# 2.5 gallon residents



## Brook16 (Mar 27, 2011)

Outside of a betta, snails and shrimp, what else if anything could live in a 2.5 gallon mini bow? For shrimp, what would be a good type to go with?


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Brook,

For shrimp, 5 RCS or 5 Blue Pearls would do the trick, or 1 Amano or 1 Ghost

My personal favorite tiny fish is what's called a scarlet badis - the males prefer to be solitary, they are tiny, and very pretty. Google them!

Hope this helps.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Gizmo has listed some great shrimp - I just wouldn't add anything smaller than an Ammano or large Ghost shrimp to a tank with a Betta, or they will most likely become dinner.

The Scarlet Badis is gorgeous, but I read that it's a micro predator and will eat small crustaceans... so again, you'd probably have to go with Ammano or large Ghost shrimp so they wouldn't get eaten. I've read they can live alone, but do interact with others of their own kind... I'd feel bad keeping him alone, but that's just me - I always want to get a 'friend' for my fish, lol! They do like planted tanks, so be sure to put some plants in for him.

Other than that, there's not much else that can live happily and healthy in a 2.5g.


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

Personally, I'd first decorate your tank however you want it, fill it with plants if you can. Then choose between a betta, shrimp or a badis. I really really can't recommend keeping a betta with shrimp. With the smaller shrimp, they turn into betta lunch, with the bigger shrimp, it usually ends up being a long term war between betta and shrimp, in which betta will probably loose part of, if not a lot of its fins. I've been able to keep an amano shrimp with my highly aggressive betta, but more than once I've had to move shrimp when he molted, and watch my betta's fins getting chewed up. So choose just one of the three groups, and you should be fine.

If you do get a fish, if you can still see your fish with all the plants, you need to add more plants.  Little tanks are too unstable to not have plants to help them out


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Your shrimp eats your Bettas tail?! That's sooo weird! They are supposed to be docile, lol! You have one tough shrimp! XD


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Considering a scarlet badis is the same size as an adult RCS, I'm pretty sure the RCS or BP's won't be bothered. I've got mine in a tank with about a hundred RCS and no casualties yet.


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## Brook16 (Mar 27, 2011)

Many thanks to everyone...my son and I went to the LFS and picked up 3 RCS and 3 ghost. Everyone is happy!


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Are they really that tiny? That's soooo cute! I'll have to look for one the next time I'm at the LFS and see them!


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