5 Gallon Too Small?

[kiira]

I just got a new 5 gallon tank, I've yet to set it up but I'm planning on making it a planted aquarium. The planned set up is for some driftwood in the corner, carpeted baby tears (HC), a Ludwigia hybrid species and maybe some star moss. Mostly fluval stratum substrate and a portion of it sand.

Although I have my set up planned out, I'm still unsure what fish to get. I really want to get a few shrimp for this tank. But I'm not sure what kind?
But I'm not sure what else to add, would killifish be okay in a 5 gallon? I'd only get 2 or 3.
I also quite like long fin danios, neon tetras, bumble bee gobies, guppies and dwarf gouramis. I want to figure out which fish to get first before setting up the tank.


Any other suggestions for what to get?

 

[Essjay]

What are the dimensions of the tank?

Danios need a long tank (3 ft min) even the long finned ones. Neons are also too active for 5 galls. Dwarf gouramis get too big for 5 galls.
You might get away with a few male guppies, no females as the tank would soon be heavily overstocked with fry. Even if you had just females, they can store sperm if they've ever been in a tank with a male. Endlers would be a better choice than guppies as they are smaller.
Or you could possibly have bumblebee gobies, though I'd check that in the oddballs section first.

As you can see, I'm suggesting a male guppy only OR a bumblebee goby only tank. Just one type of fish. 5 galls is too small to have more than one species.
The best types of fish for a 5 gallon tank are either a betta (one, male or female) OR a shoal of one species of tiny fish (ember tetras, microrasboras) OR shrimps.


You ask about killifish. You might be able to have some of the smaller killifish provided your tank is a minimum of 45cm long x 25cm wide (that's 18 x 10 inches). Just them nothing else. I was recently given some Aphyosemion striatum, and a pair or a 1m 2f trio would just about work in a tank that size. These killifish need densely planted tanks with pieces of wood. Some of the plants should be floating, and the tank must have a well fitting lid as they are very good jumpers.
A bigger tank would be better for them though. Mine are in a 50 litre (13 galls)

 

[kiira]

Dimensions of the tank are 13 3/4" L X 11" H X 8 3/4" W.

I suppose I'll just make it a shrimp tank. Maybe I'll try out some Endlers but I'd only be interest in the more unique endlers like the Tiger Endlers. However, I'm unsure of where I could find those around here.
Do you know anything about shrimp? Blueberry shrimp are probably the most appealing, but I know they're small so I'm not sure if Endlers could work in there with them.

 

[Essjay]

I have half a dozen male endlers in my big tank, they spend most of their time together ignoring the other fish and my amano shrimps (though I admit they are one of the bigger shrimps). I haven't seen blueberry shrips so I don't know just how small they are.
You'd be able to get away with up to maybe six male endlers in that tank.



Don't forget you need to cycle the tank before you can get any fish

And shrimps are very sensitive to poor water conditions.
Though I have seen on an older thread of yours that you have a 20 gall tank? If you still have it, you could steal a bit of filter media to kick start the cycle.

 

[kiira]

Well, it's a tank for my dorm room so this was the biggest tank I could get.

I think I might go with mosquito rasbora as they're very small but still colourful! I'm gunna try to add some suitable shrimp to the tank as well.

So far, the plan is to set up the tank this weekend and get it cycling and then add the shrimp and fish in January!