5gallon options

[vantgE]

I was trying to get my mother into the fishkeeping but that means I'd have to run her tank at least a little and I won't have time for more than a five gallon, I was planning one of those kits with the filter and all fitted into the lid, and mostly wandering what my options were, she likes how my fish interact with each other and would prefer a group of fish, something more intelligent and intresting then the common livebearer we have some whiteclouds, egglayers but similar size and she doesn't like them, nor does she like the idea of a betta. I tried to talk her into a single dp, and suggested a group of female bettas, gut don't have any other ideas, if you could suggest some options i would really apreciate it

thankyou

 

[ramboy]

rainbows they are beautiful and very interesting also rams, kribs they are all great fish

 

[Fish Buddy]

I believe rainbows need more room to swim in than 5g. I would also not put rams in a tank less than a 10g. And kribs need more space than rams.
Maybe there is a species of killi fish that would be suitable... she really does not like bettas eh?

 

[LoachLover]

rainbows they are beautiful and very interesting also rams, kribs they are all great fish

a 5 gallon is to small for rams, not to mention they aren't exactly hardy.

 

[vantgE]

No she wasn't ovely intrested in the bettas and it should be something she'd really like, do the killis interact with each other or arre the more or less like exotic guppies , they had some at the lfs

 

[penguinpimp1990]

bumble bee gobies maybe?

 

[Fish Buddy]

If you get a pair of killis they will make.. that's interaction isn't it (LOL)

 

[Torrean]

hmm. Maybe a trio of mosquito fish. They are like dull guppies. The females have purple blue and green sides though so there is a bit of color. Oh you said no common livebearer. hmm. Oh I think I have an idea. What if you put a male betta in with some ADF's (african dwarf frogs) You'd have lot's of color from the betta and the frogs would be entertaining. I know she said she wasn't really interested in a betta but the adf's might bring her around.

 

[guppygirl]

Maybe endlers? They aren't that common and are cute as buttons.
Frogs are entertaining too, get her a moody headstrong funny betta and a frog, I think that will convince her.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

I find bigger tanks to take less time maintence wise than smaller tanks.... less water changes, and no one saying 'but it looks empty!!!'

 

[cometcattle]

I'd up it to a 10g and get some shell dwellers.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

all i can think of would be 4-5 dwarf platies or 3 male guppies. a single dwarf puffer would be quite personable and intelligent.

are you thinking about a rectangular or hex 5g?

 

[dwarfgourami]

Sounds to me like a choice between a)betta b)dwarf puffer c)frog d)bigger tank

I don't know how your mum estimates intelligence in fish, but maybe you could gently suggest to her that most fish are interesting in proportion to the interest of their surroundings. A bored fish is a boring fish. A reasonably sized well planted tank can make even the most humble fish behave in a more natural and interesting way.

On the other hand...well, let's put it this way: I recently had the misfortune to see at a friend's house a smallish tank (guestimate 60 ltrs) containing 5 tinfoil barbs, 5 bronze cories and a common pleco. All generally acknowledged to be "cool", interesting fish, but in that setting they looked dead boring, dead bored...and will no doubt shortly be dead.

So please make sure your mum either goes for something that genuinely will be happy in your 5 gallon- or make her buy a bigger tank. It doesn't really take much more time to empty a whole bucket of water instead of a half, which is all the extra maintenance you will need.

 

[sinistral]

You could try 3-4 cherry barbs (only one male) and some ghost shrimp (what I have). A small tank is an interesting dilemma. guppygirl's idea of endlers is a good one, I think.

 

[bobwumba]

get some guppies and neons