5-10 gallon fish tank - fish suggestion?

Question

Hello,

I am planning a small fish tank and am looking for suggestions on the types of fish to get. Can I please get suggestions on fishes that will do well in this size tank and how many would do well? I am not a fan of the tetras and my understanding is that goldfish are too much work for a 5- 10 gallon tank.

Thanks

So what do I do when they have babies if I do not plan to upgrade the tank size

Answer 1

Here's some ideas on setting it up and what fish might work for you.

Most aquarium keepers will try to tell you that small tanks are good for nothing or at best good for a single betta. These people couldn’t be more wrong. They are not usually good for a betta, but they are good for a surprisingly large variety of fish once properly handled.

One of the best ways you get one of these hidden gems is at a yard sale or flea market. Usually they can be had for just a very few dollars and might be missing some of the parts you don’t care about in the first place. Once you have your little tank, clean it up and make sure it doesn’t leak. Then sit back, look at it and imagine it is a real honest to goodness aquarium in the conventional sense. What would you need? Heater, filter, lighting come to mind first, so let’s explore those.

Some of these little tanks come with an undergravel filter that can be a very good solution to filtering. Commercial power filters are available for very small tanks and would make a great choice. They come in both internal and external configurations and can do a wonderful job of filtering you micro tank. Larger power filters are no good as they would turn such a small tank into a whirlpool. The same is true for a canister filter. Of course, if you are handy with bending and forming plastic you can make a very small power filter for the tank, but that’s another article.

Small power filters can pose the problem of a strong directed output that causes strong currents in such a small tank. This can be managed by attaching a piece of tubing to the output with holes drilled along the length to break up the flow or by directing the out put of the power filter down through an undergravel plate. The second option adds the gravel as a bio filter helping the tank and helps prevent the build up of waste in the gravel.

Let’s assume you have an under gravel filter and very small air pump. Then your good to go. If not, what do you have? Most likely a small box filter that sits inside the already too small tank, right? Not a good option so let’s tank about replacements. An undergravel filter plate is very easy to make and can be run from the same air pump used to power that box filter or you can replace the box with a commercial or homemade sponge filter. The main point here is you need a very small filter with a quite low flow rate that will support the bio load of the few fishes you place in your tank.

I have seen these little tanks outfitted with power filters custom made for them, reverse flow undergravel plates and a whole host of other options created by the owner so don’t be afraid to go out on a limb and take matters into your own hands when it comes to a filter. As it’s commonly included or easy to make if not included let’s assume you have undergravel filters for your tank. Undergravel filters have their limitations, but provide excellent bio filtration and reasonable mechanical filtration, but of course no chemical filtration.

Lighting is usually very limited due to the short size of the hoods that come with these tanks. Again, you can modify the hood. Most can be made to hold a very small florescent light which is a nice step up from the night light many of these come equipped with for illumination. Grab a measuring tape and get a small florescent light from the hardware store or department store that will fit the space and go to town with the hot glue gun. Any decent “crafter” can put this together in no time.

Heating is the easiest answer as you can buy commercial heaters as small as 4 watts through a wide variety of outlets.

So now you have your little tank already to set up, you have your equipment, decided on your gravel color and accessories (very few I hope) and need to figure out where to put it. Here’s another great benefit of your new tank, it can fit almost anywhere! The only thing to really avoid is a draft or direct sunlight, just like this tanks big brothers. These little guys are perfect for a book case, the corner of a desk, just about anywhere you want a little color and activity. So the next big question, what in the world can you keep in about 2.5 gallons?

Again go back to your mental image of a normal sized community tank and now think smaller. Even smaller. As small as you can get. Now you have it, the same kind of fish in the same ratios but the smallest varieties out there. Dwarf cory catfish, Sparkling gouramis, most any of the smaller killifish, small tetras, Least killiefish ( which is actually a livebearer) all make good bets for a micro community tank. Toss out any “rules” you know about inches per gallon and just keep the tank to about 5-6 fish. Another choice for tank inhabitants is to go for a species tank. A single pair of a small fish can not only live but thrive and breed in your new micro tank. Killifish, sparkling gouramis and Least Killifish come to mind first, but there are obviously many more choices. Now for maintenance issues.

With quality lighting, a reasonable variety of plants are candidates for a mirco tank. Jave Moss, Jave Fern, Bladderwort, crystalwort all come to mind. Several of the bunch plants available at pet stores could be included as well if you are ready to do lots of pruning. There are also several varieties of small anubias sp. And even some micro swords available to spruce up your tank.

