Opinions on what fish for 5 gallon tank

[Guppylover3x]

I’ve heard a lot of different opinions on this. My question is what fish would be best for a 5 gallon fish tank without being considered over stocked? Thank you.

 

[Essjay]

The only fish I would put in a 5 gallon (19 litre) tank is one betta provided the water parameters are suitable for bettas - that is, provided the hardness is in the range 18 to 268 ppm (1 to 15 dH).
Or a group of shrimps.

It may be possible to keep a few male endlers in hard water provided water changes are sufficient; and in very soft water a shoal of one of the Boraras species may be do-able. But my preference for these fish would be a tank bigger than 5 gallons. Both chili rabsoras (Boraras brigittae) and endlers need a tank with a base 30 x 45 cm (12 x 18 inches)

 

[Roden]

There’s a whole lot you can do with a 5g. I know a lovely 5g stocking list(has likely a hundred options), but it’s on another forum and I’m not certain what the rules of posting links(I looked at the rules, but still confused me a bit in this regard) here are...

You could do a school of chilis, embers, or another nano schooler. Although I would not suggest CPD’s as they require a 20” long tank and most 5g’s are not that long.

Another option is a killifish pair like australe(I currently have a pair of these and they are wonderful fish), a pea puffer, or a Scarlet Badis pair.

I think there’s a lot more available for 5gs than people think!

 

[Essjay]

Most of those fish need a tank with a base of 12 x 18 inches. I don't know what shape American 5 gallon tanks are but in the UK most tanks that volume are tall rather than long so they don't have a large enough base. For example my 26 litre/6.9 gallon betta's tank has a 15 x 10 inch footprint.

The exception is the pea puffer which needs a minimum footprint of 12 x 8 inches. But they do have dietary requirements which need to be met and those have always put me off keeping dwarf puffers.

 

[Roden]

Most of those fish need a tank with a base of 12 x 18 inches. I don't know what shape American 5 gallon tanks are but in the UK most tanks that volume are tall rather than long so they don't have a large enough base. For example my 26 litre/6.9 gallon betta's tank has a 15 x 10 inch footprint.

The exception is the pea puffer which needs a minimum footprint of 12 x 8 inches. But they do have dietary requirements which need to be met and those have always put me off keeping dwarf puffers.

I think most of them are around 16” here. Mine is at least.

I do disagree with them need an 18” width, there’s many people who I’ve spoken with who have kept them in an 8” and have had them thrive. I’m currently keeping CPD’s in a tank with less than an 18” and haven’t had issues and they really seem to be thriving as well.

All the species I mentioned were also included in the list I spoke of which was compiled by some of the most knowledgeable FW fishkeepers I know.

The killifish are often kept and bred in tanks as small as 2gs where they thrive. So there really should be no issues in a 5g.

Anyway, that’s just my opinion on the matter.

 

[Byron]

I have a tank that is 5 US gallons, and the measurements are length 16 by width 8 by height 10 inches. This is not sufficient space for any of the shoaling fish mentioned in this thread. A single male Betta, yes. But I would not subject my Ember Tetras or Boraras dwarf rasbora to this tank.

These fish would probably survive in a small tank but thrive not survive should be the aim of every aquarist. Fish have a very complex relationship with their aquatic environment, very different from that of any terrestrial animal with the possible exception of amphibians. Many in this hobby really do not have an understanding of this relationship. I know it has taken years for me to fathom it. This issue comes up in so many posts, and I have still not found the words to adequately explain it without writing a book.

For those who want to find out more about fish biology, one of the best sources is the book The Manual of Fish Health authored by Dr Chris Andrews, Dr Neville Carrington, Dr Peter Burgess and Adrian Excell. The first four chapters outline how fish live in water and the incredible implications this involves, and if one really understands what is contained in these chapters, one's view of fish and tanks will be very different..

 

[Roden]

I have a tank that is 5 US gallons, and the measurements are length 16 by width 8 by height 10 inches. This is not sufficient space for any of the shoaling fish mentioned in this thread. A single male Betta, yes. But I would not subject my Ember Tetras or Boraras dwarf rasbora to this tank.

These fish would probably survive in a small tank but thrive not survive should be the aim of every aquarist. Fish have a very complex relationship with their aquatic environment, very different from that of any terrestrial animal with the possible exception of amphibians. Many in this hobby really do not have an understanding of this relationship. I know it has taken years for me to fathom it. This issue comes up in so many posts, and I have still not found the words to adequately explain it without writing a book.

For those who want to find out more about fish biology, one of the best sources is the book The Manual of Fish Health authored by Dr Chris Andrews, Dr Neville Carrington, Dr Peter Burgess and Adrian Excell. The first four chapters outline how fish live in water and the incredible implications this involves, and if one really understands what is contained in these chapters, one's view of fish and tanks will be very different..

Lol, I suppose we will have to disagree on this as well. There’s been many aquarists who have kept these fish in a 5g and they have thrived(yes, I know the difference between survive and thrive, and I never suggest someone putting a fish in a situation where it has to survive).

I wouldn’t put CPD’s in a 5g, or at least not one that’s less than 20”, but I certainly would put embers in a moderate or heavily planted 16” 5g.

