# Betta, dwarf frog, albino cory, & neons



## amy84 (Jan 23, 2005)

yes, i want to put them together. i just bought a 5 gallon acrylic hexagon tank yesterday, mainly to give my Betta a little more space (whether he needs it or not). plus, i think we can all agree that bowl/vase water is a pain to change all the time. :x 
anyway, i have a dwarf frog & my Betta in the tank now, and they seem to be cool. i want to also get an albino cory catfish and maybe like 3 or 4 neons. my question is- is that a problem? one chic at the pet store didn't mention anything about problems, but another said that the frog, catfish and neons need a heater, and that i can't put one on an acrylic tank (which i understand). but will the fishies/froggy really live uncomfy or die if i don't have a heater, or will they be fine? also, my tank came with equipment like the bio-wheel filter and stuff, but do i need to get one of those in-the-water-bubbler things to keep air in the water or something for the fish with gils? thanks to anyone with answers and/or comments.  
BTW, how do you go from Junior Member to regular Member, and what's the difference?


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

1. All fish have gills
2. A group of Neons need about 10 gallons to thrive
3. Cories do best in groups.
4. yes they do need a heater 76-78 degrees
5. The dwarf frog is pretty sensitive so I would get a bigger tank than that. 
6. its a pretty big bioload for that size of a tank
7. it'll be pretty crowded in that little tank

I wouldn't do it.  At least not that many fish. You might be able to get a snail, and maybe the dwarf frog if you get the heater, which as far as I remember its fine to put one in an acrylic tank.


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## amy84 (Jan 23, 2005)

the girl at the pet store said a heater on an acrylic tank is a fire hazard bcuz if the acrylic melted, the heater could plop into the water, still plugged into the wall. that couldn't be good. i wonder if it's possible (can anyone confirm that?), but i'd rather not risk it.
i actually read a little about dwarf frogs today, and most sites portrayed them as not too picky or sensitive about their conditions. i don't know, a lot of opinions & supposed facts seem to clash, don't they?
i'm sure a large school of neons needs more than 5 gallons, but do you think just 3 need more than 5? and i know they're better in schools probably larger than just 3, but it won't hurt them. the same with a lone cory. don't a lot of people on Fish Forums have just 1 cory? i guess without a heater tho, it doesn't really matter.
grrr...someone tell me something i'd LIKE to hear. :!:


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## Lydia (Feb 6, 2005)

i had one lone cory for a while and he was fine (until he got killed by one of my fish  ) i think it would be ok just to have one cory....but i am certainly no professional....i really dont know about the neons though.....i know what you mean about wanting good news.....when i first got here my fish were dying and all some people would tell me is "you shouldnt have those fish together" or "the pleco will get too big for that tank" you got to get used to it, though.... [schild=18 fontcolor=0000FF shadowcolor=C0C0C0 shieldshadow=1]live and learn![/schild]


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

Neons are to be kept in schools, 6+. They are also very sensitive to water conditions.
Cories need to be kept in schools of the same species, one would be very lonely

5g is probably just good enough for a betta and frog
If you must add something, add a small algae eater such as an otocinulous
Nothing more. 5g isnt alot of space

You do not need a air bubbler, as the filter will provide enough surface agitation for them to get oxygen

to become a reg member you need to post 30 times.


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## amy84 (Jan 23, 2005)

*The dwarf frog died (*

thanks Lydia.
and thanks Lexus for your help as well.


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## osteoporoosi (Jan 27, 2005)

Grogwaste is indeed toxic to fish, I recommend not to put a frog into a tank that size. 
The waste irritates fishes gills and their protective slimelayer.
Corys in groups, 6 or more.


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## MB75 (Jan 24, 2005)

Neon tetras in groups of at preferably at least 6-8, corydoras in groups aswell (threesome is not a group, really).
In nature cories live in loose groupd of hundreds of the same species, and neontetras in groups of thousands of the same species, so 1-3 is really very little.   

BUT your tank will not fit them all, so maybe rather leave them in a store than make them live unnaturally in too small groups in too small space, right? 

And the frog waste will quickly spoil the water. It is toxic to fish and in that small space it happens quickly.


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## Lydia (Feb 6, 2005)

i guess none of yall noticed but she said the frog died....sorry


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

Sorry about the frog  You could try 3 cories, but make sure you do frequent water changes and feed them their own food.


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## osteoporoosi (Jan 27, 2005)

as said,corys prefer to be kept in groups of six or more, but they wouldn't fit in your 5g tank.


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

they "prefer" it but it is not necessary, 3 is better than just 1


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## MB75 (Jan 24, 2005)

Hmm, I would say 0 is better than just 1-3 cories... why take any at all if you cannot give them proper companion and room? I am sure everyone wants to keep the fish the best possible way, and sometimes that is leaving them in the pet store. :wink:


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

true but in most cases people buy them anyway... so in saying that 3 is better than 1 if you have to have them


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## duckdog2 (Jan 21, 2005)

I heard somewhere that a general rule for overcrowding is 1 inch of fish per 1 gallon of water. And remember you're going to have less than 5 gallons after you add the substrate, ornaments, etc.


