Beginner....HELP!!

[Ste88888]

Hi

I have recently bought a 25ltr tank and am looking for advice as to which Tropical fish and how many would be suitable for this tank?

Thanks

 

[hobby5]

1 Betta, nothing else. Too small for anything else, especially when you consider net volume.

 

[Ste88888]

1 Betta, nothing else. Too small for anything else, especially when you consider net volume.

Thanks....I've seen you that Shrimp are ok in a small tank, would these be ok with Beta?

 

[Lajos_Detari]

Yes, you can consider shrimps and some small fish like Endlers and Galaxy Rasbora which are beautiful.

Other smaller fish are Scarlet Badis (Dario Dario), Ember Tetra, Pygmy Corydoras, Dwarf Pencilfish and Kuhli Loach.
By the way, you cannot have too many fish because your tank is small.

Shrimps have low bio-loads. So they are the best for small tanks.
But don't keep ghost shrimps which are aggressive and may attack fish or the smaller shrimps.

I don't recommend Betta because it can be very aggressive depending on the types of Betta.
And you may end up with only a single fish in your tank.

All the best to your new tank!

 

[NickAu]

Hi

Before we can recommend any fish can you please tell us about your water? What's the PH is it soft or hard? If you don't know instead of buying a test kit you can ask your local fish place or find out on your water authorities web site. If you could please provide the numbers.

A 25 litre tank is way too small for Kuhli Loaches, contrary to popular opinion Kuhli Loaches are quite active and not shy if they have the right set up. Mine live with 5 female Bettas in a 2 foot tank and its not uncommon to see my Loaches and Bettas waiting at the front of the tank at feeding time, or chilling out on plants anywhere in the tank including the floating plants.


PS

Once we know about your water parameters then we can talk about cycling your tank BEFORE adding fish.

 

[Lajos_Detari]

Hi,
I suggest that you can start with s few fish first.
Wait for the tank to cycle properly first to prevent ammonia and nitrite from killing your fish.
You can search google on how to cycle a tank. For quick cycling, you can buy those bottle bacteria. Check internet for more info.
After about 3-4 weeks when your tank is cycled, then only add the shrimps.
Shrimps are more sensitive than fish.
So it's better to add the shrimps last.

 

[NickAu]

Hi
Please read this it will explain cycling.
Cycling Your New Fresh Water Tank: Read This First!

 

[Lajos_Detari]

No issue with Kuhli loaches for 25 liter.
I'd kept them in 25 liter tank before, though bigger tanks are always better than smaller.

No need pH test nor any test kits if you follow the right instructions on how to properly cycle a tank.

All the farm bred fish are used to different pH unless you want to breed them.

I have 4 tanks with different species of fish - South America, Africa, Central America and Asian fish.
So far they are doing fine with normal tap water.

All the best.

 

[Essjay]

How can you cycle a tank without test kits?
Fishless cycles require testing to know when to add more ammonia; fish-in cycles need testing to know when a water change is needed.

pH is not terribly important but hardness is. Fish have evolved to cope with the amount of minerals in the water they live in. If they are put into water with different amounts of minerals from those levels in their 'home' water, the fish will suffer. It is important to buy fish that come from water with a similar hardness to that in your tank.
Byron is much better explaining this that I am, he has a lot of posts on this subject which make interesting reading.

Just because a fish will fit in a 25 litre tank it does not mean they should be kept in this tank. Always check with Seriously Fish before buying any fish to see if that species is suitable for both the tank size and water parameters, whether they need to be kept in a group, and if get on with any other fish already in the tank.
For example, kuhli loaches have been mentioned - if you look them up on Seriously Fish you will find they need soft water, a tank with a footprint of at least 60 x 30 cm (24 x 12 inches) and a group of at least 5 to 6.

 

[hobby5]

I am sorry to be so direct, but don't listen to @Lajos_Detari. That tank is too small to keep fish permanently, except for a single betta. Small shrimps like the hardy red fire are ok, also snails. Both will most likely not work together with a betta, as they will be considered food. Sometimes there are exceptions to this and the betta might leave them alone, but don't count on it.