Teeny Weeny Tiny Tank

[KellyBelly]

Hiya, I have a 12" by 8" tank...ok i know it's small...ive seen bigger ice cube trays....but as im in student accomodation...(which isnt that much bigger than the tank) ..this was the only one i could get...anyhoos...

Went to a pet shop and just got excited at all the fish and stuff...but finding equipment for such a small tank is a right pain in the ass.

I already have a filter and a heater that should do- but really need to find a hood and light to fit such a small tank.

Does anybody have any suggestions?-have tried many a website who then say that they do not have them in stock as hoods are so hard to find in this size.

Also...as im naive and you'll probably won't be too happy that ive only decided to keep fish in my room because i cant get television reception, any information about any fish that are suitable for such a small tank or any other advice you may have....would be blummin appreciated!

Ooh, yeah...as if ive not asked enough questions already...can anyone recommend where i can get 'alternative' tank decoration...instead of the usual bridge and 'no fishing' sign? I'm hoping to set up a little pub scene...or is that just animal cruelty?

Thanks, Kelly.

 

[mark7616]

thats a very small tank have a look at bettas.

 

[mark.w.jones]

What's the capacity?

Id guess around 4 - 5 US gallons (16ish litres)

Im afraid fish wise your only option is one betta (Siamese Fighting fish). Read up in the betta section for more info.

Other options are shrimps / snails

OR POSSIBLY

An African Dwarf Frog (Not sure if tank is big enough thou):

Check out the Invertebrates, Amphibians & Aquatic Reptiles Forum for more info.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I would say a tank that size would probably be too small for an ADF- i agree though you are only options realistically is either a single betta, or small shrimp s(remember to research these very carefully though, some can get far too large for small tanks like yours) and snails. Do you know how many litres the tank is?

 

[anthonyn66]

I think 5 gallons is pretty good for like 4 fish. I'd say like 3 white clouds, 1 ghost shrimp, and MAYBE a snail.

 

[diademhill]

12"x8"x?

12x8x8 only holds about 12 litres - less than 3 gallons.

Fish are not really an option. You could have a plant tank with an anglepoise lamp over it & a pet shrimp.

If you are having a tank because you can't get a tv signal why not get a tank the size of a portable TV?

 

[Locke]

If you are having a tank because you can't get a tv signal why not get a tank the size of a portable TV?

Amen to that one. For a 3 gallon tank, putting a fish in there would be pure torcher unless you get a beta.

Invest in a larger tank if you want some more fish. Say, about a 12 gallon would fit very well into a dorm room.

Thankfully, I'm living at home while in college, I get to have more fun with bigger tanks.

SB

 

[mark.w.jones]

I think 5 gallons is pretty good for like 4 fish. I'd say like 3 white clouds, 1 ghost shrimp, and MAYBE a snail.

White clouds will get too big and need to be in larger groups than 3.

 

[oneponygirl]

Yup, I agree that a betta is just about your only option with the assumption that it's about a 3 gallon tank. I'm slowly trying to replace all my tanks smaller than 3 with 3 gallon as it's simply just better for the fish and a lot less work for me. Tons of petstores told me I could have other fish than a betta in a 3 gallon tank but they were wrong or simply lying.

Bettas are great; they're beautiful, extremely personable and very hardy. They also do fine with a short "fast" if you need to go home for a weekend and your roommate isn't there to drop some food in.

 

[GaryHug24]

Hi, I am a total Newbie here but wanted to share my experiences with small tanks.

I bought my daughter a 5 gallon tank kit that has a filter and cover/light at walmart. We wanted to start small to make sure she liked the whole idea as much as she thought she would.

First mistake was buying at Walmart where no one could answer any question we had. So we picked out some pretty fish (Ok 8 of them ) and since I knew nothing about cycling tanks I promptly killed off most of them.

Mistake 2 - Every time the water got bad I dumped it all out and cleaned every thing which killed off any chance of cycling the tank. And of course we kept buying and adding fish hoping to get it right (so I guess that is mistake 3). One of the original fish was a gold fish which should be my mistake 4 but is really walmarts fot not saying no!!! (oddly, goldie is the only one of the originals still alive and will be the only fish in the small tank soon)

Then finally I decided to do some research and found out about cycling and Bio-spira and partial water changes and that small tanks are actually HARDER TO KEEP UP THEN BIG TANKS

So now there are 2 fish (could never keep more then 3 alive in there) in that tank and we went to an excellent local fish store that knows what they are talking about and spent over an hour talking to one of the sales guys. We have a brand new 30 gallon tank with a eheim filter loaded up with bio-spira and 6 small fish. We just set it up on Saturday and in one week we are bring in a water sample and if all is well will add 4-6 more (repeat until the tank reach 25-30 fish inches or dad runs out of money).

Boy what an ordeal that small tank was. So bottom line, talk to people who know (like the people on here) and don't over stock!!!

 

[jayjay]

btw gary goldfish can't survive in 5g tanks for their whole lives they need a 20g and then 10g more for each goldfish after that.

i take it you did a fish cycle not fishless aswel?

as for the whole topic i'd say a betta.

 

[GaryHug24]

btw gary goldfish can't survive in 5g tanks for their whole lives they need a 20g and then 10g more for each goldfish after that.

i take it you did a fish cycle not fishless aswel?

as for the whole topic i'd say a betta.

Yeah the whole Goldfish thing is tough. Don't know what to do about him but he is not going in the 30 gallon tank. For the 30 gallon tank we set it up, filled it, turned on the heater and filter and put in dechlorinator. After 24 hours we put in 6 small fish and a bag of Bio-spira. I have been checking levels every day and they are at 0 so so far so good.

 

[Talz]

I would have to agree with everyone and say a betta is the best and probably only bet

 

[jonny-5]

Not sure about fish for your tank as i only use my 5 gallon for new hatched fry but i know you can get an Arcadia bulb light fitting for £10 from petsmart or LFS.Its a single bulb fitting,approx 10 watts(i think) its waterproof and comes with a reflector,Bargain for a teeny tank!!

 

[lljdma06]

If it's a 5g, and you SERIOUSLY planted it, like a planted nano or something like that, you could get away with 5 or so pygmy rasboras, which are very small or some species of killifish (sp). But again, you would have to commit to the maintenance regimen required of a High-tech planted tank, which can be extensive. But if you don't want to do that kind of maintenance, then a betta is the way to go. Many of the loveliest small tanks are planted nanos, which often look many times larger than they are because of what livestock is chosen. Just something to consider, if you have the time.

llj