# Stocking a 5 Gallon Aquarium



## IThinkTherefore (Oct 30, 2010)

Hi!

I am considering purchasing a 5-gallon dorm aquarium:

Marineland 5-gallon Crescent Aquarium System

with the addition of a small heater. I don't want to go much larger, as I have limited space and will need to be able to move the tank easily.

I have kept fish before, but am unfortunately finding information on fish stocking that is only consistent in that it is highly contradictory.

1. I would like to stock the tank with live plants, and although I am experienced with tanks I am not with aquarium plants. Can you recommend one or several plant types that would go well with the fish below?

2. Post-cycling, I am first of all planning to purchase a male betta.

3. I love otocinclus catfish, and simply cannot find a reliable source for whether they would be able to live healthily in a well-managed 5 gallon tank, with supplemental algea wafers and veggies. I would love to have enough to watch them school together, which would seem like it would require at least four, but I definitely do not want to overload the tank. 

4. I also like African Dwarf Frogs, but I am definitely feeling like even one would be overloading the tank. However, with careful management, would I be able to keep a pair?

5. If the otos simply cannot be kept healthily in this tank, can you recommend a snail type that will not breed crazily or grow too large?

6. Would an Oscar Enterprises Hatch N Feed Brine Shrimpery kit be a viable option to produce live treats for these fish?

I think it would be too large for my tank though D:


Thank you very much for your time, and any help you can offer!


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## mfgann (Oct 21, 2010)

I think a betta would do well, but I would have doubts about an otto. Have you considered a few shrimp? I've got ghost shrimp in my new tank and am enjoying them so well I'm thinking about going with red cherry shrimp or crystal red shrimp next.
I think bertie snails cannot breed without brackish water, so that may be a good option too.

No experience with plants, sorry.


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## IThinkTherefore (Oct 30, 2010)

mfgann said:


> I think a betta would do well, but I would have doubts about an otto. Have you considered a few shrimp? I've got ghost shrimp in my new tank and am enjoying them so well I'm thinking about going with red cherry shrimp or crystal red shrimp next.
> I think bertie snails cannot breed without brackish water, so that may be a good option too.
> 
> No experience with plants, sorry.


Thanks for the reply! Yeah, I've been doing research and I'm going to have to ditch the catfish idea D:

I'm now thinking a few red cherry shrimp (I was told that ghost shrimp sometimes nip betta fins) and bertie snails sound nice, I've heard that about nerite snails so I'll have to look into that breed too


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## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

How bout 3 small tetras and then 10-15 RCS? Some java moss maybe another plant or 2. My girl has a similar set up in her 5 gallon marineland hex.


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## Kaiden32 (Sep 4, 2010)

That would work. I've seen a lot of people that have bettas and 3-4 neon tetras in a 5 gal. If you want two frogs that would be fine, but I would be careful with the shrimp if you have frogs, because I had two african dwarf frogs and they ate my ghost shrimp. I don't have very much experience with plants, but I've read that anubias are hardy and easy to have.


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## IThinkTherefore (Oct 30, 2010)

I've decided against Neons, as I've been told that they're happiest in groups of 6-12 and in at least a ten gallon. I'm also not getting a frog, as I hadn't realized they need live food D:!

I'm going to get a Betta, 4 cherry shrimp, and a nerite snail. Thanks everyone for your help!


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## mfgann (Oct 21, 2010)

IThinkTherefore said:


> Thanks for the reply! Yeah, I've been doing research and I'm going to have to ditch the catfish idea D:
> 
> I'm now thinking a few red cherry shrimp (I was told that ghost shrimp sometimes nip betta fins) and bertie snails sound nice, I've heard that about nerite snails so I'll have to look into that breed too


Sorry, that was supposed to be "nerite snail" not "bertie snail". I posted from my droid phone and it auto-corrected me. 
*r2

We have a betta and ghost shrimp and havent noticed any shrimp causing problems with the betta, though the shrimp are still very small. I've actually heard the opposite.. that the betta might eat the shrimp when they're done molting, since they won't have a protective shell.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

You would be right,and sometimes the betta will eat the shrimp whether it has finished molting or not.But dont count that as a guarantee,just a maybe.My macs eat them whole,the Albis pick them to pieces and my splendens,some will leave them be and others will bash them against the bottom or sides to kill them and then eat them.


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## IThinkTherefore (Oct 30, 2010)

I'll make sure my shrimp have plenty of places to hide then  

Thanks everyone for your help!


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## aviatorhi (Nov 5, 2010)

I currently have a 5-1/2 L stocked with a Betta, 2 male guppies (in there since they were fry and the Betta seems to have grown used to them, so he doesn't bother them, though he did eat most of their brothers and sisters when they were fry), 10 ghost shrimp and a red ramshorn snail. As far as plants, Vallisneria does an amazing job in such a small tank, put $4 worth in and it'll multiply like crazy in a month. I use a box filter in the corner and a Mini-5 hanging filter on the back, crystal clear water and it's a great little display. The box filter also does a great job of acting as a hiding place for the shrimp to molt.

FYI: Most Vallisneria comes half dead from the store, but it will propogate and then it's a matter of waiting for the store bought stuff to die off and the new growth to take over, the ghost shirmp and snail make short work of any dead plants and leave the healthy ones alone.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I would just make the whole thing a shrimp tank.


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## overburn (Oct 27, 2010)

Stocking a 5 Gallon Tank - The Free Freshwater and Saltwater Aquarium Encyclopedia Anyone Can Edit - The Aquarium Wiki


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## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

That 5 gallon hex that i posted used to house 2 pairs of fancy guppies but then we had 20 fry in less than a month so we had to give them away. Right now all that is in it is about 60 RCS and 2 female guppy fry


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## IThinkTherefore (Oct 30, 2010)

Thanks everyone for your replies!

Overburn, thank you SO much for that link! That was the clearest and most informative webpage I've found and I've been looking.

I'm actually thinking I might want to go up to a ten gallon now, although that would probably weigh over 100lbs and I'm in a dorm... Idk


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