setting up a Nano tank for my elderly mother...

[Magnum Man]

My sister, who doesn't live by my mother suffers from guilt that many kids feel, when they are not near their parents as they get old & die...

anyway, a while back, she sent my mother a little ( maybe 1.5 gallon ) plastic tank, & a betta... that I was not supposed to have to take care of, as I'm the only sibling by her, & have to do everything "physically" required to help her... anyway 3 bettas later, it was clear that the fish were more than mom & her weekly helper lady could take care of... so the tank has sat empty for 6 months or so...

in the mean time ( she's a big Minnesota Vikings fan, & saw pictures of my football tank, & likes the purple glo fish I have in mine )

I thinking of trying to set up her tank ( like a real aquarium, not a glorified gold fish bowel, as it was set up before ) I found a little mini air pump, & small cartridge / sponge filter, my sister had already sent a mini heater... thinking if I set it up in as low a maintenance form as possible, I'll take care of it... figure if I have a jug of tank ready water, she or he cleaning gal can top it off...

I got her "tank" at home... put a little of the green gravel that I used in my football tank in it... thinking 1 purple glo fish , 1 gold glo fish, & an otto to help clean up... I'll cycle it at home, & when it's ready, I'll drain half the water, & move the whole thing to her place, along with the other half tank of water, & a refill jug, & the food I've got the fish used to... any suggestions would be great... I'm really hugely busy, so I'm wanting to do a water change like once a month, but I don't want the fish dying in a month like the bettas my sister was having mail ordered in...

 

[Essjay]

Is this still the 1.5 gallon or something bigger?
Two glo fish are not an option. These are shoaling fish so need at least 10 of them. And depending on which species of glo fish, a big tank.
Glo tiger barbs - at least 30 inches long
Glo widow/skirt tetra - 30 inches
Glo xray tetras - 24 inches
Glo danios - 36 inches.

Otos also need a group and a tank big enough to grow enough algae to feed them all - some otos refuse to eat any else.

And they would need a water change every week.

 

[BettaFishGirl]

If it's still the 1.5 you could do some Neocaridina shrimp. Cherry shrimp, blue dream shrimp, and others are great options and very fun to watch

 

[Magnum Man]

sorry I didn't define the glo's... mine are all the normal fin length skirt tetras... no barbs

... & yes, this is still the 1.5 gallon ( maybe it's 2... I didn't buy it or maintain it previously, so that's a guess )

 

[Magnum Man]

some colored shrimp would be a good suggestion... I actually really like the dwarf crays I just got... could even set it up, where the crabs could get out of the water for a fiddler crab, or maybe a vampire crab or two???

 

[emeraldking]

some colored shrimp would be a good suggestion... I actually really like the dwarf crays I just got... could even set it up, where the crabs could get out of the water for a fiddler crab, or maybe a vampire crab or two???

That would be a great idea. For it's also low maintenance.

 

[Essjay]

To be honest, I don't think I'd keep anything except plants in a 1.5 gallon/5.7 litre 'tank'

 

[Magnum Man]

ya, that's why I put quotation marks around "tank"

it's nor something I would have bought... but have to assume she was thinking something an old lady to carry

 

[Essjay]

It could be made into a very attractive underwater garden. Water changes for that would be fine once a month and you could do any pruning at the same time.

 

[Magnum Man]

are crabs or shrimp likely to stay in a tank with lots of plants growing out of it???

maybe an actual aquatic crab like pom poms??? but I like the bright colors of some of the vampire crabs, but expect they would be escape artists if there were plants growing out of the tank...

also suggestions for some semi aquatic plants to do a small "garden"

which brings up lights ( I would have to do a light on the "tank" if it was an aquarium anyway ) been looking at cheap led halo lights

any other suggestions...

 

[BettaFishGirl]

I think shrimp are a great options. I'd do 4. They might ven breed. You can make it paludarium with some semi-aquatic plants, as you said. Try to get an aquarium plant light, since they will tremendously help the live plants. There are some good ones on Amazon. Also maybe a bladder/ramshorn will be good, just take out any eggs or babies.

I don't know anything about crabs so I can't help you with that

 

[Magnum Man]

how about some of the bigger snails... a mystery, or nerite...
with shrimp ( I think some ) don't need a heater ( she's old, so her apartment is between 70-75 pretty much year round... would want them as brightly colored ( or with as much contrast, from the roots & other stuff in the tank ) so old eyes can easily see them

 

[BettaFishGirl]

IMO it's a little to small for a mystery or nitrite, but even though bladder snails start out tiny, mine is as big is a thumb nail! And they are peaceful with shrimp. Just drop a small (there are mini sizes) algae wafer down once a week for the shrimp +snail and you will be good.

 

[emeraldking]

are crabs or shrimp likely to stay in a tank with lots of plants growing out of it???

Crabs can get out of the tank by climbing in those plants. Shrimps as well. I had shrimps climbing and stay for a short time above water and went into the ater again.

 

[BettaFishGirl]

Really? I've never had a problem with that and whenever the shrimp are holding onto the tongs and I lift the tongs out with the shrimp they always detach, but everyone's shrimp is different.

Oh yea, if you are doing a heavily planted tank make sure to get liquid fertilizer and root tabs. I use the Aqueon liquid plant fertilizer and Seachem florish root tabs.