fish tank in 5 gallon?

Question

hey, I wana get a 5.5 fish tank

I was woundering if i could put in 1 alage eater, 2 guppies and 2 neon tetras

Answer 1

Many algae eaters will grow to be too large for that size tank. The ones that don't generally need to be kept in groups of 3 or more. Your tank isn't big enough for algae eating fish. Neons need to be in schools of 6 or more fish, otherwise, they get a bit stressed and sketchy....and a 5 gallon tank doesn't provide enough room for the neons to school. I'd recommend 2-3 male guppies. Don't mix the male/female guppies or you'll have fry to deal with with.

Answer 2

A lot of people are saying yes to this, but it really isnt a good idea. For one, most algea eaters need at least a 20 gallon preferably a 55 minumum eventually. Second tetra's should be kept in groups of 5 or more same with the guppies. heres what you can get: 5 neon/guppies and one otto (they stay small)

THis is over dueing it a bit, but with a really good filter you could pull it off.

Answer 3

Neons are a bad idea because although they are small, they are active fish and need space to swim around. Let me put it this way to you, I had 4 neons in a 5 gallon a LONG time ago when I was new to the hobby and they did terribly. They darter around the tank, continually running into the glass and they were unhappy overall. Also, neons, being small, are a shoaling fish, meaning that they need to be in a group of at least 6. I would not put neons in anything smaller than 10 gallons.

Like others said, the majority of algae eaters will quickly outgrow that tank AND some of them also like to be in groups of at least 4 or so.
In a 5 gallon you could have a very happy betta or:
-dwarf OR honey gourami [NO more than 1 gourami or betta, otherwise they will tear each other apart]
-a dwarf puffer, however this fish is better suited for knowledgeable aquarists and not beginners, because they can be difficult to feed and need snails in their diet to keep their beak trimmed.
-3 or 4 fancy guppy males. Don't get any females, otherwise they will breed out of control

I personally recommend that you get a male betta. He will be happy, interesting to watch and will love you for setting him free from that dreaded bowl he now lives in. I cannot stress enough that you do NOT mix a betta or gourami with any of the fish above. Ditto for the dwarf puffer which, in fact, I'd skip altogether for now.

Answer 4

No, the only fish that is OK in a 5 gallon is a betta. The guppies need 15 gallons and the tetras need 30. Also, you need more neons as they are more comfortable in a school. The reason some small fish need larger tanks is that it is not possible to maintain the quality of water they need in smaller tanks and they need more room to swim around. Here's a good site for tank size requirements for different types of fish:
http://www.peteducation.com/category_summary.cfm?cat=1911

Answer 5

no.
the only fish that would be truly happy in a tank that size is a beta.
a tank that small should have one beta, or two or three tiny fish, max.
guppies and tetras require a minimum tank size of ten gallons. you might be able to squeeze a couple of guppies in there, but i don't recommend neons as they are very strong schoolers and require at least six fish of the same kind to be happy. (guppies also school, but not as much as neons)
also, the idea of a 'algae eater' bothers me. that could mean a lot of fish, all of them unsuitable for a tank that size. the only cleaners that could be happy in a tank that small is a shrimp or a snail.

i recommend a beta OR 2-3 male guppies and 1 mystery snail.

also, the only thing that permits the use of nano tanks (anything under ten gallons) is tons of water changes. 50% at least once a week, preferably daily.

Answer 6

2 neon tetras will die you need 6 or more so neons will not do for a 5.5g. an algae eater is okay as long as it is small. and the guppies should be the same gender if you want only two. the male will harrass the female. without the neons you can fit 3 guppies. 1 male, 2 female. Beware: guppies breed like rabbits. if the tank is new u need to let it cycle for a few weeks this way ammonia and nitrite dont kill your fish. and nitrate has to be low. below 20ppm.

Answer 7

You could do that for sure. The only downside to a smaller tank is there is more fluctuation in the chemical levels in the tank. So you will proabbly have to clean it a bit more often. When cleaning NEVER empty all the water, this is tempting in a smaller tank. Take out half the water then fill it up I have a 20 gallon and I do it every 3 weeks or so, so I would do yours every 1 week if you dont have a filter, and every 1.5-2 if you do. They have a little vacuum hose thing that sucks the water from under the rocks.

Answer 8

Most of the Algae eating fish get way too big for a 5.5g.

Answer 9

algea eaters are great for a large tank because they get so big. Guppies multiply very quickly so be careful, they can easily take over a tank! And I'm not sure if tetras mix well with guppies.

Answer 10

How about a mystery snail, a african dwarf frog, and a betta. That would be a pretty good mix.