# Looking for Input on a New Planted 5 Gallon



## Chandavi (Jun 12, 2012)

Good evening everyone,

I have recently dug up my trusty old 5 gallon hex aquarium and am hoping to heavily plant and stock it. Everything works (filter, heater, light) and has been thoroughly cleaned and re-assembled. Currently the unit is beginning the fishless cycling process and I am hoping to be able to add some plants in this weekend. I am looking for advice overall with regard to stocking options and planting advice.

My main objective is for the aquarium to support a small group (6-8) of dwarf/pygmy cories (_Corydoras pygmaeus_ or _Corydoras hastatus_), along with a healthy amount of aquatic vegetation. All other possibilities are secondary, but I would like to include either a solo or a pair of fish that will live primarily high in the water (since the cories usually dwell near the bottom). A few shrimp is another possibility I have been considering, but I don't want them to crowd the cories at the bottom. First , I want to bring up a few points that I foresee coming up:

1) While in a perfect world I would use a 10-25 gallon aquarium, that is not an option due to restrictions in place by my apartment's administration. 5 US gallons is the limit. 

2) I am well aware that my proposition breaks the golden rule of "1 inch of fish per gallon," however I know of several other individuals who have set up similar conditions and their dwarf cories have thrived. Keep in mind that this aquarium will be _well planted_ and I have no problems with keeping up with regular water changes as needed. I keep a tight handle on water parameters.

Now, about the unit itself. It is a Marineland PFES O5HX. I am using a smooth gravel substrate (for the sake of their barbels) with a single medium-sized "cave rock" in the center of the aquarium. This "rock" has been checked carefully for sharp edges, and offending protrusions were carved away long ago via X-Acto. The aquarium will be heated, though I have heard that cories prefer water in the low to mid 70s (F). It will probably be on a minimal setting in this case. Filtration will be accomplished via the hex's integrated filter (bio-wheel setup). The light is a 10 watt fluorescent, which provides bright lighting for this small tank. All water is pre-treated with Prime and acclimated to room temperature adjacent to the setup.

For planting, I am looking for some recommendations. I am probably going to plant a single Anubias nana somewhere along the bottom, and I hope to plant a number of "corkscrew" Vallisneris biwaensis around the perimeter of the tank to provide a sort of "hiding forest" for the cories. I also would like to float a plant of some type at the surface of the water, but I need some help deciding what to use. The primary purpose of the "floater" would be to block a decent portion of the incoming light while also detoxifying and further oxygenating the water. I have been told that Hornwort is great for this, but many people have bad things to say about needle droppings, with one user describing his substrate as looking like "the floor under an exploded christmas tree." I would rather avoid exceptionally messy plants if possible, but of course I can tolerate some cleanup if this is the best solution. Other ideas here? I have seen some people suggesting tying java moss to floating (boiled) corks, but I don't know if this would block enough light. Overall, I want to ensure heavy planting to make the system as stable as possible. I'm really looking for ideas here!

Now, onto the fish themselves. As I said, the "feature presentation" will be a shoal of 6 to 8 _Corydoras pygmaeus_ or _Corydoras hastatus_. As a schooling fish, I want to ensure that they are not without buddies. The vegetation and rock should provide ample hiding places for them to feel comfortable, Any other inclusions are optional, but I feel like there will be a lot of "empty" space high in the tank. Would supporting a single or pair of small tankmates be feasible? I don't know of too many solo or pairing fish that enjoy minimal depth. I'm also concerned that this could be entering overcrowded territory, which makes me hesitant to consider this option. Alternatively, some ghost/cherry shrimp could work out well without contributing much to the bio-load. Plus, cleaning up uneaten food bits would help keep the substrate nicer. Thoughts?

Please let me know what you guys think about this potential setup. Again, I know it is small, but it is my only option. I have tried to do as much research as possible and put a lot of thought into my options, but I'm hoping someone else has experience with a similar setup. Thanks in advance, and best wishes (and fishes)!


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## freshwater77 (May 24, 2011)

I like your plan and set-up. I also think that your anubias nana will want rich substrate, so you'll want plant fertilizer of some sort to keep up with its nutrient requirements. If you don't live in Florida, try some Water Lettuce. It's illegal in Florida because some idiot decided it was invasive and that aquarium owners would put it in the canals and clog up the waterways. They also banned water hyacinth, a GREAT natural filter, for the same reason. Anyways, Water Lettuce floats and can provide decent shade after the big one you initially put in dies but the smaller ones it makes flourish. Vallisneria get tall, but if your tank is tall, then it should look lovely ;] For bright aquariums, the following plants should work: Cryptocoryne Affinis and Crypt. Affinis, Pygmy Chain Swordplant, and Japanese Rush. The Java moss wouldn't be a good idea because it's a lower-light plant. 

