# Stocking for a 5 gallon tank.



## YesseGriffen (Jul 3, 2017)

So I am getting a 5 gallon tank in about a day or so. I want to know what can I put into the tank. I was thinking shrimp and something else. Like a small fish that I can have multiple of. I had the idea of Poecilia wingei. But any other ideas. :grin2:


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## Viridis (May 11, 2016)

I would just stick to shrimp personally. They'll multiply quickly and will be more than enough entertainment in a 5 gallon. Plus the wingei will eat the newborn shrimp.


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## YesseGriffen (Jul 3, 2017)

Hmm, how does a betta and wingei sound? I have heard that tetras and bettas can work together, but can a betta and some wingei work? Btw my tank is more vertical than horizental which is the reason I am not getting tetras, and I don't know if I should get wingei because of it.


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## sevendust111 (Jul 15, 2014)

What about a single pea puffer or peacock gudgeon?


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## YesseGriffen (Jul 3, 2017)

Well, I'm not the most experienced fishkeeper and I'v heard pea puffers are for experts. Peacock gudgeon is a really cool idea. How many could I fit in a 5 gallon?


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## MissCris (Mar 7, 2016)

Puffers difficulty varies a bit by species. The indian freshwater dwarf variety are fairly easy. You just plant the tank well, feed frozen bloodworms & similar foods, and keep the tank gravel vacuumed.  I have a delightful group in a 5g, and they haven't been any trouble at all.

If puffers aren't your thing though, what about small rasboras. Or a single pair of the smaller shell cichlids? That could be fun to watch.


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## YesseGriffen (Jul 3, 2017)

Hmm, that actually doesn't seem like a bad idea. If I do get something like the indian freswater dwarf, how many? And for food, I have snails in an other tank I can feed to them, I have seen that dwarf puffers can eat snails, right?


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## MissCris (Mar 7, 2016)

They love snails, but you will quickly find that even a badly infested tank won't feed them for long. That's why you need to get the frozen mini bloodworms. Some will also eat frozen brine shrimp, though mine don't seem to care for those as much. I thaw a block of worms in a little cup, and can feed for 2 days off it (morning and evening, stored in the fridge), at which point the worms start getting too stiff and the extra gets fed to my cichlids.

I keep a half dozen in a heavily planted 5 gallon. Give them a nice big wad of java moss too; they may spawn in it, and it's good for helping maintain water quality as they can be messy eaters. When you drop a pinch of worms down in the tank they play tug of war with their food. It's hilarious.

Just make sure the filter flow current is not to strong, as they swim like drunken balloons. I used driftwood and plants to break up the flow in my tank.

I adore my puffers. They watch you from inside the glass, to the point that some days I feel like they keep humans outside the tank for their amusement. They are very curious, and anything new added to the tank will be thoroughly investigated. Dropping a few snails in gets them really happy. You'd thing such tiny fish would be nervous or shy, but they pack a ton of personality.


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## YesseGriffen (Jul 3, 2017)

Half a dozen in a 5 gallon? Dang I thought I could only keep 1, lmao. I have for food snails, frozen brine shrimp and freeze dried bloodworms, then your normal flakes and sinking pellets. So if I do this I will probably put 2-3 in them maybe. This all depends if my LFS has them, never ordered fish yet, don't know if I will. If I do, do this I just hope I can take care of them.


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## MissCris (Mar 7, 2016)

They won't touch flake or pellets, the frozen brine may work. For whatever reason, the food has to look like food to them. They really are pretty easy, just plant, feed, keep tank clean; the only thing they are sort of finicky about is the food, but frozen cubes are cheap and can be bought pretty much everywhere. 

Normal tropical temps are fine (mid to high 70's), water hardness doesn't seem to be a big issue (my tap is basically liquid concrete, though I use a drinking water filter if I'm doing a really big water change), mid-range ph seems to suit them (mine's avout 7.3 in the tank, but the tap is higher). 

Not like some of my fish that require really, really specific conditions to be happy.


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## sevendust111 (Jul 15, 2014)

I would do a single male peacock gudgeon. You could probably do 2 females and one male as long as you kept up with water changes and planted reasonably heavy with a good amount of hiding spots.


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## YesseGriffen (Jul 3, 2017)

Wow, well the puffer idea seems like the winner so far. Any other suggestions if my LFS doesn't have peacock gudgeons or dwarf puffers?


