Tiny tank advice

[ohspecial1]

Hi folks

Have a small tank 18l i believe its square brought it from pet store a few years back

looking to dust it off and start again

Currently or use to have a marina i25 filter system( was this any good or get a mini sponge filter)

Use to have a small glass heater rod

I'm wondering what i can put it in

I understand and yes need to get the water correct right and take it in for weekly testing before i get anything to add

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Rather than get tied up trying to fit fish in, think shrimp, with a lump of wood and some plants.
What are the actual dimensions of the tank?

 

[ohspecial1]

Rather than get tied up trying to fit fish in, think shrimp, with a lump of wood and some plants.
What are the actual dimensions of the tank?

I reckon without getting my ruler out 40x40x40cm

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I reckon without getting my ruler out 40x40x40cm

You said the tank was only 18 litres.
A 40x40x40 cm tank would be 64 litres.

 

[ohspecial1]

I will get my ruler out definatly only takes 10 2lt coke bottles and its not a 64l so i will measure

I'm just looking for 2 fish as i think 1 will get lonely

 

[Avel1896]

I'm wondering what i can put it in

Hey
As Bruce said it right, shrimps is a good suggestion. Many are beauties !

 

[Avel1896]

I'm just looking for 2 fish as i think 1 will get lonely

Depends on which fish : Siamese fighting Betta is designed to live alone, some Killifishes are small enought to live in pair.

 

[Essjay]

Currently or use to have a marina i25 filter system( was this any good or get a mini sponge filter)

I would get a different filter. The Marina i25 has a cartridge which contains carbon and zeolite - carbon isn't needed and zeolite removes ammonia so the bacteria don't grow.
In a small tank, a sponge filter powered by an air pump is ideal. Depending what you do decide to keep, the flow isn't too strong for a betta or shrimps, and baby shrimps don't get sucked in.

 

[Obsessed with fish]

I have guppies in a 3 gallon and there going great. there very happy. Some guppies and shrimp would be a good idea. Maybe a betta.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I have guppies in a 3 gallon and there going great. there very happy. Some guppies and shrimp would be a good idea. Maybe a betta.

Your definition of 'doing great' and 'very happy' may differ from that of most fishkeepers/aquarists.
Shrimp would be simply expensive food for a Betta.

EDIT: To remove spam link.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Yeah as above you really need to know exact dimensions and water volume. However if its only 20L its going to be very limited on what you can do with it.

Pretty much the only fish I would consider ethical to keep in a tank this small is a single betta. Possibly Killifish might work as well but I do not know much about them.

The two big issues with small tank is water quality and living space. The smaller the tank the less water there is, the less water there is the less dilution there is. As such, a small amount of ammonia for example in a small tank might be a massive problem, whereas in a bigger tank it may not even be noticed because it is much more diluted.

Then you have the issue of living space. There are very few fish that would be happy in such a small space. I often see tiny fish like neon tetras and whitecloud mountain minnows recommended for 5G tanks. I think people think just about the fact they are small and maybe don't have a massive bioload (see issue 1). the problem is that these fish are incredibly active and need the space to be able to swim.

That basically leaves a single Betta. These aren't super active swimmers and a single fish will not overload the water volume. I would recommend having some plants in it though.

Alternatively there are some very cool shrimp and snails you can get. A nice little planted tank with a couple of bamboo shrimp and maybe some cherry shrimp and snails would be pretty cool.

 

[Avel1896]

I have guppies in a 3 gallon and there going great. there very happy. Some guppies and shrimp would be a good idea. Maybe a betta.

I'm curious to know @emeraldking 's opinion...

 

[ClownLurch]

I have guppies in a 3 gallon and there going great. there very happy.

They’ve just emailed me saying “No we aren’t“.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

They’ve just emailed me saying “No we aren’t“.

I take it that they used the 'Net?

 

[emeraldking]

I'm curious to know @emeraldking 's opinion...

Well, the answer is very easy... Yes, it can! The next question will be: Is it wise to let a betta join in? The simple answer will be : No! But is it wise to keep guppies and shrimps together? The answer will be: It depends on wether those guppies will leave those shrimp alone or not. For there are guppies that do but also guppies that won't harras those shrimps.