I think six corys with five White Cloud Mountain Minnows would look great. The minnows prefer mid-level to upper areas of the tank and are small but colorful. Also fairly cheap but forgiving little fish. 

Happy tanking!


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## hanky (Jan 18, 2012)

Alot of people are gonna say your overstocked but IMO if you keep up with water you should be fine. I have the same tank with 1 betta , a pair of sunset guppies, and a nirite snail and they get along just fine. also pearl danios are nice looking small fish that like to be in groups of 4-6


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## frogwings (Aug 26, 2011)

Floating plant recommendations: frogbit and/or Asian water moss. I have them in my tank (10 gal) and they work very well ~ just have to keep them under control, especially the frogbit. I love the "look" they have, especially the frogbit ~ long, graceful roots....


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## Chandavi (Jun 12, 2012)

@freshwater77
Good call on the fertilizer. I'll make sure to look into that. Is there a slow-release solution that I might be able to bury in the substrate underneath it perhaps? I have never felt the need to fertilize my plants before, but it seems logical. It may seem like a silly question, but the fertilizer won't throw my parameters out of order will it? Also, my setup does not have a lot of "head room" between water (filter out) level and an acrylic "roof" so I'm not sure how well the water lettuce would fit. I have been on the fence about pygmy chain swords but I'll take another look at them. White Cloud Mountain Minnows are a good idea, I'll certainly consider them - I'm just hesitant to place 10+ fish in the aquarium, even if they are small.

@hanky
Yeah, I want to avoid overstocking but I think it can be managed with good planting and vigilant water monitoring. I really, really like celestial pearl danios but I have heard that they tend to hide a lot and sometimes prefer the bottom of the tank. I don't want to crowd the cories, but if they will stay in the mid/high areas then I think they would make a great addition. I would also have to keep their group down to 4 at max. Do you think they would be happy in a gtoup of 3-4?

@frogwings
I really like the look of Frogbit, and after taking a look at all the options mentioned so far, I really think that this is the plant I will choose for the surface layer. It seems like it will do a good job at blocking much of the light and those roots look like a great hiding place for the small, timid fish that will be living in the tank. The big question is how good Frogbit is at dissipating nitrates etc. I know that surface plants like Hornwort are known for their ability to oxygenate the water and consume lots of nitrates, and I'm hoping Frogbit falls in the same category. Anyone know?

I guess at this point I should start hunting for some Frogbit and the other plants. I'm not sure if my LFS carries it, but ordering plants online is so expensive. I'll have to check my options. Hopefully I'll be able to keep up with my timetable of planting the aquarium this weekend. 

Also, a big thanks to eveyone who has contributed so far. I appreciate it! If anyone else has ideas or suggestions, please let me know!


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## frogwings (Aug 26, 2011)

Chandavi,

Just a few words about frogbit and nitrates from Google: :frog-28492:

"Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) - also called "floating hearts", are terrific at sucking out the ammonia and nitrates from the aquarium water."

"Things like frogbit are supposed to eat nitrates like candy ..."

Also, it is great for oxygenating the water!

I have lots of Frogbit and would ship you some for just the shipping charges if that is any help!


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## Chandavi (Jun 12, 2012)

@frogwings

Yeah, I had read the same sorts of things, but I'm always one to trust personal experiences much more than content simply splashed on a webpage. In any case, I understand that it seems to spread like a weed - no problem there, I have no qualms with keeping it in check. 

If you have some to spare and are willing to ship it, I would of course cover shipping! I'd really appreciate it! I'll send you a PM so we can discuss shipping and payment. You wouldn't happen to have some Anubias nana or Vallisneris biwaensis I could buy off you by any chance? :fish9:


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## frogwings (Aug 26, 2011)

Sorry, I don't have the other 2 plants you are looking for but you might try aquabid. Good source there and reasonable prices. That is where I got my frogbit and it has done fantastic! I'll wait for your PM to make arrangements...


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## Chandavi (Jun 12, 2012)

Alright, things seem to be shaping up! I have a nice little selection of plants on order, with some Frogbit courtesy of frogwings. The fishless cycle is proceeding well, and I managed to get hold of an old filter cartridge from a friend as "seed" bacteria. I've narrowed down my decisions on tankmates and at this point it is purely a numbers game. I'm looking at the following:

1-2 Dwarf Gourami
6-8 Dwarf/Pygmy Corydoras
2-5 Ghost Shrimp

I believe that these three species will make for a good combination. The Dwarf Gouramis should stay high in the tank and will probably enjoy the shelter provided by the Frogbit. The Dwarf/Pygmy Corydoras should stay in middle/low levels and should feel comfortable among the spiral vallisneria. The dwarf shrimp are mainly for cleanup duty and should contribute minimally to the bioload, but they can be axed if necessary. at this point I am thinking on the low side of these numbers (1 DG, 6 PC, 2 GS), but I'm wondering if it would be better to bump up to a pair of DGs, increase corydoras school size to 8, bump up to 5 shrimp etc. What do you guys think the ideal numbers would be within this range?


