# Need help stocking a 5 gallon tank



## abs315

I'm going to be starting a 5 gallon tank. What and how many fish can fit in here comfortably? I definitly want a couple cory cats, what else can i put in here?


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## clep.berry

Bad idea. Cory need larger groups of 5 or more to be happy. You'd probably need a minimum of 15g for a cory tank.
5g - try some shrimp or a betta and see how much moss you can grow in it.
5g is a bit of an expert tank IMO. It's tough to get it looking good and balanced.
15-20g is a better size to get right and looking good.
cb


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## majerah1

Yeah Chris hit the nail on the head there. A 5 is a bit little for cories. A single betta would love it or if you want a group get some shrimps. They can be fun to watch.


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## markao

I have had a 6 gal for many years.Fist you have to be real careful when selecting fish.A small tank is not suitable for schooling fish.Cory cats are and need bigger tanks.I recommend planting your tank first and cycle it with shrimp.There are many shrimp o choose from.Most are small I put a small bio load on your tank and will help with tank cleanup.Ghost,Amano and Cherry Shrimps are good for the first timer.You can have a lot and be ok with them.I have 6 Ghost Shrimps i mine right now.

With a small tank I can not stress the importance of cycling the tank.Before you put any fish make sure this is done.You can read up on cycling here.

As for fish there are some but not many.Bettas are one choice.They are really beautiful fish that are kept in deplorable conditions in pet shops.I would say stay away from cupped ones but if that is the only way you can get one just make sure it shows a lot of life.A female or male would be OK.Just remember you can not put two male together...never.

Other fish include micro rasboras.They are small fish and you could keep a small school in a small tank.

Never be afraid to ask any thing here on the forum.This is a great site.I have had my tank for over 10 yrs.I have just wished I would have found this site and forum years ago.I have learned a lot.

Welcome and Good Luck.

*w2
:fish-in-bowl:


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## Kehy

I have a 5 gallon shrimp-only tank, and the shrimp (a version of the red cherry shrimp) are so colorful and lively, I don't really notice there's no fish. Shrimp breed faster than rabbits, and since they're so small and with such a low bio load, you can have a lot. I started with 13, and within 2 months I have 40+ babies, and it doesn't seem crowded at all. 
I would recommend having moss in your tank, it gives shrimp tons of hiding places, grows well in almost any tank, and looks pretty nice usually


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## abs315

markao said:


> I have had a 6 gal for many years.Fist you have to be real careful when selecting fish.A small tank is not suitable for schooling fish.Cory cats are and need bigger tanks.I recommend planting your tank first and cycle it with shrimp.There are many shrimp o choose from.Most are small I put a small bio load on your tank and will help with tank cleanup.Ghost,Amano and Cherry Shrimps are good for the first timer.You can have a lot and be ok with them.I have 6 Ghost Shrimps i mine right now.
> 
> With a small tank I can not stress the importance of cycling the tank.Before you put any fish make sure this is done.You can read up on cycling here.
> 
> As for fish there are some but not many.Bettas are one choice.They are really beautiful fish that are kept in deplorable conditions in pet shops.I would say stay away from cupped ones but if that is the only way you can get one just make sure it shows a lot of life.A female or male would be OK.Just remember you can not put two male together...never.
> 
> Other fish include micro rasboras.They are small fish and you could keep a small school in a small tank.
> 
> Never be afraid to ask any thing here on the forum.This is a great site.I have had my tank for over 10 yrs.I have just wished I would have found this site and forum years ago.I have learned a lot.
> 
> Welcome and Good Luck.
> 
> *w2
> :fish-in-bowl:


Thanks markao and everyone else for the advice. I bumped the tank up to 10 gallons. I just got it home and set up and it looks great. I think i might put some shrimp in it like you said. Do they need live plants to survive? I really don't like the betta fish. Like you said, most stores keep them in deplorable conditions and I don't really want to promote that. Do you have any other suggestions for fish, I like the micro rasboras idea. Thanks!


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## Kehy

Live plants really help tanks, especially new tanks, get established and stay healthy. They use nitrates, nitrites and ammonia to grow, which are produced by fish and are harmful to fish in large amounts. Plants like amazon sword, java fern, anubias and moss are very easy to grow. Plants also provide security to fish, and fish tend to prefer live plants over plastic or silk fake plants. 

Before you get fish though, make sure your tank gets cycled first! (http://www.aquariumforum.com/f66/fish-poop-you-primer-8310.html, http://www.aquariumforum.com/f66/fishless-cycle-15036.html) If the plants you get have been grown underwater, they will carry bacteria to kickstart the cycle. I would advise buying plants from people in the hobby. People who grow plants for their tanks tend to know more about those plants, and take better care of them than most stores do. You can get plenty of advice and tips for growing them, along with usually getting a better deal than a store can give you.


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## SueD

You could have four or five male guppies and the same # of dwarf cories (pygmy, hastasus, or hasbrosus). Although I prefer the microrasboras idea and there are several species of these. I'm actually waiting for my LFS to get in some of the galaxy rasboras (celestial pearl danios) and the dwarf cories are ok with these also.


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## Kehy

I would say that's really pushing the stocking. Guppies are an active fish, all cories like to school, so both really need their room. I would say 4 male guppies and maybe shrimp if they let them live is max stocking. OR you could have 4-5 dwarf cories + shrimp. A 5 gallon really isn't a whole lot of room. 

An alternative might be a sparkling gourami. Same family as betta, but much less aggressive, and not exploited like bettas. They have more subtler coloring, but are very pretty. If you can find them, they could be a very interesting fish to try.


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## SueD

OP said he was upping the 5 gallon to a 10 gallon. So there would be room for both a few guppies and dwarf cories.


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