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Hello,

I have a few questions about fish and fish keeping. I have had 2 Bettas in the past, and I really miss having a fish. I have been doing some research on them, and I have made up my mind to get another fish, but I'm not really sure what kind I want.I guess I should provide some basics.

I am a college student...therefore,I can't have a very big tank.The tank I have now is 1 gallon, but I will be upgrading to either a 3 or 5 gallon one so it can fit either on my desk,or my dresser. That said, I know that these tanks are not very big, and it really isn't fair to fish to have a small tank,but this is the best I can do since I am a college student.

Next, as I mentioned previously, I've had 2 Bettas before (at different times), so I am a little familiar with fish and fish keeping. But, I want more than one fish, in one tank.I've been looking at schooling fish, such as Neon Tetras, Black Neon Tetras,and Dwarf Rasboras. I've also looked at Guppies and White Cloud Mountain Minnows......but I just cant decide what fish to get,and also what fish would be best to get.

I am looking for smaller fish, so I can have a few in one tank, rememeber,I am only going to have a 3 or 5 gallon tank.I am not sure how many fish I would be able to keep in these sized tanks,and yes,I am aware of the rule 1" fish for every 1 gallon.

I guess what I'm really asking is:
1.)What kind of fish should I get that are small for a 3 or 5 gallon tank for my dorm room?
2.)How many should I get?
3.)How many of each gender?(I really don't want any babies....at least not yet,not while I'm in school)

I think that's about all my questions.
If someone could please help me, that'd be great!
Thanks!

Hey slipity Welcome to the site.

I can understand the small tank limitations , here's my ideas and suggestions.

WCMM are very active fish, I have them in a 5 foot tank at the moment and they make full use of the space. Black Neons I've seen get fairly large, especially for such a micro tank, as they are schooling fish I would not suggest them.

I'd suggest looking into making it a planted tank. You could easily get the lighting high enough to keep most any plant that would fit in the tank, without spending a lot or using up half the electricity in the state. Additionally a small tank works to your advantage in this case as you'll be able to use a DIY CO2 system (necessary for anything over 2 WPG).

To go with the plants, either another male betta, or if you want something different you could try 2-3 male guppies (females will have babies no matter what) and possibly a nice shrimp or snail.

^_^

i under stand that you have space issues, but i would go get a 10g... they cost about as much as any 2-5 gallon tank and it can fit many more fish. i would suggest 6 neon tetras, 3 female bettas,and 2 african dwarf frogs. theis will be a very active and lively tank however it will need plant, good lighting, good filtration, and an aerator. standard ten gallon tanks are not very big and one can usually fit two side by side on a standard dresser (but this depends on you dresser and your need for space for other things on the dresser. if you do get a smaller tank get a 5gallon and get 2 african dwarf frogs and three female bettas. this will be a more lax but beautiful stock. avoid tetras in a tank smaller than 10g. and livebeaers as well (unless there is only males [FYI livebearers are platies, guppies, swordtails, mollies, etc.]). female bettas are great tank additions and can be found with great colors! but be carefulk in you selections as sometimes they turn out to me short finned or immature males!

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

Go for the biggest tank you can get/allowed. If you have experience with M Betta stay with that and add some Cardinal Tetras they are a good combination and easy to care for. Also get some easy to care for live plants that will suitable for your lighting.

Forget the 1 fish per gall that just does not work too many variations in fish sizes and their behaviour.

See what other students have and this will be a big help to you.

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

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Hi, and welcome to FP

You can do a very nice tank with the limitation you have on size.

My favourite tank atm is probably my 3.5 gal desktop tank. It's still a work in progress, but it's getting there. It was easy to achieve high light levels to be able to grow lots of plants with just a 13W clip on light and ferts cost almost nothing because I use such as small amount each dose.

Current stocking in my little tank is a male crowntail betta and a couple of striped kuhli loaches... but if I was going to do it over I'd possibly go for a small school of maybe 6 ember tetras (those things stay tiny) and either a couple of kuhlis or a handful of shrimp for the bottom levels.

You haven't mentioned what filtration or heating, if any, you are looking at. IMO a tiny HOB (mine is rated for tanks up to 5 gal)is the best option for filtration as it doesn't take up too much internal tank space... or if your budget stretches to it a nano canister would be even better. I have no experience with heaters so hopefully someone else can pipe up with advice on that side of things if you require it.

Whatever you choose to do have fun with it. Small tanks can work, and work well, they just need a little more thought in the planning stages (you're here asking questions so that's a great start )and a bit more vigilance with water quality as they tend to be a bit less forgiving than a larger tank if things do go downhill.

G_T

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

Hmm.....I agree with Babelfish and GoneTroopo. Make it a nano tank, with a clip on or a desktop sized lamp. Replace the regular lightbulbs with the DAYLIGHT (Daylight only. Plants will grow the best at this light. Nothing else will be sufficent for a nano tank) Screw in Flourescent bulbs, otherwise known as energy saving bulbs. They sell the daylights almost everywhere, especially at your home renovetion store.

For a filter, i would go with one of those mini HOB type of filter, or as GT mentioned, a Mini Canister Filter. A heater would be one of those mini or Junior heaters for 5 gallon tanks. Or maybe you can go one size up and go for a 10 gallon heater......Im not sure. Lets see what the others think....

I would get a 5 gallon tank, just because it is bigger, or you could get a 5 gallon cube type of tank. Those seem to be a hit.

For the stocking, you could go with a Male Betta, of any kind, or you could go for a Male Fancy tail guppy, and maybe 2-3 females. Those display nice color, and are perfect for a 5 gallon tank. Fish fry are too hard to raise, and they dont really require another tank to keep them in.....Just keep them in there and they will grow up. They wont really be too much of a hassle, as the parents will eat some of them (Yes, fry are nice food sources and will get eaten. Its the way of life) so the tank wont have too many residents. For a bottom feeder, i suggest 3 Chocolate Kuhli Loaches or 2 banded kuhli loaches, as the Chocolates dont grow as big. The striped ones get a bit larger, and therefore you might not be able to have as many. Then, you will have a fully stocked tank. The plants will provide O2 and will also absorb some of the nitrates, although you will need to change the water 25% every 4-5 days, and thats not much. Just like a gallon or a bit more. Just get some air tubing for the tank and use that as a gravel cleaner mini.

Just remember the initial cycle period, and after the cycle has ended (If you go with fishless cycling and bacteria starters, it will go faster; approxamately 2-3 weeks, or until the ammonia and nitrites have ended, also run the filter throughout the cycling period) then you can add the fish over a course of 2 weeks, starting with the betta, then a few days later add the kuhlis.

For plants i will reccomend Dwarf Hairgrass, Ludwiga, Some Glosso or Baby's tears or aquatic 4 leaf clover for groundcover. A dwarf sword will also do good in the tank, and will add some nice texture. Finnally, get some Flourish Excel]http://www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/FlourishExcel.html[/link] or a DIY CO2 Generator. be sure to get some fertilizers, such as [link=Flourish. Im not a plant guru, but i am sure others can suggest a bit of things....

Finnally, welcome to Fish Profiles and have fun creating this tank! It was a good idea to ask, and hopefully you can have a great time with this!

~Goby


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Hi, I don't have much to add as far as fish, planting and lighting suggestions, these folks have it well covered. I just wanted to welcome you to Fish Profiles, and encourage you to keep asking lots of questions, and listen to whats shared with you on here, these folks have helped me a ton as a new fishkeeper! Most of all, be patient, get a good plan together before you start buying stuff and take your time, do it right!

Good luck!