# Stocking ideas for a 5Gallon



## Camie (May 21, 2007)

I currently own a 15 gallon tank and i've been wanting to get maybe a 5 gallon tank for my room. I was thinking of maybe getting a betta but then my sis suggested dwarf gouramis but i'm not sure i'd be able to keep them in a 5G. I'm very confused and i'd like ideas for my possible tank.
This is the tank i'm thinking of getting, It's a 5 gallon Hex tank. 









If I can't get that, i might get this one, It's 6 gallons.


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## TigerBarb12 (Jan 7, 2007)

Dwarf gouramis get only 2 inches, but thats too little space for them. For a 5-6 gallon, I really wouldnt even get a betta, IMO, under 10g isnt worth it. But in your case, for a 5g, I'd get either a betta, not the best idea, a couple platies, not so great of an idea, or maybe some neon tetra, really not the greatest idea either. The best idea of the 3 is the platies.


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## Camie (May 21, 2007)

Thanks, I'll do more research on bettas since i really like colourful fish.


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## mesapod (Aug 18, 2007)

If you really like solourful fish what about a trio of guppies?


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## FinnFan (Aug 28, 2007)

I have the same tank and I have a female betta and a couple of otto cats in mine.


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## Camie (May 21, 2007)

I think thats what i'll probably do cause i really like the colourfulness of the bettas and i might get an oto to clean up a bit.


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## FinnFan (Aug 28, 2007)

My oto cats love eating the hair algae that had grown on my swordplant. They are great little cleaners, and fun to watch. They're so cute, too. And my female betta pays them hardly any attention. Occasionally, she will swim up to one of them and stare for a moment. But then she just swims away - doesn't bother them at all.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Just don't stock it like the picture. I count 16 fish in 6 gallons! Thats nuts.


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## Betta1 (Jan 5, 2007)

Don't worry about putting a betta in a 5g, it's more then enough room IMO. People have opinions both ways and it's been debated to high heaven and niether side wins out, if you want a betta in a smaller tank you just have to change the water more. The thing you should really look out for is a tank with water flow that will upset the betta, fish that will nip the betta and fish that will be nipped by the betta. My friends wife has about a 5g with a school of breeding guppies and a crowntail betta and they all do fine together and it looks great. She even has a common pleco thats extremely small which will move into another tank at some point


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## Guest (Sep 25, 2007)

No neons, they need more swimming room.
No platies, they need more swimming room as well as grow too large for the tank.
Bettas would be perfect.
You could get either pair of HONEY gouramis or one dwarf gourami. you could also get some(3) gupies. Personally, I wouldn't even bother thinking about the gouramis. becase the tank is so tall, it doen't offer much as far a stocking. So MAYBE one honey gourami, and skip te dwarf.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

If you want a small tank, and if you like dazzling colors, then consider killies. You really have to look around or go online to find them, but they'll knock your socks off, and live quite well in a small tank.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

i would go with the 6 gallon tank because it offers better viewing.some dark natural gravel like the new dark or black fluorite.a small piece of driftwood.a few corkscrew val.some crypts.
2 dwarf cories.an ottocinclus for clean up and algae control.and a school of about 10 cardinal tetras.

yeah;i know guys..i have suggested about 25 fish too many for this tank.
and tos is right...killies do well in small tanks and are awesome..


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## FishHead (Nov 16, 2006)

for a 5, you can try mini platys. my GF got them for her daughter and they are really colorful. they get a max size of 1.5"


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## TigerBarb12 (Jan 7, 2007)

You can never go wrong with some danios, zebra or leopard, id go with leopard


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## Guest (Sep 25, 2007)

IMO, danios are waaaaay to active for a 5. you could get a trio of WHMM, tho it might be too small.


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## Guest (Sep 25, 2007)

I wouldn't keep platies, danios, tetras, gouramis, or cories in either of those tanks. The shapes are not right for any type of schooling fish and gouramis and platies get too large IMO.

Your best bet is to get a Betta and a few Otos *or* setup a shrimp tank *or* a pair of Killies (research before keeping these). For any of these choices, the 6g is going to be better. The 5g is just a tad tall for my likings.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I second the killies. http://www.djramsey.com/tropfish/killie_fish.htm. Get a lot of java moss or java fern.


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