# 2.5 gallon stocking



## squishylittlefishies (Sep 12, 2012)

I have a 2.5 gallon aquarium that I got as a gift. It has water, sand and a filter, all from an established aquarium. I was keeping a fiddler crab in it but it escaped and plumeted to the floor, later dying a gruesome death. I am too traumatized to get another crab, so what can I put in it? Besides a betta? No bettas. The tank dimensions are 12x6x8 inches. Any ideas are great, not just fish! Thanks a bunch!


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## JDM (Dec 9, 2012)

Shrimp tank? I've been considering shrimp but there are quite a few issues (primarily gotten eaten) for my likely fish stocking. The are some colourful shrimp that might make a cool setup. 

I actually found a shrimp specific forum somewhere. 

Jeff.


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## jentralala (Oct 5, 2012)

Snails? You could have a few varieties. I actually love snails. You could have pond, ramshorn, and MTS.


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## Bluewind (Oct 24, 2012)

Now what's wrong with a Betta? I have a veiltail male named Gus who's a total sweetie. And then there are females in need of a good home. Different colors and fin types and personalities. Just curious, that's all ;-)

Cherry Shrimp would be fun. Someone gave me a link to epicfish.net which has a really good deal on them. Ghost Shrimp are another low cost option.

You might be able to hold 2 or 3 Mystery Snails in that as long as you kept up pwc. They're neat little guys :-D

Oh! And maybe an ADF. Such cute little frogs. Just make sure that he can't get out. They are fully aquatic, but can jump out if there are holes!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## squishylittlefishies (Sep 12, 2012)

I dunno. I've had bettas before and they're just not that great. Also, I know some bettas are super fun and active, but a lot of them just sit on the bottom and play dead. There's no way to predict personality type before hand! I'm glad you're enjoying yours though. I've considered ADFs, but don't they need live food? So far I'm thinking shrimp will be my best plan. I have a few amanos and a ghostie in my main tank I could move over there.I could make it into a mini planted aquarium. Can shrimp live in an unheated tank? I don't have a heater. Can any fish? any other ideas?Oh! and the snails! what is the most interesting type of snail?
Thanks!


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## PhilipPhish (Mar 6, 2011)

Bettas are usually very lively when they have heaters, they are tropical fish you know. There for they enjoy warm water.

I think a shrimp tank would be a very good idea. As far as plants, they also tend to need heaters...There are cheap tank heaters for 2.5 gallons that you simply insert under the gravel, like a heating pad.


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## Bluewind (Oct 24, 2012)

Phil is right. As long as your tank has clean water, is heated to a proper temp, he gets a healthy diet, and he has some decore to mess with (hiding holes, plants, and so on), healthy Betta males are actually quite active. If they become sulky, you can always rearange their stuff which always does the tick for me ;-)

From what I gather from my experence and that of others, they also like to bond with a single piece of decor that they clame as theirs. For Gus, it's a piece of fake coral. For another, a pineapple. Another had a castle. They treat it like a little kid would a teddy bear! :lol:

And then there's bubblenests. When little guys are happy and healthy, they ofter will go to the top of the water and blow bubble after bubble until they create this very cool foam on top of the water. It is meant to keep the eggs in, but they will do it rather a female is around or not. I find it beautiful. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## squishylittlefishies (Sep 12, 2012)

Thanks for all the convincing betta comments. I love them so much more now, but I still don't want one. sorry.
however, I just did some intense research! I have decided on either a cold water white cloud mountain minnow tank, or a heated dwarf puffer. I read like a million different forums of people who have done both in a 2.5. I also talked to my highly knowledgeable lfs staff. I think the lil puffer will work out better though because they are actually smaller and don't need to be in groups like the minnows. According to the 1inch per gallon rule I could actually fit three... jk. I know better than that 
Anyway, so much personality, so cute, so exotic! What do ya think?


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## squishylittlefishies (Sep 12, 2012)

Oh, I forgot to mention numbers... either one dp, or 2-3 wcmms.


