# Colorful Fish for 5 to 10 Gallon Tank?



## TripleB67 (Jun 23, 2012)

I'm getting ready to purchase my first new tank in a while and am probably either getting a 5/6 gallon corner tank or a 10 gallon tank (depending on what the wife will allow *#3

I'm wanting to put colorful fish in it so it will hold the interest of my 5 year old and be colorful for the rest of the family to enjoy.

I thought about African Cichlids or Dwarf Gouramis but I'm afraid the tank may be too small for such fish...also being a newbie, I understand those are fish for people who are a little more advanced than I am.

Another option I thought about was several different freshwater sharks but I'm not sure how easy they would be able to care for.

So I guess I'm wanting to get your advice about the following:
- What type of (colorful) fish would you recommend for such a small tank?
- How many fish would live comfortably in a 6 gallon tank? 10 gallon tank?
- What type of 'bottom feeders' or 'algae eaters' could I add to keep the bottom of the tank clean?
- Are there brands of tanks that seem to be better than others...if so, which ones?
- What other advice would you give me?

Thanks for any and all help!!!

BTW: have had a Betta in the past...would prefer something different

TripleB67


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

Great idea, getting a tank that the family would enjoy.

Most cichlids get too big for a tank of that size. Instead I would consider a dwarf gourami or a single betta. In a tank that small, I would just go for one single fish with personality that could really become a pet, instead of a school of smaller fish. To go with that, as long as you don't overfeed, you don't really need bottom feeders or a cleanup crew. Shrimp are small, colorful, easy to breed and hardy (any of the cherry shrimp), but might before fish snacks. Snails can be colorful, and withstand an aggressive fish, but a bit less interesting. 

As far as advice goes, get the biggest tank you can afford, use live plants instead of plastic (many of them are quite easy), and most importantly- cycle your tank before adding fish!


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## jasonmk1j (Jun 19, 2012)

I'm amazed at how attached I've become to my Betta, such a beautiful looking creature with so much personality, when his time comes (omg that brought a tear to my eye) I'll definately get another one, he's amazing to watch and interact with.

As for tank size, the bigger the better, once you've negotiated the maximum footprint that the wife will allow) I'd find the tallest one possible & just make sure its got a warranty, if the manufacturer is confident enough in their product to guarantee it for say 2 years, its probably pretty well made.  I doubt any brand is particually better than another, its just glass and silicon at the end of the day.


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## Fishie (Jun 23, 2012)

In a 5-6G I could only think of a betta with a african dwarf frog or shrimp. If you did the 10G you could do a couple of platy or guppys. Some sort of livebearer in the 10 gallon.


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## jbrown5217 (Nov 9, 2011)

I say get the 10 gallon or fight for a 20 gallon long (20 gallon long is 30" long and a 10 gallon is 20" long so not a huge length increase). With a 10 you can do a school (5+ fish)of small fish like cardinal or neon tetras. With a 20 gallon you could do a couple schools of smal schooling fish and a slighly larger fish like a gourami.


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## Simplestmind (May 30, 2012)

you could do a small group of glofish (modified zebra danios). They are brightly colored and very active.


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## gpd605x (Jun 28, 2012)

I've got a 10 gallon and have a goldfish and some other small fish in it. I've had it for about 1 month now and so far so good


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## Robin Roy (Jun 28, 2012)

Good job!


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

gpd605x said:


> I've got a 10 gallon and have a goldfish and some other small fish in it. I've had it for about 1 month now and so far so good


I'm sorry, but no matter what the box it come in, or what the people at a petstore says, a 10 gallon is not appropriate for any goldfish. Common (also called feeders or comets) can grow to 18" or longer, and require a pond to properly house. Even fancies require at least 20 gallons for the first fish, + 10 more gallons for each extra fish. They also require a GREAT deal of filtration, I would recommend at least double the standard filtration for any tank with a goldfish. 

Why?

Goldfish are very excessive waste producers, grow huge, and require quite a bit of maintenance to keep them healthy. You may have been doing alright for the month you've had the goldfish, but keep in mind that this cannot be the permanent home for that particular fish. Keeping a fish in a tank that's too small for it will stunt it. Its bones will stop growing, however its internal organs will continue to grow, leading to an early, painful death.

As a side note, goldfish should not be kept with tropical fish. Goldfish are a coldwater fish, and tropicals require water at tropical temperatures. It seems to me that you failed to do research before buying your fish. A common beginners mistake, but still _5 minutes of researching into the needs of goldfish would have saved you probably a considerable amount of annoyance in reading all of this_.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

A 10g is too small for a Dwarf Gourami, definitely the case for a 5g. If you wanted the most fish for your buck and you wanted color I'd get 10 Cardinals (10g). They stay fairly small and shouldn't be much of a problem. Any brand of tank will work. I would consider planting the tank also.


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