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2 5-gallon tanks?!?!?!?!

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shadow
Post subject: 2 5-gallon tanks?!?!?!?!
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:40 pm
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Hello all,
SO....I have 2 5-gallon tanks - one rectangular and one hexagon.

My dillema is what to put in them. I have the rectangle one set up with 3 fancy guppies, 2 baby guppies that I saved from the feeder tank 'cause they had pretty spots, 1 dwarf platy, and 2 cory cats...and a plant.

I know someone is going to tell me its overtstocked, but its clean, clear, no algae, and the fish are happy and active. From what I know thats most important.

I'm not setting the hexagon one up till the summer, but I need to figure out how to set the two up so I can get the fish I want.

Any advice, suggestions, etc would help a lot.

I like colorful fish, so I def. like the guppies. The fish I know I want are:
- khuli loaches
- oto cats
- betta fish, female for now

So I was thinking I put the loaches and 3 female bettas in the rectangle tank? There's plenty of room for them to swim and lots of surface area for air. I read that loaches wont burrow as much if the substrate is a neutral color, and I'd get them some sort of cave to hide in, probably 3, but I'd like more if I can, and hopefully different colors - I think they are all about 3", just different shades?

Then with the hexagon tank I'd have guppies, the dwarf platy, and 3 oto cats? There will be at least 3 plants in each tank as well. I'm not sure if I can trade in the cory cats? I know they'll get too big for both tanks, I just got them because I needed something to clean the bottom and they were all the pet store had.

So let me know what you think! I've had fish before, but I'm definately not an expert...I tend to sort of wing it... Any suggestions, comments, etc are welcome and appreciated.

Thanks!! :)


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Admin
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Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 12:27 am
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we have a lot of nice freshwater shrimp

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shadow
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Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:21 am
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I'd like shrip too, especially the red ones.... But would the khuli loaches try to eat them? I've heard they can be agressive...

Do you think my tank arrangements will work? As far as who I have in which tank...

Thanks :)


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Admin
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Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 1:21 pm
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how about
a pair of killi fish?

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shadow
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Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 3:34 pm
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How big to killi fish get? I've mostly heard they're over 2 inches, so wouldn't that be too big for the hexagon tank?

I still think the image I have in my head will work....I don't understand the whole number of fish rule. A friend of mine who has had fish for years always told me that as long as the water is clean and clear and the fish look happy and active with room to swim with space around them, then it was good.

I don't know....I'll probably be in to bother whoevers working so I can figure something out when I get back from college in May....I'm always stubborn when I think I have a good idea....lol

I do hate to be a pain, it just looks good in my head so I want to make it work. Plus I'm ocd about keeping stuff clean, so the water wouldn't ever have enough time to get dirty....now I have a gallon in a bottle for when I change the water and vaccuum the gravel, then I fill it up again and let it sit till next time, since people always say to age the water....

Anyway, thanks for your input, and I'm sorry for being a pain...I just want to make the best out of what I have since I won't have the money for a bigger tank for a looooong time...


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randomrambler
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Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:30 pm
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I normally wouldn't suggest loaches in such a small tank, they tend to be super active and like plenty of room to swim around in.

I've got a dwarf puffer that does fine in a 2.5g by himself, and its a nice change from the ordinary fish you normally see. You could do a nice school of dwarf rasbora, which I've wanted to do for awhile, but can't seem to motivate myself to get on it.

Just a suggestion.

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shadow
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Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 4:37 pm
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I think i'll end up going with a male betta for the hex tank. Another question, though - can there be 2 female bettas or does there have to be three or more?


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Admin
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Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 8:04 pm
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well

breeding bettas is complicated

basically you need at least 2 tanks
(a small hex is fine, or a wine glass for that matter)

the male makes a bubble nest
the female puts eggs in the nest
the male drives off the female (this is where you come in and catch and move her to a diiferent container)

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Admin
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Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 8:06 pm
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I think kuhlii loach mouths are too small to bother shrimp
but I have never tried it

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shadow
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 12:14 am
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well, i didn't want to breed anything, i just like how bettas look. I think i'll put a picture of my rectangle tank in the pictures section and see if you guys think it would be too small for 3 loaches. I've heard people say both yes and no, depending on how I decorate it. Also, I think its actually a 6-gallon - i found this aquarium-calculator thing that tells how much water a container is holding.
I'm also going to find some 'pea gravel' so its not so rough on whatever bottom fish i get.
thanks everyone!


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shadow
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 12:15 am
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well, i didn't want to breed anything, i just like how bettas look. I think i'll put a picture of my rectangle tank in the pictures section and see if you guys think it would be too small for 3 loaches. I've heard people say both yes and no, depending on how I decorate it. Also, I think its actually a 6-gallon - i found this aquarium-calculator thing that tells how much water a container is holding.
I'm also going to find some 'pea gravel' so its not so rough on whatever bottom fish i get.
thanks everyone!


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