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## AK Fresh Water (Jun 23, 2012)

squishylittlefishies said:


> Thanks for all the convincing betta comments. I love them so much more now, but I still don't want one. sorry.
> however, I just did some intense research! I have decided on either a cold water white cloud mountain minnow tank, or a heated dwarf puffer. I read like a million different forums of people who have done both in a 2.5. I also talked to my highly knowledgeable lfs staff. I think the lil puffer will work out better though because they are actually smaller and don't need to be in groups like the minnows. According to the 1inch per gallon rule I could actually fit three... jk. I know better than that
> Anyway, so much personality, so cute, so exotic! What do ya think?


Neither of those fish are appropriate for a 2.5 gal tank.


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## PhilipPhish (Mar 6, 2011)

May I suggest wild guppies? One male and 2 females would do well. They are very very hardy little fish and you don't absolutely have to have a heater. Just provide a lot of hiding places.
Fancy guppies may also do well, though I would highly recommend a heater for them. My sister had a few and they were somewhat more delicate than the wild guppies.

I can post some pictures of my wild guppies if you would like. They are pretty interesting and fun to watch. Mine have developed great bonds with my cory cats and female bettas.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Bluewind (Oct 24, 2012)

You have to look at not only inch per gallon (which is not always right as many have different bioloads), but the messiness of the fish and swimspace needed.

A White Cloud Minnow is going to need a 10 or 20 gal minimum because of the speed the swim and their activity level. They would be a no no for a 2.5gal as it doesn't give them the space they need.

A single dwarf puffer needs 5 gallons because they are messy. They need live foods or frozen and have a good bioload for such a tiny fish. If you have your tank well planted, upgrade the filter to one for a bigger tank, and do LOTS of pwc, I have heard of it working in a tank that small, but it's not ideal. Just don't get more than one! They are agressive little buggers.

Also, you would need a very soft sand as ANYTHING that is slightly sharp will injure them. That means no gravel or course sand. And no orniments that are rough. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## squishylittlefishies (Sep 12, 2012)

Bluewind said:


> You have to look at not only inch per gallon (which is not always right as many have different bioloads), but the messiness of the fish and swimspace needed.
> 
> A White Cloud Minnow is going to need a 10 or 20 gal minimum because of the speed the swim and their activity level. They would be a no no for a 2.5gal as it doesn't give them the space they need.
> 
> ...


Thanks for all the helpful info! So no wcmm. I would only get one dp. They have dps at my lfs for only 4 dollars! I can probably get some pest snails for free to feed it. I have a filter that works up to 5 gallons. I also siphon the debris out of the sand regularly, and I do weekly 15% water changes or more. This should take care of its high waste levels yes? I also have a ghost shrimp which will either clean up the results of messy eating, or make a nice snack. For sand, I use play sand. is that ok? Are puffers considered scaleless fish? Will they eat molly fry? thanks!


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## Canadian Fish (Feb 12, 2012)

I would think they probably would eat molly fry. 

Mine only eat live food. They would not eat frozen or freeze dried bloodworms. I finally started feeding them live white worms, and they love those.


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## squishylittlefishies (Sep 12, 2012)

Oh, and my pet store only sells fancy guppies, philipphish. Thanks anyway though! I just have problems with the long fins on fancy guppies...they tend to get broken, or rot(not sure which was the problem) If I could find the wild ones I'd go for it!


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## squishylittlefishies (Sep 12, 2012)

Canadian Fish said:


> I would think they probably would eat molly fry.
> 
> Mine only eat live food. They would not eat frozen or freeze dried bloodworms. I finally started feeding them live white worms, and they love those.


Wow! quick response! would it be bad to feed it fry as a treat? Or would it be good for it? What are whiteworms? My tank stays around 72 degrees unheated, the only concern is nighttime. The store only has one left, and I don't know when they get a new shipment. If I snatch it up now, would it be ok for a few days until I add a heater? Do you think it would work if I covered the light with something dark at night so it still makes heat, but not light?Thanks a ton!

