How many fish would you put in a 5 gallon tank?

Question

1 1/2 to 4 in. long

Answer 1

Like any freshwater tank, a five gallon tank can hold one inch-worth of fish length per gallon of water. So, that means five inches-worth of fish. This could be five one-inch fish, one five-inch fish, or some combination in between.


A big question, of course, is how many fish can you put in a small aquarium? First, remember to picture the fish you are thinking of buying at its full size. Then ask yourself--will they really be comfortable in the tank? Will they be able to move about without restriction? Fish that get large, such as some of the more common Central and South American cichlids, are not good choices for a small aquarium and should not be considered. However, dwarf cichlids are a great fish for a small tank. Other fish which are good for small aquaria are a school of white clouds. With these you don't need a heater. If you plan to keep small fish such as white clouds, you can have up to 10 per gallon of water (assuming you change 25% of the water each week). Other small fish to consider are neon tetras, small types of guppies, zebra danios, and dwarf corys.

If you want a little larger fish, then you have to reduce the number of fish per gallon of water. For fish with the size and bulk of fish such as rosy bards, lemon tetras, figure a maximum of 5 per gallon.

About the largest fish that you should put in a small aquarium is a fish with the size and weight of a medium comet goldfish, a paradis fish, or mollies and platys. I would not put more than 3 of these per gallon of water.

Feed the fish just two times a day and don't overfeed. A flake feed with some frozen or live feed once in awhile will work fine.

A small aquarium can be a beautiful aquarium even though it does not have a large number of fish. Plus you can quickly re-landscape it without spending a lot of money since you don't need much material--be creative and have fun.

To summarize, the keys to success with a small aquarium are to limit the number of fish in the tank to a handful, to keep only smaller fish, and to do 25% water changes a week. The time investment is really minimal and the rewards are high if you follow this advice. Good fishkeeping!

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

Probably 2 tops at 1 1/2 only 1 at 4'

Answer 4

The general rule of thumb is one inch of fish per gallon of water, but if you think about it would a ten inch fish be comfortable in a ten gallon tank, no. So you could put 5 neon tetras that only get about an inch, or since your a molly lover 2 mollies.

Answer 5

the average size fish for each gallon of water would be 1 1/2 in. to be honest i wouldnt get but maybe 2 fish that will be no more than 2 inches at adult size.and please dont put a goldfish in such a small bowl because they put off to much ammonia and also a gold fish will get 1 foot long..have fun and enjoy!!!

Answer 6

the guy at the pet store says 1 inch of fish for 1 gallon of water

Answer 7

If your fish is between 1.5 to 4 in long, I would not recommend a 5 gallon tank.

this is because when it is bigger, the tank may feel cramped. One fish or two at 1.5 inch is fine, but when it grows to 4 inch - there is not enough space for them all. This may result in one of your fish dying, or worse, both dying.

Answer 8

I would go w/2 to 5 fish.

Answer 9

don't only look at how big the fish is. take in the change it will go through, i.e. how big it will get. then you have your decor, filter, and any other devices you would like to put in the tank. just keep in mind its a gallon of water to every inch of fish you have in the tank. i have a 76 bow front and all i have are fresh water sharks a few tetras and 2 suckers. all of them are doin just fine.

Answer 10

Im sitting here looking at my 5 gallon aquarium and I have 4 little fish in them... I guess it would depend on the fish size.... i dont think a whale or shark would fit!