Past History

[Wolffelis]

I recently restarted fish keeping and everything has changed,I feel like a beginner now. When I was really neck deep in the hobby I was breeding and selling kuhli loaches and guppies. You couldn't move through the house without bumping into an aquarium and same with the garage. I think I had around 50 aquariums and a pond. 
 
Fast forward ten years...
 
Now I have a three gallon tank that has river rock, a Jungle Val, Peacock Fern and a male Betta. I was gifted a vexing problem though. I accepted a used five gallon aquarium and the hood doesn't work, I tried changing the light bulb but it wasn't the problem. I am now hunting for a new hood with no success.
Also what to stock in it? I have two ideas and a friend of mine who owns a fish specialty store likes them but I wonder what the community here thinks. Nothing is set in stone and I plan on letting the tank sit until after Christmas. 
 
Stocking ideas:
 
3 female Bettas 
a fake waterfall for aeration
2 amazon swords
1 water sprite 
10 Val (different varieties)
a cherry shrimp or ghost shrimp or snail of some kind
 
      OR
6 Green Tetras
fake waterfall 
same plant list
same shrimp or snail idea
 
What do you think?
 
I will not be breeding or attempting to breed the Bettas
 
 

 

[Byron]

My first suggestion would be to not have the "waterfall" or similar aeration.  I suggest this because the fish under consideration are all from quiet water habitats, and in the confines of a 5 gallon tank, this would be too much water movement for these fish.  I would go with a single sponge filter, like the Hagen Elite; this works very well in such setups.
 
The green tetra (presumably Paracheirodon simulans) do better with more in the group, and while space is limited, I would add a couple more if this option  is chosen.
 
As for the plants, Amazon sword, presumably Echinodorus grisebachii (still may be seen as E. bleherae, E. amazonicus), will get very large for this small a space.  One of the chain swords would be good.
 
If you can find one of the old-type incandescent hoods that take two screw-in bulbs, you can use the 9w CFL spiral bulbs, the daylight 6500K, with very good results; I have this over my 10g and 20g tanks.  LED is another option but I will say no more as I have no experience with LED and for plants you need to get a decent one.
 
Byron. 

 

[NickAu]

 
3 female Bettas

In my opinion you should have at least 5 females in a heavily planted tank, and with 5 Bettas I don't give the red cherry shrimp much chance even In a heavily planted tank.
5 gallons is too small for more than 1 Betta.
This is just my opinion.
I thinka small school of Galaxy Rasboras ( Danio margaritatus, about 8 ) would look great in a 5 gallon.

 

[Wolffelis]

I didn't think about the Rasbora family at all. I just saw a fish called a Blue Neon Dwarf while looking up information on the Galaxy Rasboras. I wonder if they would work too?  I have always liked Rasbora Hets too would they be doable if I cannot find any Galaxy Rasboras in my area? I wish I had the room for a ten gallon again or a fifty five! I would love a big tank
Thank you Nick for the suggestion, I really appreciate it.

 

[NickAu]

Forget about shrimp with a Gourami, Plus in my opinion a 5gal is too small. If I may make a suggestion, set up the 5gal plant it heavily and throw in a few floating plants cycle it and upgrade your betta to it.

 

[Wolffelis]

Its not a blue gourami its a rasbora/danio type rather small and look good in smaller tanks. I am still researching them the scientific name is Sundadanio Axelrodi. I know they are not for beginners but I have had success with fragile fish in the past and would like to try again. I have decided on a single species tank and I can purchase black water if needed. I don't have a test kit for the water quality at this time but its on the list of things to get. I have a very limited budget to work with and get only the most essential items. I know test kits are important though and its on the list.
 
Here is my current wish list for a single species tank:
 
Female Bettas
Long finned leopard danios
White Cloud Mountain Minnow
Green Tetras
Cardinal Tetras
Galaxy Rasbora
I am thinking there might be others that work but those are my favorites in no particular order. 
 
 As for moving Picasso what would I do with the three gallon? I love the set up and I think Picasso does too. He is in his Jacuzzi at the moment. I think he loves the air stone I have in there he plays in the bubbles and if I turn it off he gets mad and will push and bite the air stone! I change up his tank every few weeks so he doesn't get bored. It gives him new territories to explore and I have things he can swim through or under.
 
The peacock fern I purchased a few days ago is looking good still, there is no sign of wilting or dead leaves. I think the jungle val grew three inches in the last two months. I will be adding some new plants to the aquarium soon. I am getting cork screw val and a water wisteria to start while I work on the 5 gallon. They will be transplanted there once I have the 5 gallon the way I want it. Fish will be purchased in January or February I want the plants to be established first and am willing to wait however long it takes.
 

 

[Byron]

Its not a blue gourami its a rasbora/danio type rather small and look good in smaller tanks. I am still researching them the scientific name is Sundadanio Axelrodi. I know they are not for beginners but I have had success with fragile fish in the past and would like to try again. I have decided on a single species tank and I can purchase black water if needed. I don't have a test kit for the water quality at this time but its on the list of things to get. I have a very limited budget to work with and get only the most essential items. I know test kits are important though and its on the list.
 

 
Sundanio axelrodi is a rasbora, not a gourami, so now we have that little confusion out of the way...this would be a very good fish for a 5g.  In fact, this is being discussed in another thread.  It requires very soft and acidic water though, more info here:
http/www.seriously...danio-axelrodi/
 
On the water parameters, some of the data you should be able to get from your municipal water authority, on their website.  The GH (general hardness) is important, moreso than the pH usually, and once you know the tap water GH you will have a better idea of suitable fish or what may be necessary if you decide on adjusting the water.
 

Here is my current wish list for a single species tank:
 
Female Bettas
Long finned leopard danios
White Cloud Mountain Minnow
Green Tetras
Cardinal Tetras
Galaxy Rasbora
I am thinking there might be others that work but those are my favorites in no particular order.
 

 
For a five gallon, I would stay with very small fish.  The green tetra is one of the few of the commoner tetra that can work, whereas the very similar cardinal is not so good in this small a space.  The danios are much too large, and need swimming space anyway.  I think the tank is a bit small for the Galaxy Rasbora too, as is explained here:
http/www.seriouslyfish.com/species/celestichthys-margaritatus/
 
Byron.

 

[NickAu]

 
Its not a blue gourami 

Sorry,My bad I was thinking of The Neon Blue Dwarf Gourami.

 

[jag51186]

I just wanted to let you know, my jungle val when I had it, would grow probably about 6 inches a week, sometimes even more than that. Once yours is fully established and really takes off, you could be in for quite a bit of trimming. =)