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

Good point Duckdog! Stick with just the betta!


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## HobieDude16 (Jan 19, 2005)

my 5gal has a flying fox, a black shark, and a peacock eel.... and thats it, and they're doing fine.... no more fish will go into that tank though, it would become overcrowded.... my 10gal has 2 dwarf frogs, and ive had no problems with them yet (but one other fish did die in that tank, but i dont think its cause of the frog)


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## 20gallonman (Feb 1, 2005)

Wow, did anyone actually read the part about the heater??? If the lady at the fish store said that you can't have a heater on an acrylic tank because it will melt, you need to find a new fish store. You can get a submersible heater at almost any pet store for 10-15 bucks, and no, it will not melt your tank!! I'm surprised nobody else has mentioned this! As far as your fish go, you may want to get a heater just to keep the temperature stable between daytime and nighttime temp. changes.


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

> my 5gal has a flying fox, a black shark, and a peacock eel.... and thats it, and they're doing fine.... no more fish will go into that tank though, it would become overcrowded.... my 10gal has 2 dwarf frogs, and ive had no problems with them yet (but one other fish did die in that tank, but i dont think its cause of the frog)


THat tank is too small for those fish, black sharks get to 2 feet, spiny eels to 10 inches.


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## Caitlin Rose (Apr 28, 2006)

Don't have a poor little cory all alone! Definitely no less than 3, these guys are very social fishies! And once you get a few you will want more anyway, these are the sweetest little fish! You should get a 10 gallon for the neons and cories. Both of these fish live in schools and while one would *survive* in proper conditions, it would be a sorry fish. Unhappy fish are more stressed and unhealthy so only keep single fish if they like to live that way in the wild.


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## vinimack720 (Apr 20, 2006)

yea, 5 gal is not very much at all and you cant do a whole lot with that small of a tank. the acrylic would not melt because of the heater, idk what the pet store person was talking about. oh and after you get 10 posts u go from junior member to fishy member, like me


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## meyerhaus (Feb 27, 2006)

We need a sticky with info about small aquariums. There are a lot of members who are joining for advice on these "start-up" aquariums. There has got to be some way to let people know that there are very few fish who can live in a five gallon tank with other fish. 

AMY: you could put in a tank divider (use plastic canvas from the art department at Wal-mart if you want to make it) and have 2 bettas! That is probably your best bet. And yes, you can have a heater with acrylic...there will not be melting.


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## Guest (May 2, 2006)

First of all....not only do cories prefer groups of about 5 or more...they get too big for a 5g tank. Especially albino cories. Those guys get about 3 inches...too big for a 5g tank.

The chick at the pet store is crazy. Don't take any more advice from her. Not only was she going to let you keep too many fish in a 5g that won't be happy, she said it was ok not to have a heater, and that it was a fire hazard to have one.
Well they make submersible heaters that stay in the water. I would invest in a 25w submersible heater. They are relatively cheap. I had one in an acrylic tank and it never melted.

Neons not only need a group of about 6 or more, they do better in bigger groups. I had a small group of neons in a 10g tank. They hid all the time. I added a couple more (to make 8) and they came out more. Then I upgraded them to a 29g and added some glowlights and they swim out in the tank all the time. They need a bigger tank and a big group. (I think a 10g would be fine for just 8 neons...nothing else)...but not a 5g.

I think the minimum tank for a group of albino cories would be a 30g. I want to add albinos to my new 38g...but was told I should stick with a smaller type. They are some of the bigger cories, like I mentioned above. If you upgraded to say a 20g...you could have a group of the smaller cories (pygmy, habrosus, panda). I don't like to suggest cories for anything under a 20g. I think those guys need the room.

Sorry I'm not telling you what you want to hear. I tell it like it is. I am thinking in the interest of the fish. Like Caitlin said, yes you could put all those fish in the 5g and they may live for a little while atleast, but they wouldn't be happy. If you are going to keep the fish as pets, at least give them the best home you can. Choose fish that fit in your tank size...not just the ones you want. Give them an appropriate home. You wouldn't want to live in a closet all your life would you? You could survive in there, but you wouldn't be happy.




> my 5gal has a flying fox, a black shark, and a pea**** eel.... and thats it, and they're doing fine.... no more fish will go into that tank though, it would become overcrowded


I'm sure you think they are doing fine, but all those fish are too big for that tank. You are beyond overstocked. Sorry! Pea**** eels need a minimum tank size of 55g IMO. I am not sure which shark you mean by "black shark", but there are no sharks that need to live in a 5g tank. Please think about the fish and not yourself.



> We need a sticky with info about small aquariums. There are a lot of members who are joining for advice on these "start-up" aquariums


I definitely agree...I've told too many people what they don't want to hear. But, I'm just being honest. We all have to learn somewhere that you can't have a bala shark, platies, tetras, and cories in a 5g tank (together).


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