Stocking a 5gal?

[lavallin]

This isn't quite a betta topic, but I trust the advice that I get on this forum.. everyone here always has the fishs best interest at heart. :)

My lovely betta boy died over Christmas break (I'm so sad!), and now I have a filtered, heated (not yet cycled) 5 gallon tank with one lonely dwarf frog living in it.
I may get another betta, but I was also wondering about other ways to stock the tank? I know that my choices may be fairly limited, but are there any interesting possibilities outside the realm of the betta (where I have never ventured before!!)

[bettabeauty]

Well... I say get another adf for your frog! He'll enjoy the company. I was just reading that its okay to put two frogs together in one gallon. What about getting a few tetras?

[lavallin]

I had two frogs for a while, until one of them passed... the remaining guy is a big bully (I had to feed the two separately because the smaller one never got anything to eat), so I will probably steer clear of adfs for now.

What kind of tetra, and how many?

[dramaqueen]

Maybe make it a frog tank. Would 3 work in a 5 gallon?

[AngelicScars]

Tetras need at least 10 gallons.
You are really limited with 5 gallons. I think ADFs or a Betta are your best bet.

You could also divide the 5 gallon and have 2 Bettas, I'm not sure if that would be a good idea for your ADF though.

[lavallin]

Does anyone know about dwarf platies?

[kelly528]

No but if

a) They stay within 1.5 inches
b) They can be sexed so that they don't breed

I would go for it.

Some other options are
-Dwarf shrimp of any variety
-A dwarf puffer (for experienced fishkeepers)
-Bumblebee gobies (for experienced fishkeepers)
-Dwarf frogs
-Guppies
-Endlers Livebearers
-Snails
-6 Pygmy Cories
-Pygmy gouramis such as dwarf honeys / sunsets, sparkling gouramis or licorice gouramis
-Microrasboras*

* This genera includes a zillion little rasboras that are all under about 1.5". Very cool fish and perfect for small setups. Just a few from this family are: Celestial Pearl Danios / Galaxy Rasboras, Boraras briggitae, B. merah, exclaimation point danios... the list goes on!

For more help try googling 'nano fish' or 'nano tank stocking'.
-

[AngelicScars]

I did a little looking up about the dwarf platies. They seem to be fine in a 5 gallon. I wouldn't get more then 2-3. I'm not sure if they are shoaling fish though. That makes a big difference.

[kelly528]

Yes. Always always ALWAYS make sure the tank size will accomodate a shoal if they are a shoaling fish.

I know guppies and platies as social, not per-se shoaling. Therefore while they do need about 2 companions of the same species you don't have to worry about the 6-fish minimum like you do with neons, danios, cories and rasboras.

[lavallin]

Thanks for all the great info!
Dwarf puffers are so cute, I definitely see one in my future (although maybe not quite yet)!

If I got microrasboras, could I get more than one kind? Would they mind being in a school of slightly different varieties? For example, if I maybe got 2 fish each of three different types.