# What fish for a 5.5g heavily planted UNHEATED tank



## AquaKai (Feb 21, 2012)

Sounds perfect for Endlers. Small tank, small fish, highly colorful! And, IMO, do pretty well in lower temps as well.


----------



## RWaters (Nov 12, 2003)

Get a few White Cloud Mountain Minnows.


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

Thought about he minnows all I have around here tho are those sold as feeders and I don't think hey are very well taken care of. Endless live bearers would do ok? Somebody said badis badis would work. Thoughts? Or a peacock gudgeon


----------



## Sergeant Dude (Mar 7, 2014)

Scarlet badis (_dario dario_) or _badis badis_ would be cool. I have no idea if the frog would bother cherry shrimp but if not, you could grab 6-10 and get a little colony going.


----------



## Whjdm069 (Dec 14, 2013)

What light are you running?


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

I thought shrimp too but with all the baby years would I ever see them? For lighting I'm running a finnex fugeray


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

Would a badis badis do well in a 5.5g


----------



## Whjdm069 (Dec 14, 2013)

The baddis sold here locally require live food. I think they also require a heater.


----------



## BigAl6 (Mar 10, 2013)

I would get maybe 6-9 neon tetras. Great colors, small, and like lower 70 degree temps. Beautiful tank btw.


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

Thank you. I've done neons and cardinals and every common tetra inbetween. Looking for something I've never had. A girl in my local club suggested I do celestial pearl danios. Would that he a good fit for a tank this size?? I love those. Anything that has a lot of colors, or patterning, or particularly that metallic shimmer


----------



## SueD (Nov 20, 2010)

For a little shimmer, take a look at sparkling gouramis.


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

My fiancé likes gouramis. How large do thy get? Again I just want somebody to say something will fit in the 5g lol


----------



## Whjdm069 (Dec 14, 2013)

Just saw sparkling gourami tonight. They do stay small.


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

I'll look into it


----------



## Naranjilla (Mar 12, 2014)

Celestial danios would be a good fit. I have some in my 5 gallon tank, heavily planted and unheated like yours. Very colorful and active fish.


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

How many do you have? And what can I expect to pay for them?


----------



## Naranjilla (Mar 12, 2014)

I have 3 right now going to add a few more soon. I think i paid around $6 a piece. Ive seen them range from $5-$8.


----------



## WANNABE_LIMNOLOGY (Dec 31, 2013)

RWaters said:


> Get a few White Cloud Mountain Minnows.


Be careful with these guys they are very active fish. Not sure if I can picture them in a 5 gallon too well. I'm sure it can be done, but doesn't leave much wiggle room.



Whjdm069 said:


> Just saw sparkling gourami tonight. They do stay small.


I love my sparkling gourami's. I'd recommend these guys for sure(very inquisitive, adorable fish)... I have them in a non heated tank though my room is on the warmer side of things.. but my sparkling gourami's are loving life right now.

Also I would recommend Celestial Pearl Danios... i have 6 in my 5 gallon and they are loving it!

Also chilli rasboras are great too.

W


----------



## WANNABE_LIMNOLOGY (Dec 31, 2013)

Naranjilla said:


> I have 3 right now going to add a few more soon. I think i paid around $6 a piece. Ive seen them range from $5-$8.


sheesh, I'm happy my LFS didn't read this.. mine cost $3 and had a deal if you bought 3 or more.


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

I think I will look into the pearl danios. Hopefully they are closer to 3. I won't pay $7 for a $1 fish lol


----------



## daphilster08 (Oct 21, 2009)

After I read the title, one answer came right to my mind.

*Elassoma Okefenokee* you will love them are your tank set up sounds perfect for them.


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

I'll google it


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

I have never seen one of these before. Not sure how easy it would be to get...


----------



## nightshadebel (May 3, 2012)

Why not guppies?


