What do I need to start a 5 gallon fish tank for my to small children?

Question

I have a 3 & 2 year old & they love fish so I thought that I would get a 5 gallon fish tank for them, but I am not sure what all I need to get it started.

Answer 1

Actually, I would start out with a 10 gallon setup kit available at any large retailer for about $30-$35. In the long run it won't cost much more than piecing a 5 gallon tank together and your fish will be happier. Additionally, you'll be able to get a few more of the buggers in there. Be sure to select fish that will stay small, swordtails and platties, and mollies would be great starter fish, but no more than 2-3 of each (6-9) total. You could even add a lone catfish or two.

Answer 2

hi! Your kids will LOVE a 5 gallon tank! I would start with getting a tank at pet smart, petco, or even walmart! I actually got a 5 gallon tank for my kids a few weeks ago and they love it! I boiled the water so that it would be clean and good for the fish's! Than i cleaned the gravel and put some colorful plants in there. After you get the tank set up i would recommend you getting guppies! They are beautiful and my children love them! They are active and great! I would also recommend neon tetras the have brilliant colors and are school fish so they will swim in a group! Hope that helped! good luck

Answer 3

i would start with a 10 gallon -- you can get one for 30 bucks with hood and filter at walmart. a 5 takes more work. for less work go 20 gallon bigger is generally easier.

walmart has the best 5 gallon kit in my opinion -- it is manufactured under the brand name aqua tech which is made by a company called marineland. it is 40 dollars at walmart. a comparable one in a pet shop is 60-70.

the kit comes with the minimum stuff you need for a tank -- water conditioner, a sample of flake food. stocking a 5 gallon can be tough because in general that means 5 fish that will only grow to be 1". there are some that do better -- but don't even try goldfish in 5 gallons. i do because i am masochistic. cleaning every 5 days is not a lot of fun.

some things good for a small tank --

1 male betta or

2 or 3 female bettas or

a pair of dwarf gouramies or sparkling gouramies or

a school of small tetras or rasboras or

4 or 5 guppies -- preferably all male unless you want a bunch of babies.



if you keep your house in the 70s you won't need a heater -- if it drops below that you will -- you can get a cheap one at walmart for 10 bucks or so.

buy an extra pack of filter cartridges while you are at the store.



decorations made specifically for aquariums can cost a fortune. mine all have asian themes and if you have asian districts in your town you can get stuff a lot cheaper. i use sake bottles, sushi dishes, buddha statues. most have the little bridges and pagodas they have in fish stores for a lot cheaper too. anything ceramic or resin will work fine in your aquarium.

you can grow real plants that help stablize your water. java moss, java fern, anubias are all good starters. you don't even plant them. tie them to a rock or drifwood and drop them in.


for the future plan on getting a better food -- i suggest hikari pellets. you can count them out and and there is no food waste that way. food waste can make a 5 gallon go bad in a couple of days.

i add 3 things to water --

stress coat -- its a water conditoner
stress zyme--it provides beneficial bacteria for breaking down uneaten food and poop
melafix-- its like an antibacterial wash for your fish.

oh -- i forgot gravel. less is more. use a minium amount -- 1/2 inch is fine. more builds up more goop and it makes it easier to miss stuff when you are cleaning -- and a gravel vacuum for weekly cleanings.

Answer 4

There are very few species you can put in a 5 gallon. You need a filter, heater, and a master test kit for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. Look online for fishless cycling so that you can prepare the tank to harbor fish life. Only after the cycling should you add fish. This will assure you that the fish won't die of water quality issues within a few days of purchase.
Stocking plans might be 3 female bettas, which is colorful for the kids to watch. Or a group of cherry barbs.

Answer 5

Aw, your kids will love the tank! You can get a 5 gallon fish tank kit at pet stores or even places like Wal-mart. We actually just got one a few weeks ago.

The kit will probably come with the tank, the hood (top of the tank), a light, and a filter (with a cartridge). The filter will help clean the tank as well as provide oxygen. You will also need to buy a heater, if you want to keep tropical fish. Then you can buy a thermometer to place inside or outside the tank. This makes sure the water is never too cold or too hot for your fish. (By the way, goldfish do not need heated water to survive.)

Then you'll want to get some chemicals that prepare the water for your fish. You definitely need to get a little bottle of chlorine remover (I have Aquasafe, which makes tap water safe for fish). Then, you may want to get something like StressZyme, which adds good bacteria to your water. Also, you should think about getting these pH tablets, which help to regulate the pH of your water so that it's healthy for your fish.

To make sure that the water stays safe for your fish, you should get pH test kit, and maybe an ammonia and nitrite test kit. Too high or too low levels of pH could hurt or kill your fish, and too high levels of ammonia and nitrite could also hurt or kill them.

Ok, so now that you've got what you need to keep your water safe, you can get decorations! You should get gravel or sand for the bottom of the tank. And then you can get plants, rocks, or fun decorations (like sunken ships). Fish love plants, and you don't need to get real ones. Fake plants will be just fine. You can also get a background to tape on the back of your tank. This adds a nice touch.

Now it's time for the fish! A 5-gallon tank is small, so you don't want to get too big or too active fish. A general rule is to get 1 inch of fish per 1 gallon. So you have about 5 iches of fish to work with. Tiger barbs (as someone mentioned above) are great, but they are very active and can grow big. A 5 gallon is probably too small for them. Plus, they can be aggressive towards other fish. For a 5 gallon, fish like guppies, platties, and mollies work well. You can also get a catfish or corydora (bottom feeder fish) that help to keep your tank clean by eating algae and waste. You may also want to get a snail or two to help clean the tank as well. We actually added a small aquatic frog to our 5 gallon, and he gets along well with our guppies. You can ask the pet store what fish get along well with other kinds.

And finally, make sure that you get a net to transfer your fish and an undergravel vacum for when you need to clean your tank. The vacuum is neat. Basically, you submerse it under water, and gravity will help to suction the waste and water from your tank. You just put the other end of the vacuum (the hose) into a bucket to catch the water. And don't forget fish food! You can get a small box of tropical fish flakes (or goldfish food, if you have goldfish).

Whew, ok . . I hope that helps! Good luck. Fish are wonderful pets, and your kids will really enjoy them. :)

Answer 6

frequently small little ones like to attempt to feed the fish themselves and by accident over feed them. only ensure you keep the fish nutrition up , and the tank is up intense adequate that they cant positioned their bottles/ sippy cups or maybe human beings nutrition in there. otherwise, there are an vast type of community fish you're able to have. i'd recommend vacationing those web pages: 2 have fish thoughts, and the different has ailments that would result your fish. and certain i comprehend it says betta ailments, yet any fish can get what bettas get!

Answer 7

U can usually find starter kits at Wal-Mart or petland or any pet place in the Fish section...That kit will include a tank, filter, hood...and samples of food and other thing to put in ur water!


Hope this helps

Answer 8

u can go to walmart and get a 10 gallon starter kit aquarium. thats what my mom and dad gave me when i was little