5g tank

[jflowers]

Ok, my ten year old son put 'small fish tank' on his christmas list. My parents in thier wisdom got him a five gallon complete setup (It has a UGF which I will replace with an internal, so I can give him sand for the substrate). What would you suggest to stock it with? He has a betta currently residing in his grandads tank, so would that and a small 4-5 group of cories be too much? Other suggestions?

TIA

Jon

 

[yvez9]

a betta would work

maybe a dwarf gourami or 2

 

[jflowers]

I keep three dwarf gourami (was six but the fighting was too much) in my 200l tank and believe that is too small. Maybe one would work but was informed here that 10g was the min for a dwarf gourami, maybe a honey G?

Jon

 

[modernhamlet]

A betta and 3 of the smaller corys seems to be a common solution to 5g stocking. You could also do otos instead of the corys, if you were so inclined. A few shrimp or a bigger snail might work as well, depending on the temperment of the betta.

Hope that helps...

 

[jflowers]

Yes thats great thank you. He already has a betta and three cories I could get (pygmy or julii) I will buy for him. If he wanted to keep his betta where he is, is there another fish that could replace him in the 5g?

Jon

(I will push for the betta and three cories idea)

 

[sylvia]

You could get 2-3 MALE guppies or 2 male platies. Another option would be 2 otos and a guppy or a honey gourami and 2 otos or 3 cories and the honey gourami or guppy. In addition, a large-ish snail should work fine with a betta and a single dwarf gourami is a possibility as well but not a pair as males will fight or chase any females (you could try 2 females though) and also because in such a small volume the instable nature of the water parameters might stress the often sickly dwarfs and cause disease.
Some endler's livebearers or mosquito fish (avoid a mix of males/females though or you'll be over-stocked with fry) would work well too.
Another suggestion, though a lot less typical and will need some special care to match requirements, might be a pair of killies or, my original thought, a trio of shell-dwelling cichlids. My favourites an the smallest are n. multifasciatus.

 

[jflowers]

a trio of shell-dwelling cichlids. My favourites an the smallest are n. multifasciatus.

shellies would be my choice, gotta let him have some say though. I have never seen any shellies around here though.

Jon

 

[BobK]

2 or three male would be good, like guppies, endlers, or platies. Swordtails and mollies get too big. Can't really get all females as most, if not all, of them are already pregnant when you get them and you'd be overstocked w/in a couple of weeks. I say livebearers because they're usually pretty hardy.