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

I don't like guppies. Lol


----------



## Grah the great (Jul 3, 2013)

Neither Dario (the scarlet badis and its kin) or Elassoma need heaters. However, they do both need live or frozen food, so keep that in mind if you go that route...a population of ramshorns in the tank would be helpful since both fish will predate newborn ramshorns.


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

Tank already has some snails in it and I feed frozen brine shrimp


----------



## mollbern (Feb 18, 2014)

I'll second the _badis badis _or _dario dario_. They're beautiful fish. 

I'm also a fan of dwarf gouramis (more than sparkling gouramis).


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

I've been talking to some people at m club. I think in gonna get a bunch if shrimp and start a colony in there. After they establish I may add a fish possibly single male betta or Dario dario


----------



## Big O (Jun 28, 2011)

gold tetras are nice and small.


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

Never heard of them. What's the Latin?


----------



## WANNABE_LIMNOLOGY (Dec 31, 2013)

Colorblizzle said:


> I don't like guppies. Lol


This made laugh a lot....I feel the exact same way. 


W


----------



## Big O (Jun 28, 2011)

Colorblizzle said:


> Never heard of them. What's the Latin?


*Hemigrammus rodwayi*
never mind they need warmer water


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

Ok. Yeah guppies...possibly re most common fish. and everybody I know has hem. So I don't want them lol. There's my rant


----------



## Down_Shift (Sep 20, 2008)

How much does your temp drop? My tank is heater less. And it's pretty stable. 

Oto and amanos are fine. As long as they don't get shocked by temps. You'll see the Oto start going upside down and the amanos turning less glossy clear


----------



## EndlerGame (Oct 19, 2013)

I wouldn't do Endler's...they can tolerate lower temps, but they prefer 78 to 84 degrees, even higher than most tropicals. Your best bet for temperature tolerance would be mountain minnows (which may look dull in the store but can be a pretty fish once settled in). They'll do perfect at room temp.


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

I songbooks mountain minnows. White clouds are a fish I don't like worse than guppies. I think it's cuz I've seen them used as feeders for so mAny years. I'll probably end up getting a heater and just a male betta


----------



## Down_Shift (Sep 20, 2008)

EndlerGame said:


> I wouldn't do Endler's...they can tolerate lower temps, but they prefer 78 to 84 degrees, even higher than most tropicals. Your best bet for temperature tolerance would be mountain minnows (which may look dull in the store but can be a pretty fish once settled in). They'll do perfect at room temp.


 


True. I think guppies prefer slightly cooler.


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

I have guppies in my sister in laws tank for her because I didn't need to buy her a heater. Cool for her but again I hate guppies


----------



## Down_Shift (Sep 20, 2008)

Colorblizzle said:


> I have guppies in my sister in laws tank for her because I didn't need to buy her a heater. Cool for her but again I hate guppies



How bad are the temp swings?

Like I said before. If the tank only moves a few degrees during the day. You're still fine buying just bout any fish.


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

Temps change with the seasons in my house not day and night really. In any given day it goes from 68-72 I'd say. I honestly haven't checked the temp in quite some time. Thinking about a betta. Someone in my club just bred white half moon bettas. Might get a male juvie


----------



## GuppyGuppyGuppyGuppyGuppy (Feb 11, 2012)

Guppies pls


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

I've kept a betta in an unheated 1g bowl before and he was happy enough to build nibble nests. A tank bigger with plants and filtration should be more than enough to keep him happy I think. The bowl didn't even have a light lol. He was in the dark 20+ hours a day for over a year


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

Bubble nests*


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

But in the summer my room temperature can go as high as 83...


----------



## mistuhmarc (Oct 1, 2013)

I have a scarlet badis doing pretty well in a 2.5 gallon tank without a heater. He eats the frozen food that I put into the tank because the filter makes it look like live food. I also feed him micro worms because micro worms are pretty easy to culture.


