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I recently set up a basic 10g at my home for my kids and it is going very well. I never thought I'd get so addicted to it; the only problem is that my wife would kill me right now if I got anything bigger.

I'm looking at getting a small tank for my office, something only like a 5-6g. I need the tank to be small and light enough to fit on my filing cabinet, but something that will still impress my customers when they come in. I have a betta, some tetras, and a few small catfish in my tank at home so I want to do something different at work.

What are some options for me with a tank that small as far as both fish and plants. Even if it is only 1, maybe 2 fish in the tank, that would be fine, just as long as they can be a conversation starter!

Regards-


Rick

I assume it would be a small completely enclosed tank. Think about shrimps they are easy to look after and will always be breding but they do like plenty of plants some low light one are always easy to buy.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info
Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith


Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

Hehehe errr welcome to the addiction forest

I believe what you have is called multiple tank syndrome, and the only way to get over it is convince the other half to let you get a 55gal or larger


As for your office tank, bettas are great as they can be trained and are people friendly fish. I'd say get some nice java fern and plant that baby up, get a nice blue or red betta and you're done! The important thing with office tanks, especially small ones is to make sure you have a heater for it.


Then we can start working on getting a proper sized tank at home .


^_^

If you want something different from the betta, I'd recommend a group of male fancy guppies. There are lots of colors and patterns, and you can get a variety or ones that match! Plus they're pretty friendly, which is important for a public tank.

><>

I stopped in at my LFS today, which I think I finally found one that I will be calling my LFS, rather than going to a few different places that had a little bit of some things, but not everything. The place was very clean, had a good selection, and I think it was the people that made the world of difference.

I stopped by to see my options as far as tanks were and what would fit in the limited space I have. I think I will be able to swing one of the oceanic biocubes; I just have to measure to see if I can fit the 14g, or if I just have to deal with the 8g for the office. Either way, I like how everything is self contained in the tank. I was surprised to see that the 14g was only about 2.5 inches bigger than the 8g. What are your thought on the biocubes?

Thanks for the quick responses! As far as the ideas given to me so far, I love how there are so many options, but at the same time it just makes it that much harder to decide! Being that I am now looking at tanks a little bigger than what I had initially thought about, I started to contemplate saltwater tanks; but I just can't afford the costs associated with it right now, so I definitely will be sticking with the freshwater...for now!

Keithgh-
I like the outside the box thinking, but I think I want to stick with fish, so I will be staying away from the shrimps.

Babel-
Thanks for the warm welcome! The larger tank is what will be in my future, whether the other half likes the idea or not, but for now my multiple tank OCD will be taking precedence! As far as the java fern goes, I would like to have a mixture of life and fake plants in the tank; how will the ferns hold up in a biocube if that is the route I decide on going? I will also probably put a 50 watt heater in there just for those extra chilly days.

Superlion-
I was contemplating the guppies, but now that I am thinking of a little bit bigger of a tank (if I can fit the 14g), I am hoping that my options would also increase.

My LFS suggested something like dwarf cichlids - he didn't have any at the place, so I couldn't see what they looked like at that moment, but he said there were some colorful - but not tacky colorful - chichlids out there. Then he said some other fish species that I had never heard of and could never repeat even if I tried to remember!

He already let me know that when I wanted to start up my tank, I could get a few tetras from him and then when the tank is ready to go, I could bring them back and get some store credit to the actual fish I want to keep in there. I don't think that any other fish store by me would even think about doing something like that.

Again, the info and ideas are excellent. Thank you all!

Regards-


Rick

Dwarf cichlids are great (one of my favorite groups of fish), but... I would never again consider keeping them in a public tank like the one I set up at church.

I got a couple of german blue rams for the tank in the church office. I quarantined them at home, they were super healthy and active and swimming up and down the front glass of my tank. Then I took them to church. Within a day or two, they were hiding in the shadows. Within about a month, I lost the first one, and the other had lost a lot of condition and was quite thin and stressed looking, so I brought her home and put her back in one of my tanks. She lasted a couple more months, but never fully recovered, and eventually died.

