# what fish in 2.5gal?



## fishyboy (Nov 16, 2003)

I'd just get a betta, 2 ramssounds like way too much


----------



## IUnknown (Feb 5, 2003)

Maybe consider shrimp. You can get some really neat ones.


----------



## Fosty (Oct 17, 2003)

A betta or sparkiling gouramis. You could also add a few ghost shrimp, or some kulhi loaches. Another possibility would be 2 pigmy puffers.


----------



## DLeDeaux (Dec 27, 2002)

Ember tetras. At most they get 3/4" in length. They also shoal nicely most of the time and aren't too spastic. If I can get my hands on another dozen or so, they're going into my 29 gallon. I love those little buggers.


----------



## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

get the shrimp and some white cloud mountain minnows, I love minnows


----------



## GulfCoastAquarian (Jul 30, 2002)

I've kept Bettas, White Cloud Minnows, Guppies, Neons and otto's in a 2.5g with success. Not at the same time, of course.


----------



## pufferfreak (Oct 19, 2003)

Ok, a BIG NO on the puffers. Just get some shrimp, or a betta. anymore and that would be alot for a planted tank, member plants take up alot of space too.


----------



## pufferfreak (Oct 19, 2003)

Get like a fancy betta, like a crowntail or twin tail, or something like that.


----------



## mpneuman (Dec 1, 2003)

Sparkling Gourami or licorice gourami would work good.

Michael


----------



## badmatt (Nov 19, 2003)

or a thai fighter (plakat betta) they will kick the crap out of anything


----------



## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

Is the tank heated? If not forgo the Betta as they prefer water in the 78-82 degree range.


----------



## Spammy (Dec 10, 2003)

some cories are always good


----------



## 2la (Aug 18, 2002)

No licorice gouramis! Such a rare and delicate species shouldn't be placed in something as unstable as 2.5G--unless you've got money to burn.


----------



## mpneuman (Dec 1, 2003)

2la said:


> No licorice gouramis! Such a rare and delicate species shouldn't be placed in something as unstable as 2.5G--unless you've got money to burn.



I have one in a 3 gallon that is very healthy I have had him in there for almost a year and a half. Definitely not a beginner fish but will work if done right.

Michael


----------



## 2la (Aug 18, 2002)

Michael, I think if someone's asking if they can put two rams in a 2.5 gallon, in all likelihood we're not dealing with a person who knows what keeping licorice gouramis entails. I'm just trying to save him some bucks and some heartache. When it becomes a question of going with the rule versus going with the exception, go with the rule.


----------



## mpneuman (Dec 1, 2003)

good point that I must agree on.

Michael


----------



## pufferfreak (Oct 19, 2003)

Bettas like water that is between 70 to 80F. Just like most fish. One would do good without a heater, if your house is heated during the winter. I think 2 goust shrimp and 1 fancy betta would do good


----------



## plantastic28 (Dec 22, 2003)

A couple of endlers live bearers would be perfect! A badis would be cool and they stay small. I want to second the ember tetras they rock!


----------



## 2la (Aug 18, 2002)

True badis grow larger than rams, actually. The one "badis" that stays small is Dario dario, the 'scarlet badis'.


----------



## George Willms (Jul 25, 2003)

Endler's would work as long as you only had males. If you have both sexes you will very quickly have more fish than you know what to do with.


----------



## DanD (Mar 18, 2003)

I'd also recommend the Ember Tetras. They're tiny, they color up pretty well, and they're neat to watch. Dan


----------



## bingojimbo (Nov 20, 2003)

I have the 2.5G minibow planted. I replaced the filter with the AquaClear Mini so that i can have more space for the plants. Currently I have 4 Rasbora Maculata, 2 pygmy Cory, 2 amano shrimps, 1 Endler's, and 1 Oto. You might consider pygmy gouramis or scarlet badis.


----------



## AquaTony (Jan 21, 2004)

pufferfreak said:


> Ok, a BIG NO on the puffers. Just get some shrimp, or a betta. anymore and that would be alot for a planted tank, member plants take up alot of space too.


Why not? I was looking at some dawf puffers or figure 8 puffers to put in a 4 gallon. Both types stay very small and seem like they would look nice in a tiny tank. I was even thinking of trying to make a biotype tank (everything from the same region).


----------



## Leipo (Jan 28, 2004)

2la said:


> True badis grow larger than rams, actually. The one "badis" that stays small is Dario dario, the 'scarlet badis'.


