Best Fish for 5 gallon that can survive cycle

LasColinasCichlids

Hey all! Hope everyone is doing well!!!

Okay...I am a few days away from setting up a new 5 gallon aquarium. I am upgrading my African Dwarf Frog from a one gallon to a five. I will add the water from her current one gallon to the new five gallon and it will then finish off its cycle.

Anyways...my ADF is super tiny, and I have had her for almost a year with no issues. She actually was housed with a male betta for a little while, and her nor the betta had any issues with each other.

So, when I upgrade to the 5 gallon, I would like to add 2-3 fish (3 if small 1 in full grown fish, 2 if 2 in full grown fish). So I need a fish that a 5 gallon would be okay for (other than a betta), and that would survive the cycle.

I thought I wanted to keep two dwarf gouramis, but after researching them more, I think it would only be fair to them in they were in a minimum of a 10 gal since they are territorial.

I am in love with the sunset colored fish, and want COLOR in this little tank. I like the sunset tequila guppies, but my albino ADF I had years ago had a taste for guppies and I dont want to risk that with this ADF, even though she is super small.

So...wondering if anyone had any recommendations for a cycling 5 gallon with an African Dwarf Frog (female) as far as fish are concerned. Colorful, beautiful, unique...all good adjetives that I would use to describe the look of the fish I am hoping to find...as well as combining tank size and compatablity as well as their size (not to big, small tank...not too small, frog's mouth).

No danios, tetras, neons, bettas...

Thanks ya'll!!!

Byron

Your last sentence has basically excluded everything. There are several "dwarf" species among the characins, danio and rasbora that would suit a 5g provided you have live plants. I've no experience with the frog, so these would be out if it is likely to eat small fish.

LasColinasCichlids

LOL, I know I have seriously limited myself. I will look into Dwarf Rasbora and characins and see if I like them...and I was thinking about putting a couple of small live plants, as that would be a new adventure for me. Thanks for the advice, it is greatly appreciated.

I might be able to keep smaller fish as long as they are an inch or more, anything small like neons will be ate, I am sure of it. My African Dwarf Frog has never had live food, and she is pretty small. However, once moved to her larger tank I am going to introduce her to bloodworms (freezedried and pre-soaked), hopefully that will keep her away from any smaller live fish.

LasColinasCichlids

Byron...
Any details you might give me on dwarf gouramis? I have never had them and only know what I have read. And as we all know, what we read isnt always the truth.

aura09

Well ill give you some info i love my Dwarf Gourami :)

They can get 3 inches. lol The min tank size is a 5 gallon and they will swim in the middle of the tank. They prefer a well planted tank with a cover of floating plants . You have to gave good filration and regualr water changes thats def a must as they are susceptible to disease thats why its recommended to use a little salt. they should be kept in pairs or in small groups of at least 3 (one male to two females) as they are timid when kept alone (well i have one in my tank alone haha hes okay i guess so..) they can just get agressive possibly during courtship. but if you have 3 gouramis in a 5 gallon thats prob all your gonna fit .so def a little bigger is recommened for themm.:)

Byron

I agree with aura09, except on the salt--more on that in a moment. First to something from your prior post.

The "dwarf" species suitable for a 5g are all well under 1 inch at full size. I do not consider any of the non-dwarf characins or cyprinids suitable for anything under a 10g. These beautiful fish deserve more room.

For more on the Dwarf Gourami, read our profile [click on the shaded name].

Now to the salt. Gourami are sensitive fish, occurring in natural waters devoid of any salts or minerals. Continual use of salt will take its toll on the fish. To explain, I will end by copying over what I have previously written on this issue. B.

Salt is detrimental to freshwater fish and plants in varying degrees. To understand why, we must understand what salt does in water.

Salt makes the water more dense than the same water without salt. The aquarium contains water. The bodies of fish and plant leaves also contain water [just as we do--we are, what is it, 70-some percent water?]. The water in the aquarium and the water in the fish/plant are separated by a semi-permeable layer which is the cell. Water can pass through this cell. When either body of water is more dense, the other less-dense body of water will pass through the membrane to equalize the water on both sides.

Water is constantly passing through the cells of fish by osmosis in an attempt to equate the water inside the fish (which is more dense) with the water in the aquarium. Put another way, the aquarium water is diluting the fish's body water until they are equal. Freshwater fish regularly excrete this water through respiration and urination. This is the issue behind pH differences as well as salt and other substances. It increases the fish's work--the kidney is used in the case of salt--which also increases the fish's stress in order to maintain their internal stability. Also, the fish tends to produce more mucus especially in the gills; the reason now seems to be due to the irritant property of salt--the fish is trying to get away from it.

I have an interesting measurement for fish. Dr. Stanley Weitzman, who is Emeritus Research Scientist at the Department of Ichthyology of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington and an acknowledged authority on characoid fishes, writes that 100 ppm of salt is the maximum for characins, and there are several species that show considerable stress leading to death at 60 ppm. 100 ppm is equal to .38 of one gram of salt per gallon of water. One level teaspoon holds six grams of salt, so 1 tsp of salt per gallon equates to more than 15 times the tolerable amount. Livebearers have a higher tolerance (mollies sometimes exist in brackish water) so the salt may be safe for them.

Plants: when salt is added to the aquarium water, the water inside the plant cells is less dense so it escapes through the cells. The result is that the plant literally dries out, and will wilt. I've so far been unable to find a measurement of how much salt will be detrimental to plants; all authorities I have found do note that some species are more sensitive than others, and all recommend no salt in planted aquaria.

LasColinasCichlids

I totally only expected to put maybe 2 fish that max out at 2 inches... or up to 3 one inch fish.

And I only use Freshwater Aquarium Salt in my 20 gal on rare times for my cichlids, which cichlids tend to like.

Thanks for all the info and advice!! It is ALWAYS appreciated!!!