5 gallon tank?

Question

Hi-my friend got me a 5 gallon hex. fish tank with a biowheel fliter for my birthday and i was wondering what fish i could put in it. i would like to have 2-3 fish...and i know their names: Ingrid and Bernard....but i want 2 different types of fish so they are different. Any suggestions? and how do i go about caring for them?

Answer 1

Sorry, but honestly you can only keep one fish healthy in a 5 gallon. The fish small enough to fit more than one in that size aquarium are schooling fish, and you would need at least six for them to not be stressed (stress causes diseases and early death), and there isn't room for six. A betta or a dwarf gourami could live happily alone in a 5 gallon, but you couldn't have more than one.

Answer 2

Get yourself a 25 watt submersible heater and thermometer. Tank should be kept at 78-80 degrees F. Read up on the nitrogen cycle. http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/begin-cycling.html
Cycle your tank with some pure ammonia or rotten fish food, be patient and test your water to make sure it reads ammonia- 0ppm, nitrites- 0ppm, and nitrates are under 20ppm. It could take 3 to 6 weeks.

Then get a single male betta, and 4 neon tetras.

I had 3 neon tetras, 1 cardinal tetra, and a male betta in a 5 gallon tank with no problems. I used a small gravel vacume (siphon) and vacumed the gravel every week , taking out 30 percent of the water. I only fed once a day, left the light on for only 9 hours a day and i did not have alot of algae. Make sure to use a good water conditioner that removes both chlorine and chloramines and neutralizes heavy metals. Also make sure any new water is the same temp as the water thats in the tank so the fish dont get shocked.


Goldfish get too big for a 5 gallon, so no goldfish. Also make sure to research any fish before buying to make sure it is suitable for the size tank you have. Dont trust what petstores tell you, always do your own research.

Cory cats need to be in groups of 3-5, and they get like 3 inches. Too big for that tank.

Answer 3

I don't remember anything about tropical fish. But if you want to get goldfish you could have 2 SMALL ones maximum. I have 2 large ones in a 6 gallon tank. First of all you have to set up your tank appropriately and have it running for 3-4 days before you add fish. This means you must put the gravel, water and filter in and have everything plugged in and going before putting them in. You must clean the tank once a week. This includes wiping down the insides of the tank to keep algae from building up. And vacuuming out the gravel when changing the water. You must remove 25-50% of the water and replace it with clean water. Always replace the water with a CLEAN receptacle. And use sponges and things in the tank which are ONLY for the tank, so as to avoid contamination from things that don't belong in fish tanks! Every time you change the water you must use the appropriate chemicals: Stress Coat, Stress Zyme and Ammo Lock. You absolutely MUST use Ammo Lock. They will die without this. Ammo Lock neutralizes ammonia, which is the biggest killer of fish. Also your filter should be changed every 4-6 weeks unless you were told to do it more often. And you must be careful how much you feed them - once or twice a day at most and only as much as they will eat in 3-5 minutes (one or two small pinches). They do not have a true stomach and so everything goes right through them. They pee and poop constantly and this is what causes ammonia. You should also buy an ammonia tester and a Ph tester and read the instructions on how to use those once a week. This is necessary when you are a new fish owner, until you kind of get the hang of how to be consistent about their care. Be sure to ask your fish store how to care for them.

Answer 4

Neon tetras are cool
also get a corycat for the bottom (the peppered ones are the coolest) The corycat will eat all the uneaten food so the tank won't become dirty so fast.

caring for fish is easy, you just feed them a couple of flakes once in the morning and once at night. Also get a bubblier to oxygenate the water. And NEVER clean the tank with soap. You could also put cool little decorations in the tank to make it your own.

Answer 5

HI, i think you should put 1 male betta fish , 1 bottom feeder and a male and a female livebearer. Livebearers are an ease, they will breed and breed and breed.
i suggest
1-betta
1-cory cat
1-2 livbearing fish