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

I have fiends who are willing to give me cultures of that and of other things, but the problem is I'm in a cramped apartment with kids who can reach everything and respect nothing. A small bowl or jar turned into a culture of some sorts would end up spilled on the floor. We have fire bellied toads and I kept crickets cuz it's easier that way. Well they dumped that container. (5g) all over the livingroom while I was sleeping. So there at least 3 dozen crickets living here now lol. 

People tell me different things and I'd like a straight forward answer from people who might be more knowledgable. Could a male and female betta live together in a 5g? It's heavily planted with lots to break up lines of sight. I cannot put a divider in his tank. And even if I could I wouldn't cuz it would ruin the beauty of he tank...


----------



## Aurie (Jun 3, 2013)

If you do a betta, I'd highly suggest a lid. If you know the brand of your tank (Petco is Aqueon and Petsmart is Perfecto) you can get a versa top. I've had bettas sneak between my AQ20 and the lid and that's not a big area. I've lost 2 to this. Both plakats. I'm on my 6th ever betta. 2 lived out their lives peacefully and 2 jumped and I'm on my 5th in my 5.5. Another lived in my 20 gallon for 3 years.

Please please please get a lid if you're getting a betta. ESPECIALLY a plakat.

You don't want a male/female in a tank. Even if they can't see eachother they WILL know each other is there due to pheromones. I'd just stick with 1 male and maybe some shrimp if they don't think they're a snack (up to the betta) .. My betta lives with a bunch of MTS and a nerite.


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

The tank already has a lid and the only holes in it was a hole drilled through the plastic backing just big enough to fit an airline through. I recently kept killifish in here so jumping was already a concern of mine

What's a plakat?


----------



## Down_Shift (Sep 20, 2008)

Colorblizzle said:


> Temps change with the seasons in my house not day and night really. In any given day it goes from 68-72 I'd say. I honestly haven't checked the temp in quite some time. Thinking about a betta. Someone in my club just bred white half moon bettas. Might get a male juvie



Honestly if the temps stay consistently daily you're good for any fish. 

83 is a bit high. But I've kept tetras and guppies into 86 degree area.


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

Our apartment building is insulated weird. In the summer when it gets hot we only have an in wall air conditioner in the livingroom which keeps the livingroom in the low to mid 70's but the bedrooms stay super hot. All we can do is box fans in the windows. So SOMETIMES it gets pretty hot


----------



## Aurie (Jun 3, 2013)

A plakat betta us a tail type. Like delta, veil tail or half-moon. They have shorter tails and are Imo more athletic and are better jumpers. 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

Oh ok


----------



## Grumble69 (Feb 13, 2014)

I had a betta in an unheated tank as well, similar temperatures to you. It lived close to 5 years.


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

Isn't that their life expectancy?


----------



## dru (Mar 9, 2013)

Colorblizzle said:


> I've kept a betta in an unheated 1g bowl before and he was happy enough to build nibble nests. A tank bigger with plants and filtration should be more than enough to keep him happy I think. The bowl didn't even have a light lol. He was in the dark 20+ hours a day for over a year


Aw poor guy


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

Yeah I ended up giving him to a Friend that had a fully planted 40 long. He lived in there with about 60 tetras and a some otocinclus. Probably dead now considering that was at least 4 years ago. But he was happy. I should get ahold of her n see...


----------



## tattooedfool83 (Mar 15, 2013)

what temp does the tanl stay at? I have a heavily planted dirted 10 gallon unheated and only has a dual sponge filter and it has pygmy cories and at least a hundred tiger endlers. But the tank stays around 72 degrees


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

Mom is 72 on average I'd say. But a range would be 68-83. With 83 bein very rare in the hottest of days of the summer


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

Norm* not mom lol


----------



## stanzzzz (Jun 27, 2010)

Hey nice tank why don't u keep chilli rasboras or dwarf rasboras,


----------



## Colorblizzle (Dec 27, 2012)

Idk what they are lol. In general tho I'm not. Fan if MOST rasboras. 

As an update tho I got a male crown tail betta, 3/4" baby bristlnose pleco, and 18 CRS


----------

