Basic Reccomendation

[~FairyAngelFish~]

If not a table, what else is there? And I'm sure your parents LET you have the 20 gallon. I don't have room. My mom would also make a fuss about how much water that is every week.

 

[sylvia]

First of all... you need to read the link in my signature about cycling. That is VERY important and your fish will get sick and die without it. In a 5 gallon you can keep 2 MALE guppies. Nothing else. You also need a small sponge filter, a small heater and an airstone would be useful too. You MUST get the heater and filter for the 2 guppies. You'll also need to do PARTIAL weekly water changes with DE-CHLORINATED tap water. Maybe you already know this but just in case.
Now let me make it clear that I know how it is with your parents not wanting fish tanks but you need to make sure you understand all this (especialy cycling) before you get into fish or else you will be constantly in a very difficult position. I've kept fish sinse I was 9 (yes, I mean I seriously was - not a goldfish in a bowl or something, I mean 20 gallon community with gouramies, danios, platies and cories... I still have a few of those gouramies )and I'm not that much older than you and I had similar problems with my parents. HOWEVER, I overcame that by doing LOTS of RESEARCH. That's the key. Patience and research. Once you've got that down you can get the 5 gallon like you want (or the 10 - that's even better) and be a responsible fish-keeper. Eventualy your parents will appreciate this and be more reasonable. Have fun, research, read the link in my signature and understand it, be patient and you'll be fine.

 

[WILDER]

Well said sylvia

 

[sylvia]

Thanks

 

[~FairyAngelFish~]

ehh... guppies? I can't tell girl from boy. What about... something smaller lol I know, I know I have big fish phobia and guppies arent big at all. But aren't they as big as bettas? tetra size suits me I have a better time handling them when they die.

 

[WILDER]

http/species.fishindex.com/species_3210p...lata_guppy.html

 

[sylvia]

The easy way to tell the sex is the more colorful and larger tail and body of the male. The better way is to look at the anal fin (the one just before the tail on the under-side of the body) - if it looks like a long tube it's a male. If it looks fan-shaped like an ordinary fin, it's a female. Just ask at your store - they should be able to tell you but check anyway. Guppies (especialy the males) are about the size of a tetra anyway so don't worry. I wouldn't suggest anything larger anyway as a 5 gallon can't hold anything larger. BUT, you shouldn't have fish deaths all the time anyway. If you read that link in my signature and make sure you give the fish the best possible home, they'll live a good 2 years.

 

[~FairyAngelFish~]

HAHA THE MALE IS LIKE TEN TIMES SMALLER THAN THE FEMALE!!! THAT IS PRICELESS! They seem like a nice fish now that I red about them. How big.. are the males? 2 inches for both male and female? That don't seem exactly right.

 

[sylvia]

No, the males are about an inch. Sometimes a little larger if you count the tail. But don't even consider getting any fish if you don't know how to cycle the tank or they will die.

 

[~FairyAngelFish~]

Well what is really strange, is that I didn't cycle my little tank for my first very un intelligant choice of one neon tetra and a larger yellow and black tetra lookalike. Only the bigger one that didn't eat died two days later. But I'll be sure to cycle the tank. For sure! I've learned a lot ever since I got my first punie lil tank.

 

[sylvia]

Yes, I realised you didn't. The first tetra died and the neon is now sick right? The reason it's sick is that. Bad water quality and stress because the tank wasn't cycled to begin with. That's why deciding to cycle first is a very wise choice.

 

[~FairyAngelFish~]

So u mean it can happen over a period of time? Man I feel guilty now.

 

[sylvia]

Not exactly, it's just that when a fish has to survive the cycle (which I'm surprised the neon did - how long have you had the fish?) it ends up very weak and gets sick and dies very easily.

 

[~FairyAngelFish~]

Oh! I get it. I've had my neon from the first death since late may.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Tall tanks are perfectly fine as long as you have enough filtration and the table can handle it, and you can get a bigger tank for more fish.