5 gallon

[Scarab]

Ok...yes, I know it's small, but lets move beyond that.

I will be buying a 5 gallon soon (probably a hex cause it's a little cheaper than the regular 5 gal.).

Looking for suggestions on what (species of fish and number of ea.) to stock it with. I know it's not much room...but work with me. B)

Thanks guys!

(p.s. it will have fake plants)

 

[Missy]

He there,

Guppies look cute in a small tank. You could get just males and should be able to find some very cute ones if you look around. You could also put a small apple snail in there or if you have room, 3 panda corys. The corys are fun to watch but must be kept in groups of at least 3. The pandas, I believe, are the smallest so should fit in your tank as long as you only put 3 (tops) guppies in there.

Also, just a note from my experience about the hex tank you mentioned. Try to avoid the Hex if at all possible. The reason... a hex will jip you out of space for your fish. Bummer Found this out the hard way. You can only stock as much fish in your tank as there is surface area of the water. Therefore, a regular five gallon tank has a much larger surface area that the five gallon hex, since it is taller and skinnier. I found this out the hard way when I got a 20 gallon hex. I did the calculations to find the surface are of the hex and the surface are actually ended up being slightly less than my rectangular 10 gallon tanks. I was totally disappointed.

If you want the formula for finding the amount of fish you can stock in your tank it is as follows: (By the way, this method is by Dick Mills. I'm fixing to get some of his books but I've heard (from others on this site) that this formula is by far more accurate than the inch of fish per gallon rule because it makes for much healthier fish. I makes sence too)

1 inch of fish requires 12 sq in of surface area

Surface Area:

If its a regular tank
L(in) x W(in) = surface area (sq. in)

If its a hex tank
take the square of the smallest width x 0.866= surface area of hex (sq. in)

Divide the surface area by 12 and you will have the inch of fish you can keep in your tank.

Wow, bet you'll be busy if you try figuring it out. Sorry to swamp you. Have fun with your new tank. I'll check back here later in case you have a question. I'm sure though that there are others who will be along shortly you can better help you too.

 

[fuman_chica]

If I did my math right, I can have 16 inches of fish in my 10 gallon. It is 10 inch by 20 inch...so that makes 200 sq inches for the surface area. And then divide that by 12 which makes 16.66667

I guess I can get the bottom feeder I wanted to get.

 

[smb]

If I did my math right, I can have 16 inches of fish in my 10 gallon. It is 10 inch by 20 inch...so that makes 200 sq inches for the surface area. And then divide that by 12 which makes 16.66667

I guess I can get the bottom feeder I wanted to get.

You're thinking of the 1" of fish per gallon of water rule. (Which I think is wrong and I don't agree with either)

 

[fuman_chica]

Surface Area:

If its a regular tank
L(in) x W(in) = surface area (sq. in)

Divide the surface area by 12 and you will have the inch of fish you can keep in your tank.

I was talking that one.

 

[Missy]

Fuman Chica,

Your doing your math right. It is not the one inch of fish per gallon rule. This method definitely favors rectangular shaped tanks. I got 16 for my 10 gallon so you did the math right. I originally was given this formula in cm. but its more convenient in in. so I transferred it to inches. I wish I could remember who gave me the formula from here because he had the whole thing explained very well. When I get a book from Dick Mills maybe I'll post it again.

 

[smb]

Fuman Chica,

Your doing your math right.  It is not the one inch of fish per gallon rule.  This method definitely favors rectangular shaped tanks.  I got 16 for my 10 gallon so you did the math right.  I originally was given this formula in cm. but its more convenient in in. so I transferred it to inches.  I wish I could remember who gave me the formula from here because he had the whole thing explained very well.  When I get a book from Dick Mills maybe I'll post it again.

This "rule" is totally whacked!

It's even worse than the 1" per gallon rule and in the end I guarantee there will be a tenfold increase of fish dieing than with the mythical 1" of fish per gallon of water.

This rule is one of the worst things I've ever seen in this hobby. I would hope that people here would be smarter than this to believe this. It's only a generalization for goodness sakes!

 

[AquaNut]

I totally agree with smb on this one. That formula is crAzy. There are sooooo many variables that affect the number of fish you can have in any given tank. A five gallon tank is very small. I highly recommend a betta.

 

[Scarab]

Also, just a note from my experience about the hex tank you mentioned. Try to avoid the Hex if at all possible. The reason... a hex will jip you out of space for your fish.

Yeah...I was thinking about that myself actually. I'll probably go with the regular 5 gallon.

But back to suggestions...what about any of these:
platys
serpae tetras
danios???
Could any of those work in a 5 gallon?

The guppies and panda corys are duly noted.
Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't want to put a betta in the five gallon.

Any more ideas???

 

[Inchworm]

May I ask, Scarab, why you plan to buy a 5 gal. tank?

I ask this because, these days, it is an unusual thing. If space is your main consideration, a 10 gal. does not really take up much more space (as in square inches of table or floor space) but will give you twice as much room for your fish.

A 5 gal. will probably cost MORE money than a 10 gal because the 10 gal. is the most common size. Here in New York I can buy one for just $7.99. Starter kits, which have various combinations of equipment are also a good buy.

A 5 gal. will require a hood or cover and a light fixture which will, again, cost as much or more than the bigger one and it will probably use the same heater and filter system.

Do you really, really want to get the 5 gal?

