Stocking Levels

[scandie]

Hello All,
 
Just got an aquarium after many years without one.   What do you suggest for the type(s) and the amount of fish to get for a 5 gallon desk-top tank?  The pet store folks all say only 5 inches of total fish length.  Thanks.

 

[NickAu]

 
What do you suggest for the type(s) and the amount of fish to get for a 5 gallon desk-top tank?

A betta.
 
or some micro fish like Galaxy rasboras maybe some shrimp or a Ornamental snail ( Mystery, Apple or assassin )  pygmy corydoras  maybe?

 

[Jeremy180]

Hello All,
 
Just got an aquarium after many years without one.   What do you suggest for the type(s) and the amount of fish to get for a 5 gallon desk-top tank?  The pet store folks all say only 5 inches of total fish length.  Thanks.

Hello scandie welcome  to the forums, and welcome back to the hobby!

 
Since you've been out of the hobby for a while, may I suggest reading up on the (fairly) new practice "fishless" cycling?
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first/
It's much less stressful on the livestock (And the fishkeeper too IMO) than the old school method of "fish in" cycling
 
For fish, the best stocking would be a betta, as most other fish technically "small enough" for a five gallon are much happier being kept in groups of five or more, which brings thier total biolad to something more fitting to at least a 10 gallon, preferably more.
 
However, inverts, especially shrimp, have a much smaller bioload for thier size, I,ve heard figures as high as 4 Ghost shrimp per gallon, and ten or more red cherry shrimp per gallon.
Please be advised that a betta may or may not attack/eat any shrimp put in the tank, while larger shrimp species have a better chance than smaller ones, it literally depends on the individual betta.
snails have a somewhat higher bioload, with figures i've seen being one nerite per 1.5 gallon and one mystery snail per 3 gallons, respectively.

 

[Zante]

Personally I'd avoid fish entirely, and go for a shrimp tank. You will have it on your desk and it will be easy to observe the shrimps.
You can do some beautiful scaping and really make a jewel of a tank with the shrimps complementing it beautifully.

 

[jag51186]

Personally I'd avoid fish entirely, and go for a shrimp tank. You will have it on your desk and it will be easy to observe the shrimps.
You can do some beautiful scaping and really make a jewel of a tank with the shrimps complementing it beautifully.

 
Was going to suggest the same thing, they have some amazingly colorful shrimp in the hobby these days, and they are really easy to care for!

 

[scandie]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[Zante]

Oh, and by the way
 

The pet store folks all say only 5 inches of total fish length.

 
Double check anything that the pet store says. The inches per gallon rule is rubbish and has been debunked ages ago.
It only takes into account the size of the fish and not its habits and needs, and completely breaks when you start going to bigger fish. You wouldn't keep an oscar in a 12 gallon tank.

The fact that they are making that kind of suggestion makes them untrustworthy.

 

[scandie]

Can I try that, the Oscar suggestion?  (kidding)  I had to look up how big that fish is.  Are you suggesting that I can put more fish in the 5 gallon tank?  It would seem that all the pet stores violate their own "inch per gallon" rule since all the displays are crammed to the gills.

 

[Jeremy180]

Although it may look like the inch per gallon "rule" (as stated, a very poor rule to begin with) is being violated at pet stores, Its really an illusion.
Once I was allowed into the employee section of my lfs, and each row of display tanks was connected, with each row having a 2 foot wide x 4 foot high trickle system.
Basically, they had filters "behind the curtain" that were as big as or even bigger than the tanks.

 

[Zante]

Can I try that, the Oscar suggestion?  (kidding)  I had to look up how big that fish is.  Are you suggesting that I can put more fish in the 5 gallon tank?  It would seem that all the pet stores violate their own "inch per gallon" rule since all the displays are crammed to the gills.

 
I am suggesting that you should learn about the fish's needs and provide an appropriate tank, or viceversa, only stock species for which your tank is appropriate. For example I'd never keep angelfish in a tank with less than 2 feet of water column, whatever the volume is, or I'd never keep tetras in a tank that is less than 3 feet in length.
 
The pet stores are not supposed to be homes for life. Apart from the fact that they have massive hidden systems, they're supposed to hold fish as long as it takes to sell them. A properly managed shop knows what the turnover is and stocks appropriately. 

 

[Jeremy180]

 

Can I try that, the Oscar suggestion?  (kidding)  I had to look up how big that fish is.  Are you suggesting that I can put more fish in the 5 gallon tank?  It would seem that all the pet stores violate their own "inch per gallon" rule since all the displays are crammed to the gills.

 
I am suggesting that you should learn about the fish's needs and provide an appropriate tank, or viceversa, only stock species for which your tank is appropriate. For example I'd never keep angelfish in a tank with less than 2 feet of water column, whatever the volume is, or I'd never keep tetras in a tank that is less than 3 feet in length.
 
The pet stores are not supposed to be homes for life. Apart from the fact that they have massive hidden systems, they're supposed to hold fish as long as it takes to sell them. A properly managed shop knows what the turnover is and stocks appropriately. 
 

....And improperly managed shops constantly have dead fish in the tanks.
Sorry, couldn't resist chiming in.