# Can 2.5g be a NPT tank?!



## summersea (Jul 26, 2013)

So I finally convinced my mom to let me try upgrading "her" Betta (I do all te work but she gets to enjoy him in her office) out of his 1.5g tank. Last time I tried I didn't know anything about cycling a tank and almost killed him :-( so she has been fighting me tryin again. 

Anywho, we've had trouble keeping his tank water at a stable temp and woke up to find him pale and his tank at 74. That was enough to get my mom to upgrade but no bigger than a 2.5g (she's mom, what can I do lol). So my question is, can I do an NPT that small? I have a 5g NPT I love but from my readings a snail and/or shrimp are needed to make it a closed ecosystem. So would that be possible in 2.5g? I have ordered the Aqueon 2.5g mini-bow so I can get a CFL 6500k bulb for it. 

I appreciate all help as I am so excited to be upgrading my little guy!


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## sponge1234 (Oct 29, 2013)

Yup I have seen many of the aqeun(did I spell that right lol) 2.5 bowfronts that are NPT's.


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## summersea (Jul 26, 2013)

Yay! So can I add a nerite snail or some red cherry shrimp with my Betta? Anything different I need to worry about in terms of using a 2.5g versus my 5g set up?


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## sponge1234 (Oct 29, 2013)

I would be careful about the nerite snail because I have read that snails have a high bioload but the shrimp should be fine as long as there a lot of hiding places. You might want to try ghost shrimp first and then if they get along with your betta, replace them with a couple RCS.


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## Flint (Oct 22, 2013)

A nerite will do just fine cherry shrimp will likely be eaten. The snail won't over load the tank if it's a single nerite.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## 2muttz (Aug 16, 2013)

I have two tiny nerites in a 5 gallon with just a few live plants and the water parameters stay just perfect. So I think one in a 2.5 should be okay, loadwise. You'd have to be on top of making sure they have enough food, though. The horned nerites are quite the tiniest I believe, the _bigger_ of my two is smaller than my little pinky fingernail! Whenever I add a snail to one of my tanks I add some "Safestart" to help the bacteria catch up.

Good luck!


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## summersea (Jul 26, 2013)

Thanks for the replies!

I currently have 6 (well 5 for sure but can never tell if one is just hiding or not...) red cherry shrimp in with my HMEE in my 5g NPT along with 1 nerite and everyone has been great and no casualties (has been set up for a month). My nerite does an amazing job with algae and was worried about diatoms, especially, with the new 2.5g. I may wait to see if the tank gets algae before adding in a nerite just to be safe.

My plan (as of now) is to set up the tank and let it sit and mature for 3 weeks before switching over my betta (he has trouble swimming due to SB issues and massive finnage so want to make sure it is all ready to go before transferring him). If during that 3 weeks it looks like algae I will likely get a nerite. Still debating on the shrimp. My boy has been alone for so long I don't want to give him a complete shock :shock: (not to mention if anything happens to him my mom will kill me...). I wouldn't be worried about the shrimp's safety as I said, Razz has some difficulty swimming.

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So, stocking check. Do the plants below sound okay for starting the NPT in the 2.5?

Wisteria (couple of trimmings from my other NPT)
Hygro corymbosa (temple plant - probably just one trim from other NPT)
1 pygmy chain sword (or two...my other NPT is exploding with baby plantlets)
Anubias (maybe? or a Java Fern - either one tied to a rock)

Is that too much or not enough? Thoughts, opinions?


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## amphirion (Jan 15, 2014)

most of those plants i would avoid using, because not only do they grow fast, but they grow large. the dimensions of the plants would not go well with the tank.
the plants that would be alright in that tank would be the Anubias (depending on the species, nana var barteri or 'petite' is ideal.) the java fern is a slow grower, but i would recommend the 'philippine' cultivar as it stays small and is compact.

as a foreground, i would replace the pygmy chain sword with dwarf hair grass. stemmed plants such as rotala sp. will work in the tank as well (in the back). cryptocoryne parva is an excellent foreground to midground plant, and alternanthera reineckii mini is a wonderful plant to grow if it's conditions are met.


