# 3 gallon stocking



## TheJakeM (May 11, 2013)

For my sister's birthday (Sunday), I've bought a 3 gallon tetra half-moon tank. With the following-

5 pounds white gravel
Elite 50w 6 inch aquarium heater
4 fake red ludwigia
Tetra air pump #10
Two sponge filters
Led lit air stone circle.

I have the sponge filters in another tank to gather bb, as well as a little of the gravel. I was wondering what fish I could keep in the tank. Keep in mind it is tall not wide. (And yes I know 3 gallons is small). I could go the route of giving her a couple of my guppy fry, though it wouldn't be my first choice. Or possibly get her a betta. Any other ideas would be welcome. Thanks.




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## Elliott225 (Jan 9, 2014)

As you know the rule of thumb....1 inch of fish per gallon. A male and female Betta would look cool. Some Tetras. The guppies would be fine. Maybe 5 or 7 guppies or tetras would not over-crowd the aquaria.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

heh. That would only work until the guppies grew..and started making baby guppies.
You want small fish that stay small, and only a few. That still leaves plenty of choices.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

as i always suggest for small tanks...a few dwarf corydoras and a small school of micro tetras or micro rasboras...
although a 3 gallon is kind of smaller then i would recommend you could still do it...
you could also do 2 or 3 male guppies..


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

mosquito rasboras are cool fish. I mean I personally like Bettas, there is some cool ones out there. Elliott, hope you meant either a male or a female betta, not both at once. Jake, you got 2 sponge filters to fit in a 3g? Respect. You could also consider making it a shrimp tank with some RCS, really neat little critters. I wouldn't do two or 3 male guppies, chances are the stronger one will kill the weaker ones (lost 5 male guppies like that in germany, one after the other over a span of 4 weeks or so).


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## TheJakeM (May 11, 2013)

Here's my thinking. I'll do a male guppy or a male betta, and I'll do a few RCS. Along with a mystery snail. How's that. I'm not sure if guppies need groups though. As for a betta, my sister saw one in petco a few months ago, and elephant ear. She liked it but the thing costs what I spent on the tank...


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## TheJakeM (May 11, 2013)

BettaGuy said:


> mosquito rasboras are cool fish. I mean I personally like Bettas, there is some cool ones out there. Elliott, hope you meant either a male or a female betta, not both at once. Jake, you got 2 sponge filters to fit in a 3g? Respect. You could also consider making it a shrimp tank with some RCS, really neat little critters. I wouldn't do two or 3 male guppies, chances are the stronger one will kill the weaker ones (lost 5 male guppies like that in germany, one after the other over a span of 4 weeks or so).


They are small filters 1.5 inches across, each rated for 10 gallons, I like to overfilter. The sponge on them is over a gravel filled compartment that also helps with filtration. Also, if anyone has experience with aqadvisor.com, I can't find a sponge filter option, and I don't know what to enter manually because I don't know the GPH.


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## Elliott225 (Jan 9, 2014)

Bettaguy...give me some info. Why would you not have a male and female together?? Would it need more than one female to prevent fighting?? Would the male beat up on a single female??


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

on the rare occasion a male and female betta will get along ok ; but that is really rare..normally the male will rip a female to shreds right away..


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## marcshrimp (Jun 16, 2013)

on aqadvisor. look down the filter list and you will see the hydro sponge filters about half way down. they are listed as sponges at the end of the name. you will probably want to select a hydro 1, that should be the comparable sponge for what you have.

I looked at it, it's the lustar hydro-sponge filter 1, use it as your selection


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## TheJakeM (May 11, 2013)

Ok, thanks.


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## Elliott225 (Jan 9, 2014)

The bites on a pair of bettas. I really thought you could house them together.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

at the store we occasionally have a male with the females in a 15g tank. But only when we also have a bunch of mollys or guppies in there as well to give the male other fish to bully. But in a 3g it will most likely end in death, of either the male or the female (both equally aggressive)


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## TheJakeM (May 11, 2013)

In a larger tank probably. My aunt and dad both have stories of the females ripping all the fins/an eye or two, off the male.


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## Guest (Jan 17, 2014)

Yep, betta are solitary fish. They love being alone. I think that betta are the only fish that actually love being alone.


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## Ice (Sep 25, 2006)

A solitary betta or 3 neon tetras.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

you could also try some african dwarf frogs in there, they need about a gallon each so 3 would work. Or combine them with a betta.


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## TheJakeM (May 11, 2013)

All set up.















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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

Fake plants?


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## TheJakeM (May 11, 2013)

Yeah, and a little java moss.


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## TheJakeM (May 11, 2013)

Pics of new betta in tank. Half moon double-tail. Nice coloring.



















All the wires and tubes look ugly now, but I think I'll tie them together with a plastic bread tie and stick them in a back corner. I also want to eventually put a live plant back wall I think.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

Beautiful Betta, how much did he cost you? At the store we sell ones that look like that for around 25$, so expensive for one fish.


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## TheJakeM (May 11, 2013)

He was only 7.99 I think. The elephant ears that my sister originally wanted were 29.


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## TheJakeM (May 11, 2013)

More pics-


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## TheJakeM (May 11, 2013)

Oops, posted that accidentally without any pictures, here-





























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## TheJakeM (May 11, 2013)

And one problem, much of the time he is staying at the back and bottom of the tank. Is he just not used to it?


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

Probably, give him a week. Is he eating well?


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## TheJakeM (May 11, 2013)

I put food in yeah, but most of the time my sister forces me out of her room before he goes after it. If I come back in ten or fifteen minutes it's usually gone though.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

that's a good sign


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## TheJakeM (May 11, 2013)

I also think the bubbling from both filters at once could be bothering him, so I'm taking one out to use in my new killi tank.


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## Elliott225 (Jan 9, 2014)

Get a black background and it will really show off his colors. I found a small black heater that would disappear against the back. Also, it would hide the wires. He is beautiful.


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