Trying To Set Up A Gift

[gdsgdf]

My daughter wants to set up a "desk tank", salt water, for her boyfriend. We have seen kits selling a clown fish, small anemone in about 5 gal. hexagonal tank. We are being told minimum need is 10 gal, whether we get anem. or not. Same is true for sea slugs apparently. Is there any kind of fish I can get that will work in the smaller 5-6 gal. tank? we are also looking at dwarf puffers. Thanks.

 

[Cal_]

I would post in the nano section but no fish can be in a tank smaller then 10 for sw, and anemones are very dangerous in nanos, thye die suddenly and will kill everything once its dies.

 

[DragonLass]

The best kind of fish to work well in a smaller tank would be a betta.
They are really pretty and easy to maintain.
I'd really give salt water a miss as a gift idea. A nano marine tank takes a fair bit of maintenance. If you are giving it as a gift, you would really need to check with the person to see if they are willing to put the work into its upkeep. Then it loses the surprise.

 

[SkiFletch]

I agree, nano marine tanks are VERY difficult to keep and require lots of marine fishkeeping experience. If the recipient of this gift is that kind of person then it would be real suitable, if not he'll have a very tough time keeping everything in there healthy. a dwarf puffer is much easier comparatively to keep, but still somewhat advanced...

 

[dwarfgourami]

For a desk tank, you need something relatively easy to maintain = freshwater.

I really think a betta is the best choice- less hard work than a puffer, but still lots of personality; you need only to look at the betta forum to see that betta owners do feel very special about their pets. And they come in all sorts of wonderful colours. A little attention to the visual set-up, a couple of plants, will make the tank interesting to look at.

 

[Bloo]

My daughter wants to set up a "desk tank", salt water, for her boyfriend. We have seen kits selling a clown fish, small anemone in about 5 gal. hexagonal tank. We are being told minimum need is 10 gal, whether we get anem. or not. Same is true for sea slugs apparently. Is there any kind of fish I can get that will work in the smaller 5-6 gal. tank? we are also looking at dwarf puffers. Thanks.

Read this pinned article: My very own Nemo

 

[fish_keeper2]

a dwarf puffer is much easier comparatively to keep, but still somewhat advanced...

Ill have to disagree. my DPs are far easier to take care of than my other fish aside from my betas. the only problem is trying to get them to eat during the first week or so that you have them.

The others are right though. your best bet would be a betta.....or made an endler or 2 and a few pigmy corries.

 

[bunjiweb]

Sounds like a BAD idea to me.... And for a present is an even worse idea.

I think you should completlely re-think the idea and persuade your daughter to get her boyfriend a betta or something. Dwarf puffers would be more suitable, you can have 3 in a 10G tank, or you could just have 1, and maybe a couple of pygmy corys or dwarf chain loaches in a 5g tank.

Ben

 

[Synirr]

Bettas are great (of course I'd say that, check out my sig, lol!), but dwarf puffers are more unusual and personally I think that would make the more interesting gift. You could easily have one in a 5 gallon, and they're really not that difficult... I have two in a 5 gallon (which I absolutely don't recommend, I'm just very lucky they get along) and with 25% weekly water changes I never have any problems with water parameters or anything like that. They've never been sick a day in their lives and are so cute pressing their little faces against the glass and begging for food
I'd definitely include a package of frozen bloodworms with the gift, as frozen is all mine will eat.