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## johnnymillenium (Feb 15, 2013)

Yes you can definitely keep a 2.5 gal NPT. although I think you may need another species or two of plants, I'm not entirely sure though seeing as how I'm new to keeping a NPT. Possibly another stem and a floating plant? I have a wisteria and LOVE it. I also second getting one nerite snail, although I haven't actually gotten one yet. It seems legit though ^_^


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## summersea (Jul 26, 2013)

Okay, slight change in plan. Went to petco and they had the 5g mini bow on sale for only $10 more than I spent for the 2.5g 

Moral of the story - I now have a 5g mini bow to make an NPT! Sooo for the stocking of plants and/or snails will my original plant list work (maybe switching to hair grass and/or bacopa from PetsMart. Also a Nerite and a couple shrimp good? I just hope it isn't too big for my guy since he has a little bit of trouble swimming...


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## Flint (Oct 22, 2013)

I'd just stick with him an the nerite still. 3 shirimps if you want any.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Is this going to be a soil-based tank? I know some members on here refer to all planted tanks as NPT, but a 'true' NPT to me is one that involves the use of soil as a substrate. 

If you are using soil, you want to use fast-growing stems and floating plants at least in the initial weeks of set-up. Soil contains a lot of nutrients that can leech out into the water column. Therefore, you want plants that are going to utilise these nutrients and prevent ammonia spikes and other issues. Plants such as wisteria, watersprite, hornwort, duckweed, Amazon frogbit, ambulia, anacharis etc. are all great options for a NPT as they are will consume much more nutrients than slow growers such as anubias and java fern.


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## summersea (Jul 26, 2013)

Yes, this will be a soil based tank. As of now, this is the plan...

1" Miracle Grow Organic Potting Mix
1/2" Petco Black Sand Cap
15watt CFL 6500K bulb

Plants:
1 Anubias nana (roots buried but rhizome above cap)
1 Java fern (tied to a rock)
2-3 Wisteria trimmings
1 Container Alternanthera reineckii cardinalis from Petsmart (only new plant they had that Peachii listed earlier - though contemplating exchanging for bacopa)
1-2 Pygmy Chain Sword Plantlets 

Other Possibilities from Trimmings of Other NPT:
Cambomba (1 stem)
Ludwigia red (1-2 Stems)

Stocking:
3 Ghost or Red Cherry Shrimp (added 3-5 days after setup with every other day 50% water changes)
1 Nerite Snail (added 2-3 weeks after setup)
1 DT Betta (added 3 weeks after setup - after water parameters have stabilized)

Thoughts and opinions? My LFS do not have much in terms of selection of plants. This is all that has been previously listed that I can get my hands on. Is this enough plants? Should I up the number of wisteria (I am not opposed to having to trim them often to keep them from outgrowing the tank - currently do that on my other 5g NPT)

Again, thank you for all the replies and help!


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## summersea (Jul 26, 2013)

Oh, also forgot to mention under other plant possibilities that I can trim one of my hygro corymbosa stems...in fact I may go ahead as add that under the planned plant section as I love that plant!


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

I recieved these suggestions from a member. where I wanted to be able to float some plants until I could plant they are supposed to be low light and low maintanence

Green hygro/Sunset hygro
Water wisteria
brazzillian pennywort
limnophilia sessepholia
anacharis
rotala rotundafolia
guppy grass

Also make sure you keep the betta where it it is and let the tank run a few weeks. You don't have to but you can then be sure the plants have taken off and is successful.


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

The limophilia may be mispelled I couldn't find it when I was trying to look it up.


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## peachii (Jan 6, 2013)

Limnophila sessiliflora, yeah I renamed it apparently.


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## summersea (Jul 26, 2013)

Sadly I just don't have those plant options near me. :-(. Wish we had more variety but I make do with the select few my one LFS that sells aquatic plants has and what I can get at petco/PetsMart. But I thank you for all the suggestions! Now if only the heater would get here so I can set up the tank ;-)


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## Tree (Sep 29, 2013)

Yup I have a 1.5, 2.6 and a 3 gallon tanks that are NPT. all with one betta and a Nerite snail. =)


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