New 5 Gallon Tank For Daughter

[Rhindon]

Long time, no visit.

My daughter's room is small, without a lot of room. She wanted a tank in her room, so I picked up a 5 gallon Marineland tank with Bio Wheel and regular filter. I have a 37 gallon mature tank, but it has a Fluval filter. Is it ok to take some of those pieces out of the Fluval (I was thinking of the hollow circles) and temporarily put them in the filter area of her tank to help the cycling process? The filters are completely different and I'm not sure how to handle that.

The tank has been in place about a day. This morning the ammonia reading was 1.0 (added chemicals along with the tap water that are supposed to help with the cycling process as well as Ammonia Down?). I tested the tap water, and it's coming out at about 2.0. How do I handle this for water changes and trying to establish this tank.

Finally, she loves the color blue. I realize her choices are limited with such a small tank. We were thinking guppies, male only, as our LFS had a really pretty blue colored selection. How many could she do? I think I read here that they get along with bettas, would it be ok to do a betta and the male guppies. Also, what kind of algae eater for such a small tank?

Thanks for the advice!

 

[the_lock_man]

You can take up to a third of the mature filter media, and put it in the new filter. You then take an equal amount of the new filter's media, and place it back into the mature filter. THe bacteria colony will then be able to recolonise onto the new media, and you will suffer no ill effects in that tank. You don't need to do this temporarily.

BUT!!!!!

2ppm ammonia in tap water That's high. VERY high. Are you testing with strips or a liquid test kit? In the UK, the legal max for nitrite in tap water is 0.5ppm. I can't find a figure for ammonia, but ammonia is slightly more toxic than nitrite. Some water conditioners, including Seachem Prime, will turn ammonia into ammonium (much less toxic), so this will help, and the filter bacteria will still feed on the ammonium.

Your other option would be to use Reverse Osmosis water (RO water), but it would be sensible to then reintroduce some of the beneficial minerals that would have been in the tap water.

You didn't read that Bettas get on well with Guppies, quite the opposite in fact, a betta will often mistake a male guppy's tail for being another Betta, and then attack. THis does depend on the betta, though, as some can be docile enough for them to get along fine. I personally wouldn't risk it.

I'm not too good on stocking, but I think that a Betta in a 5gal would be about all you've got room for, although perhaps some shrimp - although the betta may think they are food.

 

[Rhindon]

Thanks for your reply.

I will re-read the tap ammonia reading in daylight as I recently read (in perusing this forum) that artificial light can throw the readings off. I am testing with a liquid test kit.

Ok, she likes the guppies better, so if no betta, would three male guppies be ok?

 

[Aqua Tom]

Thanks for your reply.

I will re-read the tap ammonia reading in daylight as I recently read (in perusing this forum) that artificial light can throw the readings off. I am testing with a liquid test kit.

Ok, she likes the guppies better, so if no betta, would three male guppies be ok?

We had a similer post not so long ago & the owner went with Endlers Guppies. Fantastic colours & dont get too big.


Tom

 

[LilyRose Tank]

a 5 gal tank, should only have 5 inches of " adult fish " length. 3 male guppys would add up to 6 inches, which is overstock
what about a nice bright blue halfmoon betta with an apple snail, or an oto algae eater......but make sure you put algae pellets in for it if you tank isnt smothered with algae
if she really want guppies. what about
1. 2 guppys and an oto OR
2. 1 guppy with a small shoal of pygmy corys...eg 5

 

[Rhindon]

I will try to talk her into a betta, but we had one go very quickly in a one gallon filtered tank and I think she will be averse to that. She gets very upset when fish die (even when they've been around a long time) and it sticks with her.

 

[lilfishie]

If your having Male Gups then you want 5 to spread aggression, Endlers would be a better choice size wise and you could have the Betta too

 

[LilyRose Tank]

not in a 5 gal tank....wouldnt that be overstocked?...he'd end up having amm spikes, and dead fish....dont want to upset the little princess!

 

[-FighterFishh]

5gal is a little smaller than my biOrb, and I have 6 endlers, 1 male platy (who's actually tiny) and a male betta in there, so I don't see why you couldn't fit 5 male endlers and a male betta in there?

 

[Aqua Tom]

<>
a 5 gal tank, should only have 5 inches of " adult fish " length.

The 1 inch per gallon rule is outdated & just plain wrong. Its all down to the species & behaviour. For instance I could have 6 or so Tetras in a ten gallon & they would grow to 10" of adult fish all together. Right?

By going with the same 1" per gallon rule I could forget about the Tetras & put an Oscar in there, It would only grow to 10" adult size, but no one in there right mind would put a 10" fish in a ten gallon tank, especialy an Oscar.

Times move on & so do fishkeeping methods, lets move away from the victorian & into the modern.


Tom

 

[LilyRose Tank]

well after all these months of others on this forum telling me 1" rule,1" rule, 1" rule.......now you tell me different. I think I'll stick to what I know, as overstocking leads to ill fish, and where a betta is concerned, they can get the drop of a hat through stress.
Please remember this is about a little girls tank, so I would play safe. The OP has already said she gets terribly upset when a fish dies.....so lets not put the poor darling off and play safe...and anyone who would put an Oscar in a ten gallon would almost certainly be shot for cruelty.Obviously use some sense, but dont overload the tank. It is only a 5 gallon after all!

 

[fizzlesticks]

I will try to talk her into a betta, but we had one go very quickly in a one gallon filtered tank and I think she will be averse to that. She gets very upset when fish die (even when they've been around a long time) and it sticks with her.

Guppies don't live long (only around a year), so in that respect a healthy betta might be the betta option.

 

[Rhindon]

She really wants the guppies (wants more than one fish). I explained to her that they don't live long and she said ok. I suggested a snail, but she's interested in an algae eater. Would any of them work in this kind of tank setup?

 

[fluttermoth]

There aren't any algae eaters suitable for a 5 gallon tank; all the small ones are social and need to be in small groups. It's either freshwater shrimps and/or snails (but the smaller ones, not apples).

Male guppies don't get anywhere near two inches long, IME, more like an inch (you don't include tails), so you'd be fine with four or five.

 

[willowstwin]

Guppies guppies guppies!! I love reading other peoples posts as I find out loads of info...

so... would 3 male guppies be bad aggression wise?

I've found out (through the wonderful people on here) that the 1" per gallon rule is false... although really if you say this to new people, then it definitely stops them from over stocking.