# could i keep zebra danios, or neon tetras in a 5 gallon



## plecosrawesome

hi, i was wondering if i could keep 3-5 zebra danios or neon tetras in a 5 gallon with a betta, and maybe some ghost shrimp and a mystery snail. if i can which would be better the danios or the tetras?


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## ReStart

Yeah, I'd vote yes but I'd go with the Neons, at least as far as keeping the Betta safe. Some Zebras nip, mostly out of boredom I think. Plus the Neons are smaller fish, keeping the bioload less.


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## jrman83

Danios, no. Why would you want to put so many into a 5gal tank? They are really not good for much but 1 Betta. Adding 3-5 Tetras, ghost shrimp, and a mystery snail is just asking for trouble keeping fish alive.


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## holly12

Mystery snails are from the Apple snail family, and Apple snails grow to the size of a fist, so just be sure of the size it will grow to first, lol.

Maybe 1 or 2 Zebra Nerite snails and some ghost or red cherry shrimp? (Personally, inverts' can be much more fun to watch than fish sometimes).


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## plecosrawesome

ok so i gues i will just do a betta and maybe 3-4 tetras and 3 ghost shrimp?


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## holly12

Neons/Cardinals should be kept in groups of 4 or more, (preferably 6 or more), yes I know - I only have 2 - but that's because every time I bring another 3 or 4 home they die off until I only have 2 left..... I have weird luck with Cardinals, lol.

You could probably get away with 4 neons, but they do like to swim around. I would go with a Betta, ghost or cherry or amano shrimp and 1 or 2 Zebra snails. You can try the neons though - you may have luck with them. (Be warned Bettas will eat shrimp that will fit into their mouths, so make sure any you put in the tank are too big for him to eat).


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## Gizmo

Definitely no on the danios, of any kind - danios are fast swimmers that prefer tanks with a lot of current, and they are fairly aggressive for community fish, as stated above. Neons would be the better pick of the two, but I wouldn't go higher than 3-4.

HOWEVER....

You could do a school of 4-5 galaxy rasboras (a.k.a. celestial pearl rasboras). They are close kin to tetras, they are absolutely gorgeous fish, and are very very small (fully grown, less than 1"). However, they are very timid and very delicate fish. Just a warning.


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## jrman83

....and hard to find.


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## snail

They'd also make good snacks for a betta, so don't mix the two . I sit in front of my celestial pearl danio tank a lot and they are not that timid any more. They also seem stronger now but I did loose some when I first got them. Love them but a bit pricey to get a school going for many.

Do you have the tank or the betta yet? A 10gallon would give you more options.


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## plecosrawesome

i have the tank and plan on getting the betta for my mom this week for mothers day


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## snail

As mentioned the zebra danios are no good for a 5 gallon, they really need more space and tend to be nasty when kept in a group of less than 6. As well as neons ottos and pygmy corys are sometimes recommended as betta tankmates but a 5 gallon is pretty small for more fish. Personally I'd try some shrimp and an apple snail and leave it at that. Bettas love a planted tank so instead of more fish you could get some plants which will make the tank look nicer to look at too.

If you do add tankmates be ready for the fact that some bettas won't tolerate any other life, if so you'll need a backup plan.


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## plecosrawesome

ok yeah i think ill get a betta, mystery snail, and maybe 3 ghost shrimp


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## jrman83

That sounds safe and with a tank that size it's always good to play it safe.


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## snail

sounds like a plan. Some bettas will eat ghost shrimp, others wont bother them. Try to find larger sized shrimp to minimize the chance.


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## plecosrawesome

ok thanks for the advice


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## freshwater77

Both neon tetras and zebra danios are said to be compatible with bettas, but if you wanted the betta to have tankmates, I'd go with the tetras. My danios are kindof aggressive and all the tetras I've had couldn't care less about any of the other fish. I'd be confident about the ghost shrimp (only the really small ones get eaten quickly, I've found). I know nothing of snails, so I can't help you there. I think four neon tetras, a betta, and a few ghost shrimp would work just fine (and be fun to watch), so long as the tank wasn't terribly crowded with plants... Good luck! =]


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