My 5.5 Gallon

[Yeeco]

I have a couple Questions

1. I recently set up my 5.5 gallon tank. after having it set up for about a week i went to the lfs and they tested my water and said everything was good to go. The guy suggested I start out with 3 zebra danios. They are doing well but i became concerned when i look at my thermometer and saw that the temp had risen from about 75 degrees to 82 degrees. Is this anything i should be concerned with?


2. What other fish (if any) would you suggest i add to my tank.

 

[eschaton]

First up, you should take the danios out once the tank is cycled fully. They deserve to be in a group of at least six, and since they only use the top of a tank, they're going to be really stir-crazy in there. They'll be able to live, but

5.5 gallons are only good for a few things fresh water wise

1. Bettas
2. Dwarf African Frogs
3. Boraras (various pygmy rasbora)/microrasbora species
4. Pygmy Corys (not small ones, these are just immature)
5. Maybe Ember Tetras if you can find them. Beautiful little fish and the smallest of the Tetras.
6. Shell-Dwelling Ciclids
7. Maybe a small group of Endlers

As I see it you have two options. Get a small school of fish that have an adult size of smaller than an inch (neons are too big), or use the tank for some semi-solitary larger thing.

 

[Yeeco]

First up, you should take the danios out once the tank is cycled fully. They deserve to be in a group of at least six, and since they only use the top of a tank, they're going to be really stir-crazy in there. They'll be able to live, but

The only reason i got the danios in the first place was because i was told it was a 10 gallon tank but on further inspection it turned out to be a 5.5

 

[TammyLiz]

82 is too warm for danios, which are very active and enjoy cooler water. How many watts is your heater, and does it have a thermostat?

 

[Yeeco]

No ther is not a thermostat but for whatever reason it went down to 75 and seems to be fluctuating between 75-77

 

[TammyLiz]

No ther is not a thermostat but for whatever reason it went down to 75 and seems to be fluctuating between 75-77

If there is no thermostat temperature is going to fluctuate. Do you have the tank near an outside wall? Even on an inside wall, outdoor temperature seems to affect the temperature in a tank without a thermostat. I don't know, it could just be because if the heat in your house is running more the air is dryer and there is more evaporation, which would cool the water more. In the couple of tiny tanks that I have with heaters that have no thermostats, the temperature varies wildly. If you have a light on the tank it will affect temperature, too, as will a lid. I wouldn't keep any sensitive fish in a tank without a thermostat. Mine have bettas in them.

I should add that you should just keep an eye on it. 2 degrees is not that big of a deal if it is not sudden. Check it during the night as well, to see how much it drops.