat anything else you decide to put with it. Their main diet should be live snails and bloodworms/frozen bloodworms(sometimes hard to come by depending on your area) So they might decide to go after a pet snail you want to put in there, or shrimp.

If I were going to take a small tank to college with me, I'd probably go with shrimp or a snail tank and try to grow some live plants. Just something simple that won't really suffer if you have a busy week of classes/testing. Then when I come home I could put extra snails/shrimp/plants in one of my other tanks or something.

That's just how I see it, I'm sure others will give you their opinions too. Best of luck in college!

 

[FishFor2018]

Betta's are a very hardy fish so I think this would suite you best. shrimp are not a good idea because they are sensitive and a betta will most likely eat them but you could do 2 or 3 nerite or mystery snails. the only other thing that can go with a betta in that tank size would be plants. most of the other fish on the list are sensitive or will not thrive in a 5G so would end up dying easier.

 

[EbiAqua]

I keep wild-caught Okefenokee sunfish, found them in a blackwater swamp near my house! While they are in a 29 gallon, they are only an inch, and I think a few would do just fine in a well planted 5 gallon. While it took them a while to accept them, mine relish frozen brine shrimp and bloodworms, and I would do a male with a few females in a 5 gallon. They have grown so accustomed to me they happily accept food from my hand or tweezers.

 

[Abby565]

If I were you, I would go with shrimp, nerite snails, endlers, or least killifish. They are all hardy. Make sure to heavily plant your tank with love plants, as they will love that, and it really helps the water quality.

Shrimp are a little more sensitive than the others, but red cherries are quite hardy for shrimp. I keep about 20 red cherries in a 2 gallon bowl in a window without a heater or filter, just a whole ton of plants that geow like crazy. Every week when I trim them, I end up with at least a huge handful of plant matter, while the bowl is still full of plants.
Also, you can keep the least killifish(which are actually livebearers, not killifish, so they will likely breed) or the endlers with shrimp and/or snails if you like.
How about

5-7x Endlers(all male, or they will breed like crazy)
6-12x Red Cherry Shrimp(they will breed, so start with no more than 12 or so)
1x Nerite Snail

OR

1-2 pairs of Least Killifish(they will breed and multiply, but they only produce fry slowly)
6-12x Red Cherry Shrimp
1x Nerite Snail