5 gallon Hex

AquaticTim

AquaticTim

Medium Fish
#1
Nov 30, 2010
87
0
0
Wisconsin, USA
#1
My gf has a 5 gallon Hexagon tank she wants set up and I'm trying to decide what to put into it. Other than a betta OR a few danio glofish with a snail OR a cory OR 2 shrimp are there any other ideas? I'm thinking the more colorful/pretty the better, and a personality a plus. It would NOT have a heater, and would just have a gravel bubbler/filter and would probably change a 20 oz bottle of water each day or two. Thanks for the ideas!
 

bassbonediva

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
#8
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#8
In a Hex5 without a heater, you are SEVERELY limited. I wouldn't suggest having a betta or pea puffer in there unless you can GUARANTEE that the temperature in the tank will stay above 76F. I wouldn't put danios/glofish in such a small tank. They are insanely active and require 20gal minimum. Cories prefer being in groups of 4 or more and even the pygmies are too active for a 5gal (especially one with as small of a footprint as a Hex5...trust me, I know...I have one).

Here's an idea...why don't you spring for a $14 Tetra heater at Walmart? That'll open up some possibilities for the fish you can keep in the tank. You could always do the tank as an inverts-only tank with red cherry shrimp, maybe a dwarf orange crayfish and a nerite snail. Get a nice tall, branchy piece of driftwood, plant a whole bunch of low light plants (anacharis, frill, cabomba, java fern, java moss) and viola! Colorful, beautiful inverts tank.
 

AquaticTim

AquaticTim

Medium Fish
#9
Nov 30, 2010
87
0
0
Wisconsin, USA
#9
No plakat Bettas. And aakaakaak I really appreciate the site- may be using it in the future for my own fish! I didn't realize their was a such a thing as a dwarf puffer. Do you think one of those with a couple cories would work or what would you suggest?
 

AquaticTim

AquaticTim

Medium Fish
#10
Nov 30, 2010
87
0
0
Wisconsin, USA
#10
I don't think she would want an invert tank, just a fish or two. May get her a heater, but she's not going to want to fuss with plants. I do appreciate the idea though. I am leaning towards a pea puffer or dwarf puffer with either a couple cories or a couple shrimp... idk I've never kept a puffer but they look interesting.
 

bassbonediva

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
#11
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#11
Don't put cories in a 5gal. There isn't enough room for them. You see how active your cories are? Yeah, imagine that, only 3" long (the average size for cories), in a 5gal. Not going to work, bud. Sorry.

The puffer might think the shrimp are snackage, so if you decide to go the puffer route, get ghost shrimp. They get bigger than some of the other shrimp and they can be mean little buggers (I have two in my 55gal and everything avoids them, even my 5" featherfin cat, my 4" angelfish and my 3" German blue ram, all of which are major predators).

A heater is a must if you're going to keep tropical fish. Period. You'll greatly shorten your fish's lifespan and cause it undue stress. Seriously, $14 and you've got a heater. Sometimes you can even find them on Craigslist or at thrift stores for really cheap.
 

aakaakaak

aakaakaak

Superstar Fish
#12
Sep 9, 2010
1,324
0
0
Chesapeake, Virginia
#12
If you go with a pea puffer (same as a dwarf puffer) then your shrimp will become food. Probably even ghost shrimp will get eaten. Puffers are like sea rodents. Because of their teeth they have to gnaw on things like crustaceans or else their teeth get too long, they can't eat, and then die. Keeping snails that breed like crazy is sort of a good idea for puffers. They're live-in food.

I can't guarantee this because I'm not sure of the requirements, but one of the two types of bumblebee gobys might be cool as a bottom fish for pea puffers. The reason I say one of the two types, is because one is supposed to be FW and the other is BW. I'm still in the research phase of my "at work" tank, and this is one of the things I'm looking into. I'm not, by any means, experienced with puffers yet.
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#15
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#15
Oops, didn't realize there wasn't a heater in this situation. So, yes, get a heater.
NOW you can have a pea puffer! I was given mine because my tank was infested with mini snails. I'd say they were gone within three or four days, so go to town on the snails.
Pea puffers don't need brackish water, unlike other kinds of puffers.
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#17
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#17
aakaakaak said:
So what happened with your peas?
Click to expand...
I meant the snails were gone within three to four days, not my puffer ;)

And my pea puffer was a temporary denizen. He went back to the lfs that 'lent' him to me, as I had always intended to have the 5g for frogs. I was at the checkout at my lfs a month or so ago as they were getting ready to move locations when the manager popped up with a bag with the puffer in it - I was so surprised I didn't even think to say no. Anyway, the store finished their move and has their tanks up and running again, so it was time to redo the 5g (see my thread in general section) and return mr. pea puffer.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.