What Fish?

[KrystaK]

I have a 5 gallon tank - I know, small. But for an ultra-newbie like me, it's a good size.

I had a Betta in it for 4 weeks, but sadly he got caught behind the filter and died. (I've found waterproof tape and put that around the filter so any new fishies can't get caught)
So I was wondering, how cycled would my tank be? Is it worth it to go out and buy the ammonia for the fishless cycle, or should I go find some hardy fish if the tank is already this far into the cycle? (How long is an average cycle?)(Please don't call me a dumby for putting my Betta right into the tank with the new filter and all)

And as to the hardy fish: What types of fishies would fit in my 5 gallon? I thought the rule was 1' per US gallon or something, but some fish like to school and there may not be enough room for them and such I assume...
I can upgrade to a 10 gallon if I feel like spending the money so yeah...

Which beginner-friendly fish would be good in a 5 or 10 gallon tank?

 

[the_lock_man]

Whatever bacteria you've built up with the fish-in cycle will be dying off now, as they're not getting any new ammonia to feed on. Therefore, I would suggest that you get hold of the bottled ammonia ASAP, and go fishless.

Then when it's cycled, why not get another Betta? In a tank that small, not much else will fit, although male endlers would also look good.

 

[Smells a bit fishy]

I would personally say a betta. You could also if you have the 10 gallon then I would put some small tetra in 6-8.

However if you are looking to upgrade then why not got bigger?

Definitely fish-less cycle. Your tank won't be fully cycled yet, and the longer you wait, the more bacteria will die

 

[Davehutton92]

i would get the 10gallon and put a shoal of tetra in it (after fishless cycle ofc) and add a few cherry shrimp

 

[KrystaK]

Yeah, I was hopping to get some Platy's and/or Guppies. According to the Petsmart site Platy's need at least 10 gallons and Guppies need at least 5... is that accurate? (Petsmart is the only LFS in my area, and it's a good distance away )
I was thinking of a 10 gallon starter kit from Walmart and a fishless cycle (Still don't know how to tell when my tank is cycled... Have to fork over the money for testing supplies too? ) and then hopefully at least Guppies..

I would go with a Betta, but I would like to diversify my fish buying, I've had 1 Betta after another for the past 3 years.. (So I've had 2 ) And would just like to try something different. And my BF wants a Betta, so I could give him my 5 gallon so da fishy would have some swimming room..

 

[Smells a bit fishy]

Yes you would need a testing kit, that's a must in this hobby I'm afraid. Your tank will be fully cycled once ammonia and nitrites drop from 4ppm to 0ppm in 12 hours.

When you buy a testing kit get the API freshwater master kit, don't get strips waste of money and far more expensive in the long run.

 

[Stephan]

If u don't have the money for the test kit petsmart will test ur water free. Just a matter of how far it is from you.

When u say 5 is a good size for an ultra newbie the problem is that water conditions are harder not easier to control in a big tank just BC anything that happens in a bigger tank will be diluted by more water.

Finally, don't feel bad about putting a Betta in an incisors tank. I've never used any kind of filtration for Betta. They live in small puddles in rice paddies. They can also surface breathe. Incidentally I wonder if he really got stuck behind the filter or it just looked that way. A lot of times after dying the body will be pulled to the filter.

 

[Miles_hot]

Gosh, how many years do they live in tiny puddles? I would have thought that such conditions would ne s crisis situation or is that their year round home? Sounds amazing

 

[the_lock_man]

If u don't have the money for the test kit petsmart will test ur water free. Just a matter of how far it is from you.

So long as the assistant is competent to interpret the results. Far, far better to get a liquid test kit, imho.

I've never used any kind of filtration for Betta. They live in small puddles in rice paddies. They can also surface breathe.

Yes they do live there, and yes they can breathe air at the surface. They do this, as I understand it, because in their little puddles, there is relatively little dissolved oxygen, therefore they need to "top-up" with atmospheric oxygen. However, like any other fish, their gills produce ammonia. Ammonia is still toxic to Betta, just as it is to any other fish. In the wild, their "small puddles" are constantly refreshed by further rainfall, thus diluting the ammonia. This is not replicated within the aquarium. Aquarium water needs to be filtered to remove the ammonia and nitrite, regardless of the species of fish being kept.

 

[Essjay]

They don't live in puddles all the time. Rice paddies cover huge areas, thousands and thousands of gallons. Bettas can survive the dry season in the puddles that are left at this time, but only for a very short time before it rains again. They don't live in puddles for more than a few weeks a year.