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## clep.berry (Mar 4, 2012)

I don't think the shrimp will survive the Gourami - I'd drop the gourami and have 5 shrimp plus 5 cory
You don't mention filtration. Is there any rule against a 5g sump? Or a 10g sump with 5g of water in it? That might make things a LOT easier for you.

In 5g - How about the Cory and a Betta? maybe a Macrostoma?
cb


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## Chandavi (Jun 12, 2012)

I've had bettas before and am looking for a change of pace this go-round. I also had bad results the last time I tried to mix cories with a betta; even when I had the cories in the tank before the betta, introducing the betta led to violent behavior. I quickly separated them. I'd rather not take that gamble again.

I don't think there are any specific rules on external sumps - that's a good idea. I'll look into that and see if I might be able to use that loophole. As I mentioned above, I am using the original inbuilt filter/pump that is integrated into the aquarium. There's no reason that I couldn't add a secondary, however. I'll try to get some confirmation on this.

I hadn't thought too much about the Dwarf Gourami messing with the shrimp. I had heard that they are a relatively peaceful species. Do you think it would harass the shrimp even if they were almost the same size as it?


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## Chandavi (Jun 12, 2012)

Time for a status update!

The Good:
The aquarium is now planted and most of the plants are growing quite nicely. Special thanks to Frogwings and jccaclimber2 on those! It will probably be a month or so before the plants grow to a level that I am comfortable with, but progress is progress. The only one which is not showing huge signs of growth is the spiral val, which has put out roots but doesn't seem to be growing much in leaf size. We'll see where it goes. I have a single root tab located at the bottom of the substrate in the very center of the tank, and I have a feeling that it is helping the rooting process along. The ludwigia repens is growing very well, and will likely break the surface of the water within two weeks. The alternanthea reineckii, which apparently was quite uncomfortable during shipping, seems to be shaping up. One of the four shoots has clearly visible growth, two have perked up but haven't changed in size, and the last one doesn't seem to be recovering well. Hopefully it will turn around, though, and it certainly hasn't gotten _worse_ since planting. The frogbit is a mixed bag - as Frogwings noted, the original bits seem to be dying off, but not before sprouting new growth. Overall, it seems to be growing to cover more of the surface, but it is still in isolated clusters.

The Bad:
Fishless cycling, so far, has totally let me down. I know that it is the new, hip, and humane thing to do; but the fact is that so far I have been cooking for about 2 an a half weeks and ammonia/nitrite processing is abysmal. I will bump the concentration of ammonia up to 4ppm and it will stay there for days on end. This is quite silly, as I seeded the filter with a "used" filter cartridge from a friend's tank such that the "fuzzy" surfaces were in direct contact. I'm a man of results, and fishless cycling is not delivering for me. I will give it one more week, but if I see no progress at that point I am going to result to time-proven methods (fish-in) with daily or twice daily water changes. Maybe a bene-bac colony will pop up and I'll start seeing rapid cycle progresion within the next week, though.

The Ugly:
After three solid weeks of searching, I cannot seem to find any cories for my tank. I started out *wanting* _c. pygmaeus_, but opened up to _c. hastatus_ as well. Now I've even opened up to _c. habrosus_, which I really would not prefer. Not a single lfs that I have contacted seems to have any of the three, however. I even have one of them asking their supplier for some, but the supplier apparently doesn't have any. What gives? I thought these were relatively common species. If there is anyone in the Atlanta, GA area who knows where I could pick up some of these little guys, please let me know. I'm almost at the point of breaking down and buying some off of aquabid, despite the fact that I would probably end up over-paying while dealing with the risks associated with shipping trauma. The overall situation is a real downer.

I have also pretty much decided that the tank will be better off as corydoras + shrimp only. I feel that I will be able to support a group of 8 pygmy cories this way, while keeping a happy half dozen to dozen small shrimp (depending on size). I really like the look of the yellow variety of cherry shrimp, and the other variants (green/blue) are equally neat! Once again, however, the question of availability is the big sticking point. I would really rather not settle for a tank of _c. habrosus_ and ghost shrimp, but the yellow/green/blue shrimp and _c. pygmaeus_ are proving very elusive.

I'll try to get some pictures of the planted tank up soon!


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