So, thinking of fish with a high activity level and tolerance to outside activity, stressors like kids tapping on the glass, etc., I ended up getting a school of fancy leopard danios (I had one "donated" that was already 6+ years old, and it's the only one that has died so far). They're all still there and very showy. They're not particularly colorful fish, but they make up for it with activity and friendliness.

><>

Danios were another option I was looking at. I was told they were a very hardy species and, as you said, they can withstand a lot of outside interference. But, as you also said, they are kind of bland looking.

I just checked out the chichlids section on the site and it looks that there really are a lot of varieties for me to choose from. My office is not a high traffic area and I'd be locking it up at night to ensure peace for the fish. I (with my very limited experience) think the traffic would not be a problem, as the only kids that would see them would be my own when they come to my office, which doesn't happen very often.

I plan on keeping a more dense selection of plants and shelter so they can be comfortable enough and hide if there are a handful of people in my office.

Another fish my LFS suggested, after looking into the different species at a lot today were rasboras. Though, they seem like they would be too territorial for what I'm looking at.

So far the chichlids are towards the top of my list. It looks like they all have the potential to grow between 3-5 inches, even for some of the dwarfs. That seems quite large for a 14g tank. How many would you suggest?

What about bottom feeders? Some Corys?

Again, I don't have anything even set up yet so I have plenty of time to decide, but I'd rather get all my options now and at least attempt to make a decision before the tank will be ready!

Regards-


Rick

Heaters are needed pretty much no matter what, a few degrees temp swing can cause Ich in fish, not something you really want to deal with anywhere especially at work. Even if the room temperature stays at a steady 72 the water temp can swing due to the light.

Biocubes, I seem to remember a lot of issues with their promotional propaganda from a few years ago if I'm thinking of the same thing. Something about how you don't have to do water changes, and that you can fit a baby blue whale and three great white sharks in it and still have room left over for half a dozen goldfish (please note the sarcasm and impossibility of such a statement).

Don't go by gallons for stocking, that's one of those old 'rules' that really do not work to the fishes happiness. The determining factor is surface area. Therefore tall tanks bad, wide tanks good. The surface is where the gas exchange happens, therefore the larger the surface area the more exchange happens and the more stock you can have, keeping in mind fish size and activity levels. Activity levels is IMO should be your second decision in stocking. While fish like danios are hardy and stay relatively small (I've had a 4" zebra danio) they are very very active, and I wouldn't consider them good candidates for anything smaller then a 20 (think a trio of 3 year olds on a sugar high stuffed into the back seat). I'd stick with betta and shrimp or snail (so long as the betta doesn't decide they are lunch) or a few male guppies as superlion mentioned. Understocking is the key to office tanks I've found. Not only are smaller tanks harder to maintain but they have to be able to be ok if something happens on a Friday night and it's a long weekend and you're not back till Tuesday morning. I would totally stay away from dwarf chichlids for that tank, I don't like the thought of them in something that small. I've got a few kribs in the 6' tank, I just don't see them being good in something as small as what you're considering. Only ones that would work IMO are multis. From what I've heard tons entertaining to watch (I'd have them for that reason if I could find them!) but as you can see from their profile not overly colorful.

Live and fake plants generally work well if you get good quality fake plants. Java fern or Anubias tied to a rock or small driftwood will work since they're virtually indestructible (my silver dollers will eat them even though any other fish would hate the taste). They also mange to grow (slowly) where other plants would not. Plant profiles

A final thought, keep in mind weigh. The easy rule we go by when weighing tanks is 1 gallon is 10 pounds. It's actually closer to 8 but once you factor in gravel, decor, the tank itself 10 is more accurate. That much weigh does need a sturdy base that isn't going to bend the tank. metal filing cabinets most likely won't stand up to the weight. Also keep in mind ease of maintenance. You will be doing weekly water changes of about 20% of the water, how high do you want to lift up the water, how easy will it be to get your gravel vac up there ect.


Ok, I think that's about all from me for now, oh 75 gallon tanks are better for the fish and need less attention and look so much better then a small tank, that'll convince the other half .

