# Need Ideas for my 5gal



## Quakefire (Feb 16, 2009)

Howdy,

I have an established 5 gal eclipse tank that is lightly planted with corkscrew val's and used to be home to a small goldfish and a mystery snail. Unfortunately a nasty hot day and the fact that I live in an apartment with no AC drove my water temp up to 30 degrees and killed my poor goldfish, after having her for almost a year. Somehow the snail survived (and got revenge for the previous 3 snails the goldfish ate) and now i'm left with a very empty looking tank.


Now i'm looking for a tropical fish that will survive in my 5 gal tank but i'm really not sure what to get. Looking for something that will be interesting to watch (my goldfish was nuts) and will survive with a pleco maybe? I know i'll have to buy a heater


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## Cory (May 2, 2008)

I wouldn't recommend any species of pleco for a 5 gal tank although some species of corydora would be suitable such as the cute little panda cory. If you want something neat to watch 3 panda cories and 3 or 4 microrasboras of some sort would provide plenty of action.


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## E-J (Aug 27, 2009)

Maybe 4 Cherry Barbs or even neon tetras... or harlequin rasboras


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## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

How do you think a few Shrimp or a Crayfish as an idea. Crayfish are always moving rocks and looking for food. u can get a pretty good variety now. But i would only recommend one crayfish.. Another idea could possibly be a few Otto cats few coryies and some Guppies or a trio of tetra/ Micro rasboras.


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

I agree with Tropicana, a 5 gal would look amazing with a shrimp planted tank.


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

If you want a single fish that will be a sort of pet, I'd recommend a paradise fish, also known as a paradise gourami. They do fine at room temperature, and would also survive overheating. You could add a few snails as cleaners -- you're welcome to some red and other color ramshorns from me for free. They don't damage plants. Ditto Malaysian trumpet snails (MTS).

If you want to go with a few small schooling fish, white clouds don't need heat.

Hot weather is an especial problem for small tanks. In hot weather, keep the lights off and avoid sunlight on the tank. You can also make a screen cover for the tank to keep the fish in but let the water cool a little by evaporation. Hot water holds much less oxygen than cooler water, so it's important that the tank be very lightly stocked. Paradise fish can breathe air which helps them tolerate heat.

In my experience, crayfish will eat plants eagerly.


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## ksimdjembe (Nov 11, 2006)

Or heterandria formosa. they'll breed in your tank. neat livebearer. or endlers. theyll breed as well.
though i have to agree with bae on this one. you could have a really neat paradise fish.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

Otocats (Otocinclus if you're at the store) I've heard should be 1 otocat per 10gal of water. The reasoning being is that they are primarily herbivoires and I've read that a 10gal can house them well with minor supplimental feedings. They are INDUSTRIOUS algae eaters for thier size. I also own a 5gal tank and used to have 1 otocinclus (from Petsmart) and because I thought the little guy wasn't doing the job fast enough (forgot they need a few days to settle in so my fault) and I got another one later (at Lucky's which I think it's a Battmani species).

I have found 1 otocat in a 5 gal tank works AFTER the tank has been established and that there is visible small developing white algae on the tank then the little guy will get to work after it's settled in.

If you're in a sunny area where the sun hits the tank adding extra heat to the tank combined with the rooms temp you can use white paper (ie. printer paper) behind where the light is hitting the tank or aluminum foil. 

A word of caution with crayfish. Yes they are AWESOME PETS. I used to own a few hand caught in our streams locally but they are ESCAPE ARTISTS. Make sure you have some weighted down lid because they will try and escape. I've caught one before almost up the air tube once. If I knew what was avaliable in the pet stores today back when I was a kid I would have gotten those 5gal metal covers you find in the reptile section of the shop which cost like ~$7 I think at Petsmart (foggy memory). Then with a pair of tin snips or wire cutters or multi-tool break off about 1-2 of the wire link section just enough for your air tube to be lowered down to the tank. Or widen a bit more if making a sponge filter for the crayfish that way you don't end up with your eyes cut open. . . (You got a lobster and you got a magnet...dum dum dum... Haha... Lobster Magnet. Youtube search it. ^_~.