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## WilliamB (Dec 17, 2017)

You're so limited with 5 gallons. Unless you are stuck on the 5 gallon for some reason I would to to Wal-Mart or a pet store and get a 20 gallon for $20-$30. Anything under a 20 I wouldn't recommend to a beginner. But 10 isn't absolutely terrible either. I would go low tech planted. Java fern, penny wart. I had a 10 gallon once and i just threw a couple stems of penny wart into the water and floated it and it took over the entire tank with just a stock 2 watt led that came with the kit. For fish a school of about 8 neon tetras. Simple and beautiful. Can't go wrong. If you insist on the 5 I would do that same thing. Low tech planted. Then just stick with the shrimp. Fish options could be neons like I said. Rasboras. Danios. I love celestial danios. You're going to need to keep constant tabs on your water conditions. I mean constant like checking for ammonia spikes every other day. In my opinion by the time you get done buying all those test strips you could have just as well bought a 20 gallon tank for less than $30 which could easily be set up low tech to be virtually maintenance free and alot simpler for a beginner. Just my 2 cents.


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## Vinster8108 (Sep 1, 2016)

5 gallon tanks are fine for beginners. Just be sure to cycle the tank before added shrimp or fish. Try not to over feed and you’ll be fine. I have a Spec V with about 50 cherry and tiger shrimp in it. It’s always balanced, never have to check water parameters. 

Sticking wise, a small school of 6-10 nano-fish will work as well. Fish that stay under 1in are best. 

One great benefit with small tanks is 50% water changes are supper easy. Siphon out half into a 5 gallon bucket and use a 2 gallon pitcher from the sink to fill it back up. One and done lol.


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## WilliamB (Dec 17, 2017)

Vinster8108 said:


> 5 gallon tanks are fine for beginners. Just be sure to cycle the tank before added shrimp or fish. Try not to over feed and you’ll be fine. I have a Spec V with about 50 cherry and tiger shrimp in it. It’s always balanced, never have to check water parameters.
> 
> Sticking wise, a small school of 6-10 nano-fish will work as well. Fish that stay under 1in are best.
> 
> One great benefit with small tanks is 50% water changes are supper easy. Siphon out half into a 5 gallon bucket and use a 2 gallon pitcher from the sink to fill it back up. One and done lol.



I have to respectfully disagree with this. You say your tank is always balanced, but you never check water parameters. So how do you know if it's balanced? Having experience in starting with a 10 gallon I would say anything that small or smaller is not good for a beginner. I remember constantly doing water changes. Random ammonia spikes of 1.0 ppm or more. Constantly struggling to keep nitrates below 40ppm. Waking up in the morning to cloudy water due to a bacteria bloom once every couple months. Fish eventually experiencing stasis due to nitrate. This was with 5 neons and 2 pepper Cory. And still was experiencing this even after 5+ years of having the tank set up. Eventually I put plants in and it got alot better. Started a 29 heavily planted low tech tank and never had these issues. Ammonia and nitrite constant 0 and nitrates never above 10. Just with weekly water changes. That's basically my beginner story from where I started. But we are all different. My question to the op is are you going to plant or not?


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## YesseGriffen (Jul 3, 2017)

I am going to do planted yes. I already have plant in there from my 55 gallon, and I am planning on putting more once I go to the store which will probably be tomorrow. The tank has been setup and I put in quick start (api) and water from my 55 gallon tank and some prime.


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## WilliamB (Dec 17, 2017)

I've cycled a tank in 3 days before just using some filter floss from an established tank and pure ammonia. So if you already have an established tank just pull some of your dirty filter floss out of the 55 filter and put it into the 5 gallon filter. The bacteria will seed the new tanks filter. When your new tank can dispose of 2ppm ammonia in one day (0 ammonia and 0 nitrite) and you have around 20ppm nitrate then you're fully cycled.


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## YesseGriffen (Jul 3, 2017)

Ya but here is the problem, the media (filter floss) in the 55 gallon or my 20 gallon are way to big. Since the 55 and 20 run on aqueon filters, this one works on something different. I will test the water tomorrow to see where it is at. And I was maybe thinking Indian dwarf puffers, but it all depends if my LFS has them, because I am not ordering fish right now.


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## WilliamB (Dec 17, 2017)

You can just pull SOME filter floss off from the larger filter, it should tear easily. and just shove it into the floss of the smaller filter. It will stick there if you push it in so the fibers are tangled


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## YesseGriffen (Jul 3, 2017)

Ohh, you were saying the floss, lmao. I might, but if I check the water tomorrow and it's fine I just won't worry about it and maybe give the tank a couple more days and then stock it.


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## YesseGriffen (Jul 3, 2017)

Alrighty, I got some java fern and java moss and placed it in the tank. When I was there I saw that they had 3 dwarf pea puffers. Thinking about getting all 3 in about 2 days or so. Also, they had dwarf mexico lobsters. 
I have done little research on them, but do you guys know if they both could possibly go together? Just a question, my main priority is the pea puffers. Really I am just wondering is 5 gallons enough? I have a cycled 20 gallon that will probably be in use in a couple of months or so.


