2.5 gallon

[_]im]

Hi,

I was thinking about buying a used 2.5 gallon system, would that be able to house a neon tetra community, mind you a small one? Or shoudl I be looking at soemthing bigger for the community I'm after?

Thanks

 

[corrosive]

2.5 gal split it into 2 x 1.25 gallon partitions and have 2 bettas .

 

[_]im]

I dont like bettas
Not sure why, but would the minimum (5??) neons work? I think its too small but who knows.

 

[yhbae]

I've never kept a tank that small, but personally, I find smaller tanks more difficult to keep up. Fishes that do perfectly well in 25g doesn't do well in 5.5g even with more frequent water changes. This is why I only use 5.5g for temporary holding only - the minimum size I consider for any species is really a 10g...

 

[_]im]

I've heard that too. I was going to buy it, since it was used just as a hospital tank, but I am pretty good with water changes and watching to make sure my fish are healthy, and I dont get many new fish, so I'd really like to have it as a tank with a bit of color to it.

 

[yhbae]

I've heard that too. I was going to buy it, since it was used just as a hospital tank, but I am pretty good with water changes and watching to make sure my fish are healthy, and I dont get many new fish, so I'd really like to have it as a tank with a bit of color to it.

Why don't you try it? It might work out ok. Certainly from bioload perspective, you can't get much lower than a group of neons.

How about a small group of neons with some live plants?

What type of filtration and lighting do you have?

 

[yhbae]

Oh and (I'm sure you read about this already) keep in mind that neons are very sensitive when you introduce them for the first time into new tanks.... Be (mentally) prepaired to loose some.

 

[_]im]

I will have an aquaclear mini, it comes with it, so i'll use it, ahha.

Thanks for the help I think I'll try it, and I know I'll have some losses, I've only really had mollies and guppies, pretty easy to keep, so I want to have a challenge now, thanks for the advice!

 

[TorPeteO]

I think it's a terrible idea. Neons need to be in schools, which you've addressed. These schools, however, need enough room to actually swim around in a group. 2.5 gallons is not nearly big enough for a school of any fish.

I'd say that, if it's a good deal, you can buy it as a fry grow-out tank (you seem to have many livebearers), or as an hospital tank, or as a quaratine tank.

I'd recommend that you buy a 20 gallon tank to complement your current 10 gallon setup. Then buy 10-12 neons to go in there, and be creative with your tankmates (provided they're compatible, of course).

 

[yhbae]

Good filter for the tank (You may have to adjust/reduce the flow rate). Good luck!

TorPeteO, I don't think it is a great idea either (as mentioned already), the tank is small. But he is willing to keep up with the maintenance, so who knows... At least he is aware of the risks before getting into this setup.

 

[Dragonslair]

What I always advise fishkeepers is buy the biggest tank you can afford or manage from the onset. You can always add more fish if the tank looks sparse. A large tank not only looks pleasing to the eye but is also easier to manage.

 

[nino]

a friend of mine had 3 neon tetras in a 2.5 gallon planted tank and it has worked out really well. about the whole schooling thing, i dont know what everyone is talking about but in my 55 gallon tank, the 7 neons always split up into pairs or go alone. sometimes they school when my arm is in the tank working on something. they school for safety reasons and in a 2.5 gallon tank i don't think that they'll feel the need to. it may not be the ideal conditions, but it has been done and worked out so go ahead and try it.

 

[cutechic]

Neon tetras are shoaling fish, and should be kept in groups of ay least 6. A 2.5g does not provide enough swimming room for neon tetras, nor can it handle the bio-load they would produce. IMHO, only a pair of ADFs or a betta could live happily in a 2.5g.

Edited for spelling )

 

[yhbae]

Neon tetras are shoaling fish, and should be kept in groups of ay least 6. A 2.5g does not provide enough swimming room for neon tetras, nor can it handle the bio-load they would produce. IMHO, only a pair of ADFs or a betta could live happily in a 2.5g.

Edited for spelling )

I'm not going to add any more messages to this topic after this one...

Neons _should_ be in groups of 6 or more. I have 4, and they are doing great. As someone mentioned, for lucky ones, 3 could be ok too... I guess your milages will vary.

Would I do it? Probably not. Would I stop someone from doing it knowning the risks? Probably not either...

 

[_]im]

Thanks for all the input, what is ADF's though??