( I feel bad for refering to the fishy as 'it', I just don't know if it's gonna be a girl or a boy!)


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## Canadian Fish (Feb 12, 2012)

As mentioned in the dwarf puffer profile, they like warmer temperatures than 72 degrees.

I would ask the store if they will hold it for a few days. I do that all the time. Can't hurt to try. 

I have no idea if feeding them fry is good or not. Are we talking really really small, like when they're a speck? I can't see how that would hurt. At least they'd be eating. 

White worms are a tiny little white worm. I bought a container for 4.99 that allegedly contains over 2000 of them (who knows if this is true) but I separated the dirt into two containers, added extra dirt, and they are multiplying. I just put in a small piece of bread for them to eat. I feed them one at a time, with tweezers. I usually dip them in a small cup of water first, to get the dirt off. 






(That's my 4 year old making all the racket in the background)


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## PhilipPhish (Mar 6, 2011)

I'm not sure if a dwarf puffer is such a good idea for a 2.5 g....


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## Canadian Fish (Feb 12, 2012)

PhilipPhish said:


> I'm not sure if a dwarf puffer is such a good idea for a 2.5 g....


5 gallon would certainly be better. Or a 10 gallon with a trio.


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## cpwebsite (Dec 9, 2012)

squishylittlefishies said:


> Wow! quick response! would it be bad to feed it fry as a treat? Or would it be good for it? What are whiteworms? My tank stays around 72 degrees unheated, the only concern is nighttime. The store only has one left, and I don't know when they get a new shipment. If I snatch it up now, would it be ok for a few days until I add a heater? Do you think it would work if I covered the light with something dark at night so it still makes heat, but not light?Thanks a ton!
> 
> ( I feel bad for refering to the fishy as 'it', I just don't know if it's gonna be a girl or a boy!)


Feeding fry as a treat is not a bad idea but keep it limited. I would get a heater for your tank in order to help keep it more stable. I would recommend waiting a few days, fish keeping is not a hobby you rush and rather going for the quick unproven fix go with the real one.

Or you can go to the store, get the fish and the heater at the same time and heat up the tank as your acclimatizing the fish.... works quite well, just don't let the temp rise more than 2 degrees/ hour.


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## Bluewind (Oct 24, 2012)

17% wont work. WAY too little pwc. You see, the problem with putting a fish that is rated for a larger tank in a smaller one is that you MUST do massive pwc to keep it healthy. A Betta (who can survive in a 2.5gal) actually needs a total of about 120-200% pwc a week! This of corse means daily pwc and high risk of Amonia swings and such. You wont be able to take an off day from this. I would say do a minimum of 50% pwc 3x a week (with one being a sand vac) and lots of water testing to make sure you can do an emergancy pwc if needed.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Bluewind (Oct 24, 2012)

17% wont work. WAY too little pwc. You see, the problem with putting a fish that is rated for a larger tank in a smaller one is that you MUST do massive pwc to keep it healthy. A Betta (who can survive in a 2.5gal) actually needs a total of about 120-200% pwc a week! This of corse means daily pwc and high risk of Amonia swings and such. You can imagine the work needed with one that is rated for a larger tank!

You wont be able to take an off day from this. I would say do a minimum of 50% pwc 3x a week (with one being a sand vac) and lots of water testing to make sure you can do an emergancy pwc if needed.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## PhilipPhish (Mar 6, 2011)

I really do recommend a bigger tank if you want a puffer fish... perhaps 5 or 10 gallons with a heater and very strong filter.