And how about the in 1998 discovered Badis badis bengalensis?
they only get around 3cm long and are fun fish to watch!


----------



## Ray1214 (Aug 6, 2003)

Problem with a puffer in a small tank...they are messy as heck. I have one in a 20 gal (GSP), and I use a skimmer and powerfilter. I personallylike using small fish, rasbora masticula, pygmy cories, endlers, small fancy guppies (I found some that stay as small as an endlers but with fancy tails). Mix in some cherry shrimp or blue shrimp (don't remember the specisis but small ones) and you have a sedate, with enough activity to make it fun. I personally have a 3 gal eclipse with the original lighting and filteration with a fancy guppy, two pygmy cories, and 3 cherry shrimp. I have a dwarf sword, cacomba reticulas (the red one, I may be mistaken in the name), water wisteria, java fern and green foxtails in my tank. I used the green foxtail and the water wisteria to outcompete the algaes during the inital phase, and planted the dwarf sword and the red cacomba later I am using the 6.7k bulb (8 watts) that came with the eclipse and planted the sword directly under the light but it hides the filter intake. The red cacomba is planted directly next to the glass but has grown to spread across the top of the tank like a canopy, with the water wisteria planted in sprigs across the bottom of the tank. I have a smallish piece of driftwood which sprouted java fern that came from my main tank. The substrate is pure red flourite. 

To date , after 6 months I have no algae, the lighting is on a 12 hour cycle (7-7)and really fat cherry shrimp. I changed a gallon of water every thursday, and the fish don't eat over the weekend. I have a fan connected to the light circuit so it blows into a vent hole only when the lights are on. 

currently once a month I add a drop of liquid calcium and iodine to the change water. Once a week I add seachem's flourish and flourish trace. Every 5th water change, I spike my change water with a tsp of Kent's Marine salt in the new water. This tank was once a 1 gal tank that I had over a year, and moved to a 3 gal with the fancy guppy due to finding him in one of my feeder guppy batches. 

I have a 5 gal at home with ender's live bearers, andone with cardinal tetras. I am gonna cobine the two (I have 3 of each) so that I can have killies from my brood in my main tank) 

Ray


----------



## AquaTony (Jan 21, 2004)

Ray1214 said:


> Problem with a puffer in a small tank...they are messy as heck. I have one in a 20 gal (GSP), and I use a skimmer and powerfilter.
> 
> Ray


Thanks for the info Ray. That still isn't enough to dissuade me. I've been doing some searching on the internet and it seems that others have 2 puffers in 6-7 gallon tanks. Would having one puffer in a 4 gallon be that difficult? I currently keep fancy comet goldfish (NOT feeder fish), so I know what messy is. I am able to manage their waste and subsquently nitrate production. It seems to me that the feeding would be the most difficult as I have only used pellets before and not life food.

Any other feedback from people with experience would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Tony


----------



## PlantView (Feb 6, 2004)

IMO, a pair of small non-annual killifish look very good in (lower-light) heavily-planted nano aquaria. Provided of course that their basic needs can be catered to.

_Aphyosemion australe_ and _Fundulopanchax gardneri_ are two species often suggested as first-time killies.

In common with other West African killifish, the male's geographical (and aquarium strain) color variation is really huge. For some examples, just take a look at the following Google image searches!

Aphyosemion australe - link

Fundulopanchax gardneri - link

PlantView


----------



## all4funwfish (Jan 18, 2004)

i like the minnow suggestion. or a betta. crown tails are nice. you could alwasy do guppies or tetras...


----------



## 2la (Aug 18, 2002)

Leipo said:


> 2la said:
> 
> 
> > True badis grow larger than rams, actually. The one "badis" that stays small is Dario dario, the 'scarlet badis'.
> ...


B. b. bengalensis is a synonym for Dario dario.


----------



## Leipo (Jan 28, 2004)

If I search for scarlet badis is get a Badis which grows to 8cm in length but looks like the bengalensis.

confusing :roll: I'd wish those people made up their minds


----------



## 2la (Aug 18, 2002)

Leipo, those websites you're referencing are probably confusing B. b. bengalensis with B. b. _burmanicus_ (B. ruber). All it takes is one mistaken reference of a new species to louse it up for everyone thereafter.


----------



## Sara (Feb 16, 2004)

I really like pygmy cories, I have six currently (in a 12 gallon) -- they get about the size of a quarter, don't be fooled by their purchase size, I wouldn't get any more than one pair.


----------