 

[aernympha]

before any one gets there knickers in twist with all this arguing hes th ereal thing not remembered form someones memory!!

before u guys so excited about this new formula, its nots new its in both of my fish books!!!!! but the one givern to me is more correct and better for newbies its it like the 1 inch of fish to a gallon but more accurate !!!!! as both books recomend it i think its better . the one on the net its stupid there is no way u one 2 inch fish can have a living spce of 6 sq.in.!!!!!!which is 15 sq. cm its tiny!!!!! i mean this rule on the net compared to the 1 inch for every gallon says can have double the fish i have now in my 30 galllon tank, which is rubbish!!!
there is a better metthod found in these books
Aquarium Fish by Dick Mills (famous guy been doing fishing keeping 30 years!!)
Aquarium an owners manual by Gina Sandford

the method!!!!
this is quoted guys!!

when stocking a tank,the most critical factor is surface area,rather than the total volume of water.the aqurium deth is irrelevent, its the water/airinterfaceat the surface that determines the amount of dissolved oxygen needed to support life.a 160 litre (35 gallon) tank, if 100 cm long x 40 cm deep x 40 cm wide(39 x 16 x 16 in.),will have the surface area of 4000 sq. cm (625 sq in.); alternatively, it mabe be 75 cm long x 52 cm deep x 40 cm wide (30 x 20 x 16 in.) , with a surface area of 3000 sq. cm (480 sq. in.) . although both tanks hold the same amount of water, the one with the larger surface area will suport more fish. to find the correct stocking level,first calculate the surface area by multiplying the tank length by its width.then establish the adult body length of the fish you plan to keep in the tank; for each 2.5 cm (1in.), you will require 75 sq. cm (12 sq. in.) of tank space for tropical freshwater species,180 sq cm (28 sq in.) for coldwater freshwater fish ,and 300 sq cm (47 sq in.) for tropical marine species.
in certain cases, fish may require more or less space than average.for example the discus, which gorws to 15 cm (6 in.),is best kept in pairs with little else in the tank.only in this way are you likly to grow these fish to maturity and have them breed.with good water turnover and effient filtraion,stocking levels may be slightly incresed.however , do not rely on equipment to support a heavily stocked aquarium;mechanical failure could prove disastrous.remember also that fewer fish often look far more impresive than a tank crammed with bodies.

so the basic rule is "for every inch (2.5 cm) of fish you will requies 75 sq. cm"


so i did this to my tank so i did 36 cm x 81 cm =2916 sq.cm

i sthen figured out howmnay inches of fish i could keep by

2916 divided by 75 = 38.88 inches of fish!!!

i then added alll the inches of fish i had 3.75 + 6+6+4.5+4+4+4=32.25
which menas i am not over stocked!!! an di have enuf space to put babies in my tank to grow yup a little so i can sell them to the lsf !!!!

this method is used by dick mills!!!!!!!!!! DICK MILLS!!! i mena if hes been using it for the majority of 30 years its must work so i have my faith in this formula!!! no that stupid unrealistic formula !!!! whoever made it up was stupid and is mean to his fishes!!!

 

[AquaNut]

Bah. That formula has little, if any, merit even when dealing with larger tanks. It is meaningless when talking about a five gallon tank.

Danios are very fast swimmers. They need open space. Even a totally empty five gallon tank does not provide them with sufficient open water. Ditto on the serpaes.

I had considered recommending a pair of platies, but here is the problem - Platies, like all live bearers, prefer to live in mated pairs (or 2 females per male). I don't know why people recommend placing several 'fancy tailed' male guppies together. They'll rip each others tails and search constantly for the ever-elusive female. Perhaps two same-sex platies would live peacefully together. If you bought a pair, they'd soon be breeding, and you don't have room for any fry in a five gallon tank.

 

[Scarab]

Thanks for the suggestions AquaNut.

I appreciate everyone's input. I may actually get a Marineland/Eclipse 6. Don't know yet. Gonna check the prices at Walmart cause they tend to be a little cheaper than Petsmart.

To answer the question why I'm getting a 5 gallon (or possibly 6) is simply because I want to. It's what I want...I don't want a 10 gallon right now for various reasons that aren't really necessary to go into at this point. As for the hood, lights, etc. being extra money...it won't be because it's included in the type I plan to buy.

So, while I appreciate/respect everyone's questions, concerns and issues with my getting a 5/6 gallon...as I said in my first post, that's what I'm getting so can we please accept that, move on and work with what I'm getting?

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions on fish, etc. Much appreciated...please keep them coming.

 

[Inchworm]

Scarab,

OK, so a 5 gal. tank it will be. I'm glad you are taking all this in good humor. The reason I suggested a larger tank was because a friend of mine set up a 5 gal. and later wished he had started bigger for the reasons I stated above.

But, let me tell you about his tank. It was just beautiful, a perfect little world. He had everything set up like a larger tank, just on a miniature scale. Small plants, small rocks and gravel, and of course, small fishes.

I think he had a pair of guppies, a shrimp, a couple of cory cats and a platty or two. When I talk to him I will ask him if there was anything else.

Above all, remember to maximize the carrying capacity of the tank by getting good filtration and aeration and start with one having a large surface area ratio. Also, plan to do frequent small water changes and monitor the chemical more closely than you would with a larger tank.

And when you get a siphon or other tools, remember that they will need to be smaller than usual to fit in among the plants (if you use them).

 

[Scarab]

Thanks a bunch Inchworm. Please let me know what your friend says about what else, any if any, he stocked. I'm liking what you mentioned so far.