If you are looking to stock a 2.5, I highly recommend a male betta or wild/fancy/endler guppies.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Canadian Fish (Feb 12, 2012)

PhilipPhish said:


> I really do recommend a bigger tank if you want a puffer fish... perhaps 5 or 10 gallons with a heater and very strong filter.
> 
> If you are looking to stock a 2.5, I highly recommend a male betta or wild/fancy/endler guppies.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_



Don't get too strong a filter. They'll get sucked up. I have an Aquaclear 20 on a 10 gallon tank, here you can see the sponge I put on the water intake to stop them from getting vacuumed. (Aquaclear's have adjustable water flow and mine is not running full blast)






For the record, with 2 in a 10 gallon, I just do my usual 25% water change once a week when I do my other tanks, and I have 0 nitrites, 0 ammonia, 5 nitrates. They are messy eaters, but if you feed them one worm at a time, and don't overfeed, they're not that bad. I also have a lot of plants in this tank, which helps.

As has been mentioned, however, keeping one in a 2.5 will require more water changes. But I would think 30% twice a week would be plenty. (I don't know for sure, never kept anything in a tank that small). 

I keep a Betta in a 5 gallon and 25% water changes once a week keeps the water at the same parameters listed above. A single DP does not need a 10 gallon tank, by any means, but a 5 would be infinitely better than a 2.5 (well, maybe not infinitely, but certainly twice as good, lol)

People keep pushing Bettas because they're the best fish for your size tank. I'm not a huge fan, but I have one because I had a 5 gallon and not much else to do with it. I actually like the darn thing now.










Mary Poppins, our male Betta. My son has gender issues.


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## Bluewind (Oct 24, 2012)

Well, 30% in a 10gal is 3 gallons and you said you did it 2x a week. I was just working up the equivalant of that much pwc in a 2.5 if I was to estimate that they dirty up about the same volume of water weekly. What do you think?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Canadian Fish (Feb 12, 2012)

Bluewind said:


> Well, 30% in a 10gal is 3 gallons and you said you did it 2x a week. I was just working up the equivalant of that much pwc in a 2.5 if I was to estimate that they dirty up about the same volume of water weekly. What do you think?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


No no, I said she might be ok doing it twice a week in that small tank. I only do it once a week. I have no interest in any tank so small that it requires two water changes a week. I am WAY too lazy. 

Mind you, a 30% water change in a 2.5 gallon tank probably wouldn't take very long, lol. And if she wanted to do 50% instead, it wouldn't be much more.


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## Bluewind (Oct 24, 2012)

I'm the exact opposite! I do more than I need to because I enjoy it! 20% 3x a week in my 10gal. Their tank stays cleaner than my bedroom! :lol:
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Canadian Fish (Feb 12, 2012)

Bluewind said:


> I'm the exact opposite! I do more than I need to because I enjoy it! 20% 3x a week in my 10gal. Their tank stays cleaner than my bedroom! :lol:
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Our tanks are cleaner than the rest of our house, but that is more a sad commentary on the state of our house, than on our tanks. In our defense, we have a four year old. Though it's more the lazy thing. 

I wish I could say if I had less tanks I would be more inclined to do more water changes, but that would be a lie. When we only had the one tank, we still only did water changes once a week. 

I wish I had your motivation, and actually enjoyed water changes. I'm always worried the filters won't restart after I turn them off, or the Silver Dollars will get stressed (every time) or the rope fish will get out, etc. I'm so paranoid (and did I mention lazy?). 

Sorry to get off topic OP. Wife is asleep after working all night and I am bored. I should do water changes. NOT. It's a 2 person job now. The sink we hook the python to is on a different floor than the fish tanks.


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## Bluewind (Oct 24, 2012)

I found that because I do so many, my fish almost expect it. And, I do several small ones instead of one big one which I think is less stressful on them.
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## squishylittlefishies (Sep 12, 2012)

hey guys! I'm back to check in...anybody curoius to know what this tank ended up as?
well, I did the dwarf puffer for about 3 weeks and after having an unconquerable algae explosion, i moved her to the 10g where she gets along great with the other fishes. After pilingup heaps of info, I decided to dive into the sw side of the hobby. some peoplesuggested that a 2.5 g might not be the best size for a reefing newbie to start outwith, but I thought...what the heck! I've now had my 2.5g pico reef up and running with many corals and inverts for over 3 months. Allthough it is a ton of work, I love it sooo much!


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