 

[Guppylover3x]

Many thanks for all your feedback and opinions. Essjay you mentioned having endlers in a 5 gallon how many would you recommend? I have heard a trio of guppies is recommended for a 5 gallon and I’ve read this on many websites. Roden you mentioned quite a few different species thank you, I would have to say that my local pet store here in the UK would actually agree with you. The live fish store I go to are nation wide and have standards to maintain in accordance to company rules they are very well known. Currently they recommended up 5 guppies would be ok in a 5 gallon tank. 5 gallon fish tanks in the UK are equivalent to 19 litres. I agree that most tanks are tall which I hate because fishes need space to swim. My guppies are currently in 5 gallon tank measuring
17.2” x 10.6” x 6.3” L X W X H. The fluval spec I have is more wide than tall as you can see from the measurements. I will definitely look into the recommended source as suggested Byron. Many thanks for all your feedback.

 

[Essjay]

To be honest, I personally would not keep any endlers in 5 gallons/19 litres. Though I know that a lot of people would.

Also I would never keep any guppies in a 19 litre tank.
If the store you mean is Maidenhead Aquatics (the only nationwide fish-only store in the UK), they may be good but they are not perfect. You still need to everything they say with a huge pinch of salt. For example, one MA worker told me it was fine to keep male bettas in a community tank but they are not community fish.
If you mean Pets@Home (a general pet store that also sells fish), they have a terrible reputation for the advice they give.

 

[Guppylover3x]

To be honest, I personally would not keep any endlers in 5 gallons/19 litres. Though I know that a lot of people would.

Also I would never keep any guppies in a 19 litre tank.
If the store you mean is Maidenhead Aquatics (the only nationwide fish-only store in the UK), they may be good but they are not perfect. You still need to everything they say with a huge pinch of salt. For example, one MA worker told me it was fine to keep male bettas in a community tank but they are not community fish.
If you mean Pets@Home (a general pet store that also sells fish), they have a terrible reputation for the advice they give.

I currently buy my fish from pets at home. I have never known them to give terrible advice personally. What would you recommend for guppies? I am a little cautious that I need to upgrade my tank now. They have been very active since purchase, slight nipping for the first few days even now sometimes but this has extremely calmed down and they get on perfectly well. My tank has got live plants I believe this helps a lot. The problem is most bigger tanks now are very modern and they are more tall than wide. I think it’s a bit cruel to keep them in such a tall tank because they need space to swim rather than just up and down. Many thanks for the advice.

 

[Guppylover3x]

To be honest, I personally would not keep any endlers in 5 gallons/19 litres. Though I know that a lot of people would.

Also I would never keep any guppies in a 19 litre tank.
If the store you mean is Maidenhead Aquatics (the only nationwide fish-only store in the UK), they may be good but they are not perfect. You still need to everything they say with a huge pinch of salt. For example, one MA worker told me it was fine to keep male bettas in a community tank but they are not community fish.
If you mean Pets@Home (a general pet store that also sells fish), they have a terrible reputation for the advice they give.

I also agree that the advice about keeping male bettas in a community tank is terrible. You would have encountered some very stressed fish and lots of fighting.

 

[Essjay]

I would never take any advice from Pets@Home. These shops are run as franchises, with some managers being better than others, and the staff are usually trained only in how to make a sale.

I'll bet no-one in P@H mentioned that guppies need to be kept in hard water to do well. If you have soft water, guppies will suffer. You can find out how hard your water is on your water supplier's website - but make a note of the number and the units. A lot of UK water companies use a unit (mg /l calcium) that is not used in fish keeping so if yours uses that one you'll have to convert it.
Here is a link on what guppies need http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/poecilia-reticulata/

 

[Byron]

On the subject of advice and sources.

First, anyone can set up a website and promote him/herself as "expert." I will only accept information from sites where I know, either personally or by documented reputation, the owner or the individual giving the evidence. This applies to non-forum sites. Forums are different, as there is peer review of what members post, and it is always possible to refer to the authorities if in doubt. Authorities meaning the professional ichthyologists, biologists, microbiologists and similar.

Second, as essjay stated, advice from store employees should always be questioned and researched before being accepted. A microbiologist online friend once told me of a store she was asked to set up training for all new employees and they had to pass the test afterwards. This is regrettably not common. Yet these individuals are spewing out "advice" that in many cases will inevitably lead to fish loss that was preventable.

 

[Guppylover3x]

I’m currently unsure of what my water quality is like in my area, but will look further to try find out as I haven’t had much luck so far. Pets at home didn’t mention water hardiness however they did advice against selling me guppies to begin with. This was due to it being a new tank and guppies not being very strong fish. Although I went ahead no negative inpact has been made, my guppies have been in the tank for up to 16 days now and the tank has been set up for 18 days. I had a few flashing issues but this has also reduced now.

 

[Byron]

I’m currently unsure of what my water quality is like in my area, but will look further to try find out as I haven’t had much luck so far. Pets at home didn’t mention water hardiness however they did advice against selling me guppies to begin with. This was due to it being a new tank and guppies not being very strong fish. Although I went ahead no negative inpact has been made, my guppies have been in the tank for up to 16 days now and the tank has been set up for 18 days. I had a few flashing issues but this has also reduced now.

It is not possible for any of us to know what negative impact may or may not have occurred to the fish. We can speculate based upon the factors and scientific knowledge we learn, but internal issues are rarely visible externally. As one example, if your water turns out to bee soft, the guppies are being harmed internally, and you will not see this until down the road they either just die or develop other issues that would normally be avoided. Stress can occur from so many different factors, such as water parameters, water conditions, tank size, other fish, lighting, filter current...every aspect of the aquatic environment affects fish positively or negatively.

It is certainly true that guppies are not strong fish. Generations of inbreeding have weakened them genetically, and this makes them more susceptible to disease and other problems. That advice at least was accurate.