Maintaining a micro tank is not really any different than a full sized tank. Just remember the rule bigger is easier. This means the larger the tank the easier it is to maintain all other things being equal. Yes, it will require lots of frequent water changes, but those you can do with nothing larger than a clean gallon milk jug. Other than being very careful with your water changes anything else you would do for your fish in a big tank you do in a small tank. A micro tank is more work than a larger tank, per gallon at least. So is it worth it? That’s up to you. It can often be the only way to bring your happy to work with you and for some people is the only reasonable way to keep a tank in a small apartment or flat.

MM

Answer 2

Honestly, my first suggestion would be to get at least a 20 gallon tank if you can afford it. A 10 gallon tank is very limiting in terms of what fish you can keep in it, and it's more difficult to maintain than a larger tank because the water quality can change faster. Most of the fish you see in pet stores are too big to keep in a 10 gallon tank if you buy them in the recommended numbers for proper school size. Don't ask me why, but many pet stores don't carry aquariums larger than 55 gallons, yet they sell fish that would require a larger aquarium than that. Almost every store I've seen carries oscars which need a minimum of 75 gallons. Anyway, if you have your heart set on a 10 gallon tank, pay attention to catx, especially her article about stocking a 10 gallon tank. She knows what she's talking about. Above all, don't even think about putting goldfish in a tank that small. Those "cute little goldfish" you see in stores will be a foot long as adults and need 20 gallons of water per fish.

Answer 3

Most fish are egg layers. But, if you do get a livebearer get at least 2 females for each male. If there are babies, if you don't seperate them they will more than likely turn into fish food and you won't have to worry too much about them. If you want the fry, check with some aquarium shops. Some will take them from you.

I would go for the 10 gal tank as they are much easier to maintain. Sounds crazy, but it is much easier to cycle.

As for what type of fish, thats up to you. There is quite a variety out there. Just find a store that specializes in aquariums and look for community fish. Most all in that category go well together. In a 10 gal tank don't get anymore than 8 one inch fish. General rule of thumb is 1 inch of fish per gallon of water. Goldfish are very different and if you get one I would say no more than 2 small ones in a 10 gal tank.

Do some internet research on cycling an aquarium or ask for some advise at the aquarium shop.

Good Luck

Answer 4

Please, please no angelfish or german blue rams, or any cichlid for that matter. No cichlid is small enough for a 5 or 10 gallon tank. Angelfish get 6-8 inches long and their fins are 8-10 inches tall. They could barely move in a 5, and shame on the person who did that. Keeping fish in too small of a tank stunts growth, and compresses the organs and spine, causing a slow painful death. Please stick to small live bearers, like neons, or minnows, and a betta. Maybe a school of 5 neons, and a male betta in a 10 gallon would be nice. Good luck, and props to you for doing research. Also, no pleco, or algae eater, unless it's an otocinculus (oto). Common plecos can reach lengths of 1 1/2 feet if housed properly.

Answer 5

Please don't keep angelfish in a 5 or 10 gallon aquarium. They can grow very large and need at least 30 gallons. Also, if you decide on a gourami, be very careful about what species you get. You could get a single dwarf gourami for a 10 gallon tank, but that would be pretty much all you could fit in there.

Answer 6

Fancy Guppies are pretty but have babies every 28 days-over population occurs quickley. start out with a few no more than 6 all one sex. males are usually more colorful. Goldfish are a lot more work, they put out a lot of ammonia and need their tanks cleaned more often. many species of fish cant live with them because of this

Answer 7

there are lots of things you can do in a small tank -- i like making them very lush with lots of plants (silk will work -- i do combintaions of silk and live plants) and from there you can put in any of the following --

a group of female bettas

a couple dwarf puffers and lots of snails.

dwarf gouramis or sparkling gouramis -- in a 10 gallon you could get away with both and maybe even add some dwarf corys -- they are lots of fun in groups.

killifish work well in small tanks too.

my favorite small tank fish are darios -- they are under an inch and have lots of attitude. my favorite small tank was a dario and a school of dwarf rasboras. i keep some pretty awesome bettas now though.

Answer 8

If you dont want babys you coul dget all males, if you bought females they would probably be pregnant already. I do think that guppys are really active though and should have more swimming space. There are always white clouds, which you dont need a heater for. What about a betta and some cories?

Answer 9

Fancy guppies are very easy to care for, are absoluely beautiful, and give live birth. You need 1 gallon per fish, so you could have 5-10 of them. I love them!

Answer 10

Try german guppies, black mollys, and sword tails. You can mixes them together. In addition they are less maintenance than getting bigger fish. But black mollys has short lives. But mixing them altoghther along with some plants makes your aquarium look nicely.

Answer 11

white clouds are in the minnow family and they do great in small tanks
glo-lite tetras do great
guppies
pygme gouramis(not dwarf)
ram chichlids
cory cats
rummy nose tetras
endlers livebearers
killi fish