# How many neon tetras / harlequin rasboras can be kept in a 5.5 gallon bare bottom tan



## dasit88 (Mar 13, 2015)

While I am waiting for my dry start to grow out, I want to set up a small shrimp / plant "bank" with a few 5.5 gallon tanks. I also wanted to use one as a quarantine for neon/cardinal tetras or some other small fish like harlequin rasboras, for a short while until my aquascape is ready.

I know that the 1" per gallon rule is not true for tiny fish that have a small bioload. I think it is reasonable to keep 10-20 neon tetras or rasboras in a 5.5 gallon bare bottom tank, as long as there are no other tankmates and pristine water conditions remain constant.

Thoughts?


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## Django (Jun 13, 2012)

The calculator program can't be exact in its calculations, but it should give one pause. 20 neons in a 5.5 gallon tank is around 240% overstocked so you would have to go down to less than 10 neons to start approaching 100% stock or less. The other route would be to use at least a 10 gallon tank. 

"Your favorite aquarium forums won't necessarily endorse or agree with the recommendations reported by AqAdvisor.com. Use AqAdvisor.com to get general stocking recommendations but do your own research BEFORE buying any species. We highly recomend that new tropical fish keepers understock (less than 100%) their aquarium tanks." (AqAdvisor.com)


I would take the "Unless this setup is temporary" statement with a grain of salt because my best guess is you would have a lot of fatalitties.

The recommendations from http://aqadvisor.com


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## majerah1 (Nov 6, 2010)

From personal experience even a ten gallon qt is a bit much for over six harlequins. They move. A LOT. And they will bash walls because they scare easily and they have the instinct of flight. Neons I would assume would be the same way.


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## Paintcraze (Apr 4, 2013)

I would not keep any number of neons or harlies in a 5.5 gallon tank.


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## rebelbuck1993 (Sep 3, 2014)

5 neons would be the max i would be willing to risk in that tank having no plants in a planted nano tank less than 10g i could see more, i have seen tanks with about 20-25 in a 10g but it was planted very heavy from the get go, also most quarantine tanks you want good tank water cycling vs a regular tank, i have done this by having a small AQ or a small hang on back refugium with foam pads and filter floss, while having a small pump for the flow,


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## HDBenson (Jan 26, 2015)

I would not use anything smaller than a 10g for qt'ing. Shrimp and snails could be done like this. MAYBE nano species of fish like Boraras sp. CPDs, and Betta sp. A 20g long would be a better option for species you mentioned. Wether or not you have had success using calculators to determine tank capacity there are many factors that are not accounted for by these calculators. Only the individual keeper can gauge what their tank is capable of handling. Please do not rely on or recommend stocking capacity based of of calculators.


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## Gavin Citrus (Aug 2, 2014)

If I had a 5.5 gallon tank I would 100% establish a large population of Neocardina shrimp (You will love them) then introduce a single male Betta or my choice Dwarf Gourami.

You'll have the slow moving, but vibrant colors of the single fish while having a fun and interesting mostly bottom dwelling population of shrimp.


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## AJ_117 (Apr 8, 2015)

Short answer is none for each. I would not put schooling fish in such a small tank. For that size I would recommend a single Betta or a colony of shrimp.


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## Aquadawg (Aug 18, 2012)

6 male endlers


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