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## psalm18.2 (Oct 16, 2010)

I can't believe what I'm reading here, multiple dwarf puffers in a 5 gallon?! That's not right. Pea puffers are territorial and 5 gallons is big enough for only one. I see people suggesting putting more than one and it seems to be working. How old are your puffers and how long have they been in the tank? Years or months?


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## YesseGriffen (Jul 3, 2017)

Kinda what I was thinking, but you never know people can get lucky with them I guess. What other type of fish could possibly work in a 5 gallon?


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## Aquatic Neurotic (Oct 22, 2017)

psalm18.2 said:


> I can't believe what I'm reading here, multiple dwarf puffers in a 5 gallon?! That's not right. Pea puffers are territorial and 5 gallons is big enough for only one. I see people suggesting putting more than one and it seems to be working. How old are your puffers and how long have they been in the tank? Years or months?


Thank you so much for speaking up. I have been thinking the same thing and worrying about it, but didn't want to post it because I am new to this forum and new to the hobby so didn't want to lecture. I am very interested in having dwarf puffers myself, so have been researching extensively to learn about them. Based on that research, I agree with what you've said here.


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## YesseGriffen (Jul 3, 2017)

Well I am thinking of a betta and ghost shrimp. Any other ideas?


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## WilliamB (Dec 17, 2017)

Im so relieved you came to your senses. Betta sounds excellent. Simple and elegant. Bettas are very rewarding in a planted tank. They go from lethargic and bored to death in the little cup to energetic and ready to explore everything once they get into the planted tank. I'm worried if you're cycled or not though. I'm still pushing for adding cycled media to your filter. That will allow you to cycle almost instantly. Though you will still have a bit of a bacteria bloom that will cloud the water up most likely. If you must have fish tomorrow then get the betta. Feed very sparingly and Add the cycled media and do water changes as soon/if you see the cloudy water. You should be good to go ans fully cycled within a week. Just watch your ammonia and nitrite levels and do water changes accordingly.


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## YesseGriffen (Jul 3, 2017)

Alright, will do. I don't need too add the fish tomorrow, but I tested the water today at about 8 am and it was basically perfect. I had .25 ammonia (Trust me that is basically zero, I don't know if I test ammonia wrong or what but no matter what tank I test it is always .25. Maybe because my tap water is .50 but idk) Nitrites - .0 and Nitrates - 20ppm. I tore off a little bit of the filter floss from the most bacteria-full filter in the 55 gallon and placed it right on the 5 gallon. I will give the testings tomorrow and see where we are at.


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## WilliamB (Dec 17, 2017)

Awesome sounds good. Didn't you just set up the 5 gallon yesterday?


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## YesseGriffen (Jul 3, 2017)

Basically, yes.


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## WilliamB (Dec 17, 2017)

Cool. Good luck keep us posted


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## YesseGriffen (Jul 3, 2017)

Alright the testings look like the following:
Ammonia - .25 (Looked yellower than last time but still going with .25)
Nitrites - .25
Nitrates - 40ppm
Ph - 6.8


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## MissCris (Mar 7, 2016)

Aquatic Neurotic said:


> psalm18.2 said:
> 
> 
> > I can't believe what I'm reading here, multiple dwarf puffers in a 5 gallon?! That's not right. Pea puffers are territorial and 5 gallons is big enough for only one. I see people suggesting putting more than one and it seems to be working. How old are your puffers and how long have they been in the tank? Years or months?
> ...


It depends on the puffer species. Some are indeed insanely territorial, and will tear each other to shreds. Many "dwarf" puffers are still a few inches and need a 10g or larger to themselves. 

One specific species of pea puffer (the type recommended to OP), is neither territorial, nor do they exceed an inch long. They live in large schools in the wild, and are actually happier in groups. Due to their minute adult size, they are also typically kept in planted nano tanks.

I would never recommend the larger or agressive dwarf puffers be kept in multiples or in a nano under 10g. That would be injurious to the fish, and totally unsustainable.

**I will note that the puffers in question are only ok untill females are allowed to spawn. The dominant male will then guard the moss wad where the eggs are laid with total ferocity, and all other fish must be removed. Fortunately, the only spawning media that seems to have been reported to trigger breeding is java moss and similar (xmas moss, flame moss, etc.). So, no moss in the tank. Leafy plants do not provide adequate spawning media, and should be planted abundantly.


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## Kehy (Feb 5, 2012)

Ah too bad you've decided. I would've said go the native route, and get one of the enneacanthus species like a banded sunfish. Sweet little fish, more personality than a betta, and definitely something unusual (but perfectly well suited). You could also have a full breeding colony of Heterandria Formosa, or try some of the minnows swimming in US waters

Bettas will often snack on shrimp, and shrimp will often trim betta fins. Be careful of that.


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