^_^

Hi,
A belated welcome to Fish Profiles!

I think I'd skip the Dainos. They like to be in a group
of at least 5 and more preferably 10+. They are about
2 inches, and are never still. If they are still the
phrase from the movie "Over the Hedge" comes to mind...
"Can I poke 'em?"

Think of very small, very active, children, overloaded
in a monster sugar rush. If you had a school of 10 of
them in a tank, I'd almost bet you that you could
never count them. They simply don't stay still, or move
slowly enough, to get an accurate count.

To me, they need far more swimming room than that 14G tank
would give them.

Frank

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

The heater in any tank makes sense. How big of a heater should I get for my 10g at home?

The biocube I am looking at doesn't have any of those "never change the water" or the "no need for any maintenance" schemes. The one I am looking at can be found at the link below:
http://www.oceanicsystems.com/products/biocube.php

It's a regular tank, but has the convenience of having everything enclosed and it looks much more professional in an office environment (IMO). I will check out the stand options, as after measuring my desk area, it would make things very tight and I already have too many papers stacking up all over the place.

Frank, thanks for the welcome. I have 2 energetic kids at home, so adding some hyperactive fish might just put me over the edge...danios are out of the running.

It looks like the idea of guppies may be my best bet for what I am looking to do right now. It will also give me a chance to focus on learning how to grow plants efficiently in the tanks for when I upgrade in sizes.





P.S. I talked with the other half...she said she has absolutely no problem with me getting a tank as big as my heart desires, but we need to move out of our 2 bedroom condo and into a decent sized home - and as long as she doesn't have to do any maintenance on it, she could care less what I do. So I got the wheels turning!

Regards-


Rick

I'd suggest you go with all live plants in the tank as once you get fake and live plants together you'll regret the mixture and want one or the other... Preferably live!
javafern, crypts, and anubias have great low light species that grow well in most conditions. as far as fish in a 8-14 gallon tank i'd keep it simple. if you are going to do cichlids (which i suggest against) get a male and female pair of dwarf cichlid and then maybe a few hardy dither fish to fill the space. if you like a full live tank look i'd suggest you go for some schooling species like cardinals or something along the lines of how keith has his bayfront tank stocked (cardinals cherry shrimp and khulie loaches) its simple and beautiful! i have kept this tank as well and it's a great conversation piece! if you want to attract attention go for smaller fish in larger quantites so long as their activity levels will fit them inside the tank size (danios need WAY more swimming room!) welcome to FP and glad i could help you out some! good luck and work on getting the wife to appreciate the fish and want more!!!!

\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"

Turning wheels are good


Thought I'd replied to this last night ....anyway... the general rule of thumb (you'll find a lot of them in this hobby) for heaters is 5 watts per gallon. This could vary of course if the tank is in an area that doesn't have much temp changes between day and night (keeping in mind that lights can effect temp).

Those tanks do look ok, maybe I'm thinking of the bioorb, or something like that...you're right they'd look more impressive in the work place then a standard tank with everything built in.

If you're thinking of a planted tank I'd say go with some of the hardy low light ones I mentioned in my earlier post, they also grow really well in higher light and CO2 environments. Then add some bright red male guppies, a couple shrimp and maybe a snail or two. One single male betta could replace the guppies.

If you want the dwarf cichlids you're going to need shells for them, and IMO they're not as colorful as a planted tank can be. Though their activity and behavior more then makes up for it!
It may come down to what you can find at your LFS'


^_^

OK...I think I made my decision. I appreciate everyone's input in helping me figure this out. I only have three more questions, i swear!

I am going to get the 14g with stand. The tank comes with 1 blue and 1 white light built in; for freshwater I will change the blue and put the two white lights in there. It will be a fully live tank with a lot of the low light plants mentioned throughout the threads (I will obviously be trying different things out as time goes on, but I will keep it simple at first. I will be going with the guppies - there are so many different varieties (as far as colors go) and they seem to be a good option in any smaller tank.

