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unusual small tank stocking

6K views 34 replies 14 participants last post by  veganchick 
#1 ·
Hi! I have a 2.5 gallon that i'm thinking of setting up, trying to decide between a fresh and salt water setup. i've done freshwater before and i don't want to do another tank with guppies or platies or the like, i want to do something different if i go freshwater. does anyone have any suggestions?
 
#6 ·
have you ever used silk plants,i have used them in the past,
and found i liked the way they moved in the current.
and the best thing is you don't need extra lights. :)
 
#9 ·
None of those will work in a 2.5 gallon. There's simply not enough room for a freshwater lobster or a dwarf gourami. There's also not enough room for a dwarf cichlid in addition to that small a water volume being just too unstable for them. At that size you're really looking at a betta or shrimp.
 
#11 · (Edited)
If you can find them, a couple of the very small anabantids should work. Sparkling Gouramis stay small I think, though I have never had any. I had a pair of fish that sold as Brown Paradisefish ( I think Pseudosphromenus dayi ) that stayed very small and spawned in a 2.5 gal, but I havent seen any since then- about 15 yr ago.

Afterthought: Be aware that providing good, stable conditions to any fish will be more difficult than in a larger tank.
 
#16 ·
i have considered them, the puffers are all so cute, like underwater bumble bees:-D. how are they personality wise?

Get a betta. They have great personalities. :)
they do, don't they? i've had them before and dearly loved them, but i want to do something different with this tank;-)

Oh, or some Lesser Killie Fish (Heterandria formosa)
how much $$$ are they:-??

Yes they are, but bettas are tough as nails and dwarf gourami's are rather delicate due to the practices used to breed them. A 2.5 gallon will be highly unstable and fluctuating conditions will stress a DG's already weak immune system and make them highly susceptible to disease.
i'll definitely keep that in mind:)
 
#17 ·
hi
dwarf puffers have a great little personality,
and will get to know you quickly,and learn that you are the food giver,
as you approach the tank,they will greet you awaiting food.
blood worms,snails,small crustations are their food.
they can become agressive as they mature,and be nasty little guys.
the males i think get a line running the length of the underbelly,and wrinkles behind their
eyes.
 
#19 ·
Sparkling gouramis stay small (1.5 inches) and are fascinating little fish. If you want something a little different, go with these guys. They're a bit shy, but give 'em some cover to feel safe, and they're delightful.

I wouldn't put more than one in a 2.5 gallon, though, because they're hard to sex and you could end up with two males. The two male sparklers I had in a 5.5 gallon never did any real damage to each other, but there was a lot of flaring and some nipped fins. This was with a ton of hiding spots for them, too.
 
#25 ·
You could do a red cherry shrimp tank. I don't really put fish in less than 5 gallons because I just think they need at least that much space to swim. JMO.

A mini reef would be REALLY cool, but could be difficult. If you're up for the challenge it would be awesome :)
 
#30 ·
These size of tanks are really suitable for things like holding tanks to transport or to breed or to hold small fry to prevent them from being eaten. Unless you want it for like a beta or maybe ghost shrimp. I know its not what you want to hear but etleast you can do with it what you want. Dwarf gouramis are very active swimmers and although at times semi aggresive they thrive in a community tank I think.
 
#31 ·
Plenty of things can be properly kept in these tanks. People need to look past the most common fish out there (yes, I'm talking about bettas and guppies) and look at the other options. Heck, I'm going to have a reef this size in 4 years when I go to college.
 
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