You might want to cut a small hole in the top fo the screen and get a small piano hinge and some plexiglass so you can make a small feeding door. Put a flat (or relatively flat) stone on top of that door. Now you little guy can't get out. I used to feed it stream minnows I caught locally. Earthworms, a little chunk (pinky nail size) beef, pinky sized raw fish, and some small veggies was what worked for me.

White Cloud Minnows rock as well. Probably get 3 WC minnows as they are under 2" and very low polluting fish, 2-3 shrimps, and 1 otocat. Then you'll have a nice setup. The otocats from what I've read seem to be semi-nocturnal pending thier personality obviously but most reports people have observed them being nocturnal. Otocat should be added last. 

Hope that helps.


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## noved (Jul 14, 2009)

I think the obvious choice for a 5 gallon would be a betta. They don't get much prettier then that. I have one in my 10 gallon with 3 male endlers, 3 celestial pearl danios, an otto and a siamese algae eater. Everyone gets along great. All great tiny fish. Celestial Pearls and Male endlers would do fine in a 5 gallon. I have 2 five gallons and I'll be putting shrimp in them. What kind, I don't know yet. I'll probably end up with a betta in each of them as well.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

noved said:


> I think the obvious choice for a 5 gallon would be a betta. They don't get much prettier then that. I have one in my 10 gallon with 3 male endlers, 3 celestial pearl danios, an otto and a siamese algae eater. Everyone gets along great. All great tiny fish. Celestial Pearls and Male endlers would do fine in a 5 gallon. I have 2 five gallons and I'll be putting shrimp in them. What kind, I don't know yet. I'll probably end up with a betta in each of them as well.


Got a pic on that Endler? Also man you're lucky everyone is jiving along. Especially with that SAE in there and it's reputation for being a trouble maker when older.

Yup.. 5 gal is generous for a Betta. I forgot to mention that before. Heck if the OP wanted two Bettas he could get a male and a female or divide it and get 2 males or keep two females undivided.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

Hey OP. I got thinking. A slight mod and your tank can be cool even in a unAC'ed apartment. Come to think of it.. probably don't need to mod the fridge given the type of tubing. It's like $5 for 10ft of air tubing from Home Depot. If you have a undergravel filter or a sponge filter cap the top of the filter which you can take you filter to say Canadian tire and check for a 1" PVC cap whichwill fit that 1" clear tubing. Put the cap on on the sponge filter. Drill or burn 2 holes on the cap. Feed oth airline tubes to the bottom. One wil have an air stone. The other will not have anything. Now just put part of the tubing in the fridge and put the other part back the tank.

When you turn the air pump on it'll air pressure the area and the water will go up thte other tube, run around the tube i the fridge, and return back to your tank. It'll balance out in time keeping th etank a cooler stable temp eventually with slow temp shifts.

That way the goldies won't die if you want to go back to goldies. Cheapest idea thinking about it now. Or you can end up spending liek I don't konw probably $300-400 on a chiller. Er.. you could also do this with a bar fridge as well thinking about it now an havingthe fridge sclose by for drinks while to enjoy the fish. 

Another way is to drill a hole into the mini fridge and throw in some tubing then silicone the entry and exits and put the tubing back to the fish tank. Just an idea on the fly.


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## Consigliere (Jun 11, 2009)

If you like tropicals cardinal tetras would look nice and stand out well against the green of a planted tank. I would second the thought of a few panda corys. Those guys are the favourite fish I have ever owned. Harlequin raspboras are nice too but not as bright as cardinals or neons.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

Consigliere said:


> If you like tropicals cardinal tetras would look nice and stand out well against the green of a planted tank. I would second the thought of a few panda corys. Those guys are the favourite fish I have ever owned. Harlequin raspboras are nice too but not as bright as cardinals or neons.


I saw some albino corys yesterday and they are CUTE!. Those pandas are cute. I'm thinking I may get 1-2 of them for my community tank when they are on sale or I can find some really cheap.

16-28C is a NIIIIICE wide range with noted survivability down to 12C. Which means in the winter time you can lower that thermostat on the wall a bit and save heating your building and the fish can work well then.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panda_corydoras


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