I have a concern with either snails and/or shrimp. from what I have been told, in Freshwater if I have a snail or two, they will soon multiply into about 100 snails. I was told the same with the shrimp as well. I like the look of both the snails and especially the shrimp, but I'd prefer to keep it much more "simple" and not have to worry about the tank getting overwhelmed with offspring. (1) Is this true, or is that just one of those old wives tales? (2) Also, what is the advantage to the ecosystem within the tank with having either shrimp or snails - do they just clean the glass and bottom?

As far as the bottom feeders go, (3) do the loaches and catfish both basically do the same thing? If so, I will see what my LFS has and make my decision from there as to which I like the look of better.

Regards-


Rick

Nice to know you're firmly addicted! We're enablers here, we try not to judge.

Be careful of catfish, most grow way too big for a 14gal. Look for cats with small mouths and short whiskers, i.e. most Corydoras species, Synodontis nigriventris (Upside-down cat), Kryptopterus birirrhis (Glass catfish). Loaches and catfish are both bottom dwellers, but loaches tend to be more active. Some like to be active mostly at night. So you will have to read up on each.

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

Personally, id go with killifish. Rocket panchax aka clown killies will be good.
----------

Biocubes, I seem to remember a lot of issues with their promotional propaganda from a few years ago if I'm thinking of the same thing. Something about how you don't have to do water changes, and that you can fit a baby blue whale and three great white sharks in it and still have room left over for half a dozen goldfish (please note the sarcasm and impossibility of such a statement).

OMG, over here they sell the smallest biorb with a marine 'conversion kit', on the box there is a long spined urchin and a pair of clown fish and 3 tangs, which will both exceed 8 inches.

I would go with the most stunning Betta you can find, there are alot of different colours and tails! Go with the one that compliments your office! They are very friendly fish.

Totally forgot about killies, might be something you have to special order from your LFS.


Snails, You have to be a bit careful when getting them. Common pond snails do tend to be not so good as they do go after plants. Malaysian Trumpet Snails (MTS) are good for a tank, they tend to burrow in the substrate muck like earthworms for a fishtank. They multiply pretty quickly in an overfed tank, but usually are only seen at night or when the light is first turned on. Also, they don't eat plants. Really good snails to have in the tank, but they're small and not really that eye catching. I was thinking about how often people will keep an apple snail with a betta, but I havent any first hand knowledge for you on them.

To go with the guppies I'd say get some ghost shrimp. They're really funny to watch eat peas...their whole insides turn green. I'd be hesitant to put loaches or catfish in that sized tank really.


^_^

population growth is exponential in all species so what you will need to do is locate a species of snail that either is single sexed and get only one or two (and hope you don't get babies) and avoid hermaphrodite snails, or stick with MTS and maybe a few snails. they will reproduce, but the other fish will munch on the babies and population growth will be minimal. if it ever gets crowded with shrimp you just use a net scoop some out and take them to the LFS... they will either take them free or give you some credit to buy food or more toys/gadgets/food/etc for your tank(s).

I'd suggest a few cherry shrimp (start with 5 to 10) and just after a few months thin the population... just avoid snails like ramshorns and pond snails because they are TROUBLE!

spixis and apple/mystery snails are good, they breed but minimally, you can manually remove egg clutches if they pose a aesthetic threat to you or you wan to control the populations....

Good Luck,
-Brandon

\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"

OK; I have my tank set up and some tiger barbs in there to get the cycle going. The tanks looks very nice and I've already had a few customers come in and compliment it - and there's only a couple of fake plants in there so far.

I checked out my LFS and they just got in a few guppies with some spectacular tail colors; I told the owner to save a few of them for me and he said it shouldn't be a problem. They have a decent selection of plants in the shop, but the guy said he could get basically anything within a week if mentioning it to him.

I like the look of both the glass and the cherry shrimp in the pictures I've seen. I will have to check them out in person to see which I like better before making my final decision.

I'll start out with the guppies and I'll play it by ear as far as getting a bottom feeder. I do have some small Skunk Cories in my tank at home that I really like, so maybe if the loaches are too big, I could pick some cories up for here too.

I can't wait to be able to start really playing around with the tank soon!

Regards-


Rick